Today we have washing of socks

After breakfast (and for me, a HOT shower and hair wash) we  went domestic and washed our clothes and hung them.up to dry outside. Tina rigged up a washing line between two chairs. I selfishly used three. We sat around clipping our nails and reading our books, drinking lemon soda,  outside Russell's cottage, because it was in the sun. Lunch was another huge buffet. The food here is excellent, and I had some cornbread just for me. I can't eat many of the desserts because of the wheat, and I'm beginning to wish I had brought some  gluten free biscuits and rice cakes/corn cakes as well as herbal tea bags (the drinks here are very milky). Anyway, I think I still have one cereal bar left. Having an Indian veg buffet for lunch at work every day would be a splendid idea, I think. Much healthier than the cupboard of snacks we currently feast on.

My back was very sore after joggling around in the jeep yesterday, so when I realized that today's trip was by jeep, I opted not to go. Ruth and Javier also stayed put, and Ruth and I read our books outside until I decided to lie flat on a hard wooden lounger. I think this helped my back a bit. I could have had a massage in the morning, but the full body deep tissue massage was expensive, and one person got more massage than she'd asked for, and a bigger bill. Nothing dodgy apart from the finances....

I was about to start on my audiobook when the group came back. They had seen green parakeets from the fort and great views over the national park, but said they'd been mobbed by monkeys (some monkeys mistook the embroidered marigolds on M's shawl for real ones, and tried to eat them) and harassed by young men. The jeep ride had not been bumpy at all! I think I made the right decision. 

After more lazing around, we had supper. I had no hot water, so I got it fixed, but by that time, it was almost the supper hour, so I delayed, and later it was cold again! It's nearly always someone's turn to have no hot water, or window, or wifi, or kettle. We take so.much for granted in the West!

The dreadful picture card game was starting again, so Russell and Tessa and I went off to R's cottage to watch his TV, with my little heater on and my decaff coffee to drink I found a channel that I liked and Russell said I could take his remote control because mine doesn't work, but by the time I'd got to my cottage with an armful of kettle, coffee, etc, I realized I'd left it behind, so I decided to listen to Newscast (measles problem in the West Midlands ) instead, and have a cold shower. Tough choice! 

Thus endeth my one and only rest day! I did see fruit bats in the tree opposite the hotel, but they're better seen from close up,  and I did not view their little foxy faces. Tomorrow we go to Jaipur, via a Palace of Gold, I'm told. I wonder where on earth that is. Hold on for the next instalment, and thank you for your many comments and stars.