TravelStream™ news feed for member a13xa9dr1a on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/a13xa9dr1a en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 07 Apr 2007 16:26:47 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161714720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161714720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161714720/tpod.html Sat, 07 Apr 2007 16:26:47 -0400 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Delhi, India

Got up lazily and feasted on our gratis breakfast at the hotel. Beth tried lassi for the first time and decidedly did not like it. This was fabulous because that meant I had two lassis for breakfast. After chatting about what to tackle for the day- I was highly encouraging her to take in some of the sites that I saw prior to her arrival- instead, she suggested hanging out with Anuj's mom and brother for the day. She's very thoughtful... which is why I am friends with her. I look thoughtful by proxy.

Anuj's mother, Usha, was going to shop in the Chandni Chowk that day for Charlotte's wedding dress and jewelry gifts for the wedding participants. She asked us to meet in front of this place "Haldiram's." After Beth expressed some concern about being able to find it, Anuj's mom said that there weren't really any addresses in the Chandni Chowk but that any driver worth his salt would know where it was.

Sadly, we had an unsalty driver because he wasn't sure where it was. He told us Haldiram's was a chain eatery adn they were everywhere! Ugh. After some discussion with the hotel, we came upon Haldiram's which is some sort of sweet shop/eatery. Beth and I arrived first so we waited out front, leaning against a post. Needless to say, despite my local garb, we still attracted an unsettling amount of attention. People defintely made no effort to conceal stares or that they were talking about us, and it was crowded. Unnervingly so. After waiting about 20 minutes of growing increasingly uncomfortable, we agreed to wait 5 more minutes before calling it quits.

Luckily, Anuj's mom and his brother showed and it was so great to see them. They ushered us into Haldiram's, which is very crowded downstairs, to the back staircase. Once we got upstairs, it was a little less crowded with tables and chairs, but all the seats were taken. We stood around waiting like a lot of other people, for a table to free up. While we waited, Anuj's famiily went through a cafeteria style line and ordered some food for us. When we snagged a table, neither Beth nor I were actually hungry becuase we had quite a big (and free) breakfast. So to be polite, I ate a potato and pea dish that was super spicy but really tasty. I mean, it just rocked! I dont know what it was called, but if I ever went back, I would try to order it again. Oh, and bring my appetite! Otherwise, downstairs, I would try the thandai drink and buy a bag of Papad (pappadums) for the road. It's like India's version of potato chips. I noticed on the way out that they were a popular item.

Navigating the Chandni Chowk is like being a clairvoyant bulldozer. You have to plow through the masses trying to stop you and sell you something and plow forth with the authority of someone who knows exactly where they are going. Even when you have no clue. We were all dutifully following Usha, who seemed to know where she was headed but after zigzagging down various paths for about 15 minutes, we stopped. She made it clear that the shop she was walking towards was not where she thought it would be! That was my first taste of negotiating India. Act like you know what youre doing, even when you dont. People tend to leave you alone! Subi also recommended that Beth and I try to brush people off by just barely waving our index finger at them in a no-no fashion, say "nay nay" in a bored and annoyed tone of voice, all while avoiding eye contact. When a woman grabbed my arm to sell me something, I tried that tactic, and she immediatley backed off. A few others ahead who were eyeing me as a potential mark, saw me do this and suddenly begged off. It worked! Apparently, this is a very local way of dismissing someone. So, being perceived as a local, I was no longer a target. Brilliant!

So we finally ended up in a sari shop, took our shoes off and squatted on some floor cushions while an employee fetched tons of glittery bolts of silks and unfurled them at us, letting the cloth fan out and settle to the ground. For the first 5-10 displays, Anuj's mom raised her hand to wave them off in disgust and wouldnt deign to even look at the rest. The employee took this as a challenge and went to fetch nicer saris, etc etc. Anuj's mom asked me what I thought of the saris. What? What do I know?? Taking a closer look at them so to give her my best amateur answer, I saw that some of the beading was glued on the material, not sewn! Some of the material was not silk, but synthetic and was fraying at the edges. Once I got past the razle dazzle of showmanship, I realized lesson number two: dont bother with what is first shown to you. It's usually a warm up to better things.

