My life as a SUP guide

When we first arrived in Kampot, Cambodia to lend a hand at our friend Anny Pizey's stand up paddleboard company, SUP Asia, I did not expect how much I would enjoy it.  Quite possibly the best job I have ever had!  My day was simple, wake up at 5 am to the Muslim call to prayer, fall back asleep and then get up at 7 am when you hear the fishing  boats coming home from a nights fishing.  Just up river from us is a Cham Muslim fishing village where an entire group of them go out fishing at 4:30 pm to return at 7 am after selling their catch in the town of Kampot.  A tough job but everyone always has a smile for me when I pass them on the water.  As the boats roll past the house I putter around and make some coffee, maybe something to eat and say good morning to Sal who arrives at 7 am to open the shop which is beneath the house.  The house is on stilts like all the traditional Khmer houses around the river in Kampot.  Sal lives in the Muslim village with his wife Sreymom and has quickly become a close friend to Kim and I.  Playing the roles of guide, handyman and interpreter Sal is integral to our day to day.  Around 8 am I change into my board clothes (swim shorts and a shirt that covers my shoulders as we will pass by the Muslim village) and wander downstairs in anticipation of our guests who have signed up or may walk in for an 8:30 - 11 am lesson and tour.

A typical tour gets the basics down for the peeps and we usually have a swim as its most likely already hot out.  After everyone is comfortable on the boards we head under the bridge and into the mangrove proper.  All the plant life has adapted to their salty environment and are able to filter the saline out of the water in their uptake of it.  The mangrove plants even have barnacles on them!  The height of the river changes with the tide which is pretty trippy.  We paddle through the narrow channels and enjoy the serennity.  Every now and then we can get attacked with a barrage of 'hellos' from children on the shoreline or kids actually playing in the water.  The channels open up into a wide open area where for a few weeks we could actually find jellyfish.  It's also a nice spot to sit and float for a bit whilst one has a well deserved drink of water.  The mangrove then narrows again and as we complete the loop we come out under another bridge on the other side of our original start point.  We've just paddled around an island.  Afterwards we paddle up river toward the Cham village and take a peek at all the fishing boats painted green and flying the Cambodian flag.  More smiles and waves abound.  Kim is waiting back at the dock at SUP Asia and helps pull all our gear in.  With bigger groups she accompanies me in the kayak and helps me keep track of everyone which is very helpful.

In the afternoon Sal heads off for lunch and prayer and is usually called back to guide a local group from Phnom Penh just down for the day.  These groups are hilarious and a riot to accompany as they have so much fun doing something they have never done before.  Often several cannot swim and yet have no fear.  Kim has had the pleasure of tagging along for many a group and always comes back with a smile.

At 3:30 pm I'm set up for another tour till 6 pm which is a favorite amongst the tourists as they get to see the spectacular sunset from a paddleboard after a tour of the mangrove.  After everyone is off the water Kim and I sit on the dock bathed in the pink sky for some drinks on the docks and sit with our feet dangling in the water until dark.  It's quite close to perfection.

Everyday something new, I love

Ever since we got to Kampot,  Cambodia I have learned or seen something new, for me its turned into a bit of a slogan.  Everyday something new, I love it.

The past few days its been about snakes on property, disturbing as they are poisonous. .. Kim is petrified and Sal, our Khmer jack of all trades,  slightly afraid.  The solution he tells us, 'lime'.

Yes, we must put lime around the house.  They don't like.  Hmm.  No, he can't mean limes,  that's ridiculous,  maybe he means like a lime carbonate powder or something?   Sal returns from town with limes.  Three for the kitchen, three for the bedroom, two for the bathroom and a bunch to scatter around the yard.  Cut open they smell like citronella.   "Everyday something new, I love," Sal says to me with a smile.  Haven't seen a snake since.

