Delhi

     January 15th I headed back to the Kathmandu airport. It was an another fun experience going out like it was coming in. I was starting to get flashbacks from trying to leave Lebanon, but that’s another blog. After paying $70 for my baggage overage, thank you Air India 🙄, I headed up to my gate in this time airport to wait…. For whatever reason this year India is much colder than it was last year. Thus coldness creates intense fog. While Delhi isn’t known to have the cleanest air, the city has 23 million people, it usually has no issues with flights. Of course this day it it did. A flight that was supposed to leave at 9:55 am finally rolled out at 11:30. 

I sat next to a lovely girl from Australia. She was by the window so she snapped this pic of the Himalayas for me. Simply stunning! She had just finished a stint as a midwife in Nepal as part of her clinical time to become an Ob/Gyn in Australia. I think I’m becoming that old woman that talks to strangers on planes now. Air India served us lunch so we were both thrilled. I still have no idea what I ate, but it was good. 

My arrival in Delhi was actually smooth. No crazy lines at immigration. No checking out my jewelry. 🙏🏻 Namaste! I met my driver, received my ‘welcome to India’ chain of marigolds and I was off for a week at The Suryaa.

 

This is what a 5 star hotel looks like in India. I didn’t stay here because I’m rich or need to be fancy. Ok I like being extra you got me. It’s because 5 star in India equals about $100 or maybe a little more per night. In America that’s like paying to stay at a Comfort Inn. Money goes so much farther here which is why I love it. I stayed here last year as well. However, unlike last year where I was crazy touring everywhere, this trip to Delhi was meant to be more chill. 

My main goal was to reconnect with my friend from India I met last year. Jain, his last name and his caste, and I connect soon after I checked in. We stayed in the same hotel to make visiting easier. The first night we had room service, gossiped, and tried to make plans on what to do. Despite being from India, most people from here don’t explore their own country. Only recently has this become the new trend. 

The next day we went out in the morning to grab a cup of chai masala tea, my favorite, from the market behind the hotel. As we did we bumped into our driver. After a chat we decided to go see The Red Fort. 

While I won’t eat Indian street food as a precaution, I will drink their tea. India is filled with tiny little stands and markets. While they do have Starbucks etc. these stands are where people catch up in the mornings or they pass on their walk to work or school. It’s cheaper, convenient, and honestly it tastes amazing. 

So remember I mentioned fog in Delhi? Well here was the view from my window that morning.

It was 45 degrees when we went for tea. Even I had my coat on. If I’m wearing coat then you know it’s cold. So back to The Red Fort, after driving through nightmare traffic we arrived only to discover the fort was closed because Macron, the president of France wanted to visit it 😒. Then it would remain closed till Republic Day which is January 26th. It’s the day India’s constitution came into effect. Sort of like our 4th of July. So now what to do?

Jain had a brilliant idea to visit a beautiful temple! The Swaminarayan Akshardham. The only problem is photographs are t allowed. So I stole some from Google. 

All completely hand-carved everything. The intricate details are breathtaking. It’s also filled with lots of floodlights in the floor which I constantly tripped over like a dork with my bare feet! No shoes allowed and of course I wasn’t wearing socks. So it was me, my bare feet, and ice cold marble as far as the eye could see 🥶. Afterwards we returned to the hotel. 

This was waiting in my room:

Although this was awesome, I didn’t understand the love birds thing. Apparently he took “guy friend” literally. I had to talk to him so he wouldn’t do this again 😂. India is very open yet still quite conservative. I didn’t want him ruining my reputation! (If you know me remember KIDS might be reading this before you comment all sassy 😂). 

So day 2 what do… again. Since I wanted a nose piercing and a tattoo I decided this was going to be my day. I was nervous. The last thing I had pierced was my belly button in 2001! Which I lost during surgery when I broke my arm. Thank you ER staff 😒. I’m not a big breakfast person, but I didn’t want to get pierced on an empty stomach. So we headed to McDonalds. In India many people are vegetarians, others eat chicken, or other meats besides beef. Cows are sacred here of course. For some reason I still don’t understand, they do not have soy burgers here. So everything that’s not another meat is made with potatoes or chickpeas. Here is their menu and yes they get cheese fries! So unfair. 

