natcong '05

just got back from another crazy trip to india and although my flu is still going strong and mind is still trying to purge all the crazy jives/roll-calls learnt at the 7 days spent in "rupis resorts" i feel this sudden urge to write down everything in case i wake up tomorrow with no memory of my craziest trip so far.

i still can't forget the pre-trip madness i had to endure at the indian high commission, struggling to get visa's for 9 people on the last working day before the conference. any trip that started off this crazy to begin with could only get worse.

the journey there consisted of a very jam packed "samjhota express" which we had been told would arrive the same day in delhi - yeah right!! - after close to 30 hours on the train we realised that nothing was going to go the way it was planned and gave ourselves upto a trip that would definitely count as an adventure...

the bus trip from delhi to udaipur was no less colorful...not only did we see very "public" bacthrooms...we also managed to see our very first indian "phadda", a very mean bus conductor and bus seats that can only be described as caves...!!

finally, arrival in udaipur - 24 hours late...entered the venue to find eveyone all dressed up in their best formals getting ready to go into plenary - looking like the dirtbags we were after 53 hours of train, bus, cycle rickshaw, jeep and auto rides we definitely needed a change in clothing (not to mention hot showers) before we could make an official appearance in front of @ in india.

the rest of the trip was pretty tame considering all that we had gone through already. just some misplaced passports, stolen blankets and about 50 du people driving us crazy by their "excess knowledge" of card games at the railway station...

all i can say is - sometimes...i wish i could afford the bloody plane!!