CIMG4879

Originally uploaded by timbu

I gt up very early on Tuesday and drove from Mumbai to Pune. The roads were empty and the sunrise in the hills inspiring.

Eating dinner Rajastan Style

Originally uploaded by timbu

Here I am eating dinner cross-legged at a Rajastan themed park. I have a turban on my head which one of the servers lent to me. My friend Sonali and her husband are seated on the right.

Tonight I finally had a ride on a motor bike in Indian traffic. It was fun. We didn’t go through the worst traffic but I got a good taste for the roads.

Next time we’ll take a long ride.

I have seen a lot today. I saw a cricket match, a political rally, a herd of cows in the road, wonderful shops, new friends, old friends, delicious meals and even a human powered ferris wheel.

It’s almost too much for me to take in one day.

I’m a vim guy if you didn’t know.

I spent an extra hour or two in the Newark airport and flew uneventfully to Mumbai. A gentleman asked me to trade seats so he could sit with his friends and I ended up with an aisle seat in the middle, with no one sitting next to me for the duration of the flight. The woman on the other side of my row was from Pune so I got to ask her lots of questions about my destination.

I slept fitfully, but it seemed to go by quick.

I retrieved my luggage without incident and eventually found my driver, Singram. We left the airport around midnight. We raced through streets in Mumbai that were thick with smog. The ride to Pune was fun and involved lots of honking and agile driving. My driver made many memorable lane changes that reminded me of my racing days. We ate something very delicious, likely made of potatos and cauliflower, at a truck stop right before the mountain passes started in earnest. I got into the hotel at about 3:30 AM local time. I can’t bear to figure out how many hours I had been traveling since I left my home.

Today’s breakfast was delicious. I usually don’t eat spicy food for breakfast, but it was so good I had to have seconds.

First flight at 2:15 delayed until 5:08. That would mean a missed connection, so my airline put me on a 12:55 flight, which is now delayed until 3:15. Anyone want to lay odds on where I spend the night tonight? I think there are three choices — Newark, an airplane or my own home.