In the late afternoon after finishing a long and tiring jungle trek, I returned to the Green House Bar and Restaurant to wait for my ride to Nature Lodge, where I had booked myself a 2-night stay. A motorbike rider from the lodge picked me up and in less than 10 minutes (guy was speeding), I was at the reception.
I got off on the wrong foot at the lodge. First, they gave me a shitty room filled with ants on the floor and a water heater that didn't work. The room was also small considering that I had booked a double. I was irritated, fatigued, and ravenous. I decided to take a shower after dinner when they agreed to give me a different room/cabin. Dinner, however, took over 30 minutes, and I was getting really annoyed when I saw that guests who came after me were getting their food. A server who came to check on me (she was the only one who bothered) apologized that the chef had forgotten about my order. I held my ground, but I was close to blowing my top. When they finally served me my veggie burger without my side order of fries, I went belligerent. I asked them about the fries and they said that they were on their way. So, why not serve them together with the burger like the others I've seen? They thought I was hungry (no, really?) and wanted me to have the burger first. That was a load of bull. I told them to get their act together and to give me a break. First it was the room and then the food. I no longer cared that I was making a scene at the restaurant. Their service was really crappy, and if these were trainee students, then they must have a terrible instructor/manager. Anyway, I ate my dinner (with my side of fries) and when I was done, they took me to my new room. It redeemed everything. I took a hot shower which was really soothing and then hit the sack. My entire body was sore beyond words from the jungle trek.
The next morning, I returned to the restaurant and ordered pancakes served with maple syrup and a side of fruit, and a cup of hot tea. The manager apologized for last night and I did likewise (for being blunt). I told him that I slept well as a result of my fatigue and the bed was warm and comfortable (relative to the previous two nights). I stayed in the Nature Lodge compound for the rest of the day as a feeling of indolence took over. It was nice to be away from ads, noise, people, traffic, and pollution of the rushing world. I curled up with a book on a hammock out in the porch of my private bungalow. I also took naps, wrote, snacked on a bag of chips, listened to music, pet a cat, and took pictures of horses and cows grazing on the grass in the compound around me. At night, the sounds of nature came alive. This rustic retreat cost me just US$10/night (the cabin was an upgrade; it would have cost US$15/night). It came equipped with electricity and an en-suite with hot shower. Should I return for a reprise visit, I would bring an electric kettle to make my own tea and plenty of snacks. Nature Lodge gave me the pure joy of doing nothing significant, and this I feel is the simple moment of exquisite happiness.
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