8 nights in Bangkok

The Vietnamese embassy in Delhi was closed during Tet and after kicking around Delhi for the second time we decided to head to Bangkok for a few nights instead while we awaited the embassy's reopening so we could aquire our visas and carry on to Phu Quoc.  All told we spent 8 days and 8 nights in Bangkok staying at a nice little guesthouse along the river away from the typical hustle and bustle of the tourist district.  It's not our scene anymore, prefer the grungier side of things and don't like being harrassed by tuktuk drivers constantly, hello tuktuk!  Once the Vietnamese embassy opened we arranged for our visas, having to wait a few days for them to be processed.  It's a tricky business as one can't really book the following leg of one's journey without passports in hand.  We mangaged our down time in Bangkok quite well, gorging on street foods and entertaining ourselves finding cheaper drinking establishments which is not that easy in this tourist over run city.  At one point the humidity reached such an overwhelming point we retreated to one of the biggest malls I have ever seen, seven floors, completely air conditioned.  Craziness.  So many stores with each floor specializing, one for electronics, one for furniture, clothing, etc.  With the final floor housing ten theatres.  Deadpool had just come out and I managed to convince Kim to watch it, heh.  Fortunately for us school had just let out and the entire back of the theatre was filled with school kids.  The movie is quite funny but not as funny as listening to the laughter and reactions from a large group of Thai teenagers.  We also ran into them later on in the largest anime/manga shop I had ever seen, they had life size cutouts and posters of one of my faves, One Piece.  One of my best mall experiences ever, the other being in Bangalore when we also retreated from the heat.  Great people watching and such a different outlook on the culture.

A close shave in Delhi

Killing time in Delhi while waiting for Tet, Vietnamese new year, to be over lead us to discover some parts we never would have had time for.  Like wandering amongst the mainy alleyways filled with curious things.  Sometimes we did an about face as people or dogs would gather in packs around us but for the most part enjoyed adventuring.  One turn brought us past a barbershop with a picture of a half shaved head with a cool design.  On impulse I went straight in pointing at the photo  and was told 'no problem'.  Making sure not to have anything else done besides the shaved bit I allowed the barber to proceed.  Little did I know the entire thing would be accomplished with scissors and a straight razor.   I'm not gonna lie, the straight razor made me nervous but he had one steady hand.  Upon completion of the initial shave he wanted to know my name and how to spell it.  Why does this matter?  I'm about to type it into his phone when he shows me photos of people with their names carved into their heads in the shaved part.  Hehe, no thanks, just a design will do.  And no I don't need my face massaged or bleached, phew, dodged that uncomfortable bullet.  Completed, I hand over 400 rupee, about $8 CAD, and head back out into the alleyways.  Moments later a compliment is thrown my direction concerning my new hair cut.
Why thankyou sir.
'Where did you get it done?'
Just down the alley actually, I say grinning ear to ear.
'No', he replied with a head bobble, 'Not possible.  Really?'

Monkey Kingdom

In the northern part of the province of Karnataka, India is the town of Hampi.  A Unesco World Heritage Site, it is surrounded by Hindu temples both in use and in ruins, ancient architecture that integrated the town and defence with the surrounding landscape.  Built alongside the Tungabhardra river amongst giant boulders by the Hindu princes of the Vijayanagarian empire, the Dravadian temples and palaces created the biggest city and capital of its time in the whole world inbetween the 14th and 16th centuries.  Dravadian architecture is characterized by massive dimensions, lofty towers and decorated pillars.  Easily compared to Angkor Wat built in the 12 century, I found the similarities amazing yet Hampi has won me over with its landscape and by the fact that I could scamper over boulders discovering hidden carvings in the rock without running into another soul.  Conquered by the Deccan Muslims in 1565, the great city was ransacked and abandoned.  Once at the peak of greatness, diminished into ruins.  The recognizable forts, temples and shrines show what once was huge economic wealth, kings, queens and princes with a well run society.

We entered the town after travelling two days by bus via Bangalore and are stunned by the giant boulders that litter the landscape perched as if by magic upon eachother.  We drive through palm groves, banana plantations, fields of sugar cane and mango farms.  Staying at the base of Virupakaha temple we are in Hampi bazaar surrounded by shops and restaurants on the temples side of the river.  There is so much to see and do we immediately sign up for three days and nights starting our stay off watching the sun rise over the temples of Hampi.  Beautiful.  We order some chai and wait for our room to be ready.  Luckily we have info from an old neighbour and friend, Lisa, from Canada who has directed us to an amazing guesthouse, Gopi.  We feel at home right away and after settling into our room arrange for some Ayruvedic massages to ease our bodies.  Three seperate rooms, three seperate massuses, one same experience.  Completely lubed up head to toe and massaged with a heavy hand, very much a deep tissue massage, none of that sissy make you feel good shit.  No we are correcting every wrong move your body has made in the last year even the ones you thought of doing!  Relaxed and slippery the girls get some henna done and I retire to the room for a nap.