This thing on a bun was an egg sandwich with mayonnaise, I think, and onions. And it came with french fries not a hash brown. It was ok and I’m still alive. After breakfast we hopped in our tuk tuk, motorized rickshaw, and headed for The Ink Boy. 

Ankit... Delhi’s very own Ink Boy

The night before we Googled some places. I felt good about going here. It looks crazy, but it’s India. I promised my husband I’d inspect the shop since he was so convinced I’d come home with hepatitis 🙄. Where is the faith Jay? The shop was super clean, the owner Ankit was so amazing! He made me feel so comfortable that I opted to go for the needle through my nose instead of the baby way with the gun. This also meant I could get an actual ring instead of a stud yay! 

As I write I hoping the video I just uploaded will plant itself in here 😬. After my nose ring was placed I bled. Like I bled for an hour! Ankit took very good care of me and since I already felt comfortable with him and his shop I decided to get my tattoo as well. I didn’t know what I wanted. I just knew I didn’t want it too big or obnoxious, it had to be personal to me and not overly obvious. Ankit suggested the word “nomad” since I love to travel. Written in Hindi it was perfect! I had him place it on the back of my left wrist and I love it! 

After a full day of being poked with needles and excitement we headed back to the hotel. This time no weird love birds on my bed 😂. Along the way I realized that I had way too many days planned to spend in Delhi. We were getting bored. So on day 3 there was nothing else to do but give in and head to the shopping malls. 

 

My hair straightener wasn’t working so I needed a salon badly. I also convinced Jain to get a haircut because he needed one as well. Two besties getting haircuts 😂. 

We did some small shopping, but we were getting bored. While we were at the mall my friend got called back to work in his home city, Jodhpur. It’s there that he sells textiles and items to large companies in Europe as well as tourists like me. So after dinner he checked out and hopped on an overnight train for home. Now I was on my own until the 21st. What to do? 

I decided to stay in my room, order room service, let my nose ring heal, if I could stop hitting it on everything, and veg out. I watched Killers of The Flower Moon, washed laundry, and worked on my blog. I never left my pajamas except to shower and I’m not sorry about it. On the 21st, my favorite driver from last year Rajesh, picked me up and we drove off to my next adventure… Jaipur! 

This is the first time I’ve blogged from my iPhone so if it looks all crazy let me know please. 

                                                    Two Days in  Nepal

    I arrived in Kathmandu on the evening of the 13th. Exhausted, sweaty, and tired I made my way through the airport. My first stop was the visa counter. Although I had already applied for my visa back home, for some reason I had to pay for it in the airport. The line was long, but things moved along quickly. Then I entered my second line. This time it was immigration. For as small as Nepal is, it sure gets a lot of visitors from everywhere. Immigration was a little lengthy, but I made it through without any hiccups. The best part was when the officer asked why I was visiting Nepal. Of course I said tourism, however my tired self really wanted to say, "well I'm not here for the burgers." I get frustrated when I'm exhausted and stupid questions annoy me. Once I finished with immigration I was excited to get my baggage and head to my hotel. Little did I know I'd have one more gateway through hell to pass through before this could happen.

