... in the form of a dry cough and dusty sneezes.
It's now day two of our trip. We arrived at Nagarhole National Park, checked into our Kabini cabins, had lunch and then our group of ten loaded up in two safari vehicles - five in each vehicle was a bit of a squeeze - for the afternoon safari. It was hot, dry and dusty.
It began with a dry cough. As the dust kicked up, I began to sneeze. Knowing I was jet-lagged and sleep-deprived I didn't think much of it. I thought I was coming down with a cold. My jeep seat mate commented that she couldn't get sick; she had only 80% lung capacity in one of her lungs. I briefly wondered why she was telling me this but it was none of my business. I was still trying to see wildlife and take photos. We did not see a tiger or a leopard. We saw a few good birds, we saw a Gaur, we saw a wild boar. The jeep was uncomfortable. It was dark when the safari jeep returned to the cabins.
We met in an open-air dining room. I was looking at my photos when I noticed that everyone else was at the opposite end of a long dining table which had erupted with loud complaints about the discomfort of the jeeps. A third jeep was demanded; "this is what we were promised and this is what has to happen." Then things quieted down and the whispering began. I don't remember what came first, going for the buffet dinner or the ATO's wife throwing a zip lock bag at me containing an elongated white box saying, "here, go take a COVID test."
The gossip and the ATO's wife's crude behavior felt offensive. I finished eating alone and carried the zip lock bag back to my cabin. I had never been infected with COVID. I had received five Pfizer COVID vaccine injections, including the bivalent injection three months prior to departure. Did I have COVID?
You see where this is going. The COVID test was positive. It was late. I texted the ATO and his wife. (I saved all of the texts and reviewed them as I wrote this.) I considered my situation. By now I had an awareness of the pulse of this group. I was the only solo member and had no advocates. I was not from northern California. The next morning I woke early to read authoritarian texts from the ATO and his wife. The plan they had made, without consulting me or inquiring on how I was feeling, was that the IFG would hire a car and have me taken to a good hospital in Mysore where I would quarantine. I panicked. I did not have a fever and I was not feeling ill. I texted my doctor in the states. She had texted me earlier to see how the trip was going. She knows me well and is from south India. In a long text, I poured out the details - the packed Mysore Palace, the market, my symptoms, the positive COVID test.
Flash back to January, three months before departure. During a clinic appointment I asked my doctor if she would be willing to write me a prescription for the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in case I experienced traveler's diarrhea. Yes, she would, but she also recommended taking along a course of Paxlovid (COVID treatment). I would have it if I needed it. In the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had never become infected. Nevertheless, I had also come to believe that one day everyone would eventually be infected with COVID. My doctor recommended just-in-case Paxlovid for my trip, so I packed a box in my suitcase.
Considering the time difference, my doctor responded almost immediately. By this time, I had been on-line checking the CDC, Mayo Clinic and other reputable sites for current recommendations. To this my doctor added great practical advice starting with, "tell them that if you go to the hospital, you take them all with you." She had also contacted a colleague practicing in Karnataka who informed her that India had no testing requirements or quarantine restrictions. I starting taking the Paxlovid immediately.
What follows is a tangled and complex story. I was completely isolated from the group. The actions they pursued bore only partial resemblance to what was recommended. I could not go on safaris, could not eat in the huge and nearly empty dining room; in short, I could not do anything. In the meantime, no one checked to see if I would like a cup of coffee, no one brought me food. I had to WhatsApp the IFG: "FOOD! COFFEE! please!" The ATO and his chief advisor, a PhD epidemiologist, who the ATO continually referred to as a "worldwide expert" on COVID, along with the PhD's wife and the woman with 80% lung capacity would be my worst nemeses. The IFG visited me at night to give updates. I showed him each new text from my doctor.. It seemed that he agreed with what she was advising, because he was also consulting his doctor who said the same things. At least this is what he told me. I don't know what he told the others. 18-24 hours following onset, my symptoms resolved. I had never had a fever, never felt fatigue, never lost my sense of taste or smell. I had never felt ill. When the others left for their safaris, the place became a ghost town. I occupied my time by getting my steps in walking around the lodge's circular road. I walked a couple of trails near the lodge buildings, but abandoned this when I came upon a sign warning of wild boars. I went to the kitchen where the staff was busy preparing the next meal to get a cup of coffee. I read and finished the the only book I had brought along. I read my field guide.
Finally, it was time to leave Nagarhole National Park and the Kabini cabins. I was not allowed to travel with the group on the bus, even double-masked with N95 and surgical masks. On the final night at Kabini the IFG came to my cabin and informed me that the cost of a private car and driver car would be $850.00 USD cash for four days of service. I agreed and he hired the car and driver for me to travel to the next location. $850.00 USD cash is an extraordinary sum of money for this service in India. Again, my friend in Bangalore was highly critical. Upon arrival at our second location, I would also have to pay for a personal field guide because I would not be allowed on the outdoor group field trips. By now I knew that if COVID-19 had infected one of them their actions would have been completely different. This observation became even more revealing many days later. During this time the ATO and PhD (henceforth WWE for worldwide expert) steadfastly refused to speak with my doctor - a licensed medical doctor with a clinical practice. I learned, much later, that one of the couples had been advocating for me, but their advocacy was dismissed. The ATO's wife was deeply fearful of contracting COVID. This was understandable. No one wanted to become infected with COVID. It was also clear that they did not want to be inconvenienced. There was another northern California couple who the IFG never mentioned during his updates. This couple would later take on a large role in future trip events.
On the final day at Nagarhole NP, I staged my own act of agency and autonomy though, at the time, I didn't recognize it as such. Many will disagree with my actions. The jeeps had left for the afternoon safaris. I was sitting on the porch of my cabin and noticed people on the dock lining up for the river safaris. I grabbed my binoculars and camera and went down to the dock. I asked if I could come along and how much would it would cost. I had 1,000 rupees in my pocket. The guide asked where I was staying and I said 'Kabini' and pointed to my cabin. "Get in, get in," he said, and the boat pulled away from the dock. I had my own seat, I was wearing my mask, we were outdoors and my symptoms had resolved 24 hours earlier. But I felt pangs of panic. The boat field guide asked my name and got on his phone. He finished the call and looked at me. "You're supposed to be on a jeep safari." I nodded yes. He asked why I was not. I responded that the jeeps had limited space for taking photographs and that the dust had kicked up my allergies. My heart was thumping, but he nodded as to suggest he understood. I thought, if I get caught I will be expelled from this trip. The boat guide was great and worked well with the boat captain. I sat at the edge of my seat, my face toward the water, and never spoke with anyone. I loved the breeze on my skin and concentrated on seeing wildlife and taking photos. The river safari was amazing. The photos below are just a tiny sample of many memorable photos. This was March 13th.
The riverboat pulled up to the dock after 6:30 pm. I handed the boat guide a 500 rupee note and he looked at me and asked, "Why?" He went to hand it to the boat captain, but I showed him the 500 rupee note I also had for the captain and he shrugged. I handed the captain his tip as I got off the boat. He smiled, took it and didn't ask why.
By this time it was deep dusk to dark. The jeep safaris had returned earlier. The ATO's and his wife's cabin was across from mine. I fumbled with the clunky lock on my door fearing that they would open their door and ask where I had been.
As far as I know, my escapade was never discovered. I recall two texts my doctor sent me. The first to encourage me: "Keep fighting them." The second to remind me: "Sometimes you have to think like Indians." I knew she was right.
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