Tuesday 5th Feb - Day 2

So I'm in India, but where do I go now ?

Whether its to do with the airport being rebuilt or its the general state of affairs, I'm not sure, but the sign posting at Delhi Airport doesn't seem very clear to me. I manage to find the carousel where my suitcase is supposed to arrive. I have a mild panic attack when I can't find my suitcase.

But it was the most bashed up, unattractive suitcase there. Who would want my suitcase ? Somebody had taken it off the carousel. My rucksack is in the suitcase and I was using the suitcase to carry extra stuff like gifts for family. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found it.

Then it was off to customs and to find out where I would be catching a domestic flight to Amritsar. I manged to pass through customs without being stopped. I hear that they can be a little uncompromising.

I waited in the domestic departure lounge for the bus to take us to the local airport. It seemed to take ages. Finally, the bus arrived. I rolled my very cumbersome suitcase to the coach and once it was in the hold found a seat on the bus.

It took about half an hour to get to the airport and I got off when the guy on the coach mentioned Kingfisher airlines. I had gotten off one stop to early. I asked at the Kingfisher desk window where I should be going and a slightly curt lady told me, I should be at terminal 1B.

How do I get there ? She pointed. Do I walk ?
Yes.
Brilliant. Well, thanks for your time. Just like being back home.

My suitcase was worse than an unwieldy shopping trolley. I started walking towards the general direction. Within a few minutes somebody in a car pulled up and offered to give me a lift. A minute later I was at terminal 1B.

100 Rupees, he insisted.

What ? We've only gone a few hundred yards ! Should have remembered what the guide book said, make sure you know the price first. This was no samaritan. Tired, and at 2a.m. in the morning he had caught me off guard.

My flight was for 5:50am. It didn't happen. Fog meant the flight was cancelled. My aunt was waiting for me in Amritsar having set off at 4:00 am to pick me up. Things were not going to plan.

Finally, at 8:00am we are told that there is no chance of catching a flight to Amritsar and we have to find our own means of transport. Getting my case back seems to take forever - where is the oganisation ?

Luckilly, I made friends with a couple of guys in the same boat. And they are originally from India so are more in touch with how things work in India - or not - as in this case. Thanks to them, we negotiate with a taxi driver to take us to Punjab.

During our 5 hour taxi drive I wonder if we are being driven my an escaped lunatic. He weaves in and out of traffic, constantly sounds the horn and drives on patches of ground which aren't part of the road to overtake. And at a fast a speed as possible. On more than one occasion, he crossed over to drive in the lanes of traffic going in the opposite direction because they had less traffic ! We almost had a head-on crash !

After about 3 hours, we stopped at a Dhaba (like a roadside cafe) called 'Lovely.' I wasn't too impressed at the state of the rag used to clean the tables but the food we ordered was hot so I assumed it was okay to eat. I drank coke. To drink water would have been guaranteed 'Delhi belly.'

Finally, I was dropped off at a bus station in a town near to the town of Banga where I am to stay with my Uncle and Aunt. I said, good bye to my new friends and I got in the waiting car with my aunt.

This is where a slow moving elephant was holding up traffic. Not something I'm use to on a high street. I find my Aunt has been taught by the same diving instructor as the taxi driver. I am relieved to get to Banga in one piece.

In the evening I'm given a nice warm Indian meal and a bed to sleep in. I sleep soundly.