My Passage To India

Hello, everyone!  A long time has passed since I last posted to this travel blog.  I've had a busy weekend, making my way to India and then recovering from both that travel and the post-NBA Blues (some of you will now what I mean by that).

My journey started on Friday evening when I left Toronto for Munich, on the flight of which I encountered the following.

Kosher Diet Coke?

After arriving in Munich's airport, I needed to pass passport-control and security, then I walked through the airport to go to my gate.  While on my way thither, I encountered this inexplicable display.

Sweeeeet nectar!

I took the liberty of using the 'facilities' and encountered in one of the urinals something I'd previously seen only on the Internet:  a fly at the base, intended for 'aiming'.

The next step was to board a short flight from Munich to Vienna, during which I was served a 'Coke Light'.

They don't have it in 'dark'

After arriving in Vienna, I passed passport-control with little fanfare and, presumably because I flew from one member of the EU to another, I did not pass through security.  However, as a Canadian heading to India, I needed to pass a different desk which verified that my passport and my visa to India were sufficient.  While I waited for my flight to India to board, I was able to find a small wifi hotspot.

I boarded the plane and, before take-off, I was asked by another Canuck to switch seats.  He apparently lives near to Weston and Finch -- I have no fear that he'll not be troubled by anything untoward encounters in India.  After switching, I was one row ahead of my original seat and on the opposite side of the aisle.  Four hours into the six-hour flight, I found myself speaking to a German (or American?) -born Indian man named Parminder whose father, as he drunkenly repeated several times, owns two Indian restaurants, and Mexicanisch restaurant, and a nightclub in Munich.  He was an interesting fellow whose English is not too bad, and is fluent in Punjabi and German.  Given the propensity of one of my current co-workers to break into 'Ahnahld' impressions, I was tickled and could barely contain my laughter when Parminder mentioned Arnold.

After disembarking, I lost track of Parminder because I was readying my BB to take the following two photographs.

'Welcome to India'

'Let us give you a hand'

I had previously made arrangements to stay at a hotel in Nehru Place, a district of Delhi.  Before I could make my way thither, however I needed to ensure that I had cellular access and could use a legitimate pre-paid taxi to go to my hotel.  A co-worker (different from the one above) recommended Meru Cabs but the folks at the AirCel booth, from which I got my SIM card, recommended the Police Taxi, which is much less expensive.  I paid just short of 400 rupees for the half-hour ride, plus a 200-rupee tip to the driver.  After checking-in, I went to my room and made a few short calls to family and friends in Canada to assure them that I'd arrived safely at my destination (yay free wifi!), followed by a five-hour nap.  My hotel also comes with a complimentary breakfast, which I photographed.

Nom nom nom

The hotel also offered a little bit of Wester non-vegetarian fare, but I decided against trying it this morning.  Maybe I'll try it tomorrow.  I'm afraid that this was the only meal I ate all day because, after eating my food, I rapidly made my way back to my room and got another eight hours of sleep, which was interrupted twice.  One hour (and a short chat with my mother) later, I returned to sleep for another four hours.  It's 03:16 where I am, and I've been awake for five hours -- I plan to return to sleep for that I may snap some photos of the Lotus Temple -- a large Baha'i place of worship which is a short walk from my hotel -- to share with you.