When we woke this morning I again wasn't feeling 100%. However, the offer of French toast was too good to refuse. We cooked up a big batch and enjoyed many slices, along with fried pork sausages. When I still wasn't feeling well the boys were kind enough to let me rest while they ran errands.
I took to Anando's room to rest under the fan while they went out to activate a SIM card for Chris. When that went well I was delivered a phone with Internet and again left to rest while they did the hard yards. This time they were in charge of getting Big Red ready for his big day.I came downstairs to find a sparkling Big Red and two sweaty boys gripping two very dirty cloths. They had done a magnificent job and Big Red looked worth at least two camels.
We hung around the house until lunchtime and then sat down to a feast worthy of a king. Battered, fried cauliflower, sweet Bengali dahl, rice, prawn curry and a dish that Anando kindly referred to as being made of 'banana foetus.' Essentially it is made from whatever banana is before it becomes an actual banana. All I know is it is apparently full of fibre so I was told to eat up in attempt to cure my illness. Additionally I was given yet another dose of Ayurvedic, bubbling fruit salts to make me burp but gave the other salty Ayurvedic tablet a miss today.
When 3pm rolled around it was time for Big Red's moment. We were to head into Kolkata city to meet Anando's salsa teacher who would introduce us to a man possibly interested in purchasing the bike. There was one problem...Big Red had cold feet. After overhearing Chris say that he wanted to import him into Australia, Big Red had been on his best behaviour starting first time every time for the past two weeks. Now he knew we were planning on getting rid of him and he was putting his wheels down and refusing to start.
The battery was completely dead and not even a good couple of push starts would help. We ended up having to postpone our appointment in the city and visit a mechanic instead. Poor Chris pushed Big Red while Anando and I led the way in the car. It was horrible looking like all of those people we had seen along our journey who were pushing their bikes after running out of petrol.
It was decided that the battery needed charging but they were unable to do this at the auto shop we were at. So, in the car we all got, and off we went in search of a place that could charge our battery. We found it eventually but it was to take two and a half hours. Soon after we got a call from Anando's teacher to let us know we could come to the city without the bike and just chat to the potential buyers. So, we battled the city traffic, grateful it was siesta time, and most shops were closed.
Through a narrow alleyway, up a few flights of stairs and onto a rooftop we followed Anando wondering how on Earth anybody could ever find a place like this without a personal guide. The salsa teacher, Peddro, was waiting for us and we followed him to meet the potential buyer. Anando did the talking and we decided to bring the bike back later in the evening for them to look at. Little did they knew we were awaiting a battery that would actually work.
While we were in the city we took the opportunity to visit a backstreet camping store that sold cheap backpacks. After realising how much my bag was not made for hiking I was to inherit Chris' bag and he was to get a new one. 2250 rupees got us a nice big bag with lots of straps, which pleased Chris no end.
By this time the midday siesta was over and traffic was congested to say the least. We were stopped at almost every traffic light as we fought our way back South, towards home. It is surprisingly less stressful being inside a car rather than on the bike when battling the traffic though. Even the honking is a little muffled. A little.
We picked up our fully charged battery and returned to Big Red's original mechanic who reinstalled it for us. While the bike started with the kick start the electric start was still a no go. Apparently the battery was kaput so now the decision needed to be made...do we invest in a new battery in an attempt to get a better price when selling Big Red, or do we cut our losses and just sell it as is.
In a final attempt to get enough charge into the battery Chris went for a ride through the streets while Anando and I returned home to wait and worry for his safety. Unfortunately the ride did little good and the battery was still not giving off enough charge.
The decision was made to get a new battery as to ensure we receive the best possible price from Big Red's new owner. Chris, with Anando holding on for dear life on the back of the bike, set off for the battery shop while I stayed home to man the fort. They returned triumphant with a Big Red that now was back to his old self. What a relief! It was time to call Boss Man and see what he had to say for himself. He made an original offer of 60000, I made an offer of 80000 and we left it at that.
For dinner we had the best dahl fry of our trip along with yummy leftover chicken and chapatti. How can food be so darn delicious?
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