Ghatsila – Jamshedpur – 50 km
Though the ride to Jamshedpur was short, the route was extremely
narrow and hectic with trucks and busses. Ernest wasn’t feeling well,
and we turned down to Jamshedpur, where finding accommodation
became highly frustrating — eventually, we opted for the Holiday Inn
(not part of the hotel group), the most inexpensive accommodation
available to foreigners. I was convinced neither the hotel nor the
town had ever had a female foreign guest. Staff stared blatantly while
others captured this rare event on camera. One could only laugh at
the bizarreness of the situation.
Jamshedpur – Bundu – 94 km
Ernest, suffering from an upset stomach, wasn’t feeling strong but
wanted to push onward towards Ranchi. Unfortunately, the way was
incredibly congested, the road surface in poor condition, and the
going frustratingly slow.
We reached the tiny village of Bundu in the late afternoon and our
enquiries about accommodation were unsuccessful. We eventually
ended up at the Catholic Mission School (St Xaviers HS). We were
given a space in the priest’s quarters as well as supper and breakfast.