The next shock came when his mom decided that she couldn't tell what the saris looked like unless she saw them on. There arent exactly mannequins around, so I was wondering how this was going to play out when I realized she was looking right at me. "Go. Put this on." Not a question, really, and it was from my hostess so I couldnt decline. I felt so odd putting on 1. a wedding sari and 2. someone else's wedding sari. Uggh! The only thing to note here: have MASSIVE amounts of sympathy for the bride because wedding saris are HEAVY as all get out. Damn heavy.

Strolled around the Chandni Chowk a little more, noting some strange places, watched Anujs mom haggle for jewelry (nothing interesting) then left with Anuj's brother to drop him off at home. We stopped for a sweet coffee on the way and enjoyed a cafe style ambiance in their family's neighborhood. When Beth and I mentioned the abundance of stray dogs around Delhi, he said something interesting: you can always tell the affluence of a neighborhood by how healthy the stray dogs appear. Indeed, the dogs in that area did seem quite well fed and well off. Strange barometer.

Back at the hotel, it was getting dark and we were getting quite hungry. We hit the gift shop to pick up a couple of shawls to ward off the chill, and I saw some saris. After examining them, I realized how beautiful a sari could be. These were ten times heavier than those we saw that afternoon, but that many times more beautiful and well crafted. Stunning pieces. Also running $1000+ USD. yikes.

We capped the evening off at the Chinese restaurant in our hotel, Tea House of the August Moon. It's a ridiculously, fabulously designed restaurant where I wished we could have eaten at again. Walking in, you encounter an actual koi pond with foot bridges crossing over it. At the apex of each bridge is a pagoda where you sit and dine over the pond. Exquisite. Further on, is an actual bamboo garden. This place is just wild. We were so incredibly starved, having eaten nothing since breakfast really (Beth declined eating at Haldiram's and I only had a bite of the yummy potato dish) that we got a little giddy about the layout of the place. It was about 9pm and the place was filling up but we were seated quickly in a pagoda on a bridge, next to a window view of the beautiful and dimly lit pool area.

When we ordered, a petite waitress said, ' are you sure, these are very big portions?' Having been slighted on portion size at Masala the night before nad having American appetites, we told her we were sure. We each ordered an appetizer and an entree so how bad could it be? Sadly, really bad. It was the complete opposite of Masala! The appetizers were multiple-plated tapas style dishes which we didnt expect. After eating only the apps, we were full. So we kicked back for about 15 minuted and relaxed before our entrees came out. They were actually so big an extra fold out table had to be brought since there was not enough room on our table. Damn!! We ate slowly for about 2 hours at least before I wanted to die. We really wanted to give it our best effort bc the waitress had given us a disapproving look since for clearly wasting food. But I didnt know the servings would come on platters the size of my torso! It was a blissfull misery though because the food was perfect. Absolute chinese perfection. I never thought the best Chinese food i would ever eat would be in India...

Tomorrow, Palace on Wheels!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161614520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161614520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161614520/tpod.html Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:34:07 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Delhi, India

My friend Beth arrived the night before and I was really glad to have a travel companion. I was also happy because she had the forethought to book an extensive spa treatment for both of us first thing in the morning. Have spa, will travel! So we got up bright and early and headed to the hotel spa for our treatments. It was all lovely and pretty much what I'd expect from any spa back home. I did get some sort of warm oil poured onto my "third eye" type treatment that was supposed to be calming...it was odd, but not bad. When it was over, I felt the need to scrub myself with Dawn Grease Fighting Dish Soap.

By the time we were finished, got back upstairs (washed the third-eye-oil off), and had breaky, it was about noon time. Always thinking ahead, Beth managed to make arrangements for the next day so we could hang out with Anuj's (the groom) family and do some shopping with his mom which was thoughtful of her. We were both looking forward to shopping with someone from the area! In the meantime, I made arrangements for a car and driver so we could do a little shopping of our own today. Off to Connaught Place.

Our driver, Santosh from the previous day, looked at us skeptically when we asked to go to Connaught. Apparently he had formed some opinions of us (based on what, Im not sure!) and thought Connaught was not the place for us. After some insisting, which annoyed me, he finally took us.

