So, still preparing for the trip to India with Villageways, a kind of eco-tourism company, and off we went to Nomad in Tottenham in the pouring rain to buy ourselves a UV water purifier. amazing thing. You put it in a litre of water, the light goes on, and after 49 seconds, the water is safe to drink. No iodine tablets, just clean water. Amazing. We have also had to buy hiking boots, decent socks, fleeces, for six people. And a couple of walking poles, which, the salesman assured us, ‘take the weight of two elephants off your back’. Funny way to put it. What they actually is is turn you from a biped into a quadriped which can be useful on steep terrain. Actually we only bought two, so no doubt we’ll fight over them. Of course we’ve all had our various jabs, but the health advisor in Nomad asked whether we’d been immunised against rabies. Well, no. Nobody advised that at my GP’s surgery, and it’s too late now, so if I come home foaming at the mouth, you’ll know why.

 

On Friday I popped along to the Indian Visa Application Center in Hayes to collect our visas. Although we’d sent them a prepaid special delivery envelope, they’d only returned on of our six passports in it. I had to drive through Southall to get to the centre and I must say that already felt a bit like a foreign country. I arrived at the destination, or so the Tom Tom told me, but all I could see was a large empty lot, and a wire fence with a big sign on it saying ‘Indian Visa Application Centre’. Took me while to figure out where the actual building was, and then I had to get my numbered ticket and wait my turn. All in all, it took the best part of the day, but miraculously I did emerge triumphant with five passports all containing the visas.

 

Actually it’s been a kind of shopping bonanza this weekend, including a visit to the Triumph motorbike shop in Essex where they had a special sale on and I bought a biker jacket with body armour in preparation for riding on the back of Robin’s new 650 Triumph, the name of which escapes me, which is surprises me, considering he’s talked of little else for the past few weeks.

 

Saw a wonderful production of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands at Sadlers Wells, and also David Hare’s thoughtful but flawed play Gethsemane at the National Theatre this week, so I have certainly had my entertainment.

 

Tonight I’m off the The Troubadour to read a poem about the dark (which one, which one?) and allegedly take part in the annual quiz. I am seriously crap a quizzes. My brain doesn’t work well at quick information retrieval and anxiety usual freezes me anyhow. Ah well.

 

I will take a notebook to India and come back with many thoughts, I hope. Have a happy and calm festive break and come back early in January 2009 to find out how I got on with my elephant.

 

See you then.