Getting there is Half the Fun

Well, it's three days into this famous trip, and I'm just now getting around to tending to this blog! I have excuses- not the least among them being that there was no Internet the first day, and yesterday I was too busy.

The trip to India is just l-o-n-g, if you are starting from the middle if the US. The stewardess on the Detroit- Amsterdam leg stopped by to chat, and was just appalled that I had two more flights to go. This was from someone who flies for a living, and gets to skip to the head of every line.

My seat companion on the way over was a new four year old, who was a great flier. He knew about his videos, and where his snack should go, and that he wouldn't like the food. His first words to me were, "Are you my friend?" That 's such a hard question for to answer from a little kid. I had to tell him that while I was actually a stranger, we'd be spending 9 hours sitting next to each other and that I hoped they would be friendly hours. That was OK with him.

The difference in the airport at Delhi is dramatic. They have opened a new domestic terminal that is first class all the way. No more crouching on the floor while Bollywood plays on the single TV. The airport at Leh is still the same, which is kind of nice, as it prepares you for the reality of your stay.

I tried to email via blackberry, when I first got here, but it turns out that the new card/ access doesn't work here. phoo. As in everything else, Ladakh is a special case. I will try to get an Airtel card sometime to use while I am in Leh, but I am afraid that nothing will work in Domkhar.

More later, as I can.