There was one more security check before I could pick up my luggage. They wanted to scan our carry on bags. Although I was annoyed, I thought "ok no big deal. I'm almost done." Then the Morgan Freeman voice chimed in: "Heather was not almost to her baggage. Heather would almost lose her mind before she even saw her baggage." I expected questions about my Ozempic cooler bottle. People always think its water or they want to inspect the medication. My medicine, as it turns out, was not the problem. It was my jewelry. I packed a bunch of bling because I knew I'd wear it in India. Well, security thought I was possibly smuggling in jewelry from somewhere else so I had to open EVERY SINGLE JEWELRY BAG. Then when they saw items that were fake gold, like my Betsey Johnson necklace, or gold plated like my jewelry from India, they kept asking me if it was real. I was BEYOND annoyed at this point. They wouldn't let me hold my purse with all my money in it so that was just hanging out which bothered me. As I was attempting to answer all their questions without losing my patience this was what was going through my head: "Dude do you really think if I was a jewelry smuggler that I'd smuggle stuff in a big white bag in my carry on stuff? Also, do you honestly think I'd come on a plane in economy if I had any sort of money to buy this stuff if it were real"? They finally cleared me and I was off.

I met my tour contact and driver. I received my khata, a traditional ceremonial scarf from Nepal, as a welcome gift. The awesome thing about the tour company I use is the fact that they always welcome their customers traditionally. I checked in to the Marriott then did my usual first night routine: a shower, pajamas,

and order room service. Despite having several options, I decided to go with spaghetti with alfredo sauce and mushrooms. Trying new food is never a good idea when you are exhausted so I went with comfort food. This is what I received. I don't recall any mushrooms and it wasn't even really that bad until I ate a black olive. YUCK! Black olives should never be in alfredo sauce. Afterwards I hit the sack. 

I met my guide and driver the next day at 11 am. They wanted me to rest and sleep in and who am I to argue on that? Jay had asked me that morning what I was going to visit and to be honest I wasn't sure. I didn't do the research on Nepal that I did on India last year. I think with everything I've had going on before my trip I just dropped the ball. Yet it was ok because it was a surprise. On my trips abroad I just try to 'roll with it'.

The first stop with my awesome guide Naveez was the Swoyambhu Mahachaitya otherwise known as the monkey temple. Who loves monkeys? ME!!! I was super excited. I was even more excited when he told me I did not have to walk the 400 steps practically straight up. 

I did have to walk up some steps to reach the top, but once up there the view was amazing. Of course there were monkeys everywhere which I took a million pictures of. The families that gather here on Saturdays, their only day off during the week, and the monks make sure the monkeys are fed. I'm sure if I had food or water they might have tried to come at me, but of course my guide wouldn't allow me to be that crazy. After explaining all the historical significance, I made an offering at the top. Here are located temples for Hindus and Buddhists. Nepal is primarily Hindu as I learned. So I decided to light my candle, make my prayer, and then I received my red paint on my forehead. Since the picture placement has a mind of it's own, just try to roll with it.

 Next up wax Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square. This complex contains the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and the Shah Dynasty. So, basically this is 16th and 17th century architecture. While many buildings are still original some have been rebuilt since the Nepali earthquake in 2015. What is beautiful, besides the buildings themselves, is the number of countries that have allocated funds to help rebuild these structures. The United States, China, England just to name a few. These structures are not open for anything these days. Just here to be admired and help with tourism. I think it's great the world wants to preserve such beautiful architecture and such a peaceful culture. 

I learned very quickly that despite being similar to India, how unique Nepal is.  It's a very quite place. Not because it has to be, it just is. Unlike India where people drive like maniacs and are constantly honking at each other, Nepal doesn't permit this anymore. Honking is only permitted on twisty, roads up the hills where it's necessary.

While Nepal does have a KFC, no I didn't go, they do not have any type of McDonald's or other restaurants like this. Any chains they do have are Asian chain restaurants I've never heard of. One of the reasons for this, in my opinion, was because Nepal was never conquered by any modern foreign nation. The British did attempt to take Nepal during their Imperial phase, but the Nepali army was so strong with their sword fighting skills that even British guns and canons could not over take them. I also learned  that Nepal remains neutral on most world politics like Switzerland. Only recently have they decided to side with the Ukraine. They currently only have an interest in Gaza because Hamas is holding someone from Nepal. Men and women can join the military here, but if they want to fight in war campaigns such as WWII then they have to enlist through a foreign military service like England or France.

