living in a tent
that's what I found myself doing last weekend. In Rajasthan, near a place called Jhalawar. We, I and 70 other people, were guests of the State tourism board, who had to rise to their chief minister's demand to promote Jhalawar as a tourist destination.
So overnight they'd cleared away a field in front of Gagron Fort and pitched 50 tents, a huge marquee to serve as dining-living area. They had also attached special ac bogeys to the two trains that chugged us there (well ours chugged - taking six hours more than the 'VIP' train, which raced), and had two little rats in our compartment. (to liven up things at night, one gathers. I had to think many times and gird the loins before putting on shoes to go to the loo at night.)
Anyway, tents are all well and good, but the presence of loos one cloth away is somewhat disconcerting. Especially at night when the light silhouettes you clearly so that the other person sharing the tent knows whether you're 'The thinker' on the pot, or much more straightbacked. And then there's the shower area - a biggish plastic tray that can only drain away a limited quantity of water, after which it begins a brothy mess.
So no surprises that except for sleeping and necessites mentioned above, I was always to be found in the marquee. Though there wasn't much time for that since buses was where we spent most of our time. We lost our way to a Jain temple and spent 4 hours on the road - a horrific bumpy non-road actually.
Also spent quite a bit of time in the company of this photographer who was EXTREMELY happy to see me use the mens moisturising lotion (part of the men's vanity pack everybody had been provided with) on my feet. According to her that's the correct place for it/them.
Lots of good things too about the trip - the food to begin with. But all that for article if and when it happens.
So overnight they'd cleared away a field in front of Gagron Fort and pitched 50 tents, a huge marquee to serve as dining-living area. They had also attached special ac bogeys to the two trains that chugged us there (well ours chugged - taking six hours more than the 'VIP' train, which raced), and had two little rats in our compartment. (to liven up things at night, one gathers. I had to think many times and gird the loins before putting on shoes to go to the loo at night.)
Anyway, tents are all well and good, but the presence of loos one cloth away is somewhat disconcerting. Especially at night when the light silhouettes you clearly so that the other person sharing the tent knows whether you're 'The thinker' on the pot, or much more straightbacked. And then there's the shower area - a biggish plastic tray that can only drain away a limited quantity of water, after which it begins a brothy mess.
So no surprises that except for sleeping and necessites mentioned above, I was always to be found in the marquee. Though there wasn't much time for that since buses was where we spent most of our time. We lost our way to a Jain temple and spent 4 hours on the road - a horrific bumpy non-road actually.
Also spent quite a bit of time in the company of this photographer who was EXTREMELY happy to see me use the mens moisturising lotion (part of the men's vanity pack everybody had been provided with) on my feet. According to her that's the correct place for it/them.
Lots of good things too about the trip - the food to begin with. But all that for article if and when it happens.
posted by i wonder why at 12:57 pm
2 Comments:
Reminds me of a time when we went on a school trip - the makeshift loos had no bolts so one person had to stand outside while the other showered; and then the loos had a big hole on the other side another person had to stand to block the hole. Of course, while on duty, Aps would keep peeping in from the hole saying today K is wearing pink chaddis. My dear friends, y'know.
oh did I forget to tell you that the edges of our tent didn't meet and there was a biggish gap you could see through on the first morning, making for quite an uncomfortable first morning (we got it fixed in the evening). And that my tent was right behind the loud boys' tent - we heard all their discussions till they left the next day for Pushkar
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