On the River (kind of a rant really)

Pics here

So here I was just thinking about blogging and it occurred to me that if I was going to be writing about my trip then why not write about what is happening right now. We are on the water on this house boat that we rented for the day. I can’t believe we are even here right now. It is so very nice. We’re just moving slowly along the water past houses that are right on the water. Some houses are little shacks and others are nice solid houses put together quite solidly and painted bright colors. There are house boats meandering past all the time. Clothes are hung up to dry. The preferred method of laundry is to bash your clothes against a rock. Then I also started thinking that there was really no reason for me to blog about what was going down here just because there really is nothing going on here. It is just the nicest ride along the river you will ever experience. Now here are some kids playing soccer. Playing around trees. A man walking along with an umbrella. Here is a ship named Mother Mary with a bunch of men waving saying hello. There is nothing to tell but I just saw another house boat pass by or I saw another boat with folks taking a Sunday trip waving and saying hello, very excitedly I must say. Here we are in what seems to be some sort of resort type of area. Just because there are a few houseboats docked here. Now a place called The Krishna beaten Rice Mill and another convenience store. Yes, I do understand what they mean when they say it becomes clear why there are so many convenience store owners who are Indian in the US and that is because there are “convenience” stores everywhere here. No matter where you are there is a little run down shop that sells snacks and odds and ends. Now we are making a U=turn. The crew are looking down the river at something that I don’t se. It is getting close to 6 which is when boats have to stop running, so perhaps we are coming in for a mooring. I see a lot of places along the riverside named something scenic villa and there are a number of different boats with passengers lined up. Everything here is so mellow. A woman washing pots and pans along the river. We slowly approach the shore and Appinesh prepares to jump off a rope in his hand. We are back to the spot where I was the kids playing soccer. We are stopped. This must be where we are for the night.

Rachel says they are scraping the coconut. They are still playing soccer. Rachel tells me they all wanted to get clean at once so they jumped into the lake all at once. She thinks it would be a good idea to get married on one of these house boats. I think that would be a good idea too. There is a gecko on the ceiling. An old man came by and wanted to take us on a canoe ride. It is getting dark. It is almost chilly. I thought it would be best to just pass. But the old man’s eyes were so compelling I could not help but say that it was a possibility if he came back tomorrow that we might consider going on a ride with him. Pee-nay is the way to say maybe in whatever language it is that they speak around here. Apparently I was told that there are so many different languages that are spoken around India it doesn’t really matter if you speak Hindi or English because there are so many different dialects that people speak no one is really going to understand what you are talking about. It is dark now. The soccer players have taken off in their boat. They are truly amphibious. The call to each other across the water. I love the sound of their cheerful voices. I will have to do some kind of physical exercise soon.

It is amusing to me. We paid an extra 1000 rupees to have the luxurious boat with “air conditioning” This means we get to have AC in the evening after we went to bed. Interestingly, however, the AC was turned off at 7:30 in the morning. So we paid 25 bucks for 8 hours of air conditioning. Something like this might have made sense during the summer months when it was not monsoon season, but the rain cools things off and it has not been hot at all. I don’t know why I keep harping on the price of things. I told myself and Rachel for that matter that I would not do that. It makes me feel so petty. We are already on the back of the motorcycle being driven around; I may as well just accept that and move on. I’ll deal with what I have to deal with when I get back home. I have nothing to complain about really. I have enjoyed this boat ride very much. I like the guys who are in charge of the boat. I think they are cool. I’ve had a wonderful time just hanging out and eating and drinking tea and sitting and watching the beautiful scenery and the beautiful people go by. The food has been incredible. I think that part of the problem I have been having is that I just don’t know how to sit back and be ok with enjoying myself. I have to always be doing something. Even now I’m having to write instead of just sitting and drinking tea while the rain comes down on the orange tarp that is covering the front of the house boat. I do think that is a big part of what is going on for me. A big reason for why I have sometimes had a hard time just enjoying myself during this trip of ours. At times I will blame it on certain things like the evils of colonization or exploitation of native peoples, but it is really my own fear of just allowing myself to enjoy what I have while I have it.

There is a pineapple and some little plantains here for the sake of garnish. The pineapple is smelling really good. I love the sound of the rain coming down. I love the way it looks when the rain hits the water. An old man paddles by in a canoe. Apparently umbrella hats are big here. I sit out in front of the tarp that covers the front of the boat, just barely out of reach of the falling water droplets while I sip my tea. Across the river there is another houseboat with the windows open and the curtains drawn back. I can just make out motion. When I look closer I see a couple in the missionary position going at it. I find it so curious that they would be so obvious about it. There are people walking around all over the place who could see them. They can’t not have known. Is the culture? The appeared to be Indian by the color of their skin. If I was watching a porno I would not have been impressed. It is interesting to watch someone else when they are doing their thing. After the money shot the man just got up and left the lady there. I thought that was a little mercenary. But that is just the way we guys are I guess.

Meanwhile the crew are making noises down below. I come to the back of the boat to get some more tea and notice that the floor is up in the back exposing engine and whatever else. Is this normal? I ask the money taker guy who has not been on the entire trip but has shown up now (no doubt to turn of the AC powering generator). Yes, he says, this is something we normally do every morning just to check the boat to make sure everything is ok. But I’m hearing people walking about down below and I know this is not sop. Now here comes Apinesh who is messing around with the controls at the front of the boat shouting down to the crew below. I ask him and Appinesh says there is no problem and I remind myself that it is never as bad as you think it is. So, maybe it is just the thing they always do. I don’t care as long as I get home ok, right? The boat starts up. No worries.

It is really all about the food. Breakfast is a thin egg omelet rolled into an omelet log. Tomatoes, coconut, and onions. I don’t usually care for eggs, but this concoction was divine.

We crawl back into port and just like that it is all over.

Now the fun starts.

Rachel and I head over to an internet café in the middle of nowhere. It is amazing to me. Here we are in a place that seems like the most rural of areas with guys hanging out in front of their run down shacks and variety shops and there is an internet café; the modern world making itself known, imposing itself upon this quiet and charming place. While we are checking our email and whatever Rachel blows up at me. We fight for the next hour or so. I do realize that I have not let her know how much I appreciate all the work she has done to make the trip happen.