Back in India

When we left India after our last visit in 2022, we thought we might not return. But here we are again! We are in Delhi for a few days to get over jet lag, do some shopping, and visit with some friends.

We were a bit worried about our flight from O'Hare on Air India. Our original reservation was for November 6, but that flight was cancelled and we were moved to November 7. Then the AI October 31 flight was cancelled (no reason given). With the US government shutdown, it was announced that flights would be cut back beginning November 7, due to the air traffic controllers not being paid. Fortunately for us, the cutbacks started with domestic flights and ours left on time.

We arrived four hours early at the airport and there were already long lines at the check-in desk. Since we were in business class, ours was shorter. When we got to the desk we were told that one of our seats had a problem; it might not recline or lie flat; we would have to check at the gate. This did not sound good! After a couple of hours in the lounge, we went to the gate. It was confirmed that one seat was not working and we had to fill out a form to agree to fly anyway. That took a good half-hour. We are assured that we will get a partial refund. In the end, Dan took the seat and let me lie down. It wasn't as comfortable as some of the flights we've taken, but it went well and we were fine in the end (although Dan's hips weren't very happy; he's been having difficulty for the past year).

We both got wheelchairs when we exited the plane; it was a very long walk to immigration and baggage claim. Our electronic visas and arrival cards passed inspection and we went on to collect our bags. The two men who pushed us were wonderful; they took care of the baggage and saw us to the prepaid taxi booth and into the taxi. They enjoyed having a westerner who could understand and speak Hindi with them. It was a relief to get to the hotel, shower, and get into a comfortable bed.

Sunday morning we were up early and enjoyed the hotel buffet breakfast. Dan went out to the Metro station to get our travel cards, and around 10:00 we headed out to get our phones connected here. An Airtel store was a short distance from the hotel. That took over an hour, with lots of paperwork, photos, etc. (Yes, I still had to put my father's name on the form; that hasn't changed since we first came here 57 years ago.) Eventually everything was working and my home SIM safely stowed. We were told there was a bank just around the corner with an ATM. Well, it was quite a bit further than just around the corner, and the ATM wasn't working. We walked back past the hotel and to another mall, where we looked into a shop and had lunch.

Finally back to the hotel to rest for an hour, then take the Metro to Mayur Vihar to visit Sandeep and Anju. It was good to see them and have some tea. Our hotel is right next to a blue line Metro station, which goes right to their stop. We got back around 8:00 and had a decent night's sleep.

Inside the Metro station; there are usually many more waiting for the next train.

This shows how close everyone stands; Thums Up is a local Indian cola brand. It came up in the 1970s when Coca Cola was banned. I was fortunate to get a seat on both rides.

Dan drinking chai and chatting with a hotel employee at breakfast.