When the sun went down it got colder. We'd finished the beers and Buffy's
stomach was as she put it "getting all rumbly". Course she hadn't eaten
anything since Egypt, and since she needs feeding up, not getting even
thinner, this needs sorting. So we went upstairs and retrieved the love
birds.
They had got our trekking boots out. Which was good since Buffy was still in sandals and I'm not having her get frostbite. I'm very partial to those toes. So we put the trekking boots on. From the lack of gear in neat piles and matching notepads I don't think a great deal of sorting got done. But both Giles and Anyanka claimed a hearty appetite, so we went outside to pick a restaurant.
There were plenty to chose from. Not exactly your Michelin Two Star Guide sort. But I haven't been into that stuff since Darla dumped us. Always preferred the funky dive to the pink table cloths. I was in my element here. We past one with a window full of cakes, and an inside full of travellers all busy munching away. Buffy looked tempted, but Rupert seemed to know where he was going so we followed him.
We followed him up an alleyway not far from the hotel into the Rum Doodle Restaurant. I remember reading the book when it came out, lampooning heroic expeditions. Good stuff. Course it wasn't always easy reading around Dru, she'd sometimes get all upset and start ripping up my books, anything that distracted me from Princess. Not allowed, but usually worth it.
Giles and Anyanka tried to find a table while Buffy and I headed to the bar. The walls were covered in giant yeti footprints with Country X, Year Y, Expedition to Peak Z on them. Guess vamps aren't the only ones who take trophies.
There was a bit of a scrum at the bar. Must have hit rush hour, hippy style. Loved hippies and travellers of all sort since they evolved in the 60's. Usually some good stuff in the veins, some cash, never tell Mum where they're going next, travel in herds, takes forever for people to miss 'em. All in all decidedly lunchable. Feel a bit sick right now, looking at all of 'em. Don't like this much.
The shaven headed hippy next to me trod on my foot. Then said "Sorry mate!"
Ok, good test of the effects of being re-tuned on "people who ain't us." Annoyed? Check. Fangs itching? Nope. Urge to rend and maim? Nope. Urge to wash the guys grubby gear? Nope, safe from wanting to open a home for distressed hippies. Sorted! So hence "'S all right, no damage."
He smiled at me. "Hey you're a Brit too?"
"Yeah…Mate over there is too" pointing towards Giles who was engrossed in deep conversation with Anya at a table she'd commandeered. Never get in the way of a vengeance demon on a table hunting mission. "Girls are yanks though, but we forgive them." Smiled at her at that and she smiled back at me, though I got a swat to the arm. Well worth it for the smile though.
The dread-locked blond girl hanging onto the slaphead smiled at us and said "way cool! We don't see many Americans on the road." She must have read too much Kerouac at an impressionable age. "Just us Canadians, the Brits and the Aussies and Kiwis here" pointing at another couple on their other side. The tall rugger bugger said "yeah, seem to get to Europe then get scared eh?" The hair braided brunette holding his hand said "there's some making out they're Canadian to avoid the whole everyone hating the yanks, kidnapping crap." The Aussie twang marking her out.
Time for Investigating! Spike to move into action. Worth trying. "So not seen many yanks about then? No big, stupid scar, bland with a side order of bland?" Buffy swatted me but added "with un-naturally perfect blond robo wives hanging on to their muscly arms?" I glared. She grinned at me.
The Canadian piped up "there were a couple, down by Bodhnath remember? Watching the cremations on the burning ghats? Seemed way nice until they said they were with a tour group." At the expression "tour group" all four children shuddered. So I asked about the rest of the "tour group". Worth chasing up the lead after all, even though I could see Rupert signalling to us.
Aussie says she "saw some big fellas with a mini-bus down near Durbar Square and Freak St". Slaphead says "the convict was so out of her head she wouldn't recognise a mini-bus". The All Black says "the whinging pom's only here to collect some money from his mummy to avoid having a shower when the monsoon arrived." Slaphead retaliates with a diatribe that "sheepshagger's only trying to avoid getting fried when India and Pakistan start lobbing nukes at each other." Buffy whimpered and muttered "why do I bother" at that last point. Fortunately we got served our 4 beers and could leave before our new friends started throwing punches at each other.
We rejoined Giles and Anyanka. Told them about the useful points we'd learnt. Anyanka was able to assure us that she could get us out of the way if the nukes started flying, unless it was once we were inside Shambala territory - in which case we were all royally screwed. They did lose a vengeance demon in Hiroshima. Apparently the necklace can't take the megatons blast. Pretty sure I wouldn't make it either. Ah well you pays your money you take your chances.
They had the menus. Wide choice of dishes, but we all went for steak. It was down as Buff Steak. This led to Buffy's "why couldn't my mother call me Joan? Whatsa Buff? Other than me?"
