We were given breakfast at 9:15. It was paneer bhurji (which is aloo tikki and whole wheat paratha bread). It was a lot of flavor for a breakfast, but pretty good. It came with fruit, yogurt, and orange juice.
We flew over some pretty mountains that turned out to be Afghanistan.
Then we flew over Pakistan, which was flat and boring.
Finally we landed and got off the plane around 10:45 am in my current time zone. We went through border patrol (which probably isn't really its name. It was more like visa control) and I was very nervous but we all got in fine. It took about ten minutes and the guy that got me in was humming a song. They scanned our fingerprints.
At 11:30 we found our driver and another GEEO passenger, Kristina. Our driver walked us over to the van and we drove through Dehli!
I was exhausted and the drive was fun. If I was more mentally alert I likely would have said the drive was terrifying. It was a 4 lane road but the laes are more suggestions than law. People were weaving in and out of traffic and everyone was honking their horn. Lots of people were on the side of the road-
Several cars had "horn please" written on the back so I think honking your horn is like using your turn signal.
There were lots of these 3 wheel, green and yellow cars called tuk-tuk. Our driver said they flip over a lot.
I thought the drive was nice. A couple times drivers would look over at us in a car and I wasn't sure if I should ignore them or wave. We all stand out so badly. Sam is blond for gods sake.
We got to the hotel and met 2 more people from GEEO. After checking in, it turns out Sam and I have our own rooms while MJ was bunking it with one of the ladies we just met. So we switched it up and she is staying with me instead of the stranger.
The room was whatever, I wasn't expecting anything nice. It was hot as the devil's nutsack so we had an employee teach us how the ac worked. The toilet is different but is less complicated than European ones (which have 2 buttons, one for each of your business). This toilet just had 1 giant button and a strange hose thing that may or may not be for washing your junk I don't know and am not willing to test it out.
I showered and changed my clothes. Then I took a nap at 1pm. I don't remember falling asleep but at 5 Mary Jo had to get an employee to let her into the room because I was sleeping through her knocking on the door to let her in. We only have 1 room key and it has to be placed in the wall to make the power work, it's just like in Europe.
At 6 we met everyone in our group, along with our tour guide. Our tour guide is named Abhi and he and Sam are the only dudes. Everyone else is a chick.
Anyways, everyone but Sam and I is a teacher. Abhi talked to us about India and I was hit with a lot of information and facts. He told us what would be going on and the things we would be doing. It was informative.
He suggested we leave our passports in the safety box in our rooms. I think not. I will be carrying mine with me 24/7.
After that we went back to the room to kill an hour. I tried to get connected to the wifi but it wasn't happening.
At 7 we all met up in the lobby. Abhi walked us through Dehli to a place to eat.
It was a good walk, not too hot out. There are no sidewalks so we had to share the road with the cars and bikes and stalls and other people walking. There's lots of trash and there are people sleeping on the ground along with stray dogs. Honestly, I was expecting worse. I'm not trying to sound cold, but it was fine.
We had dinner in this restaurant. We had a long table than was half booth and half chair seating so I sat on the corner at the booth end so I was boxed in. Sam and MJ sat with me and we ordered a chicken and cheese wrap, a spicy mutton wrap (mutton here is goat, not sheep), some bread that isn't naan but like a healthier version of it, and this other stuff. I was really tired and forgot to take notes. At least I took pictures.
Sam and Mary Jo had a beer but I didn't get one. I am having a sober vacay (also I'm a lightweight and want to keep my wits about me).
I didn't like the food. It was spicy and the food that wasn't hot had a weird flavor.
While I was sitting, I noticed what may have been a baby cockroach climb up the wall next to me. I attempted to grab it with a napkin but as soon as I got close it ran and scared me. I couldn't get away because I was boxed in. Great way to end my meal....
Everyone chatted. I'm not as interesting as everyone else in my group. Everyone else has traveled more than me. I don't even stand out. About 5 people in my group are blonde, I'm not the thinnest, I'm not the heaviest, not the tallest or shortest. I am the least traveled and have the biggest eyes. That's about it. Oh and I'm the palest. We're all white but I am the whitest so there's that.
We walked back to the hotel.
By now it's 9:30. I took a nap earlier today but I was still exhausted. Once we got back to the room I was able to get internet on my kindle, but not my phone. It's really complicating things. I need my debit card pin number to withdraw money, but I can't call the bank. The only thing I can do is email so I sent my mom a message and asked if she could sort out my card situation and she said she would try. Shortly after that I lost connection.
