I made it!

Here are my typings while travelling:

Friday, April 25
Super Shuttle pickup right on time arrived at the airport before 2pm stepped up to first class/premium check-in "The 4:40 flight has an 85 min wheels up." What does that mean? Basically it is going to be late. There is some sort of delay in Chicago. Switched to 3:15 flight from MSP to DFW.
20 people on standby-list. No idea how I got a seat. A middle seat but a seat.
Pull away from gate right on time 3:15. Amazing.
Pilot tells us we are parking in a remote holding zone. Wheels-up in 20 mins. according to Chicago.
DELAYED
3:40 pilot says we've gotten the go ahead.
3:41 pilot says while had his headset off telling us we had the clear, the tower came back and said to keep the engines off.
DELAYED
Take off 4:15pm
Flying from MSP to DFW is generally just a straight shot and 57 mins. We were diverted to Traverse City, MI.
That is across Lake Michigan from Chicago. So we had to fly over the lake going east and then back over going west to come into Chicago from the east.
We landed at 5:45.
Once on the ground we had to wait for a gate to be available. While waiting lightening was striking within 5 miles of the airport so all ground crew had to go in.
We weren't able to get to the gate to get off the plane until 6:20pm
Delhi flight delayed from 7:10pm to 7:45pm
Left the gate at 8:15 to park out on the tarmac. Finally took off at 9:30pm. The pilot warned the flight attendants that we would be taking off at full throttle and something about pitch of inclination. It didn't sound good but the take, in a driving rain storm, went fine.

It was a rather rocky ride and the flight attendants had to suspend the meal service while we flew through a big storm at 31,000 feet. Lightening on both sides of the plane. Very creepy. I was seated in the middle section over the wings so really couldn't see much.

I watched The Kite Runner movie (really, really good) while eating the dinner meal (okay). I did some work on my laptop. I read my Al Franken book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. I then tried to sleep. Basically I slept in one hour pieces. I'd sleep for about an hour then wake up. Scooshh around and sleep some more. The flight was not full and I lucked out that the gentleman sitting next to me moved over and I had two empty seats on one side. I still had to sleep sitting up though because lying across the seats was just too uncomfortable to sleep though I did to get
legs up. The gentleman did take advantage of the empty seats and fell asleep across them.

Amazingly we arrived only 30 mins past our scheduled time -- 9:35pm local/11:05am CDT. Either they pad the schedule enormously or over the 7,000+ miles we made up a lot of time.
To be honest the flight wasn't too bad considering I had been on a plane of some sort for 20 hours.

Arrival in Delhi. It is hot and humid here at 9:30 at night. I had been warned that the passport check line would be
slow. It was but tolerable. My one checked bag was coming around the luggage carousel my the time I got through customs.
There aren't really any signs of where to go or what to do. I headed toward what looked like customs check and was
correct. No line really just a cluster of people going through.

Now came the tricky part. I knew I would have to transfer from the international terminal to the domestic terminal. I had read that they are about 8 kilometers apart and that a transfer bus was available. There are no signs. No signs about domestic terminal, no signs about transfer bus and not really any signs about taxis.

I wander out I'm sure looking dazed and confused. A young man approaches asking if I need help. I know I'm in trouble now. He offers to direct me to where the taxis are to take me to the domestic terminal. It is now about 11pm and my flight to Hyderabad isn't until 5:50am. I'm not sure I even want to go to domestic terminal and wait for 7 hours.

I ask him about the transfer bus but he says it doesn't run this late at night. I tell him I want to exchange money. He takes me to exchange window. I'm trying to lose him by telling him I am waiting for another person - a flat out lie.

I can't shake him. I exchange $60 US for about 2200 Ruppees. I ask him how much taxi is to domestic terminal. He shows me this official looking paper that says it is 1050 Rupees. I'm like - no way it is that much and tell him thanks but no thanks. Then the price goes down to 700. I'm still saying no. Then it is 500. And that includes 12 kilometers to get there and 12 to get back. I tell him I'm not coming back but he insists that it is 24 kilometers.

I tell him I'm going to the pre-paid taxi stand and head back into the airport. I find the pre-paid taxi stand. Off to the side is a window with a government sign. The gentleman at the window gestures me over and asks if I need a taxi. I say yes to domestic terminal. I tell him my flight isn't until 5:20am. He says I should go to hotel next to terminal. I am tired, sweaty, confused and easily persuaded. The confusion part comes when he tells me the price of the hotel room and I pay for what ends up being the taxi ride. I only figured this out after I got to the hotel.

The taxi cost 250 Rupees - much less than the 1050 I started at with the outside guy. But I ripped myself off by giving the taxi drive a $20 tip! Even with that outrageous tip he was pissed. I'm really feeling like I'm the one getting ripped off.

My first impressions of India are not good. I can't see anything of the place. It is dark, dusty and hazy. The hotel is directly across from the domestic terminal. I check in paying with a credit card. I'm sure I'm going to get busted trying to expense this but I really needed some place to be that wasn't an airport.

The hotel room is just that a room. The window looks out to the hallway. There is a super duper ceiling fan, an air conditioner that doesn't work, a television, a little refrig and a separate bathroom. The door appear to not have a lock and definitely doesn't have a latch. I'm not feeling too good about the accommodations as a pile my two little pieces of luggage up against the door.

A shower would be great as I am quite sweaty now. the bathroom is actually quite large with a big tub and shower. No hot water but that's okay. It feels good. With the door not locking and not really even shut I'm thinking falling a sleep could be dangerous. I lie down and manage to fall asleep...again doing the hour by hour thing.

There is an automated room freshner that goes off every half hour and showers me, thanks to the super duper celing fan, with a petuli, oily smell. My mind is racing all over the place but I actually do get some rest.

Wake-up call at 3:45am. I decide a shave would make me feel, and look, better. Put on clean underwear, undershirt and polo shirt. Pack up the light jacket. I don't think I'll being needing that while I'm here. The bellman comes to get me and my luggage and off I go to the airport. Quick little drive to domestic terminal. I get checked it and now I am on flight to Hyderabad.