Ralph the Wonder Llama

Just a quick hello. We had a nice big thunderstorm last night and another one this afternoon. It’s just stopped raining after several hours, and it’s nice and cool and damp. Lovely.

Last night at about 4 am there was an earthquake, the second time in two months that I’ve been flat on my back in bed and felt the earth move, so things are clearly looking up. This was a proper good one too, with general shakiness and stuff clattering about on the fireplace.

I finished my malaria tablets this morning, so just have a few of the antibiotics and painkillers left to go, and hopefully I should be cured. I’ve had three decent nights in a row now and am feeling much improved, if still a bit whacked generally. Distinctly healthier though, I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear. The thought that’s stayed with me over the past few days is that, while this is a disease that affects and indeed still kills so many people worldwide every year, I’ve been treated with six tablets in three days at a cost of something like £2.50. I know that’s a lot more money to some than it is to me, but it puts into perspective what the governments of the world spend their money on. There are some strange priorities out there.

Later I shall exchange one form of pain for another by watching (satellite reception permitting) Liverpool play Chelski, in the company of a long-serving Chavs fan who’s staying here just now. Tara has threatened to call the police. I suspect, given the importance of a win to both sides, that we’ll end up with a tedious 0-0 draw.

Hopefully back to work tomorrow. I’ve lost a fair bit of time to illness, but hey, what can one do? I have a sick note, after all.

Today is Mayday. It’s also my Mum’s birthday. Had she lived, she would have been seventy-five today. As it is she died 27 years ago now. It’s always hard to know what to say on this day that I haven’t said before. I suppose as time goes by one’s perspective changes. It won’t be many more years before I’ll be older than she ever was, which is a pretty weird thought. It occurs to me every time I come to India that she’d have enjoyed it here, would have revelled in the experience. I’d have loved the opportunity to bring her here and I know the respect that she would have been afforded had she come, as mothers, quite rightly, are here, possibly more overtly than elsewhere I’ve been.

I say none of this with great sadness – they are merely reflections. After all, this day is a far better one to remember than the one upon which she died. So it is a day for quiet remembrance, and to offer thanks for the time she was able to give me, for all the things she put into making me who I am. I’d raise a glass in her memory, but with a liver full of malaria parasites that’s probably a bad idea. So a lassi and a smile from my heart will have to suffice.

Health update: after another rough-ish night last night, I ummed and ahhed this morning about whether or not to try to ride out this bug, but in the end I felt fed up enough with it to let Im and Penny take me up to the local hospital to get it checked out. The hospital is up on top of the ridge i.e. the most difficult place for water in a place that’s dry enough as it is. Still, the views of the Himalaya are spectacular, I’m told. When they can be seen at all, that is.

We were seen very quickly, and dealt with very well throughout. The hospital itself could use one or two tweaks, it’s true, but then it’s just been taken over by a new company who have a good reputation in the field. In fact we met the new director, on his first day. A very nice chap. His first action, witnessed by Im and Penny, was to tidy up the appearance of the reception seating, since he didn’t think the first impression very good. He also welcomed our feedback on little things that needed improvement. You know, soap in the toilets, for example. In general, though, a good facility.

Anyway, the doc examined me and sent me for some tests. The results came back a couple of hours later and we went back to find out the results. I don’t have a stomach bug at all, in fact, so Penny getting ill was a coincidence, it seems. No, what I have is Malaria. Uh huh. I was quite surprised too. Apparently it’s not a terribly virulent infection, and I have antibodies on the case already, but nevertheless, I now have a whole new set of medicines, slightly more targeted this time (separate things for pain relief, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and malaria parasite), to help me get better. The anti-malaria medicine is on order and should be in Almora tomorrow afternoon, and then the prognosis is that I should be better in about three days. Needless to say, I’m quite glad I decided to go to the hospital today.

