Before heading off on my trip there were the usual last minute rushes. I had forgotten a swim-suit and my Keens in Princeton (the Keens I drove back for after remembering in Rogers) and had trouble coordinating waterproof pants with my sister. All my luggage was strewn over the living room and put into piles.
Mom and I stopped at REI so I could pick up some rainpants. The only pair they had in my size were $90 Marmots. Too bad. When we get home I would be interested in looking up a phenomenon that my mom and I experienced. Unbelieveably, we started shopping for headpands, Timbuktu bags, and Buffs when we should have been racing to the airport! We likened it to someone who might feel the need to clean out their drawers during finals week- something controllable.
In Amsterdam there are a lot of colorful saris, head dressings, and talkative people. Already, I have made two friends sitting next to me on my flight to Delhi. They are both Indian and speak so much about how they love their country. "There's nothing like it." The landscapes and "mountains," they say, just aren't the same in the U.S. We exchanged email addresses before navigating the world of customs, baggage, and taxis.
1. customs- not a problem. Stamped me through even though I filled out some immigration details kind of sloppily. I followed a mother/daughter team from Louisiana and tagged along with their cues.
2. baggage- I was afraid it wasn't there for a few scary minutes, and then found it as I searched in the overflow section. :/
3. cabs- I walked up a ramp of sings with hotel names and customer names. I went by 3 times before consenting to the fact that MR. MAN ONTTA meant me! I had called Nan from my new friend Vheba's phone. I found my driver in no time after that. Once I stepped outside the airport, it was very clear that I was in a different place.
-tiny cabs and cars for the most part, some resembling buggies or "deedledees" (JULIA!)
-dogs and cows roaming streets
-an all-consuming heat! It was 100 degrees around midnight. Coffee on the last flight was not a good plan- up at 1 am.
Left MSP 5:00 pm
Arrived AMS 8:40 am (1:00 am MSP time)
Left AMS 11:40 am (4:00 am MSP time)
Arrived DEL 12:00 am (around 12:00 noon!)
Sooooo, I'm up.
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