Holy Cow! On our travel day from Orccha to Khajuraho, we had met a couple from Israel and ended up sharing a taxi for a three hour trip because the bus was running late. This was a good choice. We had a comfortable ride and good conversation (and, yes, Arnold was asked about). On our way out, from Khajuraho to Satna, the distance was the same, but no taxis were in sight. So, we opted for our only choice, the bus.
The bus turned out to be a beater school bus with no shocks repainted white in the distant past but now showing more of a grimy soot color on the interior. At the start of the trip, there were only 11 passengers and by the end of the ride passengers were overflowing and a few standing. The distance traveled: 110 KM. The duration: 4.5 hours. The number of stops: only 3. The road condition: unpaved giving way to potholes surrounded by pavement. The iPod with noise canceling headphones was the only reprieve we had. We considered we might have lost our hearing completely due to the racket the bus was making over the 4-wheel drive road conditions, if it wasn’t for the headphones. Shouting we could barely hear each other.
At one point, the road traversed through the Panna National Park, a sanctuary for 30 Bengal tigers. We could see why the tigers are colored the way they are: golden brown leaves on the ground with leafless trees dressed in dark shades of bark. We also contemplated that the tiger’s biggest threat is lack of habitat. Given the surrounding 1 billion people growing by 20 million new additions a year in the country with 75% of the population still rural, we then considered that the tigers are horribly outnumbered. 30 creatures versus 1 billion. Hmm.
We arrived in Satna with faces a dull grey from soot and road dust, and our clothes looking like we rolled around on the ground in them. Our hotel actually had hot water and a back up generator, and we were able to kill the seven mosquitos in the room, so we were in heaven. Our dining experiences at the hotel restaurant were another matter. With complete communication breakdown, we interacted with the waiters during dinner and breakfast. It went something like this: I’d like the vegetarian rice. There is no milk, cream or yogurt in that, right? Yes, ma’am, there is none. Order arrives: Covered in cheese and cheese mixed in the rice. I look at Derrell. Well, you did not actually ask about cheese on the Biriyani rice, now did you? Sigh. Breakfast: I’d like an espresso. A half coffee-half tea, sir? No, this on the menu, an espresso. Do you have it? Yes, sir, we do. A moment later. Would you like coffee or tea? Uh, no, an espresso. Ah, okay, sir. Many entrances and exits from the kitchen with lots of discussion. Order arrives: Two cappachinos. Order is sent back. Could we get coffee? Yes, sir. A moment later. Would you like a pot of coffee, sir? Yes, that would be good. Order arrives: A pot of half coffee-half tea. Double sigh.
