DAY 10, 11: 6th, 7thApr/2011

Shoshone – Pahrump

Today we didn’t want to step out anywhere. We spent a lazy morning in the pool (a warm pool when the air was so cold – angelic), had an enormous breakfast and I whiled away my time reading a Daniel Steel novel – Going Home. By the afternoon, I was bored (those who know me will vouch that I get bored really easilyJ) and dragged V out of the tent.

“let’s go somewhere” I said enthusiastically
“Where? Death Valley? Again”
“No, it’s too hot there. Let’s do something exciting and fun” I said

<Wicked smile on V’s face>“NO. that’s NOT what I meant. I meant let’s go shopping”“Aaahh, ok.. but where?” he exaggerated the disappointment in his tone “Let’s ask Tommy for the nearest Walmart” (I am so smart)

Tommy said the nearest Walmart was in Pahrump, about 27 miles from where we were. Shoshone is an extremely tiny town with a population of maybe 40 at the optimistic. So there are absolutely no shops there. For bread and milk types, there is a Charles Brown General store that also stores beer (Thank God for small mercies!) but if we wanted anything to make a decent meal (remember my excitement about the microwave in the desert?), we just HAD to go to Pahrump. So we scooted off to Walmart. As usual, when I go to a shop/mall to purchase 2 items, I end up with 20. Don’t blame me! I am a woman, that’s what we do! So here we were, with more bags than one could carry on a bike, but glad at the fact that we could have home-cooked (read tent cooked) meals for the rest of the week. To make life easier, V also bought a camper’s stove.

“We won’t get a microwave at all camping places, we will need the stove” his logic

(OK, so now I am expected to cook EVERYDAY? Yeah right! Huh! Not talking!)

<Silence on the way back to Shoshone>

V decided to make full use of the silence and go a full turn on the accelerator. Before I knew it, the bike zoomed and I had no choice but to hold him tight (yeah I know, cheap trick!) This moment needed a snap, and I did just that. Historic moment for us – riding at 110 miles an hour, that’s almost 176 km/hr. 

I knew that we could be killed by our families of we posted thsi snap on FB, but I just had to share this one. For someone used to riding on Indian roads, this kind of speed is orgasmic.

The next day was spent mostly at the pool and cooking hearty meals, contributing to my sun burns and weight gains. The whole day had nothing worth mentioning except wine sessions with Gordon – our new found friend in the camping area. Gordon and V had lengthy sessions on American politics; and how India and US are different and similar at the same time; and how India would be the next powerful country only after china.. and .. and.. and… phew!