Started the day with a breakfast of last night’s uneaten chapattis with some jam. My knee had swollen again, and though the brace seemed to do the trick again, as soon as I started to walk, that knee gave way, causing me to yelp; fortunately no-one seemed to notice. (I already come across as the weakest link, so don’t want to re-inforce that.)
It was much the same pattern as previous days, with long climbs up and down, plus a few river crossings, with Bharat always taking my hand for these; he doesn’t even have to say anything any more. We did have one slightly dodgy moment, when we were both perched on the same rock, all four feet, but of course he found a way not to let either of us fall; he is immensely strong.
Once again, we had a relatively early finish to the day, Val and I arriving wth Bharat a good half hour ahead of the others, at probably the most complete farm we have yet encountered, with chickens, a couple of pigs, lots of sheep and goats, and a dog (who I think was called Tommy.)
For the first time, all four of us had to share the same room, though the other two soon vacated when I announced I had to take my trousers off to remove my knee brace. But then we all congregated in the kitchen-cum-dining room, for a meal of dhal (which is more or less a mixed bean soup) some vegetables, and roti (which at present I much prefer to rice.
We finished the evening by all congregating in front of a bonfire lit outside. I love such fires, always have – I always feel it puts one in touch with what man has always done, to stare into the flames. The sheep and goats were all corralled near us, with the dog keeping watch; there is a very real danger of losing some to tigers, leopards, jackals…
And then bed, with Val and I tucked up so close on the narrow mattress that we had to co-ordinate when we could both turn over.
