Friday October 17
Breakfast was tasty this morning in the form of an omelette sandwich and a lime drink. Caught up on news from home as the cafe has good a good internet signal. Then we went in search of the bus station, eventually getting to it after getting several conflicting directions. We kept getting passed off to "Enquiries", but there was no one there at that wicket. No wonder! The agent was wandering around talking on his cell. Eventually, frustrated, he sent us outside the terminal to a competitor bus line that actually went all the way to Nagpur. A young man led the way to the alternate bus and we found out there was no empty bus available until Saturday. We booked our trip and paid a deposit to hold our spot.
After the bus booking ordeal, we took a cab back to base camp, flopped on our twin beds in the nine by ten room exhausted from the heat and humidity. Carsen kept on sleeping, so I went to find an outlet for a SIM card for my phone. I didn't think it would start a war! I started at the front desk asking for a recommendation as to where I could locate a dealer. They gave me their card and wrote the name of Jimmy Collections. They even called him and said he would be watching for me on the sidewalk. With clear (?) directions I headed out, actually asking several more people along the way. I came to the Vodaphone shop and I asked for Jimmy Collections. Yes, yes, right here. There is a process here that must be followed. Two photos and photocopy of passport and visa. So we hop on his motorbike to go to a digital Photoshop and then a photocopy shop and back to the store. We fill in the required information, including a local contact person (the hotel). I leave the shop understanding the phone will be registered in about 4 hours once the paperwork is submitted. Half way back to the hotel, I am met by Sunil from the hotel and another man who had gone to the hotel to get me. He was Jimmy Collections! He insisted I go back to the shop and told me to repeat what I had said in my first introduction. "Are you Jimmy Collections?" Yes, yes. The the shouting began. Jimmy was from the adjacent shop! It sported a small print "Jimmy Collections" sign painted on the wall! It was clearly a case of stolen identity to make a sale. As the shouting grew louder, people began to gather and it became quite a spectacle. Jimmy offers me a 50% discount, but I had already paid and the process had already started. Sunil wobbled his head as the shouting volume increased and we slipped out as a police vehicle was arriving. I went back at 9 p.m. and finally had my phone activated. What an ordeal!
Still couldn't wake Carsen up so I walked along the sidewalk, checking out the vendors and stopped where a crowd had gathered around a sandwich vendor. I watched with fascination as the two gentlemen deftly made THICK vegetarian sandwiches with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, beets and onions. I bought two for 80 cents! Got them back to the room and woke Carsen up to eat. There doesn't seem to be places where one can get chicken or beef or bacon. Well, time for Carsen and I to catch up on some sleep!
Breakfast was tasty this morning in the form of an omelette sandwich and a lime drink. Caught up on news from home as the cafe has good a good internet signal. Then we went in search of the bus station, eventually getting to it after getting several conflicting directions. We kept getting passed off to "Enquiries", but there was no one there at that wicket. No wonder! The agent was wandering around talking on his cell. Eventually, frustrated, he sent us outside the terminal to a competitor bus line that actually went all the way to Nagpur. A young man led the way to the alternate bus and we found out there was no empty bus available until Saturday. We booked our trip and paid a deposit to hold our spot.
After the bus booking ordeal, we took a cab back to base camp, flopped on our twin beds in the nine by ten room exhausted from the heat and humidity. Carsen kept on sleeping, so I went to find an outlet for a SIM card for my phone. I didn't think it would start a war! I started at the front desk asking for a recommendation as to where I could locate a dealer. They gave me their card and wrote the name of Jimmy Collections. They even called him and said he would be watching for me on the sidewalk. With clear (?) directions I headed out, actually asking several more people along the way. I came to the Vodaphone shop and I asked for Jimmy Collections. Yes, yes, right here. There is a process here that must be followed. Two photos and photocopy of passport and visa. So we hop on his motorbike to go to a digital Photoshop and then a photocopy shop and back to the store. We fill in the required information, including a local contact person (the hotel). I leave the shop understanding the phone will be registered in about 4 hours once the paperwork is submitted. Half way back to the hotel, I am met by Sunil from the hotel and another man who had gone to the hotel to get me. He was Jimmy Collections! He insisted I go back to the shop and told me to repeat what I had said in my first introduction. "Are you Jimmy Collections?" Yes, yes. The the shouting began. Jimmy was from the adjacent shop! It sported a small print "Jimmy Collections" sign painted on the wall! It was clearly a case of stolen identity to make a sale. As the shouting grew louder, people began to gather and it became quite a spectacle. Jimmy offers me a 50% discount, but I had already paid and the process had already started. Sunil wobbled his head as the shouting volume increased and we slipped out as a police vehicle was arriving. I went back at 9 p.m. and finally had my phone activated. What an ordeal!
Still couldn't wake Carsen up so I walked along the sidewalk, checking out the vendors and stopped where a crowd had gathered around a sandwich vendor. I watched with fascination as the two gentlemen deftly made THICK vegetarian sandwiches with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, beets and onions. I bought two for 80 cents! Got them back to the room and woke Carsen up to eat. There doesn't seem to be places where one can get chicken or beef or bacon. Well, time for Carsen and I to catch up on some sleep!
No comments:
Post a Comment