The most amazing part of this day for me was sighting the Kumari. The Kumari is selected the Shakya clan of the Nepalese Newari Buddhist community. She is revered by Buddhists and Hindus alike. Those are the only two groups allowed to receive a private blessing from her. Ok, let me back up a step and explain in basic terms what this girl is. The Kumari of Kathmandu is considered royalty and considered a living goddess. She is a prepubescent female who is selected after she has proven to meet the 32 eligibility requirements, which predominately focus on her appearance. Once selected she will live inside the palace and only come out for religious gatherings or celebrations. She handles all of her many responsibilities and schoolwork inside the palace. If she has time, 2-3 times a day she will appear at her window and allow people to look upon her face. She is not allowed to be photographed. Sighting her is hit or miss since she doesn't appear at any certain time if at all. I got to see her so I consider myself extremely lucky. It was on my bucket list. And in case you are worried about her don't be. Once she enters puberty a new Kumari is selected and she returns to her family to live a normal life and marry. 

                                                She appears in the top, center window.

The rest of the afternoon we continued to explore. During lunch I branched out and tried Mo Mo. Mo Mo is a dumpling served several different ways. I had mine steamed. They can be vegetarian, but I decided to try water buffalo. I still can't even believe I ate it. I'm not typically that outgoing. It was actually very good. It reminded me of beef. We also did some small shopping then I headed back to the hotel for the night.

The next morning we drove way up into the steppes of Nepal. I've never actually seen a steppe in person outside of a history book so the nerd in me was excited. Besides the beauty of the country, going up high allowed me to view the peak of Mount Everest! I had no idea there were so many peaks with names. A few of them were actually sticking up from Tibet so that was sort of cool. 

                                   Everest is the little peak behind me on the left.

The rest of my second day was filled with more 16th and 17th century architecture in historic squares and temples. After lunch and shopping we visited our last place, Pashupatinath Temple which is dedicated to the God Shiva. Besides worshiping, this temple all provides the services for cremation. Stacks of wood are arranged with incense and flowers, then a wrapped body is placed on top and burned House of the Dragon style. Families gather behind to pay their respects during this process. Anyone can watch as this happens and the smoke is definitely in the air. As we entered the path to walk towards the temple I smelled the scent of incense immediately. The guide asked if I wanted a mask and I said no. I told him I enjoyed the smell. Being the classic idiot I am, it didn't occur to me till on our way back that I wasn't just inhaling incense. I was inhaling people's bodies! As smart as I can be, sometimes I'm just a huge donk. So I probably took a couple people back to the hotel with me in my lungs. Maybe they wanted a chance to travel more, lol. I was also able to photograph some holy men. They wanted me to get in the picture with them, but I think a man in a loin cloth can do just fine without me in the picture....eeek.

Ok enjoy the Nepal photo/video dump!

                                                             Water buffalo mo mo

                                                       I found my Cricket kitty!

                                                         Red and yellow poinsettias!

                                                                The burning bodies

 

The Steppe

Trying to get myself some good luck.

 

           

                                 Flights and South Korea

 

        I officially began my journey on Wednesday the 10th. After a boring layover in Los Angeles I was finally able to board my first long flight to South Korea. For some reason I thought this flight was only 8 hours long. Apparently I was wrong because it was 12. I mean I could have actually read my itinerary and caught on much sooner, but why in the world would I do that? This was my first time flying with Korean Air. I must say the experience was nice. Not as nice as flying Emirates, but then again who is? Anyway, the flight screens or mini tvs all came with remote controls that you could flip over and use for gaming if you wanted! I'm not much of a gamer, however I can honestly say it was one of the quietest flights I've ever been on with small children and I have no doubt this was one of the reasons why. 