The next few days are spent exploring the temples and ruins, taking a cooking class from our guesthouse manager's aunt (incredible creations!), getting blessed by Lakshmi, the elephant who resides at Virupaksha temple and running over to the other side of the river where beer and meat can be found.  Lakshmi is totes adorbes, taking 10 rupee in her trunk she passes it to her mahout and then brings her trunk back to bless the top of your head.  Walked down to the river twice a day to shower she is a special part of Hampi.

The boulders surrounding Hampi are described in two ways, geology and mythology.  Geology tells us that the boulders were once a huge mountains of rock, monoliths.  Erosion as a result of sun, storm, wind caused the monoliths to crack and crumble forming heaps of boulders that fell as gravity led them.  Now I find the mythology far more interesting, Hampi a mythical monkey kingdom.  Two brothers Sugreeva and Vali were in a constant fight for power.  One particular battle led to Vali defeating Sugreeva and chasing him out of the kingdom and up onto Matanga Hill.  Fortunately he is safe here as due to an earlier curse Vali cannot follow.  At the same time Rama, the king of Ayodhiya, is on the search for his kidnapped wife Sita.  The monkey general, Hanuman (whose birthplace is not far from Hampi and is hugely featured in the themes carved in the boulders), locates Sita in Lanka (Sri lanka) with the demon king Ravana.  Vali, desparate, offers his monkey army to help attack Lanka and free Sita in exchange for Sugreeva's head and the throne of the monkey kingdom.  During the battle, the intensity is extreme and the boulders the brothers throw at eachother pile up all around Hampi.   In another version the monkey army piles boulders to build a bridge to Sri lanka.  Highly unlikely, more plausible with the whole brother vs brother battle I say, Sri lanka's way to far for a bridge.

Tromping through tea estates

Upon finding some decent wifi finally, I suppose I have some back tracking to do for you all.  Sitting in a Korean restaurant that Kim has found us in Delhi.  Eating amazing kimchi and sipping on some Kingfisher light beers is particularly refreshing.  But before I can tell you about now I must take you back to  the mountains of Munnar which was our next stop of substance after Varkala.

We approached Munnar in a rented car with a driver who had no knowledge of how to drive properly, accelerating and braking at all the wrong times which was very tough to bear seeing as we were on a windy road ascending up to the mountains.  Luckily the scenery was amazing and we were enthralled with everything  and found our way to our guesthouse 22 km out of Munnar.  Nestled amongst a pepper and cardamon plantation on the edge of a village it was a serene little spot for us to relax in a cooler climate.

We adventure by rickshaw the next day on roads full of potholes winding up and around through one tea plantation after another.  The terrain reminds me of the Okanagon covered in vineyards except we keep going up and up until we are in the clouds and still the tea plantations continue.  Tea is the most widely drunk beverage in the world and in India it seems as if one would not survive without their chai several times a day.  The tea plant is Camellia sansis, the variety grown in Munnar being Assam.  Though the plants could grow up to 20 ft through regular pruning they are kept at 4-5 ft and labourers wait with their bags of leaves on the side of the road to be collected by big trucks.

The roads winding through the tea estates are lined with wild lantana and hibiscus with their pretty red and yellow flowers.  The forest is filled with eucalytus trees covered in blue flowered morning glory.  We drink tea and stop for snacks on our rickshaw tour as we drive through this enchanted land, one of the most beautiful spots I've been.  Taking a short break so our driver can enjoy some puri, puffed rice, peanuts, chili, cilantro, red onion, cucumber, lime juice and crispy noodles served in a newspaper cone, we sit on the side of the road.  Enjoying some conversation we pause as what seems like chanting in the distance is coming our way.  Our driver jumps up, almost losing his pants in the movement and runs to the back of the rickshaw.  Quickly he returns and fires up the engine, saying strike! as we flee from the mob that is approaching from behind us.  Traffic will come to a stand still he explains, many many men.  Seems our beautiful tea land doesn't come without its own problems.

Beach escape

The setting for my birthday couldn't have been better.  Perched cliffside on south beach at Varkala our bungalow was the perfect getaway.   We have travelled way down south India to the provice of Kerala cited as being God's own country.  Quite so on many levels, from the gorgeous scenery it has to offer to its friendly people to the fact that Catholicism is huge.  Many things have changed from north to south, beef is on the menu and as a result cows are off the streets.  There is seafood a plenty but beer is not as common.  It's not listed on any menus and when ordered appears on the bill as a pricey pop.  We have entered a communist province and the hammer and sickle is painted on every wall, many a taxi driver be in favor of prohibition.  The men are more relaxed and can appreciate a smile from myself for what it is, a smile.  And loveliest of all we see women out and about in all levels of society.  The perfect honest simplicity needed to enjoy the big 40.

