A Pill for Everything!

My hip was always going to be a concern on this trip and Liz wondered why I'd even bother coming away but fact is, it's been ok except for some problems with concrete-hard beds. I've even managed to get in about 2 hours of solid walking every day and considering that Darjeeling is all steep hills, I've done ok.

But first couple of nights in Darjeeling I was really having a lot of pain... no doubt due to the walking... so I went to a Pharmacist and told him my problem. The pharmacies here are nothing like Mo Ibrahim's pharmacy back at the Lennox Centre. Here they are open shop stalls and they sell EVERYTHING, without prescription!

I told the pharmacist of my problem, which he acknowledged with the usual shaking of the Indian head, which means, "Yes I understand Sir"... " No I do Not Understand Sir" and anything in between! He promptly pulled out a large box of foil strips containing pills which I could not pronounce (who can??) and using sizzors, cut off a strip of 10. He then grabbed another box and cut off another strip of 10 different pills.

"Excuse me sir" I said, "What are these pills for?" pointing to the first lot. "They are for the pain Sir." "Ok, but what about those ones" I said pointing to the second lot. "Oh they are for the Gas". "But I have no Gas!" I said. "Ah, but these ones", he said, pointing to the first lot, "They give plenty Gas Sir!" Indian thinking, don't you just love it!