Saturday, November 1, 2008

Travel, Toilets, and a Critter

Our time in darjeeling is coming to a close and we will be leaving for Nepal on Tuesday. First we will take a share jeep to Silliguri (2 hours), and from there another share jeep to Nepal. After boarder crossing and getting our visas, we have a plane for Kathmandu (1 hour flight), then several days later another plane for Pokara (20 minutes by plane). It is possible to take a bus, but the journey can take up to 30 hours due to construction and road conditions, and despite the cost flying was the only way I (cydney) agreed to go. After our 14hr train ride (complete with tiny roaches in the bed) , I want to hold off on super long public transportation. Also, on the train, brandon failed to mention the toilet situation. Indian toilets are totally different and are known as " squat" toilets. True to their name you squat over a hole with your feet on either side, which proves to be quite a feat on a moving train. Also, you have to supply your own toilet paper (even at hotels) and there is no flush. The hotels usually have "sit" or flush toilets as it is the western travelers preference. Oddly our room has a curious looking combo-toilet with foot pads under the seat on either side. . . Fortunately our room here has a hot water shower for an hour and a half in the evening (kolkata did not) but it is also much much colder here. Our room is nice and has wood lined painted walls and a large window with a view of the hills and the himalayas. Fortunately we invested in nice sleeping bags because the room is not heated and gets quite cold at night. We recently went on a mission for a hairdryer so that I can wash my hair and not freeze all night. The hairdryer looks like a toy, but has proven to work sufficiently for four dollars.
As we were laying in bed the other night I heard some scratching and shuffling coming from the corner of the room..."Brandon. . .'yeah' . . .I think there's a critter". No response. "Brandon did you hear me? I think there's a critter, can we turn on the light?" Brandon gets out of bed turns on the light and begins to look under the bed and my stuff. He found a hole in the wall and shoved a water bottle into it assuming the amimal had left. He continued looking for holes and suddenly jumped 3 feet in the air as a little blck mouse lept from underneath his backpack and ran into the bathroom out the drain.
We shut the bathroom door now.

2 comments:

bbjo said...

I guess I should not complain about the rabbits any more.. hey maybe that was for the little fuzzy critter you guys left in the kitchen..haha. Miss you two very much. Be safe, love you more than the universe. MOM

Kaitlin said...

lovely---could be worse, it could be like Jan's.... :p