Connaught is a strange set up. I hadnt done much reading about it beforehand so I didnt know what to expect. It's actually two concentric circles, the inner having the newer shops, the outer one having older shops. At least that's how it seemed to me as we wandered around. There are a couple of "open lots" where all the drivers had parked their cars. Unfortunately, a lot of the cars look exactly the same so Santosh gave us his cell phone number so we could call him when we were ready to leave. I HIGHLY recommend doing this if you hire a driver in India. It can be a real life saver given the high volume of traffic and cars.

Our mission: jewelry. I mean we were hunting big game here. After meandering in a few jewelry stores, we were wildly disappointed. Most of the stores seem to be a combination of silver jewelry and knicknacks and the shopkeepers were less than friendly. Moreover, Connaught was a bit of a culture shock for both of us but I think moreso for Beth since this was her first time seeing India and people were staring at her (Beth is blond blond blond). We were about to call it quits when we spied one more store and decided to make a last ditch effort. Somehow last ditch efforts always turn out well in India. I think you have to be completely beat, run down, and discouraged before you get what you want. The store was called Ivory Mart Jewelers.

Ivory Mart Jewelers is the ONLY jewelry place worth visiting in Connaught. Luckily, we headed to the back of the store where I happened to turn around and spy this "other room." All the best shinies were in this back room so that's where we needed to be! There was a long 8 foot table where a bunch of men sat around repairing all sorts of gold jewelry. And I mean ALL SORTS. I just couldnt believe my eyes, there was so much gold. Gold shinies were spread all over the table. Did I mention the gold?? It made me a little weak in the knees, let's be honest. Two minutes later, the table was swept clean and Beth and I were seated at it sipping tea and talking to the son of the store owner- Ashutosh Gupta. Mr. Gupta is the best of the best when it came to salesmanship. He was very friendly, did not push his wares on us, and was glad to show us whatever we asked for regardless of the price tag (fyi- there is ALWAYS room for negotiation). After about two hours of sorting through rubies, diamonds, and sapphires (oh my!), Beth and I had found a couple of peices we both coveted...but decided not to buy them right away. It was our second day in India and we didnt want to make rash and expensive decisions which is verrry tempting when someone is opening velvet box after velvet box of precious gems for you. Unbelievably professional, Mr. Gupta completely understood, was not annoyed that we may have wasted his time, and gave us his business card in case we came back. It was a fantastic way to end our day in Connaught.

From talking with Mr. Gupta and later experiences in less worthy jewelry shops, I realized that the best stuff is kept in the back of a shops. So be dismissive and act less than impressed with the goods on display; it's part of the game that gets the staff to bring out the good stuff! Offering an unreasonably low price might get you nothing but disdain from the store owners, but starting the bargaining at the low end of a reasonable range gets te bargaining off to a good start. Since Mr. Gupta was willing to build a customer relationship instead of giving us the hard sell, he cared about about hooking repeat customers which meant he was less likely to rip me off. If you're trying to buy anything of value (beyond the usual silver pieces) then I would say these are qualities to look for in a shop. Granted, I could have gotten rock bottom bargains had I gone elsewhere, but I knew I could trust the quality of what Mr. Gupta was selling me and his prices were still far better than U.S. prices for comparable pieces. To me, trust and quality was a good trade-off for a fair bargain. Finally, be prepared to spend a few HOURS in such a shop. I ended up buying something from Mr. Gupta at the end of my trip, but I'll write about that later...

Shopping onwards. After telling Beth about my experience at Saga the day before, she agreed to go again with me and be the sacrificial lamb. It wasnt too bad this time, actually. We avoided the carpet nazis downstairs and went upstairs to the clothing area. A lovely woman helped us as we looked around and Beth ended up finding a BEAUTIFUL sari to wear to the wedding. I mean gorgeous. I didnt see anything for the wedding that caught my eye, but I did pick up a few items of clothing so I didnt look like a complete westerner. All in all it was a pretty successful day!

