October 19-21 - Jaipur and Jodhpur and More Lessons
I am now after the pool, my first REAL hot, lavender
bath since coming to India. Shlomo left me alone this
time…he finally realized I was really angry at him for
taking my tub of hot water from me the previous two
times. ! I really enjoyed the long leisurely bath,
and a sort of nap and now down to dinner.
Since there
are so few guests here they cook dinner to order and I
told them that their food was no good for me and
needed them to recommend another restaurent (a real
problem here in Jodhpur) . They said they would
prepare whatever I wanted NOT SPICEY. So this
afternoon I ordered vegetable soup, dal, rice, veggies
and chapatti and soon will see what their idea of not
spicy is.
I’m really having a problem in this city
with food. It’s good we are leaving tomorrow. Shlomo
is up in the room and I am enjoying the quiet of being
alone. I have decided, although not told him yet,
that I want to go straight home. I will use my father
as an excuse which I hate doing and I pray that this
lie of mine will not affect my father’s health, but I
really need to get home as soon as possible. I don’t
even feel like going back to McLeod.
Well, they made an effort with the food but I’ve
really got to get out of here fast! Nice variety of
food but it is still sting in my throat. I will eat
enough to fill my stomach and to make them happy since
he is standing right behind me watching my reaction!
Don’t want him to feel bad after going to all the
effort of making this special stuff just for me.
Something happened and I really feel a very strong
pull to come home. I wouldn’t attempt to explain it
to shlomo. I will see what happens over the next
couple of days but I think this is it!. I have no
more need to be away. I’ve come as far as I can right
now and need to get home to move myself further along
the way. I think any more time here is just a waste.
What I came for I succeeded in doing and it is time to
go home. I will wait a day or so but would like to do
it on my return to Delhi without even going north
again. I am saturated.
I realize now that I did not come to India this time
to travel. I said this once before…this was an
internal trip…not an external one.
Sunday…October 21st
I am feeling very heavy today and being around Shlomo
is not making it any easier. He has been pouting
since yesterday even though he says all is OK. It is
so obvious in him that it is ridiculous. It’s like
being with Amira again. As long as everything goes
according to the way they want…all is well. There
must be a reason why I attract these people to me…a
way for me to learn some lesson I guess…
Now he is making plans to go to Thailand anyway and
kind of saying “I didn’t really want to go with you
either..you don’t know what vacations are for…all you
want to do is rest, sleep, eat, relax, read, see the
sites and shop…I need action!!” If it was up to him
each day he would be someplace else. What a relief to
know I am getting rid of him. And he thinks that he
is “punishing” me by taking someone else with him to
Thailand (doubt he will get there…he can’t do this
kind of stuff alone which is why he followed me to
India in the first place).
He hasn’t a CLUE as to
what India is. The only thing that peaks his interest
is poverty, filth and he cannot see beyond any of this
into the heart and soul of India. I am just as glad
he did not come North with me. It probably would have
spoiled the taste of that beautiful and special place
to be there with a primitive heathen.
(This turned out not to be the case in the end, to my great surprise and satisfaction)
So I am quite tense but it is only because I do not
yet know exactly when I am coming home. I will know
tomorrow around 10 AM and then I will feel better as I
can make plans.
Just a few words about Rajastan. It is too hot for me
to really enjoy and the distances are vast. But
riding in the AC car was actually very comfortable and
we had a really sweet driver. As I worte earlier,
after leaving Udaipur, 34,000 people, not 10 million
as we were told!!!!, we saw farmers plowing fields
behind 2 bullocks yoked together, women drawing water
from wells and carrying it in earthen jugs on their
heads, clay huts with sticks and grass roofs, women
working the fields with primitive hand tools, living
conditions which haven’t changed in hundreds of years,
women grinding wheat they cut from the fields to make
chapattis. I can’t really describe the scenes that
ran past like a movie of life from the past. I would
have loved to be able to stop and speak to some of
these women but of course that is impossible.
Jodhpur is a horrible city and no real reason to go
there if you ask me. But Jaipur is a whole different
story. I could see spending several more days here,
which I may do if my flight is not in a couple of
days. Even if I just sit and relax it is OK.
I haven’t really written about Jaipur since the days
there were very disturbing, but looking back now (from
home) I realize that I actually had quite a nice time
there. The elephant ride up to the Amber Fort was
something I haven’t done since I am a child…just to do something
for fun…and I really enjoyed it! It was silly fun and very good for me.
Then of course, going shopping! Good thing I know how
to keep a tight fist on my pocketbook. Both Rajistali
and Anoki were fabulous places where you could spend a
fortune. I really enjoyed those two days of shopping,
and even shlomo didn’t seem too disturbed by the fact
that I went shopping alone. He actually came to Anoki
with me and watched me try on 100’s of things before I
chose, and the things I picked he liked so much that
he bought copies to take home to his wife!!.
I imagine when I get back to India, I will check them
out again but will probably just try their branch
stores in Delhi.
