Hanging out in Chouki (Oct 28 - 29)

Sleeping, eating, napping, resting, hanging out... that pretty much describes how we spent our next few days. I was still not getting any better and, although we had a bed, I wasn't resting very well. There was constant activity, Brad was doing an excellent job taking care of me, but I wanted quiet and rest. We decided to move to the guest house since it was quieter and the toilet was right next to the house.



It had gone on long enough and the symptoms were enough that we decided I needed to start taking the Cipro. If there was no improvement in a day or 2, I would take a taxi to Manali to see a doctor... Brad said "no arguments" (who me argue?)

I sat, watched the lizards dart back and forth or just sun themselves, tried to eat when they fed me (I had no appetite) and basically just tried to get better. Brad is an excellent nursemaid and took very good care of me.

Sitting and absorbing the comings and goings of rural life was interesting. There is a constant flow of people carrying, washing, cleaning, harvesting, threshing - that amid the comings and goings of goats and sheep and cows and dogs. We occasionally had to shush the cows off the veranda since they started to eat the cardboard boxes that were lying about.

There was always something going on but no one ever seems to be stressed out or in a hurry to get anything done. There were no deadlines to meet... Keshau doesn't even have a watch - he tells the time by looking at the sun, and that's close enough.

On moving to the guest house, there is a kitchen area in the back where one of those little wood stoves is located. Brad managed to figure it all out and boiled some water for drinking, washing and tea. He's quite a boyscout! We kind of got into the whole routine of getting up, gathering wood, boiling water, making tea, washing, eating, cleaning, relaxing, repeat. It was funny that we adapted so quickly - you want tea, you gather wood, make a fire, boil water. If you want a bath, you gather wood, make a fire, boil water... The daily chores of living take up most of the day - you can't just plug in the kettle or turn on the shower.

The moral, environmentalist in us was a bit uncomfortable constantly burning wood in these small, inefficient stoves but it works, and it has for a long time (and atleast wood is a renewable resource). If we improved it, followed that eternal cry of efficiency and effectiveness, would we end up creating more problems that we just don't have the foresite to realize? I had this dream the other night that I had discovered this deceptively simple way to solve the world hunger problem but then I thought that it was a bad idea since it would lead to a population explosion on our little planet that can barely hold the population that exists today. (I know I'm crazy... it's ok)

Brad has noticed that our level of hygiene is higher in India than at home (even if we don't shower every day). We have to treat the water, bleach toothbrushes and drinking containers, keep hands clean - we have to be very vigilant in order not to get sick (again). We can't just turn on the tap and assume we'll be OK... shades of the future? (Don't forget Walkerton!)