Time Flies
I realize it has been some time since my last update. Life has been extremely busy. A little over a week ago I left for Kolkata via train. The ride was thankfully rather uneventful. It is an 11 ½ hour overnight ride to travel the roughly 600 kilometers between Siliguri and Kolkata. I was in the AC sleeper class so the journey was not too bad because I slept (kind of) most of the way. I did grow very weary of the man trying to make a living by periodically walking the isles and in his high pitched voice saying “Chi, Coffee”. I would normally mumble something to myself about no Chi just sleep. Sharon wants me to point out that the AC sleeper class is still an Indian train, sounds deluxe but…
I went to Kolkata to meet a team of Americans that were coming to do some “fishing;” it was a very successful week. It did my heart good to see these hundreds of new believers.
My first couple of nights in Kolkata were spent at the Hotel Rupasi Bangla, I would give this fine establishment a ¼ star rating. My room was directly above the Bar. Each night I was treated (at no extra charge) to the finest karaoke in Eastern India. Those were some interesting notes. The room also came free of charge with a little mouse that I would occasionally see scurry from one end of the room to the other. This brings us to our first of perhaps many…..
POP QUIZ!
You get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities and lift the lid on your toilet; much to your surprise you find the complimentary mouse having a leisurely or perhaps frantic swim in your bowl. At this point you flush the toilet and find that he is an amazingly strong swimmer because he is still there. Ok, I have set the stage now, here is your quiz.
A. You scream like a little girl and run out of the room.
B. You grab him with your hand and return him to the room that you co inhabit with him.
C. You call housekeeping (I think I saw a phone in the room) and let them deal with it at 4:30 in the morning.
D. You use the facilities and go back to bed; after all that is why you got up.
E. Other.
You may post your answers below if you wish. I will keep you guessing on mine. (Jenny if you come we will put you in a better hotel, don’t worry.)
After the week was over I began what I thought was going to be my short flight home. (I needed to be back to head to Nepal the next morning). The day started with a text message on my phone that my flight was being delayed by a little over an hour, so I thought to myself, “no problem” but doubt was creeping in because I had been warned about this particular low cost airline. When the time for loading came, after we had lined up, they advised us that the flight would be delayed another 30~45 minutes. After this time would pass they would tell us the same thing again. This went on for about three hours and then they cancelled the flight. I got on the phone to my contact in Kolkata and had him rent for me a driver and car. I found another passenger that was interested in traveling via car with me and split the cost. What I was lead to believe was going to be a 8~10 hour drive ended up being about 16 hours in the car. That is a blazing average of 33 KPH (19.99 MPH). Keep in mind there was with a stretch about 70 miles long where we were able to travel about 70 MPH. This National Highway makes Hwy. 95S look like a super highway all the way from Coeur d’Alene to Boise. Parts of it are nearly a 4 wheel drive road with many loaded trucks tipped over on their side with armed guards standing there protecting their cargo. Now that was an adventure. Needless to say I did not return home in time to meet the group going to Nepal.
It’s been good hearing from some of you, feel free to call or email.
I went to Kolkata to meet a team of Americans that were coming to do some “fishing;” it was a very successful week. It did my heart good to see these hundreds of new believers.
My first couple of nights in Kolkata were spent at the Hotel Rupasi Bangla, I would give this fine establishment a ¼ star rating. My room was directly above the Bar. Each night I was treated (at no extra charge) to the finest karaoke in Eastern India. Those were some interesting notes. The room also came free of charge with a little mouse that I would occasionally see scurry from one end of the room to the other. This brings us to our first of perhaps many…..
POP QUIZ!
You get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities and lift the lid on your toilet; much to your surprise you find the complimentary mouse having a leisurely or perhaps frantic swim in your bowl. At this point you flush the toilet and find that he is an amazingly strong swimmer because he is still there. Ok, I have set the stage now, here is your quiz.
A. You scream like a little girl and run out of the room.
B. You grab him with your hand and return him to the room that you co inhabit with him.
C. You call housekeeping (I think I saw a phone in the room) and let them deal with it at 4:30 in the morning.
D. You use the facilities and go back to bed; after all that is why you got up.
E. Other.
You may post your answers below if you wish. I will keep you guessing on mine. (Jenny if you come we will put you in a better hotel, don’t worry.)
After the week was over I began what I thought was going to be my short flight home. (I needed to be back to head to Nepal the next morning). The day started with a text message on my phone that my flight was being delayed by a little over an hour, so I thought to myself, “no problem” but doubt was creeping in because I had been warned about this particular low cost airline. When the time for loading came, after we had lined up, they advised us that the flight would be delayed another 30~45 minutes. After this time would pass they would tell us the same thing again. This went on for about three hours and then they cancelled the flight. I got on the phone to my contact in Kolkata and had him rent for me a driver and car. I found another passenger that was interested in traveling via car with me and split the cost. What I was lead to believe was going to be a 8~10 hour drive ended up being about 16 hours in the car. That is a blazing average of 33 KPH (19.99 MPH). Keep in mind there was with a stretch about 70 miles long where we were able to travel about 70 MPH. This National Highway makes Hwy. 95S look like a super highway all the way from Coeur d’Alene to Boise. Parts of it are nearly a 4 wheel drive road with many loaded trucks tipped over on their side with armed guards standing there protecting their cargo. Now that was an adventure. Needless to say I did not return home in time to meet the group going to Nepal.
It’s been good hearing from some of you, feel free to call or email.
posted by traveling spud at 9:50 PM
8 Comments:
I think you know my answer for myself would be A.
um, i think E, but you probably did D. am i right?
I would prefer B, but if the need was too great D would happen.
i would probably chose d cuz i would not have touched the mouse (though i would have felt sorry for him).
Well first off A. Then since I really don't think the staff would do anything, unless I was offering money for them to do so. Do they have 24 hour front desk people in those kinds of places? I would probably find the nearest male and make him fish it out of the potty. We all know you would never let me travel alone in India, so there no doubt would be someone with me to go fishing. If not I would hold it and hope the wretched creature had crawled out by morning. So pretty much all the above.
Erica
E: I would havr screamed TONY!
I would say D. I would have peed on the mouse to show him who is boss. Then I would have gone to bed.
Probably E, which would entail closing the lid and praying that he wouldn't be able to find a way out, save the drain. Then deal with it in the morning. As far as the need to pee, if it were severe enough, I might resort to stepping in the shower. Who knows what damage a frantic mouse can do to an unwelcome hind end.
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