Matching Pair

I shifted yet again before nightfall as the Muezzen preached his sermon to the four corners of the earth from just under the window, the stair runners had music blasting full on, the room turned out to be rather dirty and the hot water didn't work nor did the wifi. Out of the frying pan into the fire did not exactly describe the next place I was put in 'for free' – it was an ancient dwelling that had plaster and paint blowing off the walls because of the damp and it was freezing cold and although everything worked and was clean all the doors creaked and the locks squeaked when the long bolts were pulled out – I had a bathroom but nobody else did so there was a fair amount of traffic and bolt pulling during the night. The Maharaja decided to celebrate his son's wedding with monotonous gunfire for many minutes at midnight and at 5.30 the women were bashing the suds about in their family's clothing on the ghat opposite. I had been given an extra blanket but even so I never warmed the bed and as I have a bad dose of catarrh it wasn't much fun.

Onwards and upwards – today Mohammed took me out in his cousin's uncle's car. We went basically the same way that Kannu took me but he was able to name birds and knew so much more than Kannu can explain. It turns out he was silver medallist in an India-wide freelance tourist guide competition and only beaten by a man who could speak French as well as English! We spent a lot of time in one Adivasi village seeing how they lived but we didn't go into any houses which is what I had hoped.
I met some lovely girls on the very top of the highest Aravali hill who were resting after chopping wood and animal feed to carry home. Trying to make them smile I did a little jig and reduced them to hysterical giggles – such fun. Lack of language is no barrier to laughter.

lots more here if you have the time