Atrophy

The past five days have sucked.  I wanted to drop by the Periyar Wildlife Reserve to get on some trails (after the awesome relaxathon at the tea plantations in Munnar) but things have a way of crapping on plans.

Runny sneezy achy phlegmgy stinking time. For the first time since winter last year I got sick. Sick and stuck in a damp homestay room, just on the edge of the jungle where elephants, deer, wild boars, parrots, monkeys and possibly even a few tigers roamed.  Like Malaysia, it looks like I wasn't meant to see wildlife in their natural habitat.

And it doubly sucks because outside of the jungle, Kumily has absolutely nothing to do.  I've read a couple of books, drank lots of tea, got YupNo to bring food to me, but that's it.  Great scenery, lousy nightlife.

And the kicker is, for the past 3 days, I think I've infected YupNo too, so now, we're exchanging diseases with one another.  Hopefully the ayurvedic medicine she bought (and the unmarked 'Western medicine' pills I bought) today works.

It's like we're Adam and Eve after the fall in the Garden of Eden... we don't belong among the orchids and fronds and cornucopia of green – and nature knows it.  There's a bitter sense of irony, when I'm surrounded by blue skies and the most perfect weather.. but all I can think about is the snot-factory stuck on my face.