I went to bed at midnight.
They finally turned off the club lighting
We flew over some pretty mountains that turned out to be Afghanistan.
Then we flew over Pakistan, which was flat and boring.
Finally we landed and got off the plane around 10:45 am in my current time zone. We went through border patrol (which probably isn't really its name. It was more like visa control) and I was very nervous but we all got in fine. It took about ten minutes and the guy that got me in was humming a song. They scanned our fingerprints.
At 11:30 we found our driver and another GEEO passenger, Kristina. Our driver walked us over to the van and we drove through Dehli!
I was exhausted and the drive was fun. If I was more mentally alert I likely would have said the drive was terrifying. It was a 4 lane road but the laes are more suggestions than law. People were weaving in and out of traffic and everyone was honking their horn. Lots of people were on the side of the road-
Several cars had "horn please" written on the back so I think honking your horn is like using your turn signal.
There were lots of these 3 wheel, green and yellow cars called tuk-tuk. Our driver said they flip over a lot.
Tuk-tuk!
I thought the drive was nice. A couple times drivers would look over at us in a car and I wasn't sure if I should ignore them or wave. We all stand out so badly. Sam is blond for gods sake.
We got to the hotel and met 2 more people from GEEO. After checking in, it turns out Sam and I have our own rooms while MJ was bunking it with one of the ladies we just met. So we switched it up and she is staying with me instead of the stranger.
Hotel room
The room was whatever, I wasn't expecting anything nice. It was hot as the devil's nutsack so we had an employee teach us how the ac worked. The toilet is different but is less complicated than European ones (which have 2 buttons, one for each of your business). This toilet just had 1 giant button and a strange hose thing that may or may not be for washing your junk I don't know and am not willing to test it out.
I showered and changed my clothes. Then I took a nap at 1pm. I don't remember falling asleep but at 5 Mary Jo had to get an employee to let her into the room because I was sleeping through her knocking on the door to let her in. We only have 1 room key and it has to be placed in the wall to make the power work, it's just like in Europe.
At 6 we met everyone in our group, along with our tour guide. Our tour guide is named Abhi and he and Sam are the only dudes. Everyone else is a chick.
Anyways, everyone but Sam and I is a teacher. Abhi talked to us about India and I was hit with a lot of information and facts. He told us what would be going on and the things we would be doing. It was informative.
He suggested we leave our passports in the safety box in our rooms. I think not. I will be carrying mine with me 24/7.
After that we went back to the room to kill an hour. I tried to get connected to the wifi but it wasn't happening.
At 7 we all met up in the lobby. Abhi walked us through Dehli to a place to eat.
It was a good walk, not too hot out. There are no sidewalks so we had to share the road with the cars and bikes and stalls and other people walking. There's lots of trash and there are people sleeping on the ground along with stray dogs. Honestly, I was expecting worse. I'm not trying to sound cold, but it was fine.
We had dinner in this restaurant. We had a long table than was half booth and half chair seating so I sat on the corner at the booth end so I was boxed in. Sam and MJ sat with me and we ordered a chicken and cheese wrap, a spicy mutton wrap (mutton here is goat, not sheep), some bread that isn't naan but like a healthier version of it, and this other stuff. I was really tired and forgot to take notes. At least I took pictures.
Sam and Mary Jo had a beer but I didn't get one. I am having a sober vacay (also I'm a lightweight and want to keep my wits about me).
I didn't like the food. It was spicy and the food that wasn't hot had a weird flavor.
While I was sitting, I noticed what may have been a baby cockroach climb up the wall next to me. I attempted to grab it with a napkin but as soon as I got close it ran and scared me. I couldn't get away because I was boxed in. Great way to end my meal....
Everyone chatted. I'm not as interesting as everyone else in my group. Everyone else has traveled more than me. I don't even stand out. About 5 people in my group are blonde, I'm not the thinnest, I'm not the heaviest, not the tallest or shortest. I am the least traveled and have the biggest eyes. That's about it. Oh and I'm the palest. We're all white but I am the whitest so there's that.
We walked back to the hotel.
By now it's 9:30. I took a nap earlier today but I was still exhausted. Once we got back to the room I was able to get internet on my kindle, but not my phone. It's really complicating things. I need my debit card pin number to withdraw money, but I can't call the bank. The only thing I can do is email so I sent my mom a message and asked if she could sort out my card situation and she said she would try. Shortly after that I lost connection.
I went to bed at midnight.
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