 

     The food was also pretty good. The first meal I chose beef stew with mashed potatoes. The other option was spicy and I'm as white as they come so you know I can't take the heat. While I was thrilled that I was actually able to fall asleep on this flight, I sadly woke up and missed snack time. Everyone had these little mini sandwiches. I packed my own snacks so I was able to get by, but I wanted that sandwich! Later on they served us breakfast. I was wide awake at what I thought was about 6 am. I ate my omelet, felt pretty darn good about setting myself up for success with the timezone change and then it happened....I discovered it was only 3 am! Major face palm moment. When we arrived in South Korea it was only 5 am. Krispy Kreme wasn't even open yet.

 I can already picture everyone's face saying "ewwww gross" however airplane food always tastes better than it looks. Also, whenever you're hungry you'll eat what they give you and be happy about it, lol. 

So there I am in South Korea's airport at 5 am. I have no gate assignment yet so I have no idea were I'm supposed to be going. Terminal 1? Terminal 2? I decided to go to terminal 2. The entryway had Korean Air listed so I decided to chance it. Now what to do....?

 

    First I needed to find a comfortable place to sit. Although I really wanted to go back to sleep there was no way I'd let myself fall asleep in an airport alone. Granted it was an extremely clean and safe airport, but I never let my guard down. After playing multiple rounds of cheeks in a chair I finally decided to sit near Krispy Kreme. To my surprise they actually opened early that day, so of course I had to get something I wouldn't probably find in the U.S. I settled on a year of the dragon (Chinese New Year) doughnut filled with chocolate. He died a very quick death.

 

  While I was devouring my doughnut and trying to figure out what I was going to do for the next 6 hours, something crazy zipped right past me. This woman and her child were walking around shopping, but instead of carrying their bags themselves a robot was doing it! Ok so it wasn't your typical robot shaped like a man. It was this machine, as you will see in the picture that walks ahead of whomever is using it. Where it came from, if there were more, or if it had to be rented to use.....I have no idea. What I do know is we've got it all wrong in America. We also have a ton more people so maybe it wouldn't work out here. I can picture it now....traffic jams at La Cantera between shops, people mixing up robots, dramaaaa. Regardless, it was still pretty darn neat to see.

 The rest of my time in Seoul was pretty boring. I couldn't leave the airport and those cultural displays I read about were nowhere to be found.  Finally, I boarded my last flight which was to Kathmandu, Nepal. My last flight which I mistakenly thought was 5 hours long was actually 8. Once again I was not on top of anything, but in my defense I was so tired by this point that it no longer mattered. I had also managed to watch 5 of the 6 movies from The Lord of The Rings series. At this point in my day I could have been in the shire for all I knew.

 

This is where my luck changed. I had a whole row of seats ALLLLL to myself! After they feed us I was able to lay alllll the way down with my pillows and blanket and pass out. One minute Gandalf was alive and the next thing I knew he was dead. It was glorious and it will probably never happen again. Then before I knew it I was at the airport....

Packing        

    Today is the day! In 5 1/2 hours I head out for the airport. I was finally able to force myself into packing yesterday. I LOVE to travel, yet I HATE to pack. This is the 4th time I've needed to pack for a long international trip. I've lived in Muscat, Oman twice while studying Arabic in graduate school and now my second long trip to India. Packing for India is special. Not because I'm packing for 25 days of adventure, but more of what I'm packing. India is like traveling to a fairy princess land for me. The women are always dressed in beautiful, colorful sari's, with lots of jewelry. Plus this is wedding season in India because of the cooler, dry weather. Hotels will be packed with female family members who are covered in henna to participate in weddings that last 3 days.  If you've met me then you know I love lots of fun, colorful clothes, makeup, and jewelry. Pretty much any outfit that would make one of my students say "omg Mrs. Rodriguez what are you wearing"?! is normal in India. I love that.

    It took me 2 1/2 hours while battling 3 cats, but

I got it done. Last year I learned some very important lessons that I was able to apply this year. First, and to me most important, pick an airline that allows 2 free checked bags! Last year United Airlines allowed me 1 bag. Ok unless you are a business man or making a quick trip to Asia no one is only packing one bag. This year I researched and chose Delta because they understand me need to pack all my bling I NEED 2 free checked bags. Second, If you are going international and taking domestic flights in that country, expect baggage fees. Last year I planned many tours which required me to fly within India. Extra baggage fees hurt my wallet and stressed me out.