Back at the hotel, we were hot, dusty, hungry and all around worn out. So we showered up and headed downstairs for dinner. The Taj Palace has the most amazing dinner places. We decided on the Indian restaurant, of course, Masala Art. The food was phenomenal and I discovered a dish that I cant live without- green lentils. Im sure its commonplace fare, but I had only eaten black lentils before this so it was a great little discovery for me. However they prepared them, they were good enough to make this American midwestern meat eating gal consider vegetarianism. On a more amusing note, Beth ordered a "cosmopolitan." It was actually pretty good but instead of cranberry juice, they used a punch I think. Wasnt bad though! The maitre d' came by and bought us a drink that was called something like "One and Done." It was basically a blue version of a Long Island Iced Tea. And it was completely gross. Our maitre d' was so enthusiastic about it we didnt want to hurt his feelings so we smiled and managed to sip some down. There was a large (15 ppl or so) Indian family next to us who were celebrating the father's birthday. At the end of our meal, we joined them in singing Happy Birthday. We thought it was a sign of a good restaurant that so many locals were eating and having their celebrations there. Being a hotel, we assumed it would mostly be foreigners around us. I was glad that it wasn't so and would highly recommend Masala to anyone visiting.

Tomorrow: Hanging out at Haldiram's, sporting uncomfortable wedding wear, and The Chinese Chow Down of 2006
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161570120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161570120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161570120/tpod.html Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:42:04 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Delhi, India

After about 7 hours of walking around various tourist sites in Delhi, I was done in. This is when the art of commerce in India pounced... when I was naive and weak. After some back and forth about going to the hotel vs going shopping, Santosh's demeanor got a little frantic. It dawned on me that he had something at stake if I didnt go to this shopping arcade and as I had really nothing to lose other than becoming more tired, I decided to forego further argument and gave in. I pussed out.

Off to Saga Department stores where he assured me I find many great things. It was located on a bizarre residential side street. Run by the goverment and located all over India as a chain store as I found out later. Not that it's a bad thing, gov't shops guarantee a certain amount of quality control but the prices are not as cheap as you would hope for and the most discount you can hope to haggle for is 10-15%.

Nonetheless, I did find quite a few attractive pieces of jewelry both silver and fine and the people working in those particular departments were not very pushy. Just mildly pushy which I could deal with. As I prepared to go upstairs to the clothing area, I was redirected downstairs to carpets. I didnt want a carpet. Im not a carpet kind of person. And as I had only three changes of clothes with me, I really did have my heart set on picking up some clothes. That didnt matter, I had to go downstairs. I had to because I was physically led there. No argument. Shit.

Since I was a bit new to India and this whole process, I passively went along (pussing out 2). Also, I was the only person in this whole place, I noticed, and that put me on edge a bit. Downstairs. Carpets. Okay.
Immediately, I was given sodas, juices, cookies and was coralled by men who were quickly unrolling carpets with great flourish and all, at the same time, were chattering on about the quality of that particular carpet etc etc.

I refused all food and drink and tried to get back up the stairs. Surprisingly, one can be quite gifted at unrolling carpets because my escape was impeded by unfurling carpets snapping out at me from all directions. Im not kidding. Ive never been intimidated by carpets until I was in this place. I literally had to put my hands on some guy's chest and push him hard out of my way to get up the stairs. Its sounds a bit dramatic now but it's completely true. I think a horror movie could be made from it: The CarpetMen Under the Stairs. The sequel- Dont Tread On Me 2.

Anyways, I gave Santosh what-for once I was back in the car and he seemed truly horrified so I felt bad and told him that I did purchase some rather nice jewelry and perhaps would go back with Beth (whom I could sacrifice to the Carpet Crazies) to look upstairs at clothing (pussing out 3). Of course, we'd have to bring a cattle prod and some mace with us.

I was so glad to get back to the hotel and in my room where it was quiet and I could be alone again. Being alone in India, I realized, is a luxury.

Next Day: Hanging with Beth, Saga the saga continues, visiting Connaught Place
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161559140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161559140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161559140/tpod.html Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:06:01 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Delhi, India

Woke up surprisingly early. 7am to be exact. Not a bit of jetlag but knew if I put my head back on the pillow that I would sleep until 7pm. Since I didnt want to waste what precious little time I had, I turned into my mother and made a list of things to get done. Dont ask.

Room Service. Check.
Arrange a car to pick Beth up at the airpor that evening. Check.
Arrange for a car (preferabl Santosh) to take me around sightseeing. Check.
Exchange money. Check.
Call mom in the States and verify safe arrival. Check.
Take impossibly long, hot shower. Check.

