1025 Up. Feeling a bit shit, possibly slightly hungover but that isn't the big deal. Train at 1220. Bit low on cash but not sure I want to use ATMs in station carpark while have my bag in tow. Maybe play it by ear.
1142 On platform 5. Tuktuk driver outside hotel quoted me 100 which was only slightly high, I paid it without a tip and he didn't kick. Meter showed something like 8 or 80 (unclear if last digit was tenths or units).
Withdrawn moderate amount of cash (5k), enough to pay hotel and eat tonight even without allowing for fact I have *some* left. I don't seem to be getting stung with a withdrawal fee by the local banks so given I can't conveniently stash the cash away since I'm out in public not withdrawing my usual 10k.
1206 On train. Score! I got the lower bunk at the 'head' of the group of three. This converts into two seats facing each other, so I get a "proper" seat instead of sitting on a bench next to someone. (Seat 29, coach A1.) This also means I have a heavily tinted window to look out of.
1220 Coach is surprisingly empty. Didn't see many people get off this coach either. We are just pulling off now. Lots of the bunks still have sheets and pillows on.
Have put headphones on, listening to some Ella Fitzgerald I inherited from my uncle Bob.
1236 Ticket checked. The guy wanted to see my ID so had to dredge hidden belt out, so have stashed cash and bank card away.
Oh, I was at Hotel Konark in Jaipur.
1521 Oh, the museum of Indology yesterday was a bit crappy. A chap showed me round, turning lights on and off as we went round. The exhibits are a bit chaotic and it was a bit rushed. He didn't speak much English; I swear half the time he was talkng in another language, probably Hindi, then he'd work himself up to spitting out a word or two of English. Really it wasn't worth the effort of walking over to, but of course the whole point was to 'do something' and I got to see a relatively smart tranquil part of the city on the walk etc.
1824 At hotel. Seems OK if apparently the only socket in the room is nowhere near the bed. Tuktuk driver politely accosted me on platform, charged me 100, brought me straight here no problem. Gave him 110.
About an hour before train pulled in chap asked me if he could talk to me; I was maybe smiling as I was listening to What Would Judas Do? Anyway, very nice chap, student at IIT in Vi-no-it's-gone, coming back to his home town of Jodhpur for holiday (he is going to be learning C over the holiday). Won't try to write down all stuff we talked about but I told him about the Delhi tout and the chap at the chemist in Jaipur (not all in one go) and he seemed to understand. He mentioned the thing about people wanting photos with you; he said he doesn't do it himself, but he put it down to people wanting to use them as their facebook profile pictures as it's a bit of a 'crazy' thing to do, which if I understood him right would make a little bit of sense to me.
Wifi signal v poor in room, at least for phone, but hopefully laptop will work.
Place somehow seems more approachable than I expected, possibly the chap on the train has put me in a positive frame of mind. However, I still intend to charge phone up and maybe have a shower now then go to eat in hotel's rooftop restaurant which has nice views according to guide book and then have a night in. I just might be tempted to go for a little wander round the streets but probably not.
Anyway will send this now and then if the phone does manage to scrape up a wifi connection (I am not sure if I am picking the right network from those which flicker into view - several have one word of the hotel name in - or if I have entered the password correctly) for a few seconds this may sneak out.
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