UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!! We are in Newark and almost home!!
There has been LOTS of travel drama. Allow me to just go through the list;
1. Unbeknownst to just about every international traveler leaving Delhi, they had changed the regulations to allow only one piece of checked baggage and one carry-on. Every one of us (and every other female traveler!), had 2 of each. The weird thing was that 2 of us got agents who didn't seem to care and checked us through without a word, but everyone else had to repack, rearrange and pay a lot of money. There were suitcases opened, clothes flying and women bitching all over the ticket area, pardon my French (not us of course, we still had "the annoiting". Ha... It was quite a sight and quite the delay.
2. For some reason Continental had Vicki booked to Miami, which may have been a nice trip but after 2 weeks in a third-world country, Casper, Wyoming was the ONLY placae she wanted to go. Finally they got heer headed to the right place, but they refused to check her bags any further than Newark! Really ??! So, more delays.
3. Finally now with no more time to spare, we headed to Security which went without a hitch until the last person, ME. One of the gifts I had been carrying in my carry-on all over on our flights throughout India (and left in there to lighten my checked bag weight), was evidently now being considered a weapon, because part of it had metal on it. If you've ever bought souvenirs abrouad, it's not easy to find just the right thing for people, and I did NOT want to leave this item there and have something for 2 daughters, and nothing for one. After practically getting the Indian embassy involved, they decided I could gate check the bag, but that requires me leaving the item, going to get a gate agent four miles away at our gate, finding someone who was not talking to friends on a cell phone, begging them to come back to security with me, running four miles back to security, waiting, waiting, sweating, sweating, listening, translating, and begging in my best foreign-traveler non-verbal communication. Permit me to draw up the image in your mind. It begins with meek and pleasant smiles, and runs the gamet through raised eyebrows, shaking head NO, shaking head yes, palms-up (what's the big deal?), more assertive shaking head NO, raising eyebrows while tilting head toward gate agent (deferring to whom I hope is my advocate), palms down assertively on security desk, finger shaking side-to-side with more assertive NOs, folding hands with fingers interlaced (please, please) which FINALLY wore him down), and ended with hands folded prayer style at forehead (typical Indian thank you), and a slight but ever-so-meaningful head bobble to finish the transaction! THEN- grab bags, and run with gate agent 4 miles back to plane, slide into seat dripping sweat on my seatmate, just in time for take-off. Who cares? I'm going HOME!!! (and Shannah, I hope you like your gift!!) Ha.
4. Shortly before landing, Vicki became quite ill again and by the time we touched down, she had thrown up several times and needed a wheel chair to even get off the plane, which for some reason took an act of congress. Then because several of us claimed cookies as "food" on our customs forms, we were detained for Agriculture! BUT since Vicki was so sick, they put us to the front of the line. Finally, we all got to zoom to Vicki's gate on one of those "Scuse me" cars.
5. I left to find a place to wash up (my family will thank me!), and happened upon a couple in distress. The man was chocking, the woman going hysterical, so I helped with the heimlich (a guy trying it was using one hand!?), and helped calm the woman down after he bagan breathing, pale and blue as he was. I was actually glad to see he was pale and blue (after he was OK), because for a sick moment the thought crossed my mind that this could be a diversion while someone grabbed my wallet and passport from my bag I tossed aside in the rush to help. Alas, all was well.
6. We parted ways and said our goodbyes only to get TO THE DOOR of my plane and be turned back indefinitely because... Wait for it...
There was no pilot for my flight and no replacement to be found. Not sure how this happens (Did he forget to check the schedule in the break room?), but at least they were honest and up front with it. While a plane full of passengers angrily migrated over to customer service, I raced to the airline club where they were more than happy to save a seat for me on a later flight just in case. So I was able to go back to the other gate just in time to say another goodbye to Vicki (who had thankfully recovered like watering a thirsty plant). It wasn't long after that a merciful pilot agreed to come in on his day off and drive us to St. Louis. So the rest of us walked back over to my gate, said a final goodbye, and I got on the plane. I'm trusting Belinda, RaeAnn and Dana's flight went off without a hitch, and we'll all be back in our respective homes getting Welcome Home hugs and kisses from our dear, sweet husbands who supported us and loved us across the miles. It was a glorious, amazing, challenging trip. We went there to touch and encourage and help change women from another place and another culture, and we were the ones touched and encouraged and changed. Women do that for each other.
Thanks for reading and going with us on this journey!
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)
This is why we do what we do. Beautiful women of India;
No comments:
Post a Comment