They're everywhere, Tata trucks, Tata cars, Tata buses, Tata batteries, apparently Mr Tata also owns KingFisher beer, Raj hotels, Jaguar and Landrover so he'll be doing alright then.
If you are one of the few who don't own a Tata then you will be driving the following- take a flat V6 engine and bolt it to a pair of wheels, attach to that some chopper handlebars, brake lever on the left, accelerator on the right, figure out how to connect your trailer and sit somewhere, then hold up every man, woman and tour bus trying to pass you- Voila!!
Another epic bus ride today to Chitwan National Safari park, it's where they hide all the animals. The journey was actually pretty scenic with stunning waterfalls cascading from thousands of feet up, we followed the river ( which was now in full spate and some 300-500 feet across) downstream into the valleys, the roads don't get any better and last nights downpour added interesting obstacles like landslides and river washouts to manoevre around, or usually blast through at speed- delivering an interesting spinal sensation.
The Tata truck drivers get their licenses at age 6 ( by the look of them) and drive them with such reckless abandon coupled with amazing pinpoint accuracy that they come at you like 20 tonne Exocet missiles and manage to pass at motorway speeds leaving inches between them and you. Unfortunately, they don't all make it and the roads are littered with Tata carcasses from those that misjudged, miscalculated, or just took their eyes of the road, maybe to unwrap a lollypop or read a comic book.
It pretty much rained the whole way but thankfully our 5 hour journey was just that, we had a brief orientation of our locale and checked in.
Our accommodation has been getting gradually more basic as we move south, we are now sans A/C but have a fan from an Apache Helicopter, the electricity is intermittent and we are not allowed to put paper in the toilet, we have a small plastic bin for that- here's hoping the Delhi Belly doesn't kick
in now.
Tomorrow is elephant safari - one of the few animals I've never seen in the wild is a Tiger so I'm hoping for some stripy action. It's another early start- I can't believe I paid to get up at the crack of dawn- I can't believe I don't know anyone called Dawn to make a joke about that.
Anyhoo, bed beckons..
P.S.
I wonder, as you do, that thos villagers living on the opposite side of the river, high high up in the mountain forests, when it comes to their weekly shop and the man of the house leaves to hike down the mountain, only after several hours to reach a swollen river with grade 3-4 rapids, to follow the river miles down to the nearest bridge or safe crossing point, to hike back up the other side to reach the main road, to take a bus or hitch a ride the 2-3 hour trip into town, to get to the Market purchase the groceries and then do the whole thing in reverse, to eventually reach home after maybe 1 or 2 days journey and the wife turns to him and says...
"No Honey I said 2% Yaks milk, not skimmed...!"
What would he do?.........................................................What would you do???
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