Quick Check In

Namaste, everyone!

Alas, no detailed blog entry tonight.  Bed is calling.  Here are just a few highlights for now:

Mosque in Delhi

Lake Pichola

Detail of Temple in Udaipur

Musicians in the street

Arrival in Delhi

We're in India!  Whoo!

Honestly, I'm surprised at how calm it is.  Granted, I've pretty much only experienced the airport and our hotel thus far, but those are far calmer than likewise places in other major world cities.  I mean, when you compare the insanity that was customs in Beijing to this:

It's enough to make you believe those giant Buddah hands are doing something worthwhile.

My cousin Annie recently spent 6 weeks here volunteering.  She put me in touch with her host brother, a taxi driver.  He met us at the airport and took us to our hotel (which, to his dismay, was right next to the airport).

We settled into our rather spacious room:

(Don't worry, Mom, there is a second bed not in the photo.)

The bathroom design is a bit more... innovative, what with the bathtub/shower room accessible from the room itself via sliding frosted doors.  "Public bathing!" Jason declared.

We're waiting for Justin to go first out of respect for our elders.

The hotel has a couple of restaurants, including one that was still serving dinner, despite it being nearly 11 PM.

Thus we had our first Indian Food in India proper:

And it was delicious.

4 Hours in Dubai

Which, alas, is not long enough to dash downtown and earn another passport stamp.

After a long but uneventful flight over the North Pole, we arrived in Dubai just in time for lunch.  And look:

Le Pain!

It was a subpar meal, for Le Pain but still nice to be out of the cramped plane seats.

We also found:

After explaining to Justin that it is not a question of which bakery to eat at but rather a question of which order you visit them; we each purchased a pastry and found our gate.

This airport is huge, comparatively unpopulated, quiet, and reminiscent of the Seoul airport.  We'll board our next flight in about 30 minutes, but for now I'm enjoying the atmosphere of being Somewhere Different.

(Albeit likewise familiar.)

Flight #2

After not a lot of sleep, we're on the plane to Dubai awaiting takeoff!

This is the long one - 14.5 hours, taking us over the North Pole and down Russia.  Thank goodness they have "Teen Beach 2" at the in-seat entertainment.

I don't think I've flown Emirates before, but I do like it when companies think of things like this:

Thanks, Denver

In an effort to make sure I miss home when I'm in 90-degree Delhi in two days, Denver sent me a parting snow storm.

This is What Happens When I Relinquish Control

"Safety pin the holes in the curtains, please," I said.

I'm trying really hard to leave it be.