A big thank you, by the way, to Im, Narendra and Penny for looking after me and doing so much running around on my behalf over the past few days. Also to the folks here at Tara’s for all their concern and care, especially Som who’s been quite worried, I think. Finally to Lyn and Patty for lending me lots of new books to keep me going when I could do little else but sit in a chair and read. Thanks all.

Oh, and just as a PS, the doctor said that the anti-malarial tablets I’d been advised in the UK to take while in Goa are completely useless anywhere in India. There’s a strain that’s come over from SE Asia that’s resistant to them apparently. So much for that seven weeks of mild nastiness, then. By the way I still have three weeks’ supply left, if anyone wants some. Going cheap. All offers to the usual address…

It pains me – really rather a lot, actually – to report that my thus far fortunate run of good health in India has come to an end. Last Friday evening, for reasons still unclear, both Penny and I came down with rather a nasty bug. Suffice it to say that there is no photography with this bulletin. Ahem.

Anyway, I’ve had rather a rough few days of it, to say nothing of the nights. I didn’t think I’d have to resort to three blankets and wooly socks at any point about now, but that’s what fever and chills have necessitated. I’m feeling a little better today, though somewhat feak and weeble, and am working my way through a small pharmacy of medication on my table. If things haven’t improved sufficiently by tomorrow I may have to go and see a Doc and get some proper drugs. Penny is, I’m glad to report, much on the mend already. Clearly living under snow for an extra month has hardened her up a bit.

The day before yesterday the clouds built up, it got all dark and foreboding, and it rained…a tiny little bit. Only really enough to wet the topsoil. It was, if this isn’t an entirely inappropriate metaphor, a bit of a damp squib. Ahem.

Yesterday, the clouds built up, it got all dark and foreboding, and it rained. And it rained. And it rained. Then the thunder and (huge) lightning started. Then big hailstones started crashing into the ground. Then the electricity went. And the belting rain and huge thunder and lightning storm continued for about ten hours solid. Noice. Unless of course you have to get up at five to get a taxi to Kathgodam through it all, as Linda and Alan did. Fingers crossed for them.

This morning it was cool and fresh and everything was that bit greener. All very good. And just in the nick of time. I never thought I’d see the day when rain was such a novelty that I’d go up onto the roof to watch it, but yesterday was that day. I fully expect a raft of sarky comments on that subject any time soon…

Hello. A quick update while I have the Intarwebs plugged in. In no particular order:

fire – the lack of rain here in early spring, combined with the dry winter just past, has meant that the whole area is exceedingly dry. It’s warmer, earlier than usual too, with the upshot that the summer forest fires are upon us already. The resort across from where Im works had a fire down the hillside yesterday, and it blew on the wind halfway down the ridge, leaving roadside banks smoking this morning. Rain is predicted in the next day or two, and indeed the ants have been moving house, a sure sign I’m told. It is clouding over, but then it has before and nothing’s happened. We can but hope;

volcanic eruption – the Icelandic volcano has, as I’m sure you know, grounded flights all over Europe. This means that those folk who were due to be leaving India about now can’t go anywhere. No-one seems to know what happens if one’s visa is due to expire and one can’t get one’s flight. Will one have to go somewhere else? Will one get a visa extension? I have read stories of Delhi airport being full of people and empty of crisps and water. Information seems hard to come by. Penny, who was due to fly home on Thursday, is staying where she is, very sensibly, until things are more certain. So I’m staying on at Tara’s for the time being, which is fine too – I’ve kinda got used to it here. And no-one wants to hang around in Delhi at the moment – it’s 43 degrees. Ouch;

hackers – I’ve received some complaints about my site being hacked (which was true) – sorry for any alarm this may have caused – it was one of those retarded redirect hacks, taking you to a fake google/bing search for virus scanners, and prompting you to download a virus. Note that if you ignored all javascript popups and closed the browser itself, by hook or by crook, you shouldn’t have had a problem. Getting involved with one of these online virus scan hoaxes, however, could leave you with one. I spent the morning trying to sort it out, and I think it’s fixed. For now;

fruit samosas – one solution, however temporary, to all of the above, is Som’s fruit samosas, which are fine, fine things. He made a fresh batch this afternoon, so I shall be having some for my tea;

That’s all for now. I’m well (thanks for asking) and the book is coming along nicely so far. Can someone find me an agent? Thanks.

