**pics and video added 5/10, post complete**
Nainital ended up being a nice place to land for a few days, though the slower pace I noted before was mainly because it was morning. It certainly not in the same ballpark as Delhi in terms of congestion and chaos, but it was more than I thought I would encounter there.
I went to Maharajji’s ashram one day while I was in Nainital. No signs were in English, so I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. I recognized some artifacts that I had seen in pictures for a long time, so it was cool to see them, and to put the whole place in context, environmentally. There were some guards there who were a little suspicious of me as this is an ashram that is mainly attended to by Indians, so a foreigner here is noticed readily. I found a quiet spot to sit and reflect for a bit, and being out of sight of the guards, one of them came over to see what I was doing. There were not intrusive, but I didn’t exactly feel comfortable. There was some singing going on in one area, so I listened for a bit outside the back, that is, until the singers came out and starting walking around the small building. I’m not sure if that little building was the temple or not, but regardless, I moved, and felt like I was ready to head back to Nainital (or as the locals say “nan-tal”). $16 USD seemed like a high amount to get from Nainital to there and back, but I’m not sure. I had the hotel arrange the car for me, so I think that everyone involved was making some money on me.
Another day, I went up to Snow View which is an area (with a small amusement area at the top and bottom), where you can ride a cable car to the top accessible peak. From there you can trek a few kilometers to Naini Peak (a bit higher with slightly better view), or ride a horse there, but I wasn’t in the mood for getting a horse (and haggling for it), and as my socks were all being cleaned by the laundry man, I didn’t want to risk getting some blisters. Besides, the atmospheric moisture prevented much of the view of the snowcaps, so it wasn’t really worth it anyway.
While I was at Snow View, a younger man (maybe mid-20’s) started talking to me. He was wearing a full-on heavy leather jacket with 3 diagonal zippers on each side from the chest to the shoulder. He had dark-blue blue jeans, heavy leather boots with a big heel, dark tinted Aviator sunglasses on all the time, and his hair was greased back a bit. He looked like an Indian Fonzi. Fonzi, like most Indian conversationalists, wanted to know what I was doing here, why, where I was going, etc. I was just waiting for Srinagar again! No, this time it was Kashmir, but I told him I wasn’t planning on going there this trip. The area is disputed, and though beautiful, is a little more dicey than I intend to consider. Shortly after this conversation, Fonzi’s alpha male, The Big Don walks over and displaces me from where I was standing. This guy had a raspy voice like someone had make him swallow a hot curling iron. He was probably 60-ish, big round belly, long silver-gray hair that came down to his shoulder blades, long bushy side-burns, and a chest full of dirty gray 4” hairs that were sweeping out of his unzipped sweat suit. He had Nike on from head to foot, bright red Nike at that. I mean, baseball cap, jogging jacket (with nothing underneath), jogging pants, and brand new red Nike kicks. It was crazy. This guy seemed like some sort of gangster. And judging from the reaction of the other people around, they weren’t too comfortable with him either.
He travelled in an entourage, which included Fonzi and about 15 other people, some of which were older people (maybe his father or something?), but even they didn’t dare challenge The Big Don’s authority. Every glance to him was downward by anyone who saw him. There interaction with me left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and I was glad that when I came down the cable car (your descent times were scheduled, just like your ascent times), they were all gone.
During the time in Nainital, I realized a couple of things. The first thing is that I am accommodating for my lack of understood language. People who from an accident or illness lose their sight, almost always tell of an increase sensitivity or acuity in another sense. Their hearing becomes extremely sensitive or maybe they start feeling vibrations. Well, I started picking up on the non-verbal cues in lieu of understood language, and when I’m paying attention, I can start to read the situation merely from the way the people are standing, what they are doing with limbs, hand/finger gesticulation, facial expressions, and tone.
The second thing I realized is that every time I sit down to eat, they bring me more silverware than is reasonably necessary. For instance, one time I got 2 forks and 3 spoons for one dish of noodles. This was not an isolated incident. I’m not sure why that happens. I also seem to end up with more plates than I need. Something cultural I’m sure, but I have no idea what.
The fourth thing is that this must be sweater capital of the world. Simply everyone is in a sweater. And for that matter, most people have layers of clothes on here (and me in a t-shirt!). They must be really cold having come from the sweltering plains.
