travel dazzle wearing thin

last night i got the dreaded delhi belly. this all leading up to my least favorite day of the trip thus far. it was the icing on the cake if you will.

i was in mount abu the last couple of days to escape some of the desert heat and check out some cool temples. the bus ride from udaipur to mount abu was intense to say the least. it was my first bus (thank god) so i had a pretty good sense of humor about the experience. when i booked the ticket the man told me that the only seat available was in the cabin with the driver. i had no idea what that meant and just figued i'd be next the driver with a good view the whole way.

was i wrong! the "cabin" was basically the area up front where they stuffed as many people as possible. in about a 10 x 12 space, there were 8 of us, crammed in for a 5 hour journey. OY! luckily i had a hilarious japanese guy next to me who spoke english and had been traveling for months in india. he was wearing a t-shirt that said "rock and roll" as this was his travel shirt. cracked me up. super uncomfortable, i chuckled my way through the trip. the craziest bit of the ride was going along streets that had been roadblocked by big rocks which were placed by small bands of gypsy kids. when the bus slowed down to go across, the kids would throw mud and colored water right at us. apparently post-holi shinanagans. that meant we had to keep our window closed and it was boiling in that little cabin. like i said, i managed to find the humor in it but was happy to be done with the 5 hour ride.

the mountain town had little to be desired. it definitely had nice fresh air but the town itself was stuffed with cheesy "resorts" and restaurants. i had met a nice austrailian couple on the bus who were going to my same guesthouse. they only had a few rooms left and man were they dismal. the one i got was dark and had a hole in the floor for a toilet... AND NO SHOWER! just a water spicket. all i wanted was a shower after that bus ride. arrrrgggg. the nice aussies said i could shower in their room, thank god.

my dingy room actually grew on me... i weirdly found the beauty in it's hideousness. took lots of pics of it. after a really shitty night sleep thought (worst pillow in the world) i switched rooms that had a western toilet and a shower for about $1.50 extra. nice upgrade.

took a nice trek the next day and met some more nice travelers... a kiwi chick and a girl from brooklyn no less. had a nice day with them trading travel stories and getting good tips. even with my $1.50 upgrade i still managed to not sleep through the night. i don't know what's up with my sleeping but it's not happening. drag city.

the following morning, i groggily packed up my bag again to get on another bus to jodhpur along with the aussie couple. this bus seemed ok a couple hours in, but a shady operation was happening. this was apparently a "private bus" but along the way, they stopped and picked up random rural people. the bus was full, so i had a plethora of gypsy women packed into the aisles right next to me. i felt like i was sitting next to a page of national geographic. they had the most weathered faces, gaping holes in their ears which were decked out in ornate silver jewelry. and their faded tatooed arms were filled with bracelets from shoulder to wrist. it was a cool sight to see but the comfort level on the bus was waning and more and more people got on and the heat crept in.

we finally arrived in jodhpur and i caught a rickshaw with the aussies as i was going to try to get a room where they were going. after navigating through the narrowest, windiest, traffic-filled street imaginable, we got the the place. i was already not really feeling this town. yes, it was interesting, but it seemed really intense and i wasn't in the mood for it. we got dropped off at the guesthouse and of course, they rad out of rooms. i was stuck.

i phoned another place in the bible (lonely planet) and found something else. whatever. i just wanted a shower. got to my new place and what a trip! it was an old haveli decked to the nines in ornate decorations (crystal lamps, dusty wall hangings, faded fake flowers, and goofy paintings on the walls. the nice boy showed me the rooms and i picked the lightest one with the biggest bathroom. i needed to sleep goddamn it and feel clean.

i had traded numbers with the aussies as we said we'd try to meet up for dinner. for some reason we couldn't get through so i thought i'd go back to their guesthouse to find them and eat (i hadnt' really eaten all day). i argued with a few rickshaw drivers over a few pennies to get me there and when i arrived they were gone. :(
thought i'd eat at the restaurant but that was closed. double :(
defeated i headed back to my place and hoped the guy could recommend something close. it was already getting dark and didn't want to find my way alone through those confusing streets.

he gave me half-assed directions to a place that was "really close." i walked out and felt scared for the first time being alone. i didn't like where i was. rows upon rows of men sitting in their tiny shops. i didn't like the smells of the strange spices or the weird looks i was getting. i felt lost and thought i'd just forget it. i don't know if it was the lack of sleep, the heat, my hunger, having just been with a fun group and now on my own again or what but i was done. i turned back the way i came, boughts some fruit and water and called it a night.

i went back to my room and ate feeling sad and had a little cry (pms on top of it). just felt overwhelmed that day and wanted a comfy bed and a nice shower. i don't know if i'm cut out for this rough and tumble travel. i think i can do it for a few days and then i need my comforts again. i really don't know how people do it for months and months.

did some journalling, read my book and hit the hey, only to be woken up with violent stomach pain. a few minutes later and i was on the toilet letting it all out. terrible. to make matters even more pleasant, the toilet didn't flush! arrrrrgggg.

another sleepless night. got up this morning for more fun on the toilet. joy. i didn't know how i was going to get on a bus later today. i was also supposed to meet the aussies for breakfast and canceled. will probably never see them again. i debated buying a plane ticket out of here but thought better of it. made my way downstairs and the lovely woman who runs this place set me up on her couch and brought me water. a french girl sitting in the room gave me medicine that she swore by (and i think it's actually working!). so i'm basically just chilling here until my bus to pushkar leaves at 2pm. i pray that i make it through... it is my worst nightmare to be stuck on public transport and have to go.

i'll let you know how it goes.