A hilarious start to 2014
January 30, 2014
We reached Goa (Madgaon railway station) at 6am. The base camp for the trek was situated far far away from the train station. We enquired few early morning souls who were around and then headed to the bus station. We walked few kms and then had to get on and get off three different buses and then we were, at the YHAI base camp.
With high spirits we entered the camp and we were greeted by the camp leader Mithun Das.
He welcomed us into the camp and asked us if we were there for the Trekking or the Cycling expedition. After we said trekking,
Mithun – Oh! Weren’t you guys sent an email regarding the change in camp site?
We – No! What change in camp site?
Mithun – Actually the trekking base camp is 80kms away and you’ll have to report there.
We – (HOLY F** SHIT MAN ? WTF ? ) That was the expression on our faces, but I managed to say an “Ohhk” after a long pause. ( I mean we reach there at 6 am and then take 3 buses to reach the other end of Goa and this dude over here tells us we need to go to some other forbidden castle where a princess is waiting. SERIOUSLY? )
Mithun – Anyways, there’s a vegetable truck coming over in the afternoon, and you guys can go with him in the truck and he’ll drop you to the other base camp.
Vinod is overjoyed hearing about the truck and says – Oh cool! we can ask the driver and hog a carrot or two.
Then comes another camp leader Vineet. Now this guy too, plays along with Mithun and asked us to be seated in the registration tent, where our registration was done by a friendly lady (whose name I don’t seem to remember anymore). She assigned us a tent but we are seated at the same desk for a while even after the registration was complete.
Then I ask her, “Mam, when is the vegetable truck coming ?‘.
She – What vegetable truck?
Me – The truck that would pick us up from here and drop us at the other base camp.
She bursts out laughing and says, “There’s no vegetable truck. Those guys have been playing with you all along“.
The expression on our faces was priceless she would have felt. It was January 1 , 2014.
We laughed at ourselves and then headed to our tents.
Expression on Jayanth and Vinod’s face moments later, still unable to comprehend what had just happened.
