Sacred Cows, Temple Consecration, Noor's Roar

Today's entry is in note form. The original disappeared. 

Breakfast on the roof. We hear the sound of a procession, and rush to look over the ledge. Children, women, adult males, motor bicycle outriders with saffron flags, all chanting Sri Ram, Jay Ram, Jay Jay Ram. It is the same everywhere along the road, especially when we pass a Hindu temple. Later, on the hotel television at lunctime, we witness the Temple consecration ceremony.

Rinky dink
Musical pedal powered mobile sound system located in Stroud. Pops up at festivals everywhere. Inspired by India?

Toll booth lanes: 
.lane 4: car jeep van
Lane 3: ETC

Incoming thought: I want to go to the desert (USA, somewhere) and Jordan. I tell myself that my mind is a random thought producing machine, and they tomorrow I may very well wish to go to the Ural mountains. 

Ranthambore national park jeep tour:

Twice we heard the tigress roar
Richochetting round the rocks
Noor has woken from her sleep
Her cubs are gone, she wants a mate


''Tiger is very close, 15 to 16 metres
But sitting, not moving'
guides can gauge the distance of the roar
Again we hear it, softer, softer still
'Tiger go other side'
We bounce back to the gate
'Tiger waking 4.30. park closing 5.30'.
'You come back in the morning?'

Unfortunately all the morning jeeps had already been booked . I'd have done the 6.30 am trip, but my back might never have forgiven me

The tiger's roar split the rocks and echoed round the rift valley. So dry, I think I'm in Africa. 

Back at the hotel, I can barely walk. The jeep ride has turned me into an old woman with osteoporosis. I make remedies with Nivea cream base and oil of Plai. I take Bellis perennis homeopathy tablets. I remind myself I also have Ibuprofen gel. I fill a 'hot water bottle'.
I manage to dance with Rajasthani dancers when they invite me. We hear folk songs too, and sit around the wood-and kerosene fire late into the evening, telling tales. I ask for a heater for my room, which gets no sun. My swimsuit will never dry. I have bought a tiger-themed fleece, extra thick, because I'm so cold. Have come to the end of my rupee cash reserves, because no one at the hotel takes card payments. I can only hope they do in Jaipur, or because otherwise I'm on the equivalent of £10 a day, or going to the ATM. Camilla and Sridhar had to take 100, 000 rupees out of the ATM in Udaipur to pay the hotel and the bus driver.