Happy (Jet-lagged) New Year!

Back after a short trip "home". The traveling was ridiculously long this time; something that could not be helped since the entire trip was done on a super tight budget and when budget is tight in air travel it translates to longer time in the air and at airport lounges. But, despite the long transits, the lack of sleep and not to mention the multiple time zones crossed, I am grateful to my kind, generous professor for sponsoring the trip. I made this trip with some specific plans in mind, but considering the limited time I had, the unexpectedness of events that is typical of my lovely, sprawling country, or the casualness with which pre-set appointments are treated (a nicer way of saying how they are forgotten) and as if I asked for more, my mother's minor accident that left her rather helpless and needing help with pretty much everything, not all of what I had in mind was accomplished. Nevertheless it was exciting. Someone new to the country had joined me this time and although he was there only for a couple of days, it was great fun showing him around Delhi and Kerala..well, a bit of both. Perhaps a separate post on that later.

But I would say the cherry on the icing for me was getting to see the Himalayan peaks at 36,000 ft, sticking above the clouds!! Majestic, grand all these adjectives fall short, really. We were flying from Tokyo to New Delhi, scheduled to reach Delhi at 6:30 pm and our flight route was over China, Tibet, Nepal and finally New Delhi. This sighting was possible as it was a day flight and when the pilot announced I requested the old Korean lady sitting next to me to open the window. She did not quite understand what the fuss was about, but the two people in her travel group sitting in the front row got all excited and although they did not speak English and me Korean we still managed to communicate our excitement. The guy in front looked at me and said excitedly "The Himalayas!" and I responded excitedly- 'Yes! The Himalayas'!. That was all that was needed to be said and we all sat silently observing the never ending sight in awe until it became a bit monotonous!

The other slightly exciting and unexpected event was the overnight stay in Tokyo. The plan was to spend time at the airport to save on hotel but reaching Tokyo we were told by the airport staff that overnight passengers are not allowed to stay in the airport. With no hotel reservations, no transit visa and no local contact info for Tokyo it was rather unnerving. Luckily the airline ground staff were the understanding and the helpful kind and they made the hotel arrangements and after going through immigration the night was spent on Tokyo soil. I can now claim that I have a transit Japanese visa on my passport, stayed in Tokyo for a night and saw a bit of Tokyo (this is the 15 min bus ride from the aiport to the hotel). Domo Arigato JAL!

Short trip yet I can go on for ever. Lots to share but work awaits so latersss!