Reoccurrences

I intended today to start day two of temple viewing at sunrise. I'd arranged with Rawy the other day to meet me at my guesthouse at 5am. Unfortunately, Rawy had something else come up and he was on the other side of town; he sent someone else in his place. In negotiating a price for the day before the driver and I set off, I felt more and more like I was back in India, being taken, assumed to be someone who didn't travel much and would blindly pay an overinflated foreigner price. (He wanted to charge me the same amount Rawy had charged me to see half the temples in half the day and half the distance.) I didn't like this new driver and he reminded me of another driver I once had. Ah, but I haven't told that story yet, have I? It's sitting in my drafts folder somewhere; I'll have to dig it out soon. In the end, I decided to go back to bed, grab a few more hours of sleep, and go to the temples later in the day.

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Two days in a row now I've removed what I'm convinced is the same lizard from my room. I'm sure it's the same one because he's the littlest gecko I've ever seen, barely as long as the first joint of my pinkie finger, with the most translucent skin. He doesn't move nearly as fast as his full grown brothers and he's easy to catch. I can't even tell he's in my enclosed hand, that's how little he weighs. He's cute and I actually liked seeing him the second time. Maybe there will be a third day when he'll visit?

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Yesterday at the supermarket I ran into Yacob. We passed each other in the aisle, saying hi as we walked in opposite directions. A moment later he came back saying, "Hey, I think we. . ." I hadn't recognized him with the hat he was wearing. We stood in the aisle for awhile, catching each other up on what we've been up to in the last few months since we parted ways. (He's mostly been in India and will be heading back there once his visa is in order.) Then we said our goodbyes, good-to-see-you's, maybe-we'll-run-into-each-other-again's. These random meet-ups really are happening a lot more than I ever expected.