Sojat and the truck stop at LAHAR INN

Got up about 8, went to the temple to say farewell and have breakfast. Some randoms get me to circle the smoky incense plate. Pintu gets me to chant the 108 x ohm rim err-a-hum namaha. I said farewell,  had breakfast in the temple, a couple of sweets from the shop, said bye to Pintu 's mum at their home, got home, packed. 

The twinkly eyed hotel owner (his father built the hotel) informed me Pintu visited and wants me to wait for him and his friend. Pali is giving me one final grandma feeling and will not let me go. I go to their home. A smart looking guy in beard and glasses, strangely familiar,  eventually turns up. It's mercifully short. I decide that today there will be no friends, no temples, under no circumstances!

At Sojat there is an ice cream distribution warehouse, Bherunath Agency ( vadilal icecream Distributor) भेरुनाथ एजेंसी ( वाडीलाल आइसक्रीम डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर). They come in a packet, on a wooden stick, like Streets, except it's full of real flavour, genuinely creamy and no freak artificial taste or additives at all. I ate a little tub, then had a Badam Kesar Pista Kulfi ice cream like an icy pole shape, also sensational.

After some very clean winding narrow concrete streets, the fort in town is a pleasant surprise, and well worth the detour. It sits above town on a hill. A dog, with puppies, was barking at me. A man came out of his home and kindly led me up the stairs to the top. 

I stopped to pick up some water, then 2 bananas. 

Google led me through Chandawal चंदावल to the wrong address.  Going back through town I had to say hello to randoms calling out, plus got surrounded momentarily only, thank the lord, by 10 excited kids. The main guy had a rats tail on the crown of his head which I believe has religious significance, channels energy from god.

There is a turban shop in town with amazing tutti frutti colours. Wish I had the space to take one. 

As always, our is impossible to see what a place looks like until you arrive. The LAHAR INN गिफ्ट गैलरी लहर इन is in the absolute dirt car park and truck stop but is surprisingly clean inside. Dinner tonight is here because I'm lazy and it's popular, which is always a good sign. 

Man this is the greatest meal I think I've had in India. Each one is excellent. The ones on the left and right are outstanding. Too bad I don't know what it was. Lassi was salted. I now know not to fully drain it, so as to avoid the solid layer at the bottom. Maybe you're supposed to stir in this toxic hyper concentrated saline grit?

At night I had many strange dreams of all my clothes being stolen. This means I'm concerned about making enough progress in the morning. Let's see.