Ok, so here we go:
The Flight 1. Newcastle to Dubai.
My first flight with Air Emirates went very smoothly. The crew were helpful, attentive and the food was suprisingly edible....apart from the main course ('chicken') which i ate around. Sat next to me was a retired dinner lady who had been told the previous day by her doctor NOT to fly due to her kidney problem (dialysis 3 times a week cant be much fun), who'd had a funny turn the night before, and hated flying - so good company. She also wasn't supposed to eat sweets but clearly liked them a lot... and by the end of the flight half a packet of mints had been poured into my hands!
Dubai
Landing at Dubai was fantastic. 28 degrees at midnight and the camera in the nose of the plane showed a sea of lights for miles. A very impressive airport, i've never seen so many private jets parked outside of anywhere. I'd arranged to meet Diane in McDonalds and having asked the lady at the information desk for directions i walked to the end of the terminal and waited. And waited.
Meanwhile Diane at the opposite end of the terminal on the floor below waited at the other branch of McDonalds. Anyhow an hour before take off we met up and compared notes so far.
Day 2 Sunday 27th Feb - and Flight 2 - Dubai to Delhi 4am
This time the company for my flight was on one side a tiny Hindu grandmother (think Kumars) constanly clutching her handbag for dear life and a muslim Indian to the right with a seriously large beard and a copy of the koran on his iphone, which he chanted from for the first 30 mins or so of the flight. It was a short flight im pleased to say but i still hadnt had any sleep since 6am on Saturday and my insides were starting to not know where they were..so i passed on curry for breakfast.
Finally we arrived in Delhi.
You know you're in Delhi airport when every other person is a soldier carrying a machine gun and the majority of men over 50 have dyed their hair rust red....no, dont ask my why...they just do.
Thanks to the wonderful organisation that is Indian immigration we arrive at the Kingfisher Air desk for the flight to Dharamshala with only 30 mins to spare....so it wasn't looking good! However, we manage to flag down an official, explain our predicament and they very nicely let us jump the mile long queue, and with
only minutes to spare and the final, FINAL! call being shouted energetically down the tannoy we board the bus to the plane. Its has propellors.
Flight 3. Delhi to Dharamshala.
The flight to Dharamshala a 'kingfisher experience' apparently, goes well with a nice view of the Himalayan foothills which are still pretty much snow covered and we arrive on time, about 1pm at Kangra 'airport'. Not that its small....but I've been in bigger car parks.
Taxi ride to town.
We were met by Dawa; a Tibetan friend of Diane who owns a shop in Mcleod Ganj, who after exchanging tradional white scarves (khattas) took us to a taxi for the half hour ride uphill to Mcleod Ganj. Never seen so many monkeys so close to town and i'd forgotten how exciting taxi rides can be! Its at moments like this that im reminded of an official road sign i noticed on the last Indian trip: '"better to be Mr Late than the late Mr...REDUCE SPEED!"
Still, our driver skillfully navigated his way around all traffic (on both sides of the road), cows, people, and anything else in his path to deposit safely at Hotel Tibet.
McLeod Ganj
Its almost Losar, Tibetan new year (March the 5th this year) otherwise known as the year of the iron female rabbit, and McLeod Ganj has noticeably more Tibetan people in the streets than in 2009 and yes, the western hippy contigent in capes and things are still very much in evidence.
And its cold! Very cold. In the space of 1 hour we have snow, rain and sun and later on a power cut. Somewhat zonked out by our travels we head for something to eat: Tibetan Thaltuk a hearty, warming and very filling soup of seasonal vegetables and steamed momos (dumplings)
Bed by 7.45 and straight off to sleep!
The Flight 1. Newcastle to Dubai.
My first flight with Air Emirates went very smoothly. The crew were helpful, attentive and the food was suprisingly edible....apart from the main course ('chicken') which i ate around. Sat next to me was a retired dinner lady who had been told the previous day by her doctor NOT to fly due to her kidney problem (dialysis 3 times a week cant be much fun), who'd had a funny turn the night before, and hated flying - so good company. She also wasn't supposed to eat sweets but clearly liked them a lot... and by the end of the flight half a packet of mints had been poured into my hands!
Dubai
Landing at Dubai was fantastic. 28 degrees at midnight and the camera in the nose of the plane showed a sea of lights for miles. A very impressive airport, i've never seen so many private jets parked outside of anywhere. I'd arranged to meet Diane in McDonalds and having asked the lady at the information desk for directions i walked to the end of the terminal and waited. And waited.
Meanwhile Diane at the opposite end of the terminal on the floor below waited at the other branch of McDonalds. Anyhow an hour before take off we met up and compared notes so far.
Day 2 Sunday 27th Feb - and Flight 2 - Dubai to Delhi 4am
This time the company for my flight was on one side a tiny Hindu grandmother (think Kumars) constanly clutching her handbag for dear life and a muslim Indian to the right with a seriously large beard and a copy of the koran on his iphone, which he chanted from for the first 30 mins or so of the flight. It was a short flight im pleased to say but i still hadnt had any sleep since 6am on Saturday and my insides were starting to not know where they were..so i passed on curry for breakfast.
Finally we arrived in Delhi.
You know you're in Delhi airport when every other person is a soldier carrying a machine gun and the majority of men over 50 have dyed their hair rust red....no, dont ask my why...they just do.
Thanks to the wonderful organisation that is Indian immigration we arrive at the Kingfisher Air desk for the flight to Dharamshala with only 30 mins to spare....so it wasn't looking good! However, we manage to flag down an official, explain our predicament and they very nicely let us jump the mile long queue, and with
only minutes to spare and the final, FINAL! call being shouted energetically down the tannoy we board the bus to the plane. Its has propellors.
Flight 3. Delhi to Dharamshala.
The flight to Dharamshala a 'kingfisher experience' apparently, goes well with a nice view of the Himalayan foothills which are still pretty much snow covered and we arrive on time, about 1pm at Kangra 'airport'. Not that its small....but I've been in bigger car parks.
Taxi ride to town.
We were met by Dawa; a Tibetan friend of Diane who owns a shop in Mcleod Ganj, who after exchanging tradional white scarves (khattas) took us to a taxi for the half hour ride uphill to Mcleod Ganj. Never seen so many monkeys so close to town and i'd forgotten how exciting taxi rides can be! Its at moments like this that im reminded of an official road sign i noticed on the last Indian trip: '"better to be Mr Late than the late Mr...REDUCE SPEED!"
Still, our driver skillfully navigated his way around all traffic (on both sides of the road), cows, people, and anything else in his path to deposit safely at Hotel Tibet.
The bathroom.
The view from the bedroom.
McLeod Ganj
Its almost Losar, Tibetan new year (March the 5th this year) otherwise known as the year of the iron female rabbit, and McLeod Ganj has noticeably more Tibetan people in the streets than in 2009 and yes, the western hippy contigent in capes and things are still very much in evidence.
Er.....This is the bus station
And its cold! Very cold. In the space of 1 hour we have snow, rain and sun and later on a power cut. Somewhat zonked out by our travels we head for something to eat: Tibetan Thaltuk a hearty, warming and very filling soup of seasonal vegetables and steamed momos (dumplings)
Bed by 7.45 and straight off to sleep!
