Orchha is said to be a pilgrimage place for Hindu Indians. Time flows slowly here in Orchha, more so than other locations, it seems. Perhaps it's the intense humidity and heat. I am here in the Orchha Resort. We (our team) have tents for our rooms. The rooms are nice, with electricity, a television, a sink, a toilet chamber, a shower chamber, and a poor AC unit that works non-stop.
Orchha is charming. Very humid. I met a business keeper here on the main street. He stopped me and caught me totally off guard when he started a brief conversation in Korean. He pulled out a photo from his mobile phone. A picture of his alleged Korean girlfriend. He points his finger to the leg of a plastic chair which is noticeably broken and taped over. He says, "Made in China".
Initially we chatted outside his store. We talk nonchalantly, making small-talk, but carrying on a stimulating conversation nonetheless. I was so impressed I asked him if he runs the store behind me. "Please show me what you have inside" I demanded, thoroughly impressed by his friendliness and his command of the Korean language. Oh how I fell for the oldest trick in the book. He probably speaks a little bit of everything. After all Orchha is a pretty touristy area. A little studying at the local internet cafe could get anybody fluent enough to stop any tourist in their tracks. I did not realize this until I made the cash exchange for the silver bracelet and the silver scarf I had purchased for $35 USD.
The main intersection, where a Hindu temple is located, reminds me fiercely of the small village in the Atacama desert - very tourist-centric with ATMs, convenience stores, and internet cafes abounding. Food is great thus far. But the rest of the team is dropping like flies, one by one. I mentioned a couple of times to my team, this is eerily like the movie, Final Destination.
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