Dehradun,
India
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
I got to the airport in Leh at about 6:20 am to catch my 8:20 flight. The airport security is really strict for departures from Leh. I had heard or read somewhere that you have to take your batteries our of laptops and cameras if you want to carry them on, but they didn't hassle me with this. Although they didn't seem to care about liquids being carried on, they wouldn't let me carry mine on because I had a flashlight in it. Anyways, I tried Jet Airways this time and it is a little nicer than Air Deccan. There are TV screens on the back of each seat, the seats actually recline (except mine b/c I was in the aisle in front of the emergency exit), and there is a first class (not that it matters for me). I'm quite proud that I figured out a cheaper way to get around Delhi than rickshaw. My only tasks in Delhi were to get some mini DV tapes for my video camera, eat lunch, and get the bus to Dehradun. Cannaught place was on the way, so I found a bus that drove from the airport to Cannaught place for 50 rs. It was really easy to find the tapes I needed at a small gadget store, although they seemed expensive (about $3/ tape). I had some samosas for 12rs in an alley and then found the metro to take me north to the bus station (9 rs). Thanks to Carrie, I knew right where I needed to go to catch the Dehradun bus. The first bus I asked was the one for Dehradun, and I only had to sit for minutes before departure. It took almost 9 hours to get to Dehradun, and about halfway there, we stopped and I bought some good aloo chat (minus the beatle) and freshly squeezed orange juice (don't let them pour another cup if you don't want to pay for it). I really thought I was going to get sick after this meal, but so far so good.
I got to the guesthouse at 9:30 or 10:00 and took a much needed shower. A layer of dirt and skin came off my face (the sunburn made my skin peel off). I washed all my filthy clothes by hand and hit the hay on a nice soft bed.
