An update on my bus trip and other interesting tidbits from the last couple days of travel.
I walked down the hill with my pack and dropped it at the bus station. Once again, it was confirmed that I simply tell the driver and they would drop me on our way through Kalpetta. Great!
Off to lunch before travel and a story for later. Back waiting for the bus, it arrived and the 3:30 bus left at 3:10. However, it basically circled through town looking for other passengers before leaving the station once again at 3:30.
I was fortunate to have two seats to myself for the first 8 hours of the trip. The seats recline which would have made it nearly impossible for me to be comfortable with passengers literally sleeping on my knees!
My pack was stored under the seats so I had to ask the isle passenger to get up so I could remove it. As we switched seats, the bus roared around a corner tossing me on top of him! Ugh! However, that is typical bus travel.
The driver and his assistant knew I wanted off in Kalpetta. I pulled the map up on my phone with about 16 km to go and got my pack ready. They were really fast drivers! So fast in fact, they nearly forgot to drop me until I moved up beside the driver. Fortunately, we were barely still in the village. It was almost 1:30 am.
Off on the side of the road, I phoned the hotel and wound up finding a tuk tuk to take me the short distance as I didn’t want to go searching in the dark. I’m staying an extra night just to relax!
For some reason, I’m often asked by people if I’m police? Yesterday, when I returned to my favorite little restaurant for lunch, they saw my extra packs and asked if I was leaving. Then, the manager asked me the same question.
No, I’m not and why do you ask? Because you are big and tall and healthy and strong looking. So I explained that I have always been an athlete. He nodded. As I was finished, paying my bill and leaving, he stopped me. Well, his group stopped me. About five of his employees were behind and in front of the counter by him. They asked if I would give them tips for living a long and healthy life!
It was at that moment I realized how rare it is to see men here without a pot belly! I am not the norm here…nor in America for that reason! Few athletes. Lots of overweight men and women. They figured I must have a profession that requires fitness. Interesting and unusual experience!
Today, walking around this large village, I haven’t seen a non-Indian tourist. I’ve gone into several shops to ask questions and everyone wants to shake my hand! I stopped by an eye wear clinic because my glass case broke..again! They both came forward, shook my hand and asked where I was from. Disappearing into the back, they returned shortly with a new case for my glasses and wouldn’t take any money for it!
It is moments like this when I smile and talk to everyone that I feel like an ambassador…not just for the US but for kindness in general. What a cool experience!
