Mumbai
I flew Emirates from JFK to Mumbai. It was a wonderful experience; the planes were new, the inflight entertainment had 600+ options, and the cabin crew didn't look at you with contempt. Yes, that's 600+. I watched Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and Woody Allen's "Scoop" starring Scarlett Johansson after which I fell asleep to "Carmen." Trust me, I'd rather fly economy on an airline subsidised by your friendly neighbourhood oil-rich sultan than on "business class" on any American airline.
I got a printed menu with my choice of entrees, an eyepatch, toothbrush, and a pair of socks. And the cutlery was real silverware including a real metal knife. There was even a thoughfully provided "Wake me up for Duty Free" sticker.
I had a short lay-over at Dubai airport, where I did some last minute gift-buying and then headed for my Dubai - Mumbai flight.
As the plane touched down in Mumbai, I was very, very excited. Close to two years of anticipation built up as I peered out of the window as we taxied to the gate. The airport was cleaner, and I went thru immigration very quickly. Baggage claim was still a mess. The conveyor belt was much to small, and the airport staff were removing baggage on either side of the belt in an effort to unclog the conveyor belt.
I finally got my bags and proceeded thru customs where the customs officials decided that the line was very long, so they just waived everyone thru. I was very impressed that no one had asked for a bribe or promised to get me thru in return for a "baksheesh."
Outside the airport, India beckoned. Crowded, chaotic, noisy, and full of life at 4:00 am in the morning. Oh, how I missed this!
On the way back, I noticed that the driving seemed a lot more chaotic than before. We in Mumbai have always prized ourselfs on our driving dicipline (by Indian standards). Anyway, halfway home, I asked the driver to switch places with me and I drove home.
I slept for about 5/6 hours (combination of jet lag and excitement) and then I headed out.
I flew Emirates from JFK to Mumbai. It was a wonderful experience; the planes were new, the inflight entertainment had 600+ options, and the cabin crew didn't look at you with contempt. Yes, that's 600+. I watched Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" and Woody Allen's "Scoop" starring Scarlett Johansson after which I fell asleep to "Carmen." Trust me, I'd rather fly economy on an airline subsidised by your friendly neighbourhood oil-rich sultan than on "business class" on any American airline.
I got a printed menu with my choice of entrees, an eyepatch, toothbrush, and a pair of socks. And the cutlery was real silverware including a real metal knife. There was even a thoughfully provided "Wake me up for Duty Free" sticker.
I had a short lay-over at Dubai airport, where I did some last minute gift-buying and then headed for my Dubai - Mumbai flight.
As the plane touched down in Mumbai, I was very, very excited. Close to two years of anticipation built up as I peered out of the window as we taxied to the gate. The airport was cleaner, and I went thru immigration very quickly. Baggage claim was still a mess. The conveyor belt was much to small, and the airport staff were removing baggage on either side of the belt in an effort to unclog the conveyor belt.I finally got my bags and proceeded thru customs where the customs officials decided that the line was very long, so they just waived everyone thru. I was very impressed that no one had asked for a bribe or promised to get me thru in return for a "baksheesh."
Outside the airport, India beckoned. Crowded, chaotic, noisy, and full of life at 4:00 am in the morning. Oh, how I missed this!
On the way back, I noticed that the driving seemed a lot more chaotic than before. We in Mumbai have always prized ourselfs on our driving dicipline (by Indian standards). Anyway, halfway home, I asked the driver to switch places with me and I drove home.I slept for about 5/6 hours (combination of jet lag and excitement) and then I headed out.
posted by Continental Drift at
3:15 PM
5 Comments:
Welcome back. :)
I'm glad to hear your trip out was so good, and am enjoying your pictures, though I have to say it makes me feel a bit clausterphobic...Where is the pic of you??? ;)
Also, isnt Emirates the airline that just announced they'd start letting people use cell phones in flight? That would totally ruin the experience for me...
India is clausterphobic!! As a passage in "Karma Cola" explains " In India you're never alone, whereas in America you're always alone." Now this may not be true ALL the time, but there is a germ of truth in it.
I won't be posting a picture of myself on the blog; I value my anonymity. OK, maybe a picture with my face blacked out.
Emirates already allows you to surf the web and has power outlets on every seat. But the jabbering on the cell-phone would be aweful. I'm sure they'l limit the talking.
Though to be fair, I've phptographed the most crowded parts of Mumbai.
You asked the driver to switch places with you? Now was this a friend driver or a hired professional taxi driver?
OFC,
That would be my mom's driver, so yes , a hired professional driver. I love driving , and I was eager to see if I could still drive in India.
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