The trip is over. We’re home safe and sound. And we’ve managed to make it through the holidays and the start of 2013, complete with a snowstorm leading to a few extra days off of work and school. The last I wrote, we were back in Pune and getting ready to attend the wedding of our friends. Turns out the halfway point of our trip was also the point where I decided that I could blog about our fun long after I got home, extending my enjoyment by not having my head in a computer screen while we were there, and allowing a chance to remember and share now.
Since our internet access was never that great, I hope to start back at the beginning and work my way through the stories and photos of our vacation. I thought about randomly telling stories as I feel like it but I’m afraid I’ll miss too much that way.
The trip to India was a new experience for me. I’ve done a reasonable amount of flying but never on a plane this big. And NEVER for a 15 hour journey. We flew from Newark to Mumbai in a Boeing 777.
Boeing 777-200
We boarded our flight in Newark and were instantly a bit worried because the flight was quite full and they had run out of room for larger carry-ons. We were careful travelers and had kept our most needed items in our carry-ons so we had to get out of line and divide our belongings once more keeping our most necessary things like medicines and money with us in the one bag we were allowed and had to send nearly all of Mark’s clothes underneath.
Once in our seats, with our stranger-neighbor in the aisle seat, we crammed the bag we could bring under the seat in front of us and tried to settle in. Needless to say, what was already going to be a long flight in a semi-upright position just got a bit more uncomfortable.
As the flight crew came through to offer beverage service, we decided a cocktail was in order. We were on our way! So Mark asks the attendant what kind of whiskey he has on board. He rattled off a few and Mark ultimately decides on Crown Royal and Ginger Ale, ordering one. I pipe up, “Make it 2!” and the attendant starts laughing, thinking I ordered Mark a 2nd one – that he was already driving me crazy.
I explain though my laughing that the 2nd drink is for me and we pay, handing the attendant our credit card. He asks if we’d like a receipt (Mark said yes) and he gets distracted by our name on the card – starts asking us the origin and such – then realizes he forgot to print the receipt. This bothered him so much that he ended up asking the woman serving from the other side of the cart for two more bottles of Crown Royal and two more ginger ales which he gave us for no charge.
Only two engines. Seats inside are 3-3-3 in the cheap seats.
Turns out after an exhausting day of travel from Madison to Chicago to Newark and now on our way to India, neither of us were all that interested in all these cocktails. After one each, we drifted off to dreamland, watched a movie, read some and managed to even get up and walk about.
About two hours before landing, the crew gets back to it in the cabin, serving breakfast and handing out paperwork needed for customs. As they’re passing out the cards, our attendant lingers with us a bit and asks us if this is the first time we’re traveling to India (yes), if this is our first time going through customs (yes) and of course what brings us to this part of the world (the wedding!). He puts us at ease and offers a few pointers about the crowds (mainly just a kind reminder to relax and we’ll be fine) and then gets a bit of a worried look about him. Turns out his concern was about the fact that there would likely be no alcohol served at the wedding (this was true). With a smile and a nod, he says to me, “I’ll be right back.”
Moments later he returns with two puke sacks and hands one to each of us. I’ve seen this move before. My grandparents were experts at this – performing the same moves with the parking attendants at then-County Stadium in Milwaukee. I knew what just happened. When I realized shortly after that Mark didn’t know what was going on, I asked him to look in his paper sack. Two ginger ales. He thinks, “How nice.” So I unwrapped my sack and showed him what I held inside – 8 more bottles of Crown Royal.
Our route – 8124 miles
We tried to tip this kind man before stepping off the plane into the Mumbai airport but he wouldn’t take it. All he wanted from us was a promise that we’d have a great time, and that we most certainly did.
Throughout the trip, we enjoyed these gifts – first with the ginger ales he sent along, and later with Coca-Cola which was easy to find – each time toasting to our friendly flight attendant.
Much to our surprise, two bottles even buried themselves in our bags and made it all the way home. Turns out there’s plenty of other wonderful things to drink in India.
Paisley and Peacocks 