Sleepless in New Delhi

It’s a little after 4 am and I can’t sleep because my body thinks it’s early evening.

The flights were good. Halifax to London made a stop in St. John’s of which I was aware but had forgotten about. They’ve certainly done a lot of upgrading to that airport; I wouldn’t have recognized it. We had tail winds to England and arrived early. Damn good thing because I needed every moment to get to the next gate…and it was in the same terminal. Heathrow is now the size of Bedford but with more people…

London to Delhi was a bit brutal, mostly because I couldn’t sleep. I sat next to the sweetest couple. They were older, 50s maybe, but they chatted and laughed and snuggled like newlyweds. They’re originally from Punjab but now live in the Algarve region of Portugal…going home to Amritsar for a visit.

The air in Delhi is almost unbreathable. I thought it was fog at first but it’s pollution. There are big signs along the highway from the airport showing the air quality index, and the young guy at the desk said the hospitals are filled with people suffering various ailments as a result. It’s hard to imagine what the future holds for this city.

My flight to Kathmandu leaves at 10:30 and my driver is lined up. I’ve never met him, but he was recommended by a friend and I hear his wife fixes a mean dal baht. Maybe I’ll get an invite to dinner…