I’m not too ashamed to admit my idea of India came from the
films “Auntie Mame” and “Around the World in 80 Days”, plus a healthy dose of
Bollywood, to which I’m addicted (Sharukh
Kahn! So hot!). I never had an
urge to see it until two years ago, when the need to go there snuck up on me
like a young cat after an old bird. The immunizations were taken care of last
December, and I started the typhoid pills two days before departure. First
destination: Newark, via the red-eye, the jumping-off place for most of my
travel—
I’ll be spending a lot of time there. It’s a cool airport, with instant
Wi-Fi and plenty of places to
hang out and eat, or just sit. Good walk-ability,
too. Another advantage: plenty of flights to and from the West Coast, a big
issue as I’ll always be flying stand-by, and if there’s only one flight per
day, I’m stuck. I changed $150US into rupees (the money exchange at Travelex is
not the best rate, about 43Rp/$1US, and they take a 10% bite; it’s better in
India, where they’re happy to change US dollars at no extra cost to you at your
hotel: 52Rp/$1. By the way, using your credit card or ATM card there to charge
or draw money usually results in extra charges, minimally 3%; I brought cash in
a money belt, which is also handy for your passport (carry a copy in your
wallet, just in case). After four hours in the airport (an outside stroll would
have been nice but for the 37-degree-Farenheit temperature), I made the Delhi
run, and got incredibly lucky: under the what-money-can-buy category, business
class to India actually made it fun to travel 14 hours. The seat made into a
bed complete with pillow and blanket; the flight attendant plied me with wine,
and the three-course dinner was tasty. The little freshen-up kit with
toothpaste, facial cleaner etc. was just too cool. I’m glad I got the royal
treatment, because I needed it when I hit Delhi at 11PM…