So today is my 42nd birthday. Yikes. Scarily large numbers notwithstanding, on the plus side I am now the Ultimate Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything. But the Answer to what? Exactly, exactly.

Also in the plus column: I’m in India, having a fine time; we’re having a small party on the roof this afternoon with fruit samosas and home-made hummus and rotis supplied by Som, fresh sweets from Diwan’s, the best confectioner in Almora, the possibility of home-made scones from Lynne, maybe even home-made Elderflower Wine from Neema (strong stuff by all accounts), and maybe even the odd Bee for good measure. This morning, at breakfast, I even had presents, would you believe:

Some Kumaoni-designed souvenirs from Binks and Kathy and a little bouquet of flowers from Som – thank you all

Maybe, if you’re really lucky, pictures of the party to follow.

Last Thursday Narendra, Im, Im’s mum Penny and I went to Nainital for an overnight visit. Nainital is one of those old British Hill Stations, this one built around a rather pretty lake (tal meaning lake – this being Naini Tal):

The lake itself is kept pretty by relatively recent rules against dumping all sorts into it, and by a system of compressed air forced down from a station by the lakeside into vented rings at the bottom of the lake. This produces large circles of bubbles on the surface dotted around the lake, and serves, in the manner of fish tank apparatus, to aerate the water. Gosh.
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Actually, there isn’t really an awful lot to tell you about: since I arrived in the Himalayan foothills of the Utturakhand, life has settled into a bit of a routine which is very pleasant to actually live, but probably not terribly exciting to read about. That and the terrible unreliability of internet connections hereabouts has left me not updating things as often as I might. My routine generally has consisted of a fair amount of sleeping, a regular amount of tai chi, a bit of writing, a lot of reading (21 books and counting thus far), a bit of walking around the hills, developing a habit for watching Spooks, good food and lots of chai. Trust me, it’s a good way to live.

So, in the absence of much actual news (beyond the fact that my roti making has come along very nicely), and to make up for the shortage of words per se, I thought I’d share with you some random pictures from my holiday. Enjoy.

PS – actually in the past few days, in which time I’ve had to fix my blog and do battle with random internet connections and electricity supplies, I’ve decided to stay on a while. Until my visa runs out, in fact, in June. I see no reason why, just as I’ve got warm, I should subject myself to the ongoing winter in the UK. More soon – it’s lunch time and I need to go and order up my thali

Greetings. Just a quick update as I’m waiting for Im to arrive for lunch and thence to transport me to my new lodgings chez IaN. Im and Nar have been away for months and so to give them a chance to settle in and sort themselves out, I’ve been staying at Tara’s for a few days. Tara is one of three brothers who run (amongst other things) a general store cum restaurant cum guest house cum internet cafe cum community focal point here in Paparsali, nestled on the hillside between Chitai and Almora. I have a room on the roof (from where, incidentally, I write this – yes, he has wi-fi, believe it or not, and it’s free…) with a fine view of the sunset of an evening:

Tara’s has a good little restaurant and does great chai, so I’ve been well looked after. I’ve taken a walk through the pine forest here which was badly hit by fires last summer, and a stroll down to Almora town for some shopping yesterday. So far I’ve failed to find my Gulab Jamun though. We shall overcome.

Those of you still struggling in the chilly snow-capped loveliness (ahem) of the British winter might like to know that up here at 1700 masl, it is somewhat cooler than I’ve been used to of late. It’s warm during the day when the sun is out, very pleasant in fact. But when the sun goes down, the temperature plummets with it, and it does feel very cold. Still, probably fractionally warmer than at home. Added to which, the views tend to make up for it: