November22
Well I’m in my hotel in Amsterdam. It’s 9:15 AM and apparently NOTHING near Centraal Station is open unless you want a pastry. Well let’s just say I want something and it starts with a P as well but it’s not a pastry.
I also found an H&M about 1/2 kilo from my hotel, but it’s not open til 10 either. I need a hat and mittens. I saw my breath this morning for the first time since February.
British Airways lost my bag yesterday. They say it was in London. I get the feeling, since it took them 14 hours to deliver it, that it was actually still in Delhi. It didn’t really matter because I got into my hotel and laid down to take a “nap” at around 2pm. I woke up at 5am this morning…Apparently I needed some sleep. The breakfast at the Molly Malone’s pub next door was quite tasty, but seriously, who only serves grapefruit juice? Do they do it because they know no one will drink it?
My trip to India was incredible. I would suggest looking through my gallery to see what I was up to since I really don’t feel like typing it out. I went to a 4 day wedding and did a bunch of shopping. I met (and stayed with) Inderjit’s (aka Gandhi) family who were all wonderful and extremely hospitable. His brother had a dog named Coco who was like Neo’s shorthaired, female Indian counterpart. It was like having a dog away from dog.
The wedding was exhausting, I can’t imagine how the bride and groom must have felt if I was that tired as a guest. The wedding also must have been astronomically expensive. There was a full open bar, at least 1 meal (usually 2) with hors d’oeuvre, dessert, full waitstaff and a couple hundred guests at each function. I got mehndi done on my hands at the 2nd function. It’s said that if it gets very dark that your mother in law will love you. Another group of people told me the darker it gets the sooner you’ll get married. I asked how to wash it off. Mine came out quite dark.
I also made the mistake of drinking a fountain soda at McDonalds and got some loooovely Delhi Belly. Despite throwing up in a much dirtier one of these on the side of the road on the way to Agra a couple different times and a teary phone call home (sometimes you just need your Mommy), I managed to suck it up and walk around the Taj Mahal. I stayed in the car for most of the rest of the trip because well, after only managing to keep down 1 piece of toast in 20 hours, I wasn’t exactly feeling energetic.
The traffic in Delhi alone is amazing to see. I’ve never heard more people honk their effing horns more times. Apparently if you don’t honk approximately every 17 seconds you’re violating Indian law. Traffic lights, stop signs, dogs, lane lines, pedestrians and speed limits mean nothing. However, if you see a cow, even if you’re not Hindu, it must be avoided at all costs. And even in the center of town there are cows scratching themselves on the much ignored roadsigns. Camels and monkeys seem to have half a brain to not wander out into traffic although most grown men do not.
I got the best manicure and pedicure of my life in India. For 10 USD I got the best foot rub of my life. I seriously considered trying to bring the guy back to America with me.
Anywho, it’s now 10am and I believe at least one of my stores will be open
I’ll write a Thanksgiving blog later in the day.
Ciao!