The long trek home took up Monday Dec 10 and Tuesday Dec 11.
We checked out of the hotel at 6:00 pm Monday evening and finally met Rubina, our wonderful travel agent who works out of Delhi. We also had our favourite driver back again in Delhi and before dinner he took us to the little shop that his family runs to have coffee and meet his parents and brothers and sisters. Nobody spoke much English (including our driver Ram Singh) but somehow we all managed and there were lots of smiles and hugs. It was a very special way to spend the last evening in India and I think we were all sad to leave.
After dinner, we were dropped at the airport in Delhi for our 3:00 am flight home. A bit of shopping and a last Kingfisher at the Sports Bar filled the time and used up the last of our rupees. We were on the same plane from Delhi to Brussels (9 hours) and Brussels to Toronto (8.5 hours) but we got off the plane and had just enought time after clearing security (again) to stop at the duty free shop and buy Belgium chocolate. It was a long, tiring and noisy trip not just for us but for the Iraqui refugees who were coming to Canada after 6 years in India with their children, parents and all their belongings. Everyone was alternately excited and tired and no-one got much sleep (except me who never sleeps on planes but actually fell asleep during the takeoff from Delhi).
One last hop from Toronto to Ottawa and I was home, tired but very happy.
Customs in Toronto was a snap which was good because I had a Mughal dagger for Malcolm in my suitcase which I really didn't want to have to explain.
We checked out of the hotel at 6:00 pm Monday evening and finally met Rubina, our wonderful travel agent who works out of Delhi. We also had our favourite driver back again in Delhi and before dinner he took us to the little shop that his family runs to have coffee and meet his parents and brothers and sisters. Nobody spoke much English (including our driver Ram Singh) but somehow we all managed and there were lots of smiles and hugs. It was a very special way to spend the last evening in India and I think we were all sad to leave.
After dinner, we were dropped at the airport in Delhi for our 3:00 am flight home. A bit of shopping and a last Kingfisher at the Sports Bar filled the time and used up the last of our rupees. We were on the same plane from Delhi to Brussels (9 hours) and Brussels to Toronto (8.5 hours) but we got off the plane and had just enought time after clearing security (again) to stop at the duty free shop and buy Belgium chocolate. It was a long, tiring and noisy trip not just for us but for the Iraqui refugees who were coming to Canada after 6 years in India with their children, parents and all their belongings. Everyone was alternately excited and tired and no-one got much sleep (except me who never sleeps on planes but actually fell asleep during the takeoff from Delhi).
One last hop from Toronto to Ottawa and I was home, tired but very happy.
Customs in Toronto was a snap which was good because I had a Mughal dagger for Malcolm in my suitcase which I really didn't want to have to explain.
No comments:
Post a Comment