India Diary II

[Guest guest]

Call me foolish, but once again I've decided to

share some of the experiences from a trip to

India (this is the second trip) for those who

want to read them. For those who don't, please

hit delete when you see the subject:).

 

Love,

Jyotsna

 

INDIA TRIP #2 1999-2000

 

Well, Dayle, has it really been three years since I

began my other journey to India? I’m here at Sea-Tac

waiting for a flight to San Jose, where I will change

planes to go on to Los Angeles.

 

On my way to get a traveler’s check changed into

rupees, I was hailed by a young man in yellow-orange

robes who said he was “giving good news to all the

nice people.” I went over and of course they (two of

them) were young Hare’ Krishna monks. When they tried

to sell me a book, I told them I was on my way to

India and they were quite thrilled for me. They asked

for a donation for their ashram (in Tukwila, they

said) and I complied, “Anything for Krishna.” Then

they gave me two slender paperbacks to take with me,

and we parted in a friendly manner.

 

When I went to get rupees for dollars, the young lady

who helped me, Sarah, was very friendly and asked all

about my trip. That launched us into a discussion of

comparative religion. She’s a Catholic marrying a

Mormon. I recommended that she read “Papa Married A

Mormon,” one of my favorite books.

 

11 p.m.

 

After nice flights to San Jose and LA, had a brief

but loving reunion with V, my roommate from my first

trip to India. We ate (very quickly!) as I was

starving, having had only an apple for breakfast and a

baked potato for lunch. I thought the flight left at

11:30 p.m. and when the ticket agent told me it

boarded at 10:20, I thought he meant 11:20 p.m. It

was a mad rush to get to the flight, as at 10:30 they

kept giving “Final boarding call for Flight 881.”

These announcements were very strongly worded and

scared the liver out of me. I think now the flight is

actually leaving at 11:10. No one told me! I’ve been

on board about 20 minutes. Yesterday at work, I

figured out that this flight must be 11 hours long.

Now, to my dismay, I find out it’s “14 hours and 51

minutes.” Nearly 15 hours. The pilot has told us

there will be strong head winds. I’ve taken my first

tranquilizer.

 

The flight is not nearly full. Each seat has a

pillow and blanket. We were given earphones and a

neat little bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, green

sleep mask, and green socks. (Green is Cathay

Pacific’s color.) The menu has three supper choices.

I had no idea they’d serve dinner so late!

 

The book title “West with the Night” kept occurring

to me as we indeed did go west with the night. It’s

been dark since I was in Seattle, almost 24 hours.

 

1:25 p.m. Friday Seattle Time

5:25 a.m. Saturday Hong Kong Time

 

I guess it’s about time to set my watch to Hong Kong

time, which means I’m leaving the western world behind

for now. It’s been a wonderfully smooth, uneventful

flight. As Bipin told me, Cathay Pacific is a good

airline and seems quite efficient. It’s neat that

they periodically show on the tv monitor the airspeed

(530 mph), outside temperature (-63 F), distance to

destination (about 500 miles currently), and maps

showing where the plane is on both a global and a

regional map. Technology is wonderful sometimes.

 

Finally, off to the southeast (assuming we are headed

due west) there is light above the horizon and a dull

apricot color with clouds at the horizon. The very

Engish-sounding captain (“shedule”) is announcing our

arrival into Hong Kong. It’s odd to think of

venturing into this foreign culture on this foreign

airline aboard an aircraft built right at home. This

is a 747-400, and the ride later today to Bankok and

Bombay is supposed to be a 777. We start our descent

into the gradually lightening sky.

 

 

 

 

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