Sunday, March 30, 2008

horn- check, breaks-check. India!!

hello all,
Well I am in INDIA!!
I was so excited to get here. I felt like I had to pinch myself in the taxi to believe I was finally here.
Getting here was not all that easy. My flight was scheduled to leave at 2:40am this morning (march 30th) but when I arrived at the airport they said it would be delayed...until 7:25am. It took a few hours for Air India to get their act together but they put us up in a VERY nice hotel, I would even say posh, and feed us. By the time I got to bed it was 3:20am. The wake up call came at 6am and then it was back on the bus and to the airport where we found out our flight was delayed again until 9am. Well that was just the time we need to clear security, immigration, and the like. I did not go through this alone. I met a nice woman named Rochelle from Melborn who was rather frazzled by the whole thing and I got to be the cool calm steady one who lead her through the process.
We landed at 12:30pm and after collection bags and clearing more security I got a pre-paid taxi to my hotel.
I had planned to do a blog entry before I left that did a bit of a trip recap but I never got the opportunity.
I had also planned to send one out with the chant that has been going through my head the past few days and filling my journal. It went I bit like this:
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO INDIA!
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO INDIA!
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I'M GOING TO INDIA!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO INDIA!
INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA, INDIA!

Now I am hear.
It is hot and dusty. I haven't seen any of Delhi yet.
I wish I could be more descriptive but I have a ragging headache from too little sleep and even less to eat.
The menu at the hotel is full of words I don't know. Some I do, but most I don't. It is a bit daunting. Oh I don't know if I have mentioned this but I have gone partial vegetarian in Asia. Meat turns my stomach here, the the veggie food is so good. It is not like Japan where they put pork of some sort in almost everything. I will eat seafood as it is free-range and mostly organic, not that the stuff we put in our oceans is organic. The only downside i have realized on my arrival here in India is that I am not familiar with the names for veggie food here. More to learn!!
oh the honking....my poor head. I want my bed.

Cheers,
Linden

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Linden
As I am living vicariously...when will we(you)visit the Taj Mahal - I checked the internet to discover that it is only 240 kms from New Delhi. = Saint John to Amherst.
Love,
Judy

Anonymous said...

Namaste, give us your itinerary!
What's up with Tibet? Cancelled?
I guess you will have to settle for Dharmsala, or Nepal!!xoJen

Anonymous said...

Hi Linden,We are so relieved to know you are in Delhi, safe and sound. Internet problems in Florida- no email..we need to know about the fed ex. Successful?
Auntie Joy/Uncle Jamie say hi...it is good to see them...saw a dvd about Joy's amazing work in Manilla...you will be interested to see. Looking forward to updates.
Love
Momandad