Well, I think I will end this installment now. Just
reliving those few days has exhausted me. They really
were quite difficult. Things did get better by the
way as you will see from the next letter. I had a
long discussion with Shlomo and he actually agreed
that he had been acting like a shithead!! So things
were easier for the last week of our trip at any rate.
bath since coming to India. Shlomo left me alone this
time…he finally realized I was really angry at him for
taking my tub of hot water from me the previous two
times. ! I really enjoyed the long leisurely bath,
and a sort of nap and now down to dinner.
Since there
are so few guests here they cook dinner to order and I
told them that their food was no good for me and
needed them to recommend another restaurent (a real
problem here in Jodhpur) . They said they would
prepare whatever I wanted NOT SPICEY. So this
afternoon I ordered vegetable soup, dal, rice, veggies
and chapatti and soon will see what their idea of not
spicy is.
I’m really having a problem in this city
with food. It’s good we are leaving tomorrow. Shlomo
is up in the room and I am enjoying the quiet of being
alone. I have decided, although not told him yet,
that I want to go straight home. I will use my father
as an excuse which I hate doing and I pray that this
lie of mine will not affect my father’s health, but I
really need to get home as soon as possible. I don’t
even feel like going back to McLeod.
Well, they made an effort with the food but I’ve
really got to get out of here fast! Nice variety of
food but it is still sting in my throat. I will eat
enough to fill my stomach and to make them happy since
he is standing right behind me watching my reaction!
Don’t want him to feel bad after going to all the
effort of making this special stuff just for me.
Something happened and I really feel a very strong
pull to come home. I wouldn’t attempt to explain it
to shlomo. I will see what happens over the next
couple of days but I think this is it!. I have no
more need to be away. I’ve come as far as I can right
now and need to get home to move myself further along
the way. I think any more time here is just a waste.
What I came for I succeeded in doing and it is time to
go home. I will wait a day or so but would like to do
it on my return to Delhi without even going north
again. I am saturated.
I realize now that I did not come to India this time
to travel. I said this once before…this was an
internal trip…not an external one.
Sunday…October 21st
I am feeling very heavy today and being around Shlomo
is not making it any easier. He has been pouting
since yesterday even though he says all is OK. It is
so obvious in him that it is ridiculous. It’s like
being with Amira again. As long as everything goes
according to the way they want…all is well. There
must be a reason why I attract these people to me…a
way for me to learn some lesson I guess…
Now he is making plans to go to Thailand anyway and
kind of saying “I didn’t really want to go with you
either..you don’t know what vacations are for…all you
want to do is rest, sleep, eat, relax, read, see the
sites and shop…I need action!!” If it was up to him
each day he would be someplace else. What a relief to
know I am getting rid of him. And he thinks that he
is “punishing” me by taking someone else with him to
Thailand (doubt he will get there…he can’t do this
kind of stuff alone which is why he followed me to
India in the first place).
He hasn’t a CLUE as to
what India is. The only thing that peaks his interest
is poverty, filth and he cannot see beyond any of this
into the heart and soul of India. I am just as glad
he did not come North with me. It probably would have
spoiled the taste of that beautiful and special place
to be there with a primitive heathen.
(This turned out not to be the case in the end, to my great surprise and satisfaction)
So I am quite tense but it is only because I do not
yet know exactly when I am coming home. I will know
tomorrow around 10 AM and then I will feel better as I
can make plans.
Just a few words about Rajastan. It is too hot for me
to really enjoy and the distances are vast. But
riding in the AC car was actually very comfortable and
we had a really sweet driver. As I worte earlier,
after leaving Udaipur, 34,000 people, not 10 million
as we were told!!!!, we saw farmers plowing fields
behind 2 bullocks yoked together, women drawing water
from wells and carrying it in earthen jugs on their
heads, clay huts with sticks and grass roofs, women
working the fields with primitive hand tools, living
conditions which haven’t changed in hundreds of years,
women grinding wheat they cut from the fields to make
chapattis. I can’t really describe the scenes that
ran past like a movie of life from the past. I would
have loved to be able to stop and speak to some of
these women but of course that is impossible.
Jodhpur is a horrible city and no real reason to go
there if you ask me. But Jaipur is a whole different
story. I could see spending several more days here,
which I may do if my flight is not in a couple of
days. Even if I just sit and relax it is OK.
I haven’t really written about Jaipur since the days
there were very disturbing, but looking back now (from
home) I realize that I actually had quite a nice time
there. The elephant ride up to the Amber Fort was
something I haven’t done since I am a child…just to do something
for fun…and I really enjoyed it! It was silly fun and very good for me.
Then of course, going shopping! Good thing I know how
to keep a tight fist on my pocketbook. Both Rajistali
and Anoki were fabulous places where you could spend a
fortune. I really enjoyed those two days of shopping,
and even shlomo didn’t seem too disturbed by the fact
that I went shopping alone. He actually came to Anoki
with me and watched me try on 100’s of things before I
chose, and the things I picked he liked so much that
he bought copies to take home to his wife!!.
I imagine when I get back to India, I will check them
out again but will probably just try their branch
stores in Delhi.
Well, I think I will end this installment now. Just
reliving those few days has exhausted me. They really
were quite difficult. Things did get better by the
way as you will see from the next letter. I had a
long discussion with Shlomo and he actually agreed
that he had been acting like a shithead!! So things
were easier for the last week of our trip at any rate.
posted by Jane @ 6:53 PM
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