The absolute worst thing about flying isn’t the tight spaces, terrible food (which on Air France consists of various diced vegetables in cream.  Always with the cream.), or your flight mates .... it’s the the inevitable need to use the bathroom when the person on the end row has fallen asleep.  In my case, I awoke 3 hours into the 8 hour flight to India, and the man on the end was stone cold. I couldn’t bring myself to wake him so I squirmed.  I pinched.  I did lamaze.  Eventually I had to tap the man so hard to wake him that he jumped out of his seat with an indecipherable squeal in Hindi.

 

The best thing about flying to india?  The bollywood in-flight movies and the spectacular views.  Looking down at the natural intensity of the himalayan mountains, or to the man-made excesses of Dubai, or the vast deserts inbetween, one truly feels as if they’ve entered another world, held inside a spacecraft traveling more though time than space.

 

Also, they sprayed for bugs.  While we were on board.

 

On arrival I learned the first most important thing to remember in India.... watch your step.  The jetway hadn’t fully engaged the plane, leaving a half-foot drop and considerable gap.  I missed the gap, luckily, but still managed to fall into my step and trip into the man ahead of me.  This is something I will repeat at least daily in India...hidden steps are everywhere with NONE of the overzealous warning sign treatment you’d find in America.

 

They must figure I’m a big boy now.  Time to learn how to watch my step by myself.

 

Besides a few hour delay due to the strike, travel was smooth.  I found my driver to the hotel after a few tense minutes of being unable to locate him.  We had a guard with a machine-gun stop the car for some unknown reason. The hotel itself is casual but elegant, a perfect little resting spot.  Oh, and I managed to break the room safe and lock my passport and wallet in there forever.  (at least until the front desk was open and they could call the safe-operator.)  I got some sleep, and now I’m ready to go join the craziness of India.  It’s something I’m both excited and anxious about.  Will it be beautiful?  Dirty? Joyful? Painful?  

 

Only one way to find out.

 

see you next time.