Wrapping up the North

Well have we been hopping around quite a bit.  From Jaiper we went to the National Park of Ranthambhore to hunt for tigers.  No luck on the tigers but we did see plenty of other game in the beautiful park.  Braving the cold mornings did reward us with seeing some wild dogs that looked a lot like small wolves and travelling in a pack, pretty cool.  We successfully purchased train tickets to Agra learning my fault in the last attempt on my own, there is a form that needs to be filled out and brought to the reservation desk.  Obviously LOL.

The train ride was adventurous as we had just sleeper seats which were full on our arrival.  Showing our tickets we claimed our seats although still cramped with sometimes two guys per bunk all staring at us.  Always with the staring, it can get quite uncomfortable at times.  When a couple with their two small children arrive to claim their seats as well it became apparently that there wasn't many people with proper tickets.  When the conducter arrived to check only are tickets Kim commented on this fact to which he replied after a pause, you are right madame.  And with a head bob back and forth (which as far as I can tell means anything from yes to no to maybe to I don't want to talk to you right now) he said all the others had been wait listed.  Perfect.  With a stowaway sitting on my feet and Kim stuck behind baggage I strike up a conversation with the man of the couple who has arrived.  His name is Lokesh and they are also going to Agra, a quick call to his family there that they are visiting and he confirms we must get off at the stop after them.  The train is full of different reactions to us three, from the uncomfortable stares and glares from the majority of men to the genuine, shy smiles from most of the women to middle class couples who seem to enjoy talking with us and discussing where we have travelled.  Also imparting advice to us along the way.

The Taj Mahal is more magnificent then I had imagined.  We spent a good chunk of time wandering around, amazed by the beauty of all the marble work.  And amazed by all the people around, the line up wrapping around street corners and us opting to pay to skip said line.  Built beside a bend in the river in the shape of a moon, the Taj stands out like a star.  Not to be missed I'm glad we have stopped in Agra.  Also we managed to find mutton here for Kim which is a bloody miracle.

Our other successful train ticket pruchase to Varanasi proves unsuccessful as we have tried for a/c and been wait listed.  Our hotel arranged other transport delivering us to a nearby train station and we tumble onto an overnight train to a village near to Varanasi.  Discovering we have been separated between two cars we double up, Kim and I to a bunk.  Cozy.  This time knowing where to get off is more difficult but Kim has the wesite on her phone that keeps telling us the train is delayed.  Our nine hour train turns into fourteen with the last 30 min spent standing by the door making small talk with a couple who just happen to be doctors.  Again great suggestions and interesting discussion about the difference in our cultures.

Varanassi is a beautiful place, riverside of the Ganges it is a very holy city where enlightenment can be achieved by death and burning of the banks of the Ganges and reincarnation is interupted.  Ghats, steps leading down to the river, line the rivers edges repeating until I can't see anymore.  Morning and evening people can be seen at the base of the stairs washing themselves clean body and soul in the water of the Ganges.  The burning ghats are a sight unlike any other that I have seen with one male family member accompanying the body through a process of wrapping in bright colored clothes, dunking in the Ganges and burning the deceased on huges stoked fires.  Different levels are apparent for the different castes and not all can afford the wood to achieve the proper send off.  It's incredible how death is looked at as just another process of life and how tears are not allowed as the soul cannot be released if in the presence of sadness.  There was a beauty to it that words cannot describe.

The weather in Varanassi has shifted, it's raining and the north has become very cold to us all of the sudden.  Plane tickets are booked and we are headed off south, time to hit the beach for these travellers.  My bday is coming up and I want to spend it in the surf and gorge on some seafood.  Next stop, Varkala.

From Blue to Pink

More train adventures but this time by day bring us to Jodphur, the Blue City, a labyrinth of stone walls and painted blue houses rising up to another impressive fort.  Jodphur has been a fave of mine, exploring mazes of houses in the old city to spectacular views up at the citadel with plenty of snack stops inbetween.  It is here where we discover the many varieties of lassis available, a deliciously refreshing cold yougurt drink and enjoy a few evenings rooftop listening to the evening call to prayer surrounding us from all directions and echoing off the walls.  The sky is full of kites by day and fireworks by night as it is wedding season giving the air an amazing aroma filled with firework smoke, spices and incense.

