Finally

When it comes to travel, that was the worst trip to India I've had yet. l won't bore you with a lot of details. It was mainly one delay after another that left us getting to the hotel at midnight instead of the planned 6:00 in the evening. That meant we had been either in a car, on a plane, stuck in an airport, or on a bus almost constantly from 3:00am Wednesday morning until midnight of Friday night. The lukewarm shower and humble bed last night was like a day at the spa and a night at the Ritz-Carlton. So, this morning, rather than grumble in my writing, I'm feeling incredibly thankful for a good nights rest and after a little reading of the 46th Psalm, I'm ready to face whatever the day may bring.

Domino's evidently delivers here as well. Sigh.

I'm taking some special care with names and places this year so you'll get a bit of code-speak. Sorry about that, but it's for the safety of all involved. Don't let that raise any undue fears on your part. I'm more in danger in a lot of neighborhoods in Omaha or Denver than I am here. It's just a consideration for those that live here that I've got to take this year.

I've been reunited with many of my friends from previous trips and it's great to see their faces, share their embraces, and hear their voices. G is contagious in his joy and enthusiasm, K shared the news of his upcoming wedding in February, and we have our favorite driver that we haven't seen in four years back behind the wheel.

Our final airport is really the picture of a third-world airport. There is decaying plaster falling from the ceilings and men carrying AK47's, people dressed in little more than rags hawking samosa's and chai. And right across the road there is a Kentucky Fried Chicken. As the photo here shows, across from our hotel there is now a Domino's Pizza. The appearance of these two American icons in the middle of nowhere (which in my heart, in many ways is the middle of everywhere) gives me just a tinge of sadness.

Last night, or, more accurately, this morning, when we were getting to bed a heavy rain came. It's the dry season here so the rain is very welcome. While it's fairly tropical here, in my previous visits I never got to see the green as everything is covered in dust. This morning throught the haze I can see that it has been washed away and later we'll be driving into the countryside and I can wait to see the tea plantations in their proper hue.

 

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