India: The Arrival
Flying internationally with China Southern was a bare minimum experience and a reminder of how terrible airplane food was back in early 90's, late 80's and beyond. First stop was Guanghan, China.
I couldn't wait to get off and eat something that didn't smell as if it could survive chemical warfare. There was one shop open close to my terminal. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee. After waiting 19 minutes thinking the process would only take 10 I feared I might miss my flight. I asked for a premade sandwhich in the front. Another five minutes goes by until two bags of premade sandwiches are handed to me. Before anything I was gently shoved out and then I ran.
When I got to my seat I found four egg and tomato sandwiches. Not what I ordered but defiantly beat anything China Southern was serving. The flight was filled with snoring and heat.
I always wondered "Who are these people that order stuff from sky mall or whatever magazine the airline has where you can order whatever it is people might some day maybe never need." Well one of my life's questions was finally answered because I happened to be sitting next to two of them (these people did not know each other). The lady placed an order for moisturizing hand gloves and the man ordered a remote controlled boat? I'm not sure how China Southern managed to have both these items in stock but they did. I looked down at my dry hands and remembered that I hadn't been able to bath for the past two days due to traveling. Moisturizing hang gloves on an airplane, not a bad. As far as the remote controlled boat, I'm in awe.
We taxied in the air above Delhi (if anyone can call that air above Delhi) for about 2 hours. I had tried imagining where the man would use this remote controlled boat purchased from China Southern. This meant I was on crunch time to catch my flight into Dehradun.
Ended up missing the flight into Dehradun. My phone not working. Swear I lost five pounds walking back and forth because no one knew where I could accomplish anything or who to talk to. Would love to see a time lapse of me entering the check-in terminal with a smile (so close to the destination) and the darting to one corner, coming back to the same start spot, sent off the the opposite side of the building only to be told to come back where I started and the same process repeated three more times. Smile turns to confusion, confusion to frustration, frustration to defeat, defeat to sitting down, sitting down to getting back up, heading to the information counter and demanding that this is NOT OKAY and someone fix this shitty situation!
Ah! Finally a little anger got me what I wanted. Really didn't want to go that route but I had no choice. There was no way I would spend the rest of my life in the Delhi airport.
Arrived in Dehradun five hours later to be picked up by a driver who spoke no english. I faintly nodded off and quickly awoke in instances where an animal or human may have been hit.
Oh Rishikesh thank goodness I made it. Now the real adventure begins...
I couldn't wait to get off and eat something that didn't smell as if it could survive chemical warfare. There was one shop open close to my terminal. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee. After waiting 19 minutes thinking the process would only take 10 I feared I might miss my flight. I asked for a premade sandwhich in the front. Another five minutes goes by until two bags of premade sandwiches are handed to me. Before anything I was gently shoved out and then I ran.
When I got to my seat I found four egg and tomato sandwiches. Not what I ordered but defiantly beat anything China Southern was serving. The flight was filled with snoring and heat.
I always wondered "Who are these people that order stuff from sky mall or whatever magazine the airline has where you can order whatever it is people might some day maybe never need." Well one of my life's questions was finally answered because I happened to be sitting next to two of them (these people did not know each other). The lady placed an order for moisturizing hand gloves and the man ordered a remote controlled boat? I'm not sure how China Southern managed to have both these items in stock but they did. I looked down at my dry hands and remembered that I hadn't been able to bath for the past two days due to traveling. Moisturizing hang gloves on an airplane, not a bad. As far as the remote controlled boat, I'm in awe.
We taxied in the air above Delhi (if anyone can call that air above Delhi) for about 2 hours. I had tried imagining where the man would use this remote controlled boat purchased from China Southern. This meant I was on crunch time to catch my flight into Dehradun.
Ended up missing the flight into Dehradun. My phone not working. Swear I lost five pounds walking back and forth because no one knew where I could accomplish anything or who to talk to. Would love to see a time lapse of me entering the check-in terminal with a smile (so close to the destination) and the darting to one corner, coming back to the same start spot, sent off the the opposite side of the building only to be told to come back where I started and the same process repeated three more times. Smile turns to confusion, confusion to frustration, frustration to defeat, defeat to sitting down, sitting down to getting back up, heading to the information counter and demanding that this is NOT OKAY and someone fix this shitty situation!
Ah! Finally a little anger got me what I wanted. Really didn't want to go that route but I had no choice. There was no way I would spend the rest of my life in the Delhi airport.
Arrived in Dehradun five hours later to be picked up by a driver who spoke no english. I faintly nodded off and quickly awoke in instances where an animal or human may have been hit.
Oh Rishikesh thank goodness I made it. Now the real adventure begins...
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