Bottle of water (evian was freely supplied to the room) in hand, I went out to see as much of Delhi as possible. First stop, President's Palace. I notice that the tour book called it a Residence, but Santosh (the previous night's driver) referred to it as a Palace. I agreed with Santosh. It was a bit big. It was closed that day, presumably the goverment was in bed recuperating from the previous night's festivities. Still I was able to wander around a bit and peek through the gates. I met a British family there who was lovely and let me walk around with them so I was less of a target for the moped-taxis looking for a fare ('missy, you want get in this ride' sounded a bit pervy to me especially after the guy circled around me 5 times).

Santosh came back finally and picked me up (you couldnt park anywhere around the Palace so he had to drive around). After recounting my adventure to him, he was very adamant that he accompany me at India Gate. In hindsight, I was grateful. Although, walking around with a man in a hotel uniform got me quite a bit of attention, it was much more interesting since he pointed out several things that I would have missed on my own. India Gate was interesting historically but not architecturally. After a while, you see one arch, youve seen them all. Sorry to say it. It was loaded with vendors and children, all of whom aproach you at the same time it seems.

The rest of the day, I accomplished seeing the Qtab Minar, Red Fort and my absolute favorite, Humayuns Tomb Complex. I went in on my own and wandered around for about 3 hours. It was lovely to leisurely stroll through and take everything in at my own pace. I know that the Taj Mahal is much more impressive, but I liked Humayuns Tomb Complex better in some ways. It was more manageably impressive if that makes sense, and the entire complex lent itself to a feeling of solitide which was rare in a country like India. At any rate, I was still able to accomplish being a jackass American before I left. First off, it was not my fault. Second, if there are going to be areas where I cannot enter they should be so noted or roped off or something. Anyhoo, I found a scary dark stairwell and went up, as one should when finding such a stairwell, I got to the top of one of the tombs and wandered around for a bit before being spotted. I was given a verbal lashing from below but since it was in a language other than the one I spoke, I figured it didnt count. Seemed logical. Well, eventually I had to come down as the man screaming at me from below started to get noticed and therefore I was becoming a spectacle. Being alone, foreign, and female, I figured it was best to exit stage right. And quickly.

Back at the car, Santosh opened up a cooler of ice and beautfully condensated water bottles and I instantly became passive and suddenly quite tired. It had been a long day. When I asked to go back to the hotel, he argued and insisted on taking me shopping. This was to be my first taste of India "salesmanship."

Up next, Shopping at Saga Department Store and escaping the Rug Man. The Marathon Day continues...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161500700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161500700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161500700/tpod.html Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:18:22 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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New Delhi, India

It was around 1am when we landed in India and as our plane descended, I could see thousands of little light explosions all over the city below. It was the Diwali festival and I was lucky enough to see fireworks from above. It was such a happy sight.

Once we landed, however, I could smell the intense sulfur from the fireworks all over the city blended in with a general city funk. It was a bit jarring and certainly woke me up a bit. The airport was crowded but not as much as I expected due to Diwali, I suppose. I grabbed my luggage and as my companion and I walked through the throngs of men holding up signs with their parties' names I thankfully spotted my guy. This is my first taste of karma in India...

After a thoroughly miserable plane ride both from Lufthansa and from my companion, I am greeted by my hotel's "Guest Liaison" (what?!) who then introduces me to my driver who is miraculously wearing a spotless white uniform. GL guy hands me a silver tray with a cold wet white cloth for cleaning my hands and a gorgeously condensated bottle of water. I could have kissed the man. The driver, in the meantime, had whisked all my luggage away into the car and was pulling the car up to the door for me. It was a bit overwhelming but I kinda like it! Being a bit travel weary, it was nice to not be "on" and have to worry about all the logistics. I looked over to my travel companion (who had spent much of the trip bragging to me about her accommodations and other thoroughly miserable topics) and noticed she was a bit green. Karma. Gets ya every time. I was liking India already.

Truthfully, I was a bit worried, so I told her to call me when she got to her hotel so I knew she was safe (her driver looked a little shady). In the meantime, my driver, Santosh, was a great guy who spoke little English but was so animated that I seemed to understand most of what he said. We drove through a military post with very army-like imposing gates and when I asked where the hell we were, he said, 'in teh diplomatic enclave.' This was not like Embassy Row in DC! I was very safe, he reassured me; however, I doubt these guys were here to protect me if the shit hit the fan.