Giles answered, which is good coz I didn't know. "Buffalo, this is a mainly Hindu country. The cow is sacred. It might be cow steak, but it'll be down as buffalo in any case.
Mine arrived first. Not surprising as I'd ordered one with only minimal contact with the frying pan. Very tasty. Couldn't help myself "Mm, Very nice, I like eating Buff." She went bright red and swatted me round the head. Giles choked on his beer, which resulted in Anyanka slapping his back somewhat vigorously. Oh yeah! I've still got it. Besides it was tasty. So's she.
Luckily for my chances for continued existence their steaks arrived.
We all tucked in. There was enough blood in mine to keep me going on top of that nice feed I had in Tanzania. It was great to see Buffy eating. Giles was eating like a starving man while Anyanka nibbled at her food. I looked at her and she said "we ate back home with D'Hoffryn. My favourites too, he's so sweet." Giles looked a bit green at the mention of Specialitie du Masion Arashmahar style, but concentrated on his well-cooked steak.
All of us were pretty knackered after all the country hopping, embassies to other dimensions, and epiphanies so we decided on an early night. But we just had to go for dessert first.
The girls went off to hunt the loo. Giles and me just looked at each other. It's one of the great mysteries of life or unlife. Why do women go to the loo together? Do we men really want to know, and if we did would they tell us? I mean even Darla and Dru would go off together. Course that was just to hunt, and it meant they got two for one. But why would a Slayer and vengeance demon go together. Unless that means they are becoming real friends now. I hope so. It's so obvious Rupert does too.
"So you don't recommend the cuisine of Arashmahar then mate?"
Giles looked straight at me and said "Let me put it this way. It won't be hitting the Zagats guide any time soon, though I'm sure the BBC could make several new documentaries on the species on the menu. But it would have to go out late to avoid scaring the children. But Anya enjoyed it, and was touched they'd made her favourites for her, so that's all that matters really. I can get indigestion pills. She's irreplaceable."
They came back and we had cakes and coffee to finish. I love café and cakes. I've eaten some of the best in Central and Eastern Europe. These didn't compete, but the company more than made up for any cardboard quality to the cakes.
Nicely full, we headed back to the hotel, said goodnight to the girls, showered and crashed. We can track down the bad guys when we can keep our eyes open. Tomorrow…Freak St, the temples and palaces of Durbar Square, and the stupas, ghats and temples near Bodhnath. Right now…a well earned kip for all of us.
They had got our trekking boots out. Which was good since Buffy was still in sandals and I'm not having her get frostbite. I'm very partial to those toes. So we put the trekking boots on. From the lack of gear in neat piles and matching notepads I don't think a great deal of sorting got done. But both Giles and Anyanka claimed a hearty appetite, so we went outside to pick a restaurant.
There were plenty to chose from. Not exactly your Michelin Two Star Guide sort. But I haven't been into that stuff since Darla dumped us. Always preferred the funky dive to the pink table cloths. I was in my element here. We past one with a window full of cakes, and an inside full of travellers all busy munching away. Buffy looked tempted, but Rupert seemed to know where he was going so we followed him.
We followed him up an alleyway not far from the hotel into the Rum Doodle Restaurant. I remember reading the book when it came out, lampooning heroic expeditions. Good stuff. Course it wasn't always easy reading around Dru, she'd sometimes get all upset and start ripping up my books, anything that distracted me from Princess. Not allowed, but usually worth it.
Giles and Anyanka tried to find a table while Buffy and I headed to the bar. The walls were covered in giant yeti footprints with Country X, Year Y, Expedition to Peak Z on them. Guess vamps aren't the only ones who take trophies.
There was a bit of a scrum at the bar. Must have hit rush hour, hippy style. Loved hippies and travellers of all sort since they evolved in the 60's. Usually some good stuff in the veins, some cash, never tell Mum where they're going next, travel in herds, takes forever for people to miss 'em. All in all decidedly lunchable. Feel a bit sick right now, looking at all of 'em. Don't like this much.
The shaven headed hippy next to me trod on my foot. Then said "Sorry mate!"
Ok, good test of the effects of being re-tuned on "people who ain't us." Annoyed? Check. Fangs itching? Nope. Urge to rend and maim? Nope. Urge to wash the guys grubby gear? Nope, safe from wanting to open a home for distressed hippies. Sorted! So hence "'S all right, no damage."
He smiled at me. "Hey you're a Brit too?"
"Yeah…Mate over there is too" pointing towards Giles who was engrossed in deep conversation with Anya at a table she'd commandeered. Never get in the way of a vengeance demon on a table hunting mission. "Girls are yanks though, but we forgive them." Smiled at her at that and she smiled back at me, though I got a swat to the arm. Well worth it for the smile though.
