Getaway day started with one last futile attempt to get the elusive student Visa, but it was bagged early as the embassy said "no way" to a letter which maybe would help with the Indian gov't process. So... since we had Kuldeep to drive us around, by 9:30 we were on to shopping! The tourist trap places on Janpath don't start opening until 10 or 10:30, so we went to Connaught place for a special family member gift, following that it was to Dilli Hat the craft market, where we met many hungry vendors but prices were touristy a little high. Julie found a neat leather wallet and I a pretty yellow embroidered tablecloth for Marian and a periwinkle Dhurry for Ruth. 2400 to 1800 to 1500 but he wouldn't go below that...I offered 1200 then walked off, knowing it's on the way out if nothing else ... we stopped for cool drinks and Kuldeep told me the guy offered him a 10% cut at 1500, so 1200-1300 should be doable. On the way out I glanced over and kept going, he was pretty animated SIR, SIR! I give a look and throw up my hands in exasperation... 1200? or what! He won't come below 1300 so that's where we settle.
We head over to Lajpat Nagar market for lunch at Sai Sarovar (strictly veg)... which was great and about $6 for the three of us... including butterscotch ice cream all around! I pick up another pair of camel sandals and a piece of luggage for the stuff Julie is going to leave in storage, then it's time for a nap and finish packing, settle the hotel bill, a final cold shower and change before Kuldeep is picking us up at 7:00. Our flight is 12:15 just past midnight, allow 3 hours so we're to Haus Kauz Village and Naivedyam South Indian for dinner. Kuldeep joins us we have a really fine meal and pick up 10 packs of bidi's (local smokes, a piece of tobacco rolled up and tied with a string) before 30 last minutes in Delhi traffic to the airport.
An hour and a half get's us through check in and security with an hour til boarding it's diet coke and brownie for Julie and Clausthaler for me then we are on in the economy section only 14 hours to Chicago! Eat, read, sleep, blog, sleep, eat, walk around, sleep, eat, and we're in early at 4:30am! But, customs doesn't start work until 5:00am, so we can't deplane for a while... wait... then we are off with a couple hours til our 7:20 to St Louis. We marvel at the clean bathrooms and WATER FOUNTAINS! and... lots of large people in line at mcdonalds... we haven't seen many overweight people in India. Short jump to St Louis we just have time for breakfast there before we are on the last leg home, and in early at 12:20! Just about 24 hours total... there's Marian and Grace at bag claim and we are home! Wow what a nice place, we really have a fantastic life! I'm down for a nap and Julie is getting her VISA pics and fedexing things off, oh, she has to set up her return air itinerary first so following that the paperwork is in the fedex to Houston and in 8 business days she will have her student visa! I'm planning to go in to work 4 hours tomorrow so I'm abed early and get another 11 hrs sleep.. though still in a funk all day Friday. Plan for the weekend sleep, rest, and that's what happens, Sunday my birthday uneventful except me and M make a trip over to Baldwin park and walk around the little connector lake with the birds in the center and sit for a while... the cypress trees are green again and the lake is full of activity... back for another nap and birthday dinner coming up, then back to work tomorrow. Thanks all for your comments it wasn't easy to make time for the blog some days but knowing people were at the other end meant a lot and made it easier to stick to it.
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