In Delhi

Amsterdam was a nice end to my European trip. With Cheri's arrival, I was able to break my habit of avoiding museums that cost any money. When I had two days on my own, I took a free walking tour and got a good sense of the city. When Cheri arrived, we walked all around Amsterdam, visiting the Anne Frank house, the Van Gogh Museum, the Heineken Experience and the Sex Museum. The Heineken Experience was the most expensive but included three free Heinekens. With the forgetfulness of the bartender and the generosity of fellow tour members, Cheri and I managed 5 ice cold Heinis and definitely got our moneys worth.

We wandered the red light district, trying to decide if we felt better for the women parading in front of their windows or those who were occupied behind a closed curtain. The free tour shared information that a window can cost as much as 150 euros for an 8 hour shift while women commonly charge a minimum of 50 euros for fifteen minutes. It seems like a very lucrative though unenjoyable line of work. The creepy, lurking men really emphasized the bad side of the gig.

Yesterday, Cheri and I flew separately to London. Though our round the world travels share locations and travel dates, we never fly on the same airplane. Cheri arrived in London at around 7pm and thanks to my previous visit, I was able to recommend a comfortable, central waiting point. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed and she had to wait for over three hours. A benefit to cultural readjustment is that nearly everything is new and exciting. Seeing crowds, eating basic foods and chatting with strangers can make the hours fly by. When I arrived, Cheri was perfectly comfortable and we went to visit Sally and Suzie in their new digs. SF family friends for many years, Sally and Suzie were great hostesses, giving a place to sleep and helping give Cheri a proper London tour while I flew to India.

I left at 11:50am. I arrived at 1:30am local time and after customs and baggage claim, realized that both ATM machines were down. I had only 8 pounds left, too little to take to the ForEx. After some negotiations, I managed to exchange 8 pounds and one euro for two samosas and 525 rupees. I paid a bit extra but was very happy to be able to get underway.

I got a pre-paid taxi and was on my way at 3:45am. Due to heavy fog, visibility was similar to that on Skyline Blvd. at night. I could see the hazards of other vehicles 50 or so feet ahead but could see nothing else. Shortly after 5am, the taxi driver was still unable to find my hostel. I had detailed, written directions and a phone number but we weren't able to manage. At this point, I used my failsafe method of visiting a ritzy hotel. I have had success with this approach in Vienna and in Budapest so thought I would test my luck. My pre-paid taxi tried to charge a hefty additional fee for driving me around for so long. We came to an agreement that 180 rupees (4 dollars) and 5 Ghana Cedis would cover the 700 rupees he hoped to get. I know that he was trying to overcharge me a bit but appreciated the comfort of the taxi. I insisted that he wouldn't be able to exchange the Ghanaian money but he insisted that it was a fair exchange.

I was helped into the nice hotel by doormen and was greeted by the concierge. Unfortunately, internet access would cost 400 rupees per hour (almost nine dollars). The friendly concierge knew that I was close to my hostel and apparently could tell that I wasn't a nine dollars per-hour kind of spender so he helped me get proper directions, called a taxi and gave the taxi driver the hostel phone number.

I arrived at the Blue Sapphire Hostel at 6am and slept until 2pm. Cheri arrived at 3 and we have been sorting out various odds and ends, trying to think of the best way to deal with the next month in India. There is a very distinct smell (similar source but different ingredients from the Ghana smell) and noise that I already appreciate.

Off for some good food and more rest.

Love to all!!