There was an option to go shopping or sight-seeing. I was tired and ready to go home. I could have done without today – it was unnecessary, really. I didn’t come to shop – I came to do a challenge. I completed it and wanted out. Exhausted.
But I certainly wasn’t going to come all this way just to go shopping, either, so I opted for the sight-seeing, although I will admit to this being on condition that there weren’t any more forts on the agenda. I’d had it with forts.
The TOWER was great. I really enjoyed that visit. I don’t know what it was called (I’ll look it up). It is five storeys high – currently. It was seven storeys high originally but two were destroyed by lightning. Wotzisface built it to channel his prayers up to heaven – or something to that effect. No disrespect or anything but I swear I just could not tune in to some of these guides and they might as well have been talking in Hindi. So I filled in a lot of stuff myself.
On that subject – a little aside. Somebody asked me yesterday if I’d done a lot of soul-searching while I was away. The answer is no. I’m far too shallow for that. I did, however, discover that I’m frighteningly scary at bull-shitting. You know, I found myself answering people’s questions sometimes and giving these lengthy informative answers and I HONESTLY DIDN’T HAVE A BLOODY CLUE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. Really! It was amazing. After about two days, I found myself qualifying everything I said with ‘But I could have just made that all up, so if I were you I’d probably check with someone else …’ It was funny, actually, but yes, scary. I think it’s probably a question of control. I need to know stuff. Out of my comfort zone I still needed to feel in control, so if there were gaps I filled them in – all by myself! Christ, I think it’s the beginnings of dementia – fabricating my own little world! *cue screaming*
Anyway – where were we? Ah yes – the tower. So it’s built in ‘ridges’ – 24 of them – which amazingly act as … you guessed it … a SUNDIAL! Inside is just one spiral staircase leading to a balcony on every storey. Up to 1981 visitors could climb the staircase. Unfortunately, a tragic accident on a school trip resulted in the death of several children on that same staircase and since then nobody is allowed in (cheery bit of info for you!). The only other lovely thing about this tower is that from a helicopter (no, no chance to confirm, I'm afraid!) I'm told it looks like a lotus flower (national flower!).
On the same site as the tower is the remains of a very beautiful Hindu Temple. I won’t describe the temple but on the grounds there remains a single solid iron flagpost. It used to be good luck to stand with your back to this flagpost and link your arms behind it. Due to the hazards of iron deposits, etc. nobody is allowed to do that now but the more interesting fact here is that analysis of the iron used to construct this flagpost has revealed an ‘iron’ that is undocumented and seemingly still impossible to replicate with all of today’s scientific knowledge.
Cool, eh?
From there we went to the Dilli Haat (or something like that) – basically, an outdoor shopping mall. Stress!
Sing with me now … Show me the way to go home, I’m tired and I wanna go to bed …
Before I forget, Professor Lord Winston (is that the right way round?) was scheduled to join us at some point during the trip but sadly his mum died and he was unable to meet us.
LAST NIGHT: Gala dinner. Due to be a lovely evening but sadly not quite what it should have been. It’s the little things, isn’t it? But I suppose it’s also because we were exhausted. Still – if I’d been sitting at the table I KNOW I would have kept seats for the rest of my ‘team’. So it was a bit sad that nobody bothered for us. I guess we just weren't a team after all. Or maybe team spirit didn’t matter any more. Either way, it was a disppointing glimpse of human nature at its 'best' (?). Friendship can be so badly misconceived, can't it? You'd think we'd learn as we get older but ... well, I obviously haven't. Anyway - an eye-opener, to say the least.
But luckily this journey wasn’t about friends and friendships – although I think we all found new friends along the way. The gala dinner was a bit of a mess, to be honest. On the up side, I ended up sitting with people I’d barely met and had a super time exchanging new stories and experiences. The entertainment was great, too. Lisa read her poem brilliantly and there were certainly a few people around me who were discreetly trying to wipe tears from their eyes unnoticed. Kate’s song was beautiful and I can’t remember the lady’s name who did the Heaven and Hell clip with the paper, but it was lots of fun.
And then came the ‘prize-giving’. Groan, groan, groan. It was misplaced and extremely inappropriate – embarrassing, humiliating and I doubt there was anyone in the room who didn’t cringe. How dare they attempt to measure people’s grief or personal battles? How dare they attempt to measure the ‘most adversity’ – and/or, worse, to give prizes reflecting the personal lives of the half dozen people out of the 84 that the tour organiser deigned to speak to when there were doubtless many people in that room who had suffered untold grievances which had driven them to be there in the first place.
In short, it was a disgrace! A poor end to a wonderful challenge. I KNEW I should have gone home yesterday lol
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