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.