It's been four days since I updated the blog and I have to say that it was a nice change being away from the computer. We went for a camping trip to Wadi Bih on Thursday afternoon and I was so excited. I love camping. Being outdoors puts me in a great mood. So come Thursday morning we took out the tent, the mattresses, the pillows (there's no reason why one can't be comfortable!) barbecue grill and loaded everything in the car. I'm sure the car was also excited to be going on it's first offroad trip!
We took Ninna along with us this time. She has a stub nose and needs a cool environment at all times. Very snobbish like the French bulldog that she is. The ac was kept full blast in the car and I was freezing but she was still huffing and puffing. She took a while to settle down in the back seat but was soon immersed in the world outside the window. Have I told you how much I love her and I'm glad we decided to take her along instead of leaving her behind in a kennel which I'm sure she hates. Once we were on the road I remembered that I'd forgotten my glasses and we had to turn back. This always happens when you leave home for a camping trip. You will always forget something vital and resultantly turn back.
Needless to say that that's me strapped in to the front seat next to my husband all set for the long journey. I have very recently discovered sunblock. My skin is so oily that the normal sun block turns it into an oil factory but the good people at Kaya suggested a really nice brand for oily skin which works great. So after a long time here's a picture of me sans make up. The sun block and my favourite lipstick did great even if I say so myself. I'm so vain I think every song is about me, but you knew that my one and a half readers.
That's Anshuman at the wheel ready for take off. Actually in this picture he is already driving. He opened up the sunroof and the sun filtered in. We smiled at each other and I patted myself on the back for insisting on getting a full options car. However I have to say that I loved the Jeep just as much or may be even a bit more. I mean I rammed into a wall in that car and nothing happened. I should get gaurds for the Pajero but that would just make it bigger and more difficult to park.
And that's everyone. This time there were only two families on the trip. Usually it's a much bigger group which leads to more fun and more confusion at the same time. We went to Wadi Bih but they turned us back from the check post because they no longer allow people to camp there so we went to Jebel Yibir. Jebel in Arabic means 'mountain' although they're hardly mountains more like rocky hills.
And that's my baby girl happily running around the camp. If you look carefully you can see "Shadow" the five month old Lab puppy in the background who was Ninna's companion on the trip. They spent the entire time chasing each other and sniffing donkey poop among other things. My heart still fills up with so much love when she runs towards me. I love her so so much. I said that before. Nevermind.
And that's our tent all pitched up. Pitching up a tent takes teamwork and having camped so many times, Anshuman and I have become experts at it and can do it in record time. We had to throw away this tent after coming home because one of the chords that holds it together broke rendering our trusty old friend defunct. That's Ninna checking out her new digs.
That's Manisha unpacking everything and setting up the table. It was a very windy evening as you can see and everything had to be held down by rocks. Thankfully there were plenty around to choose from. I must have had at least ten cups of chai. It was the perfect weather and the setting for it. Rainbow milk I love you.
Anshuman sitting and chilling out wearing one of his many Porsche caps. They are usually floating all over the house and it drives me nuts. I gather them and put them away and and then he gets annoyed when he can't find them. When he does find them he leaves them floating around all over the house again and then I get annoyed. That's marriage for you. You find someone you love and annoy them silly. I'm joking kids. Marriage is a whole lot of fun too if you're fortunate and find that right man or woman. I'm very fortunate. Also when you go camping it is a given that Anshuman will not shave. Something about looking rugged in a stubble I think.
That's Chandrakiran Guntur, in short CK. He recently got the license for riding a bike. He's bought a 1200 CC Harley Davidson. He learnt riding a 100 CC bike and is very concerned about how he will handle the Harley. I have a feeling he will do just fine. I can't wait to ride the Harley with him. It has been way too long since I sat on a bike. The last time was probably a decade ago. I remember riding to Gandhinagar on an Enfield on the highway on a winter night. Man that was fun! good times. And I will forever be proud of myself for being able to kick start a Yezdi. I even rode one around the NID campus but ofcourse there was a guy behind me doing the balancing act or else I would have found myself flat on my ass. Great memories of that campus.
That's young Shubhankar fondly known as Bob. Bob was so scared of dogs that he once came home and started crying because Ninna wanted to give him a lick. Fortunately all that changed when Shadow came into his life. Now he loves dogs and even wrestles Shadow playfully. His first question when he woke up in the morning was ,"Where's Shadow." Wonderful kid who loves Manchester United and everything football.
That's Mr Kirpekar, Manisha's father who had come down from India and joined us on the trip. He is retired Inspector General of Police and very fit for his 69 years. He had many interesting stories to tell and it was nice to have him with us.
Anshuman lit a fire. It's his favourite thing to do at camp. May be it has to do with the fact that he is Aries, a fire sign. That's the kettle which has been named Kettle Kishore fondly. It's part of the family although it only comes out during camping trips and lives with CK for the rest of the time. That's a Brinjal in foil being roasted to make baingan bharta. CK made lovely paneer which I loved. Anshuman made lamb chops which I couldn't eat because my tooth was hurting me very badly throughout the trip. I couldn't even chew an apple. Someone just sent me a zip file with three pictures of the same bra in three colours. If I ever meet this person I might bludgeon him/her to death. So effing annoying. Why can't you just attach three images?? Idiot!
Night fell and it was a beautiful moonlit night. It was so bright that there was no need of a torch or even a fire. I ate dinner pretty early and lay down in the tent and rested my head on the pillow. I could see the stars in the sky and there was soft music on the phone. Anshuman and CK had their whiskeys and chatted but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I was so happy and peaceful. There was no internet, no phone. Just me, the moon and the stars and I was loving it.
We woke up in the morning and packed up the tents and everything else. Everything was loaded into the two cars and the journey home began. I put on upbeat peppy music and danced in my seat all the way home. Anshuman looked at me fondly and said,"Sometimes I like you so much." That made my day. We got home and unloaded everything. I put away everything in the store which nearly threw my back out. That also happens every time we return from a camping trip. I spent most of the day sleeping on the sofa.
On Saturday I had to get the house in order. The cook and the cleaner conveniently didn't turn up. Got the laundry done, changed the sheets. dusted away to glory and by the evening when everything was just the way I like it I put on some incense and candles, settled down and started working on my cross stitch project. It hasn't progressed much but then I know it's going to take a lot of time to finish. Ninna had chosen not to eat throughout the trip so I fed her milk and rice from my palm. I think she was missing Shadow. They had become best pals. Sunday turned out to be a holiday too which was a pleasant surprise. I went to IKEA but the whole world and it's grandmother had descended there and I actually got very uncomfortable due to the crowd. I left and walked around the mall attached to it called Festival City. It's not one of the best malls of Dubai. I had a coffee and a sandwich, browsed around till I was tired, didn't buy a thing and came home. So that was the low down on my weekend.
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