Briefing Session

The 'Gangtok Gang' engage in heavy brainstorming

The ‘Gangtok Gang’ (for lack of a better expression) met this morning in the China Hut to iron out the nitty-gritties of the trip beginning next week (ref post of March 18). This customary briefing session, ahead of any tour, is an event by itself and usually more enjoyable than the trip as it lays bare the many kinks, prejudices, fears and idiosyncrasies of individuals, hitherto hidden from us.
Since accommodation in hotels, both at Gangtok and Darjeeling is on twin-sharing basis, Shekhawat had come prepared with a list of “jodis” based on who, in his perception, can get along as best room partners. As expected, he was proved too presumptuous – barring of course, the married couples who perforce shall have to share their room (and bed) with their spouses.
Significantly, there are only three married couples this time. That means three husbands or alpha males – Shekhawat, Yusuf Rassiwala and Mohammad Gulzar – each leading a group of seven females (barring Khatoon Baig’s brother, Ibrahim Qureshi) during the local travel. Three cars would be provided (instead of a big bus) to them to negotiate the narrow and treacherous roads of Sikkim and Darjeeling.
Now problems have erupted here as well. Whoever knew X cannot stand Y or that Y cannot stand Z because of (a) body size; (b) habit of chewing scented gutka; and (c) she is a “pakau”, whatever that means. A bigger problem is motion sickness – something unavoidable in hilly terrain.

Ramila Mistry pays us a surprise visit

Bijoy Gupta is back from Calcutta

While Siba Prasad Maitra has prescribed Avomine and Stemetil tabs, Shekhawat believes in tying plastic bags around the necks of those who puke in the car. He has warned against disposing the plastic bags by the roadside because plastic littering is banned in those parts and attracts heavy penalties, even imprisonment. In other words, you carry your own vomit around!
Finally, Yusuf Rassiwala came up with a brilliant solution: Put all those prone to throwing up in one car and let them all merrily go wok-wok into one huge bucket kept in the middle. This way no journey would be disrupted, others would be spared of the stink and there shall be no plastic bags to carry around. But what about the groups of eight, so painstakingly planned out?
As everyone knows, all the planning would go for a toss – once the chorus of wok-wok starts.
Bihari Milwani:
Nobody should travel on empty stomach. Nor on an over-full stomach. There will be no vomiting then. And everyone will enjoy the trip.