The dread-locked blond girl hanging onto the slaphead smiled at us and said "way cool! We don't see many Americans on the road." She must have read too much Kerouac at an impressionable age. "Just us Canadians, the Brits and the Aussies and Kiwis here" pointing at another couple on their other side. The tall rugger bugger said "yeah, seem to get to Europe then get scared eh?" The hair braided brunette holding his hand said "there's some making out they're Canadian to avoid the whole everyone hating the yanks, kidnapping crap." The Aussie twang marking her out.
Time for Investigating! Spike to move into action. Worth trying. "So not seen many yanks about then? No big, stupid scar, bland with a side order of bland?" Buffy swatted me but added "with un-naturally perfect blond robo wives hanging on to their muscly arms?" I glared. She grinned at me.
The Canadian piped up "there were a couple, down by Bodhnath remember? Watching the cremations on the burning ghats? Seemed way nice until they said they were with a tour group." At the expression "tour group" all four children shuddered. So I asked about the rest of the "tour group". Worth chasing up the lead after all, even though I could see Rupert signalling to us.
Aussie says she "saw some big fellas with a mini-bus down near Durbar Square and Freak St". Slaphead says "the convict was so out of her head she wouldn't recognise a mini-bus". The All Black says "the whinging pom's only here to collect some money from his mummy to avoid having a shower when the monsoon arrived." Slaphead retaliates with a diatribe that "sheepshagger's only trying to avoid getting fried when India and Pakistan start lobbing nukes at each other." Buffy whimpered and muttered "why do I bother" at that last point. Fortunately we got served our 4 beers and could leave before our new friends started throwing punches at each other.
We rejoined Giles and Anyanka. Told them about the useful points we'd learnt. Anyanka was able to assure us that she could get us out of the way if the nukes started flying, unless it was once we were inside Shambala territory - in which case we were all royally screwed. They did lose a vengeance demon in Hiroshima. Apparently the necklace can't take the megatons blast. Pretty sure I wouldn't make it either. Ah well you pays your money you take your chances.
They had the menus. Wide choice of dishes, but we all went for steak. It was down as Buff Steak. This led to Buffy's "why couldn't my mother call me Joan? Whatsa Buff? Other than me?"
Giles answered, which is good coz I didn't know. "Buffalo, this is a mainly Hindu country. The cow is sacred. It might be cow steak, but it'll be down as buffalo in any case.
Mine arrived first. Not surprising as I'd ordered one with only minimal contact with the frying pan. Very tasty. Couldn't help myself "Mm, Very nice, I like eating Buff." She went bright red and swatted me round the head. Giles choked on his beer, which resulted in Anyanka slapping his back somewhat vigorously. Oh yeah! I've still got it. Besides it was tasty. So's she.
Luckily for my chances for continued existence their steaks arrived.
We all tucked in. There was enough blood in mine to keep me going on top of that nice feed I had in Tanzania. It was great to see Buffy eating. Giles was eating like a starving man while Anyanka nibbled at her food. I looked at her and she said "we ate back home with D'Hoffryn. My favourites too, he's so sweet." Giles looked a bit green at the mention of Specialitie du Masion Arashmahar style, but concentrated on his well-cooked steak.
All of us were pretty knackered after all the country hopping, embassies to other dimensions, and epiphanies so we decided on an early night. But we just had to go for dessert first.
The girls went off to hunt the loo. Giles and me just looked at each other. It's one of the great mysteries of life or unlife. Why do women go to the loo together? Do we men really want to know, and if we did would they tell us? I mean even Darla and Dru would go off together. Course that was just to hunt, and it meant they got two for one. But why would a Slayer and vengeance demon go together. Unless that means they are becoming real friends now. I hope so. It's so obvious Rupert does too.
"So you don't recommend the cuisine of Arashmahar then mate?"
Giles looked straight at me and said "Let me put it this way. It won't be hitting the Zagats guide any time soon, though I'm sure the BBC could make several new documentaries on the species on the menu. But it would have to go out late to avoid scaring the children. But Anya enjoyed it, and was touched they'd made her favourites for her, so that's all that matters really. I can get indigestion pills. She's irreplaceable."
They came back and we had cakes and coffee to finish. I love café and cakes. I've eaten some of the best in Central and Eastern Europe. These didn't compete, but the company more than made up for any cardboard quality to the cakes.
Nicely full, we headed back to the hotel, said goodnight to the girls, showered and crashed. We can track down the bad guys when we can keep our eyes open. Tomorrow…Freak St, the temples and palaces of Durbar Square, and the stupas, ghats and temples near Bodhnath. Right now…a well earned kip for all of us.