The hotel was spectacular. I stayed at the Taj Palace and it was worth every penny. Upon walking into this place, you are greeted by several people who are enquiring after your well-being, your state of hunger and thirst, and your general comfort. I felt like a rockstar, actually. I was escorted to my room straight away forgoing check-in where another butler waited outside my door with another silver tray holding an array of "refreshing" juices. Yes, please. Once in the room, I was offered snacks, room service, more drinks, water, etc etc. For a moment, I was afraid that I would never be alone, but eventually I was and it was a sweet, long silence. Then I spoke with my plane companion who arrived at her hotel safely. As I listened to her bemoan the atrocities of her hotel and how she berated the manager upon arrival, etc etc., I prepared a nice relaxing bath.

The gods were smiling down on me because the bathroom was stocked with Molton Brown, there was a box of truffles on the vanity and the only thing on my " to do" list was sleep. India, how I love you. I could hardly wait for the next day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161620940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161620940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1161620940/tpod.html Sun, 17 Dec 2006 19:13:44 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Frankfurt, Germany

One of the most exciting finds in the spartan Terminal One of Frankfurt's Airport was a place we called the Meat Haus. Since my airplane companion and I were a starved and in need of some fresh air/water/anything we crazily ran up and down Terminal 1 of Frankfurt's airport in search of sustenance and drink. Trust me, there's not much in Terminal 1, and having never been to this airport before, assumed other terminals were equally lacking so we limited our exploration energies to that terminal.

Things to note about this terminal:
1. The first class lounge is frightening. However, the bathroom in the first class lounge has a supply closet which we readily helped ourselves to. Especially the kleenex since we were still in the throes of wheezing and sneezing from the airplane air.

2. The "smoking areas" are in the middle of the pedestrian walk. They are marked with a fountain sized ashtray and a high top table. You'll notice them because you have to walk through them to get anywhere. "Smoking area" implies that there are non-smoking areas. This was more like an "ashtray area."

3. There's a seedy bar filled with smoke and very smoky men. If you manage to get past all that, you'll be surprised to find a buffet of chafing dishes filled with foods covered in varying shades of brown gravy. We did not stay here.

4. There is an illy coffee shop where a paper cup (not bottle, CUP) costs $6USD.

Which leads me to the Meat Haus. Actually named the Caviar House but the dried salamis hanging from the ceiling made it more appropriate to call it Meat Haus. Anyways, they had huge bottles of Evian for 3Euro, pre-made sandwiches, baskets of fresh fruit and other things that saved us from eating gravy covered mystery meat. Most importantly, I got my first orange Fanta fix since I was in Greece. I swear they put crack cocaine in that soda because I freak out whenever I see it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, its sold in the US too, but it doesnt taste the same...

Anyways, Terminal 1: Meat Haus.

Back on to the sneezy plane and next stop- New Delhi where I finally split off from my plane companion.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1163693340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1163693340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/a13xa9dr1a/india-2006/1163693340/tpod.html Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:44:02 -0500 A maharani-like tour through Rajasthan, ending, like every Bollywood movie, with a wedding.

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Boston, Massachusetts, United States

I need to put in a little rant about Lufthansa before getting into the more interesting bits of my trip.

From the business class lounges to the actual airplane, Lufthansa was an unexpected let down. The worst experiences were the plane rides, both there and back. Once we were in the air, I and every passenger around me (I was lucky enough to be in business class) started sniffling and sneezing. The attendants were going back and forth bringing us tissues but did not seem effected themselves? Which made me think that they were mutants working for the evil Umbrella Corp and we were breathing in some experimental virus.

Eventually, we closed our air vents which brought us some relief. There was no apology nor explanation as to why the air was so obviously bad. Since it happened again on the return flight, it seems that the problem wasn't airplane specific. I can't even imagine what we were breathing in that gave us all (except the mutated) such an allergic reaction, but I definitely won't fly this airline again.

At least there weren't any m***ing snakes on the m***ing plane...

Next stop Frankfurt.
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