10/25/10

After a somewhat hair-raising trip down the mountain, we arrived just in the nick of time for our flight to Delhi. We got up early because you never know what you'll find along the way and we didn't want to miss our plane. Jimmy was talking to the people at the front desk when he was checking out and it turns out we've been looking in the wrong place for the mountain. We've been trying to see Kachinjunga, which is India's tallest peak and the third highest mountain in the world after Mt. Everest and K-2. We assumed that it has been shrouded in the clouds, but it turns out you can't see it from the hotel. We went the equivalent of two blocks to another part of the mountain and there it was in all of its glory. It was a very clear morning and we got several more views of it as we went down the mountain.

There it is!

Elizabeth Clark was in the parking lot as we were leaving and in all of the hubbub, we didn't say goodbye to her, so she came over to the car and said in her English accent, “What's the phrase – 'What am I, chopped liver?'” We all said goodbye and hugged and kissed her. She said it had been a sincere pleasure and was looking forward to our return. Me too.

The trip down the mountain was along twisty turny roads perched on the side of the mountain. Then we got into a traffic jam at some road work which took up about 15 min. We got to the airport about 45 minutes before the flight, but the man at the checkin desk told us to hurry up to the gate. It turns out we actually pushed back 15 minutes early! I'm so glad we weren't any later than we were.

The plane ride was somewhat harrying because there were lots of crying babies (one poor mother had 2 crying at the same time) and Lois and I each had a child behind us who kicked our seats for the entire trip. I felt strangely detached from it all and enjoyed watching a Bollywood movie about corrupt road-builders who make their money by building the same road over and over again. When we got to Delhi we actually got a cab that fit all of us and our luggage. The problem was he didn't know how to get to Pandit Pant Marg where the CNI Bhawan is. We drove around in an increasingly aimless way until I remembered that Pandit Pant Marg is near Ashoka Road, which is one of the big roads around here. The driver found Ashoka Road and we drove along it until we found Pandit Pant Marg. Then it was pretty easy to find the Bhawan. Next was dinner and bed.