BACK TO JUNGLE INDIA & ROUGH CAMPING - "Drive slowly your family needs you."

[My letters home had been full of 'the great hospitality aboard the Golden Bell' and the 'superb meals' cooked by Noor's father, but now it was back to reality - the bus and camping rough and watching out for reptiles in the long grass!  I obviously wasn't adapting well, as that night I went to bed without supper - I assume it was my choice and I wasn't banished for inferior cooking]

SATURDAY 4TH DECEMBER, 1976

"Left houseboats early - given pack lunches - father came through for tip.  Noor saw us off.  Nice morning - sunny when leaving of course.  Felt like beginning of term to get onto empty bus again!

Valley looked nicer in sunlight.  Snow quite low down - fallen since we'd come.  Passed huge army convoy all having a pee at side of the road!  Climbed up to pass again.   Lovely gorge on other side - trees again on steep sided mountains.

Signs on roads like, "Drive slowly your family needs you"!  Made good time - reached Kud again where ate picnic lunch at cay shop on terrace. 

                                                                                                                              cay shop at Kud

Hills smaller, trees more dense.  Hydro-electric station.  Lovely purple hedgerows.

Drove quite late and camped on bit of old road - tents all in a row (Charge of the Light Brigade style!)  Geoff said keep out of long grass - snakes!!  Went to bed early without supper - so tired."





Monitor lizard found in my grandparents'
 garden in Indian foothills, 1930s