Can I ever repay him?

D 404 Day, Thursday, April 27, 2017

Location, Brasilia capital city of Brazil, Latin America

Update:  I got Indian host. Thanks to Deepak Raykwar and Vijay Bavaskar. Coordination is on with local authorities for tree planting

Yesterday afternoon, I was waiting for Ranjit Singh paji for keys. I spoke with Ranjit on a Pakistani’s friend’s mobile who knew Ranjit. We had miscommunication during call.

We had never seen each other before. Neither, we had each other’s contact number to confirm our positions. He was searching for me and I was searching for me in the center of Brasilia. After sometime, he went back to his work and I was standing on the road with two heavy bags with total weight of 27kg. I can walk with bags but it is painful to stand at one point with bags. My back was aching.

At 3pm, I went into an open café, just next door. It was big and luxurious café shop and expensive too. But, I had to wait in this proximity, so Rajit can see me. I selected a corner table,I put my bags aside. A waiter came with menu card. He gave me odd look which indicated that hey man this café is not for your budget!

I was just passing time and poking my nose into mobile. I asked waiter password of WiFi. This time the waiter was good. He told me password in Portuguese which I could not understand and passed my mobile to him and he punched his fingers on mobile screen. He asked me are you waiting for someone. I replied positive, for Ranjit, on translation app.

After sometime, as formality, I ordered a coffee which was 5 Reais (Rs105). It was evening and I was patiently waiting for Ranjit. It was 5 pm. 6 pm. 7 pm and I was hungry. Since it was new area I did not know cheap restaurant. I could not establish communication with Ranjit. I had sent a message to Deepak for contact of Ranjit but Deepak was not in range. He was out of station.

It was 7.30 pm and slowly my patience was started breaking. Still, I was putting all my patient together and utilising my time for constructive work. I cannot afford to spend time like that. I answered to the tweets from Peru and Bolivia embassies. They had asked my travel plan. I told them, its unplanned. Then I chat with a Swiss friend Gwendolyn and Brasilian friend Janaina. It was midnight in India then.

I was hungry now. It was late and I must start working on plan B. I was searching some hostel. Since it was city center so no hostel. It was 9.30 and café was empty. They were cleaning tables and I was still waiting. I emptied my table and stood aside.

Then a waiter and manager came. Manager pulled a chair for me. I felt odd and award. I sat. The waiter put the dish and fancy glass of cold water. It was very delicious cake. It was big and heavy. I finished it. I got my ATM card and went to pay the bill. The manager held my hand and asked to sit at my table and wait for Ranjit.

Waiting is painful but my waiting was painful and awkward. Eventually, late night, two waiters came smiling and one Indian paji was walking beside them.

Thank you very much!!! I wonder, can I ever repay them for their help?

***

Next morning, On Wednesday morning, I got up with Sunday morning feeling. I was bit lazy in bed. Since I let Mumbai, this is foreign feeling for me. From morning to evening day is packed with several tasks. If there is no task then two tasks are permanents – cook meal and search about next route and city.

The reason behind lazy feeling was – I have only two tasks – find decent hotel for lunch and go to Congress (Parliament of Brazil) to find some journalist who can help me to reach Secretary Environment. Because journalist has easy entry and are trusted animals (we, journalist are not human. Eat at odd time, work at odd time, no family life, always worried and frustrated. It was my observation in Mumbai).

Marcos has given my contact of Janain Figueira, PhD research student. She studied in Australia so she speaks English. She invited me lunch and offered me to drop at Congress. So my both objectives are solved and probably that is why I had Sunday morning feeling.

I gave her exact address of meeting point. I was waiting for her. After some time, I saw a tall girl in dark-rose-colour-dress was standing in front of me. Identity cards were hanging around her neck and green sticker pasted on her dress reads in Portuguese: Ministry of Environment.

She was fair, oval face with pointed nose, delicate lips and milk-white teeth. She was beautiful as Brazilian girls are. She asked me, “Vishndas?” I stood up from chair balancing myself and nodded my head. She quickly forwarded her right hand for greeting and shake hand.

With Janaina

She said lets go and she started walking. She walked too fast and disappeared behind the corner before I could collect my mobile and charger. Later she explained me that she was in Shanghai which runs like Mumbai and there is got habit of running to match with the speed of city.

Then she took me to a restaurant. The food was confluence of African-Brazilian cuisine. After lunch she gave me ride in the city and at last dropped me at my destination – Congerss.

Thank you Janaina.