Today is bittersweet as it’s my last day in Bangalore and with my sweet Nisha.
This morning I woke up, had breakfast, and we were on a mission with Sumanth and Purvi in tow to find a cricket jersey for Ed. That was one souvenir I wanted to bring back for him. We had to hit two stores-struck out at the first.
Then we went to Gandhi Shopping Bazaar for some street shopping. My suitcases are stuffed to the gills. We had Burger King for lunch. They don’t eat beef so it was all chicken or veg burgers. I ordered a chicken whopper jr which was grilled. It looked amazing. It was pure fire and I couldn’t eat it so I ate the bun and had French fries and a coke. I am happy to report that not once did I get gi sick while here. I did follow rules as if I was a Mogwi: only bottled water, no ice, no fresh fruit/veggies unless peeled or cooked.
One tip I read before I came here was to keep a roll of toilet paper with you. While Western toilets are common versus squat toilets, toilet paper is not. I’ve been fortunate until today at Burger King. I had taken 1/2 a roll from our Delhi hotel and kept in my purse for emergency use and never needed it. I’m so thankful I read that tip in a fb travel group! Crisis averted.
We came back and I took a nap, way too long of a nap but I guess I needed it. I spend my evenings awake coughing so not a restful sleep. When I woke up I had a snack with Nisha and her mother in law as we looked at all of her beautiful jewelry. I was admiring her earrings so she showed me her fancy pieces she wears for occasions like weddings. Gorgeous rubies amongst other gems.
Then we sat and talked and prepared “drumstick” leaves. This is a special tree that has very nutritious leaves but you must pluck them from the stem. Since I’ve been here they haven’t let me lift a finger! I’ve tried! They let me help with the leaves which made me happy and wistful for home.
Nisha and I had a good hour or so just to visit one-on-one and I really cherished this time alone with her. This house is bustling with life it’s hard to get time together. Her family called to say goodbye and wish me safe travels and for that I am thankful. My anxiety is already high about my trip and navigating everything in the short window that I have. I hope going through the 2 security checkpoints are fine, I hope that my flight isn’t late like it has been in the past, I hope things go smoothly in Frankfurt…please think good thoughts as I begin my journey here shortly.
India has been good to me. The culture is so very different from the US but everyone is so friendly and accommodating and accepting. Was this journey what I thought it would be? Even better.
I am forever thankful for my friend Nisha and her family showing me such wonderful hospitality. I can’t put it into words how much I’m going to miss spending time with her. At least there are video calls. And when her sister, Anusha, gets married…I’ll be back for that.
I’ll be back, Mother India. I’ll be back. Signing off until my next adventure.
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