We're Coming Home - Namaste

We were a little concerned -- OK, maybe a lot -- that due to the low fog that is prevalent in Northern India in December, our flight home would be delayed or maybe even cancelled. But this didn't happen. Our 1:00 am wake-up call came around much too soon, but we'd packed (in my case, crammed) the night before and were pretty much ready to roll out of bed and go. Our taxi was very prompt and we were at the airport before we knew it. Indira Gandhi Airport is very modern and a pleasant place to spend some time, not at all chaotic. We had enough rupees to pay our airport exit fee, but no one could verify that we needed to pay it, including the folks at the Emirates check-in counter, so we ended up exchanging our remaining rupees for US dollars. The Singapore dollars, they told us, would have to wait until we reached SFO.Both flights on Emirates were great. We've posted some photos of the sunrise on our way to Dubai. However, we saw little of Dubai except for the airport. It would have been nice to have taken an overnight stop there, but we were ready to come home. After 20+ hours in the air, we

arrived at SFO at 2:00 pm on December 26, the same day as we left. It's taken us a wee bit of time to get back to normal...and we're not quite back yet.To quote Erma Bombeck: when you look like your passport picture, it’s time to come home. In my case, I was well past this point as you probably noticed from the photos. But we made it, and we're so grateful for everyone and everything who made this possible. This was a trip full of contrasts and commonalities -- weather, people, culture, religion, food, transportation, comfort, accommodations, activities and much more. Here's a summary of what we covered: Five countries: Indonesia (if you count both Java and Bali), Singapore, Nepal, India; 39 days, 22 hotels, nine flights -- we circled the globeAn overnight train (been there, done that, make big note for next time), one half-day train, a car ferry, taxis, buses, minivans, tut-tuts (auto rickshaws), bicycle rickshaws, two metro systems, a camel cart ride, one elephant ride, and a ride on the back of a motorbike -- and of course, walking and hiking. Countless stairs and close calls with oncoming vehicles and in crossing streets. I didn't count the miles/kilometers - a pedometer would have been a good idea. Maybe next time!

Christmas in Delhi

Christmas Day in Delhi. Christmas is celebrated as a festival here, albeit low-key, though we were driven by a Catholic church today with a big crowd attending mass. Many restaurants have special menus. We start off with our usual breakfast at Hotel Perfect, though we don't have as much time as usual since we need to pack up one last time for our journey to the airport hotel, where we'll catch a few hours sleep prior to our 1:30 am taxi to the airport. So what to do on our last day? Turns out the National Museum is open, and all we have to do is arrange for our transport there. We thought we'd take the Metro, but as we check out we ask the hotel manager and he suggests taking a tuk-tuk there. So we leave our bags at the hotel for pickup later, and walk the two blocks down to the Karol Bagh Metro where a line of auti rickshaws is waiting. There's the usual negotiation; the first driver refuses Hoyt's offer, and another driver agrees to take us there. It ends up being a very picturesque drive on a surprisingly not-too-busy morning. We arrive at the museum and learn that several of the exhibits are closed for renovation. We decide to take the tour anyway and were treated to one of the best collection of miniature Indian paintings we've seen, plus sacred relics of the Buddha (with devotees pictured), Indian textiles and weaponry. But one of the biggest surprises was in the museum cafeteria: we end up catching an early dinner there, featuring an excellent vegetarian buffet, Tandoori paneer and cold coffee with ice cream. One of the best meals of our trip! Our return tuk-tuk ride didn't go so smoothly, at least at first. Since our trip to the museum cost 80 INR, we assumed we could get the same deal on the return trip. Silly us, what were we thinking? First driver quoted us 200 INR. Then the next drive said he'd take us for 80 INR if we stopped at his shop "just to look." Then a taxi driver offered to take us to the nearby Metro station for "our price" which ended costing 50 INR. Turns out there WAS a Metro station within walking distance, but the taxi driver made it sound like it was so far away. But that's just how it is, you have to negotiate everything and not believe everything you hear! After returning to Hotel Perfect for our bags, it's now about 6:00 pm and time to call the taxi to the airport hotel. The driver reaches the airport hotel area fairly quickly, but it's another matter finding the Hotel Aerostar, which is located in the corner of an out-of-the-way street. We're glad to have had dinner early so we can check in, take a shower and get to bed as soon as possible. But first, we need to make sure we have enough rupees left for the airport exit tax, about 1,400 rupees each. Good news, we won't have to visit the ATM. Plus, we still have some Singaporean dollars we need to convert.

New Friends in Delhi

It's December 24 and we are meeting our neighbor Pampa's sister Papiya and her family who live in Delhi. Papiya has been quite diligent in communicating with us during our entire trip, and we're looking forward to our visit very much. After breakfast at the hotel, Papiya calls us to make plans for the day. We've already researched the location of their flat and realize that although they live about 25K from our hotel, it's very close to two Metro stations on the blue line, across the river. No sweat - we're veterans of the Delhi Metro by now. Papiya and her husband Sumit agree to meet us at the station. In an attempt to help them recognize us, Hoyt tells them to look out for his orange windbreaker, but since we're traveling far away from the tourist areas into a residential section, it wasn't difficult for them to spot us. After we meet up, they escort us to a waiting tuk-tuk and we're on our way to their flat in no time. When we arrive, we're greeted by Papiya's parents (who we know already from their stay in Campbell with Pampa and Arup), and Papiya's three year old son, who was initially shy but ended up becoming fast friends with us. We spent a delightful afternoon discussing India, politics, books and what to do in our remaining time in Delhi. In addition, As it turns out, Papiya and Sumit relocated to Delhi four months ago, so they are learning about the area as well. One of the highlights of our visit was a home-cooked Bengali style lunch, which was absolutely delicious. On the return trip back to the Metro, we got our first taste of a Delhi public bus ride, with Papiya and Sumit as our escorts and a very happy three-year old who's experiencing his first bus ride in Delhi. After bidding farewell to our new friends, we board the blue line train for the return trip to Karol Bagh and get ready for our last day in India. An added note: We would have included a photo of the Delhi Metro here, but you're not allowed to photograph inside the station or inside the cars. Security is very tight; you go through metal detectors and a pat-down, with separate lines for men and women (which meant I waited for Hoyt a lot, as there are many more men on the Metro than women).