The day has not started well. Up at 2am with gout in my foot killing me. Take my last pain-killer and watch a Tom Hanks movie. Suddenly very sleepy...
Up again. Someone chanting on a loud speaker outside the room. 5am - need more drugs.
7am - red-eyed breakfast, wearing thongs as I can't get a boot on over my swollen foot. Boys take great mirth in my predicament and fashion statement. I bury an omelette and a pile of chicken sausages in reply.
Starvin offers to sort my gout out. Stop at Dr Death's pharmacy - Starvin does the talking and I take the pills. I don't know what they are, but if they don't work I'm gonna cut the bastard off. Settle in for the 2 hour drive to Chandwa.
I don't know if it's the combination of drugs and sleep deprivation, but the drive is spinning me out. Heaps of livestock - long-horned cattle and buffalo especially. Vivid colours - mustard plants and violet water lillies against a burnt wheat background. Cars, trucks, army vehicles, buses etc with people all over the vehicles, and the vehicles all over the road.
Also lots of soldiers with big guns. I raise the camera for a pic, but the driver says "I wouldn't do that". First English he's spoken - he must be serious. He is on the good gear as well - he's off the road more than on, and there's a fair bit of girlish screaming coming from the blokes in the back of the car.
Finally get to the guest house, put a stick between my teeth and squeeze on my boots. Can't show weakness in front of the troops. Dan graciously wipes the tears off my face.
20 minute drive to site. Walk around - slowly - and turn to see 3 kids taking off into the bush. Our community officer swears under his breath - the kids have run off to alert the local villagers, who are not as stoked as us about having a coal mine in their backyard. He makes a phone call and 5 minutes later our client provided security detail turns up. 2 blokes who have taken their style tips from Starsky and Hutch, and follow us around pretending they're not showing us they're armed. We don't give a shit about your gun mate - show them, not us. I've seen Shrek, villagers scare easily.
Despite all this we know the site is very safe. Our client told us yesterday that they're kicking a lot of money into social welfare programs, such as installing water pumps, building roads, providing education and bribing local village chiefs and politicians. The last one was more alluded to than stated outright, but was not unexpected.
There are other problems with the site though. 6 creek crossings for our conveyors, instead of the 1 we have budgeted for. One of the creeks shows signs of recent cremations. We haven't budgeted for that either.
Back to the guest house and one of the best Indian meals I've had. Completely vegetarian and totally home-made - tomato soup, hot roti and rice, paneer, dahl, cabbage etc and topped off with apple pie and custard. I signed the catering contract last week - we pay 200 rupees (less than 5 bucks) per person per day to supply 3 meals and clean the house, clothes etc. I suspect they put on a special effort for us, but still, the blokes who are going to be living here are slightly happier than when they saw their new bathrooms.
Another 2 hour death drive and then a flight to Kolkata await. Better take some more pain killers...
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