The morning we decide to leave this blue city we wake early and attempt to purchase train tickets on our own.  Until now we have relied on booking through our hotel but yesterday have been assured 'you can do, no problem'.  The train is cancelled.  I push my way from one line to the enquiry line where I then am jostled and finally reach the front of the line, yes the train in cancelled but there is one at 8 am.  Cool.  The girls wait with the packs and I go back to the original line which by the way says women only but has had several men push past me to buy tickets.  I get to the front and am told 8 am is local train only but there is a 9:45 train.  It begs the question why he couldn't have told me this in the first place?  I bite my tongue and ask for three tickets.  He says no, women only or reservation, go back to window  beside enquiry later.  Ok then.  Outside I admit my failure and we retreat back to the hotel where we slip back into our room which is exactly as we left it.  Hours later we hire a car to Jaipur.

The car is like a carnival ride.  Weaving in and out of traffic, large trucks carrying rock, decorated and painted elaborately, tractors blaring music and camels pulling carts.  I joke that it feels like a carnival ride and then it gets dark out and we drive faster inbetween twice as many large trucks flashing our lights and honking our horn at the now lit up trucks.  I take it back, now it feels like a carnival ride.  One that perhaps I would like to get off now.

Reaching our hotel safe and sound the girls make plans for the next days excursion, Jaipur is very well known for being the Pink City (actually red but I'm not going to tell anyone) from the reddish paint on the old city walls and for its silver jewellery.  I think we should hit an ATM.  The next morning after a very colonial rooftop breakfast we hop in a motorized rickshaw and head to the monkey temple cause I like monkeys you see.  There are monkeys, pigs and cows galore at the base of the temple.  Feeding them brings good karma so many locals are there feeding them everything from bananas to tomatoes to peanuts.  As we trek up to the temple a lady at the side of the road pulls the lid off her basket and before see anything Kim has yelled and is running straight back to the bottom.  I look closer at the lady and see in her basket is a large cobra flared moving back and forth.  Not the first time my wife has abandoned me at the sign of a snake.  We retreat.  No monkey temple for me, I know there is no point in trying to coax Kim up.  Damn cobra lady.  On to silver!

Our silver hunt is quite successful, some beautiful pieces are purchased, delicious masala tea purchased from a young chai guy and some amazing fresh samosas found in the middle of kite street where you can buy kite string with bits of glass in it to cut through other kite strings and claim that kite during the kite festival everyone is gearing up for in the next couple of days.

The state Rajasthan came out of twenty-two feudal kingdoms and with all the fortresses one can only imagine the sultans and princes battling with their swords over land and princesses.  Sure I've probably romaticized it but that's what this place makes me do.

Under a starry sky

Our overnight train brings us to Jaisalmer, a desert town in the westernmost corner of the state of Rajasthan.  A giant fort rises out of the Thar desert with a town at it's golden walls, the 'golden city' of India.  The history is full of defending it's kingdom and creating a trade route between Delhi and Central Asia.  The fort still actively houses families as it has served for 900 years.  Very impressive one can and has gotten lost inside all the turns and walkways inside.

We are picked up at the train by Shahrukh who owns a guesthouse in the town, outside the fort gates, I'm sure we'll still be safe.  It is called Artists Lodge named for the colony of artists his family is from.  We are treated to traditional music that evening sitting rooftop to a private show.  Three artists perform for us including a young boy with the most amazing voice and intense energy.  Our camel adventure begins in the morning and we are very excited.

A jeep picks us up in the morning and delivers us out of town to our camels.  There are three guides and camels each for us and two others who join us.  Missy's camel is Julian, Kim's Mr. Aloo and mine Mr. John.  Julian is a calm camel, quite lovely and Kim's is a large male who really wants a girl camel close and keeps blowing his tongue out into a large bubble, super gross.  Early on I realize I have drawn the short straw, Mr. John has a bit of an attitude and woud prefer a different vocation I am sure.

The camels are loaded with supplies and we hop on, leaning back and hanging on tight as the camels is told to stand.  The camels gait is quite dramatic and one has to roll with it but feels comfy enough.  Off we go into the desert.

