Few days ago we had booked Preetam and his car for a full day south-east daytrip. We had the illusion that this way we can only visit the places we want to see and skip all the commercial stop. Well, guess again...
We were waiting in the lobby for Preetam to arrive when he was already standing in front of us in his fresh button up blue dress shirt and black leather shoes ready to hit the road. We told him where we wanted to go and where not (i.e. no shopping or anything) and hit the road to make the first stop in ... model ship workshop and store. We walked through it and were ready to get back in the car when Preetam told us that he would finish his cigarette and we can take a look in the cashmere store meanwhile. The cashmere seller, who conveniently stood next to us, started to escort us in her shop. Last moment we noticed a jewellery store across the road and to the obvious disappointment of the cashmere seller decided to go there. Being inspired by our interest in jewellery, Preetam thought that we need to visit one more, the best jewellery shop in the neighbourhood and alrady parked in front of that. We made a quick walk through it and saw a clearly disappointed Preetam while getting back in the car.
Earlier he had mentioned his friend's rum shop, with free tasting. And that we have to go there, it's free after all. We thought that we have had enough commercial stops by now and told Preetam that now we go and see the crater. Preetam agreed and turned into a parking lot of the next shop... Rum tasting, free. In a corner of souvenir and cashmere shop there was a shelf with bottles of rum, where the lady of the house with enthusiasm of a golden retriver started to pour us drinks. I tried the one with coconut. It tasted like liquid soap. We tried few more and blamed it all on Lufthansa that we can't buy any of those delicious drinks and walked out.
It seemed that Preetam gave up and took us to the crater. So, we looked at that crater and all the other great views from top of that mountain. We walked back to the parking lot, where Preetam introduced us his good friend, who, what a surprise, has a ... cashmere store. And he also sells Abercrombie & Fitch. And the prices are as good as in America (we had told Preetam earlier that it's a lot cheaper to shop in US). I told that we are delighted to meet a fair local businessman, but my closets are full of cashmere I've brought back from my numerous Nepal trips.
Next stop was the Sacred Lake, the already mentioned goal of hindu pilgrimage. Since yesterday was the last day of the festival and last hindus left the lake today morning, it looked like huge construction site and garbage pile.
Preetam was convinced that by now the tourists were starving and he knows such a special place, where we can experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of eating from banana leaf, he didn't consider driving us half way back too much to take us to the mentioned restaurant. Since I've had delicious and cheap banana leaf lunch several times in Malaysia, the plan seemed good. We sat down and got the menus, which turned out to be more expensive than in the noble fine-dine eateries around here. Cheapest one was vegetable meal that did cost 20 EUR and adding chicken, fish, beef or seafood raised the prices up to 60 EUR. That moment I felt that having Marge with us on the daytrip would have saved us 40 EUR, because after taking a look at the menu, she would have told that the prices are not to our liking and we would prefer to eat in more reasonably priced place. But since by that time Preetam has left in every direction (most likely to some other area in restaurant, where he got a free meal for bringing tourists in), we didn't really have much choice, but looking what we're going to get for that 20 EUR.
As a starter we got the bana leaf with snacks - one potato samosa and two fried veggie cakes. After that the covered the banana leaf with different veggies, curries and souces - tomato sauce (the only actually good thing there), a pile of ugly mushy spinach (like rotten and melted Shrek, I didn't dare to try), squash (tasteless), grated banana curry (not too bad), beans, salad (good), pumpkin (fairly good), rice and bread. Scott also got two pieces of chicken. None of which is worth to being described any longer. Since that amazing meal also had dessert included, as the last course we got plats, covered with pappadumi, where under the pappadum sagoo was hiding - cardamom flavoured tapioca pudding. Scott, who doesn't eat jellos or puddings, quickly covered the offending dessert with the "lid" again.
We visited the twin water falls, looked how the sun created a rainbow there and saw the 7-coloured earth. By the entrance Preetam jumped out of the car, got the tickets and told that we can pay him later. Can't fool a seasoned traveller tho, so having a coffee break by the 7-colored earth, I double-checked the entrance prices in internet.
Since there are no shops or restaurants anywhere near our hotel, we on the way back stopped in a supermarket and to avoid further buffee dinners, stocked up on cheese, salami, joghurt, beer and wine and once back in the car, packed all that like proper smugglers in the backpack, so that when entering the resort they wouldn't see us carry food for a smaller village. There are signs here that no outside food or drinks allowed on hotel premises.
We asked Preetam, how much were the tickets to 7-colored earth, to which he, without batting an eye, told us that 900 rupees for two. I showed him a screenshot (well prepare, tourist, right!) that hte price for one ticket is 250 rupees and for 450 rupees there was also some rare forest and maybe few more things included. Preetam must have understood that with those cheeseparing tourists he won't make his usual profits and admitted that he must have made a mistake when buying the tickets, so it's ok, when we give him 500 rupees for two and he will go back and ask for the refund, because we never went to that forest.
We brought the food to our room, put the drinks in fridge and rushed to the beach to see the sunset.
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