I was able to send that last post right before everyone had to turn off their phones, and then…Cathay Pacific doesn’t offer in-flight Wi-Fi, so goodbye world. I did get caught up on my Pixar/Disney movies however, and here’s the deal: Pixar rocks the world; Disney kinda sucks. Inside Out is easily one of their best, Big Hero 6 has nothing for the adults, and I can’t even remember what else I watched.
Anyway, HKG is always delicious, but the plane left late (they waited for a straggler, which I’ve never heard of; must have been a Person of Some Importance) and we got into India an hour behind schedule. At least I had the row to myself.
Speaking of India, customs almost didn’t let me leave the airport. Though my visa is valid until the 16th, I didn’t seem to have the right tax documents prepared. Then they cautioned me that I would require an exit visa and handed me a piece of paper they claimed to contain the address of the appropriate office, but actually contained instructions for my hotel to register me as a guest. But they let me pass, meaning I needed to go through security again to leave the airport. Welcome back to the subcontinent.
BTW, the hotel, it turns out, is not a hotel. It’s the faculty residence of the Indian Institute for Human Settlement. It’s lovely, really, kind of like a college co-op meets the ambassador’s villa. Only problem was that I got in at 2:30 am, woke up at seven to the sound of howler monkeys and the morning call to prayer, couldn’t find anyone, had no Wi-Fi password, and didn’t know where I was. Then the power went out (it seems to do that every morning from 7:30 until 9:00), so I went and played in the traffic.
When I got back the power was on and the resident den mother was making breakfast for all the interns. Fantastic. And all veg, which is how I try to eat over here. The chicken is…of questionable provenance.
Then the sky opened and a significant portion of the world’s fresh water poured out for the next 14 hours while the god of light and magic threw a tantrum. At least it keeps the bugs down.
Anyway, HKG is always delicious, but the plane left late (they waited for a straggler, which I’ve never heard of; must have been a Person of Some Importance) and we got into India an hour behind schedule. At least I had the row to myself.
Speaking of India, customs almost didn’t let me leave the airport. Though my visa is valid until the 16th, I didn’t seem to have the right tax documents prepared. Then they cautioned me that I would require an exit visa and handed me a piece of paper they claimed to contain the address of the appropriate office, but actually contained instructions for my hotel to register me as a guest. But they let me pass, meaning I needed to go through security again to leave the airport. Welcome back to the subcontinent.
BTW, the hotel, it turns out, is not a hotel. It’s the faculty residence of the Indian Institute for Human Settlement. It’s lovely, really, kind of like a college co-op meets the ambassador’s villa. Only problem was that I got in at 2:30 am, woke up at seven to the sound of howler monkeys and the morning call to prayer, couldn’t find anyone, had no Wi-Fi password, and didn’t know where I was. Then the power went out (it seems to do that every morning from 7:30 until 9:00), so I went and played in the traffic.
When I got back the power was on and the resident den mother was making breakfast for all the interns. Fantastic. And all veg, which is how I try to eat over here. The chicken is…of questionable provenance.
Then the sky opened and a significant portion of the world’s fresh water poured out for the next 14 hours while the god of light and magic threw a tantrum. At least it keeps the bugs down.
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