    In India extra people like tour guides, etc. are NOT allowed to help you into the airport. They can greet you when you arrive, but that's it. Even family must pay a fee to see people off if they want to go inside. Why they have this rule I'm not sure. I guess airports might be too crowded if everyone could come in. Therefore, me, my two suitcases, and my two carry on bags are on our own. This also means when I go through customs to enter a country I also have to haul all this stuff with me as well. Going through customs to enter a foreign country is always an experience in itself. Although I've been to Europe it was 30 years ago. From what I remember the process was relatively simple. These days it's much crazier. It seems like its always hot, regardless of the country, takes forever, and usually has some weird rules that seem to make no sense when you're exhausted. For example filling out some weird paperwork in Turkey. I vote Mexico as the worst experience because of the huge lines, but India is a close second. Long lines and screaming babies. Last year there were so many screaming babies that the men at the counters were getting angry and yelling at families in Hindi to go to another line! Of course I don't speak Hindi, but some things just naturally translate. Mrs. Rodriguez does not do screaming babies.

Third, pack more bling and less shoes. Last year I packed several pairs of my Indian juttis. Those cute little flats with beautiful colors and embroidery that all the women wear. Well, it took me half of my first day to realize this was a mistake. While adorable, juttis have no support and don't work well on step marble staircases at temples. I almost fell a few times before I decided to go barefoot. I also noticed the women had nikes on with their saris. At first I was like "ewwww clash"! Now I realize they were smart. So this year I packed 5 pairs of shoes and tons of jewelry. Not to be forgotten are the bindi I was gifted last year. The little red dot stickers pictured above that Indian women wear. Red is the color for married women and black is the color for widowed women. There are many variations in modern India, but I think you have to be married or getting married before you're allowed to wear these. 

    Fourth, bring little packets of Tide and medicine! Last year I had an 18 day trip with 2 pairs of blue jeans. I'm sure by the end of that trip they could have walked themselves home. Gross! This year I found travel Tide. Such a lifesaver it will be after riding camels, elephants, and God knows what else. When it comes to traveling with medicine I feel like a drug mule. Beyond the prescriptions I need to take daily is everything extra I bring. India is a third world country. While they do have small pharmacies everywhere it's hardly a Walgreens scenario. 

    This is the huge bag I carry. I have everything from what I take daily to Band-Aids, Advil, anti-nausea medicine, anti-diarrheal medicine, sleeping pills. It was my first stay in Oman that really showed me how different the world is via the pharmacy. In Oman they do not sell any type of stimulant. Meaning RedBull, Prime, Monster, Vivarin alertness pills...nothing. The country doesn't permit these things. If you want a caffeine fix then you can only get that thorough coffee, tea, or soda. Luckily for me those items don't matter to me, however it also means the other medications available are limited. Panadryl is their version of ibuprofen and it's not nearly as strong as ours. Cold medicine options are limited too. India doesn't have the cleanest air and last year I had plenty of headaches, but this year I'm ready. There is nothing worse than feeling bad on a great trip. 

    As I sit here typing surrounded by the world's three best kitties on my last morning in my own bed for awhile, I feel anxious. Will my suitcases be overweight? Will my flights all be on time? Did I pack enough snacks? Will I be able to fall asleep on my long flights? Last year my flight was 16 hours straight from Newark, New Jersey to Delhi, India, After they served dinner, I thought for sure I'd pass out. NOPE. Having epilepsy that's not the ideal scenario for me. India is 12 hours ahead of Texas so trying to get my circadian rhythm on board is a struggle. This year I brought some sleeping pills to help out. By this time tomorrow if everything goes well I should be checked into my hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. Yay!!!

Later!