Arrival in India

I started this India adventure in paper format since I wasn't near computers...will transcribe into blog when computers are available. The start of another adventure on a most important day - a day when America will hopefully turn over a new leaf and chose a president who will take us forward in a totally new direction. While all the polls point to an Obama victory, I am nervous about whether Americans, in the privacy of the voting box, can chose its first black to be our next leader. To chose McCain and especially Palin would be abhorrent...I can't even think about it. But I'll know all when I land in Germany. This is one hell of a long journey, with four different airplanes, and if both myself and my luggage arrive at the same time, I will consider it a minor miracle. November 5 - A.M. Frankfurt Airport - With a three hour layover, I have time to shower, change clothes and stare at German television which tells me that Obama won. None of the details, nothing specific about individual states, but the main point is - he won! This was the best news after an eight hour journey across the pond. My next connection was Turkish airlines - one which I hope not ever to repeat. Their idea of a first class seat to Istanbul is to take the middle seat in a three-across and put a table there for elbows. But the seats are as narrow, the food as lousy, and the service as poor as 'animal class'. And I have the joy of taking this airline on to Delhi. November 6 - Arrival in Delhi at 4:00 a.m. - Turkish Air from Istanbul was a real first class seat - large - but no footrest, lousy service and thus no sleep. Reminded me of flying years ago - shabby but functional. All instructions were given in Turkish or some form of English only discernable by the very fuzziest of minds. If I didn't recognize that now was the time to "store all electronics" or "fasten seat belts" I wouldn't have gotten it through the voice over the speakers. But the main thing: I arrived safely and so did my luggage. Miracle! First impressions at 4:00 a.m.: The smell of burning; the airport could be in Belgium or England; lots of activity and people, considering the time of day; a pall in the air, so thick you could cut it. I was met, as promised and whisked through quiet Delhi to the Hotel Oberoi. Streets were dead; what would take one hour during the day took twenty minutes at best. I was asked by my escort all the private questions Rakesh had warned me about: where is my family? Where is my house? What do I do? Why am I in India? I saw joggers out early (at this point it was 5:30 a.m), and errand people...but the smell of burning and the thick smoke is astounding. I was told that now that it 'is winter', it was people warming their houses - but whether it was fuel, dung or pollution, was hard to know. The Oberoi is just plain swank. ... and that is pleasureable. The bed was soft, and I slept straight through until evening, when I woke, had 'breakfast' and fell back to sleep. So that so far I've seen an airport and my room.