The fifth and final thing I’ll leave you with, is that everybody wants a tip. Despite having tipped as I went for services provided to me (like the waiter, porter, room cleaner, etc.), when I checked out of the hotel, they wanted additional tips, including a guy who, to my knowledge never did anything for me! He kept saying “baksheesh” which means tip, louder and louder, and I just smiled like I didn’t know what the hell he was saying, as I was bringing my hands up and saying “namaste” every time he said “baksheesh.” I made my way out of the place and headed down to where they told me the bus would be that would take me to Ramnagar for my attempt at an elephant ride at Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in the Kumoan hills. I’m glad that I checked out early, as if there were more staff there, I would not have had such an easy getaway, I’m sure.
I walked up the lake to the Mallital side, where by instruction, the bus would arrive for me to go to Ramnagar for 71rs (which is $.42). I go to the bus stand, where there is no English printing anywhere, and start asking people in my best Hindi accent “Ramnagar?” People just looked at me and then looked away. I asked several people, some of which asked someone else a question, which appeared to be on my behalf, but then both of them would leave without another word.
I knew that I could hire a car to get there, but it would be much more expensive. I went over to the police/army post there and asked “bus to Ramnagar?” and pointed to the bus stand. They didn’t get off their seats and were about 6 feet away from the window with the little hole that I talked through. They were looking at me, but didn’t respond. I walked around to the side of their little shack and asked again, and they smiled, talked amongst themselves slowly for about 15 seconds or so, and told me (from what I could tell), that the bus station for Ramnagar was a few kilometers up the street (which having been up there before looking for the post office) was a healthy incline. Not knowing what else was in store for me, and faced the the equal reality that I could get up there and they could be wrong or the bus already left, I asked them instead on how to get a car. They perked up quickly, and said “car Ramnagar?”, I said “yes” and they quickly walked out, shouted at a few men, who came quickly over. I tried to negotiate, but failed largely. During a painful 90 second haggle, he asked 1500rs, and I got it for 1400rs. They were smiling.
The guy who “won” me, walked over to the side and suggested non-verbally that I stand with him. He then called the actual driver, and told me to wait for 2-3 minutes. I don’t want to know how much of my 1400rs went to each part of that transaction. 5-7 minutes later, my driver appears, I confirm with him that he knows how to get to my hotel (I had previously confirmed 3 times with the middle-man). The driver said he did, and I re-confirmed again. You know how this story is going to go. Down to Ramnagar and he doesn’t know how to get there. We stop 4 or 5 times to ask for directions, having to turn around once, and finally I see the sign in English, and I point him to the place.
Now, the ride down was not all bad. We took our time (I was thankful he drove slowly during some of the switchbacks as we descended from the mountains), he pointed out some interesting things to me, stopped the car on several occasions so that I could get a decent shot of a monkey or twelve, and generally was pleasant. I did end up tipping him for his “guide” service, though he did not ask for it, and despite the overall transaction, again, leaving a slightly bad taste in my mouth.
So, overall, Nainital is great if you’re an Indian looking to escape the heat of the plains during summer, or to celebrate a honeymoon. It’s not great to chill in as a foreigner, but it served it’s purpose for me, and I’m at least glad I went. If I were to go again, which I don’t intend, I would probably only stay for 1 day.
I write this blog post from my tent in the mango orchard that is Corbett Motel in Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, India. Ramnagar is listed an a busy, unappealing town, and having driven around a bit looking for this place, I would agree. I don’t plan on leaving this compound until I leave. It seems peaceful in the compound even though it’s really just on the outskirts of the city itself (a few hundred yards). I have a two-hour elephant safari through the borderland jungle/forest of Corbett in about 2 hours, which I am looking forward to. It will cost me about 60 dollars, including a tuk-tuk ride to get to the elephant area. I want to have the tuk-tuk driver stop on the way, so that I can get some Odomos, and Indian brand of insect repellant.
I ate a bit ago at the “restaurant” here, and it was good. The service seems to be above par, and the owner, a very nice man indeed - and he speaks English really well. A man just brought me a fan for the tent (there’s a plug in here), the electricity has gone out 4 times in the hour I’ve been here, and the cell signal is marginal at best. The two bathrooms are about 30 yards away (they have showers), the room’s zippered screen locks with a padlock, and I have the key. Hopefully, I’ll get this post uploaded before I go, so that if my stuff (laptop, etc.) is gone when I get back, I’ll at least have gotten this one sent!
Til next time…
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