It's an absolute gorgeous experience, the scenery is amazing, the guides full of information, constantly rhyming and singing and the camels pretty cool.  A fighter jet flies over quite low at one point giving us a surreal moment and reminding us exactly where we are as the Indian army patrols the Pakistan border constantly.  We stop for lunch cooked over a fire, Kim helps with prep and we eat a traditional fresh veggie meal cooked with cumin, curry and spicy sauces, peppers, onion and garlic, paired with fresh made chipati.  Back on the camels we ride into the sunset into the dunes proper. 

A couple of fires are lit and we romp around on the dunes while dinner is prepped.  I try my hand at making chipatis, not as easy as it looks and I'm not all that successful as each one I make is corrected.  After dinner we chill around the fire listening to songs and stories.  We are invited back in late February for the Desert Festival when thousands gather with their camels and compete on many levels such as camel polo, camel decoration, turban tying and Mr. Desert which maybe we could judge?

Under the starry sky our bedrolls are laid out and off to bed we go.  One blanket on the sand and five on top, as I lie down I can feel the sand is still warm from the day even though the night air is very cold and brisk.  Bring your shoes with you we are told... gypsies may come.  Ok then.  Falling asleep looking at a huge open sky with bright stars above is perfection.  I am very content in this Thar desert and am sad to leave tomorrow but this moment I will remember forever.

Dining in Delhi

Good news!  Today's forecast for Delhi is fog, lifted up from smog  yesterday, the sun may or may not peak out a little.  We have just spent three days in Delhi touring around by rickshaw and eating our way across the city.

A normal morning starts out with Missy and I enjoying a special masala tea from the chai guy across from our hotel.  Masala tea differs from chai as it is made mostly with milk rather then tap water, the closest one can get to a latte and far more delicious.  The spices combined with the creaminess of the milk and piping hot is divine.  No less the three chais a day is our earliest pact.

After tea the three of us venture out amonst the street vendors in search of some tasty breakfast.  Some are just set up on a street corner while others have an open restaurant tucked into the side of a building.  Either way whatever is busy and popular is the best bet to approach.  A typical breakfast so far is paranthas, a morning bread snack like a thick roti that can be stuffed.  Ordered up as a thali, meaning it will come accompanied by a small curry and a relish or served with sprinkled sugar, butter and delicious curd.  There is also bread pakoras fried up on every street corner with green chili for 40 rupees.  Super delish.

After breakfast we are usually stuffed and can last till late afternoon when the craving for more goodness kicks in.  Haggling for a rickshaw hire is tricky as expected but sticking to our guns we bang out a price before hopping in.  Skirting in and out of traffic with music blaring is a blast.  Our driver is surprised at us as to the hustle, bustle and horn honking doesn't faze us.  Actually surprised us as well, the likes of Hanoi, Saigon and Phnom Penh have prepared us well and Delhi has been fine.  The main difference is mainly only dealing with men from morning till evening.  Touring through the city is cool and all, we've seen India gate and the prime minister's house, but seriously driver, I am now starving!  It takes some convincing but finally we travel to one of his local street food vendor spots, located is a bicycle market, for some chicken curry.  Upon arrival we are told 20 min... do you drink beer asks the driver?  Heh.  We find a bottle shop and split a couple of Kingfishers in the back of the rickshaw being sure to camoflauge them in metal cups.  Grabbing some chicken biriyani on the way back to the curry place introduces me to a fave of mine so far, chicken and rice cooked up in a large metal sphere pot.  The spices are amazing, loaded with cumin and covered in both fresh green and red chili sauce.  Tides us over till the curry is ready and Kim gets to feed bones to the dogs.  Win win.  The curry is up and worth the wait, super flavourful, both chicken and mutton, a red curry packed with goodness.  Now we can tackle more of Delhi, off to a market we go.

We lost our driver.  I swear he said meet him at platform 7 outside the market but no where to be found.  We wait.  We have agreed upon a day rate and haven't paid yet but we have to get back to the hotel.  We flag another rickshaw and upon arrival explain to the group of rickshaw drivers what happened and are met with smiles and laughter.  A quick call and he is found.  We settle our debt and head in for a rest.  Good times Delhi, good times.

Still recovering from jet lag a bit these past few days but all is well.  We head out the Jaisalmer by train this afternoon, 18 hr trip so we have some shopping to do before we go.  Snacks and some of those metal cups are needed.  Kim and I managed to track down some gin yesterday, an experience in itself especially as two women LOL but mission accomplished none the less.  All in all India is less scary then expected and another lovely country for us to explore.