WHAT DO I REALLY NEED TO SAY HERE.. PHOTO TAKEN ON THE TAJ GROUNDS ..
WHEN EXACTLY IS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW THIS DURING YOUR DAY..
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Monday, 11 February 2013
FEB 11, 13 .. A GREAT TRIP SOUTH TO AGRA CANTT ..
Absolutely everything went 100% smoothly today. When I got to the railway station in New Delhi at 5:30AM this morning .. there was one .. single file line .. leading to the X-Ray Baggage Inspection Machine and NO crowding and NO criminal activity thank goodness !
I boarded my train .. The Shatabdi Express .. Train Nr. 12002 .. on time and it left on time at 6AM and arrived on time at 8:06AM in Agra Cantt (South of New Delhi) .. I enjoyed a nice breakfast on the train in AC First Class comfort with large and roomy seating !
After arriving I walked from the Agra Cantt Railway Station to my hotel (The Pawan) in the Sadar Bazar District in Agra Cantt and got checked into my hotel. Then I went downstairs and ate lunch at my favorite restaurant here in Agra Cantt .. ..
This photo shows what I love to order.. South Indian Thali .. a wonderful combination of individual dishes and roti and papadam.. be HONEST.. doesn't this look great.. well .. it is GREAT .. and costs about two dollars and twenty five cents with a 30% tip included in that price..
Here is a shot of the restaurant.. showing it is busy.. small and compact and busy.. I was standing waiting for a table.. it is downstairs off a small back street behind and below my Pawan Hotel. ..
Then I went out for an hour walk and bought stamps at the Post Office and some post cards and .. guess what ? I took a 'nap' and slept the rest of the afternoon ! After the events of yesterday I was ready to 'crash' and I did !
Smiles from the Home of the Taj Mahal .. Agra Cantt .. India ..
With Joy .. Cap ..
Sunday, 10 February 2013
FEB 10, 13 .. THE ATTACK UPON ME ! .. Part 1 of 2
Let me begin here with a great quote from the great .. African American Black Philosopher .. ' Iron Mike ' Tyson ..
Everybody has a plan until they get hit !
And this morning .. I got attacked .. this morning I got hit !
It was 5:15AM this very early morning .. Sunday morning .. February 10th, 2013 .. and I had done everything correct .. I had gotten a lot of sleep yesterday afternoon and last night .. I was up at 4AM .. with lots of time to get to the New Delhi Railway Station in time for my 6AM train to Agra Cantt .. no excuse of 'being tired' .. NO EXCUSES PERIOD !
So there I was .. at 5:15AM this morning at the New Delhi Railway Station .. I was at the baggage-checking X-Ray Machine and was about to feed my three bags into the X-Ray Machine when .. The Attendant helping people load their bags onto the X-Ray Machine feeder-belt asked me .. " Sir .. What train are you boarding this morning ?" ..
I told him .. " Train Number 12002 The Shatabdi Express to Agra Cantt. "
I will repeat myself here because this is important .. The Attendant assisting with loading baggage into the X-Ray Machine asked me the above question .. THE ATTENDANT !
He said to me very politely and 'in earnest' .. " Sir .. that train has been cancelled .. you must go upstairs to the Tourist Bureau on the second floor and get further instructions ! "
What should I have done ? Should I have said to The Attendant .. " You Lying S.O.B. ? Get out of my way ? " .. What would YOU have done ? I assume .. like I actually did .. you would believe The Attendant and do as he had suggested ..
So up to the second floor of the New Delhi Railway Station at 5:20AM I trudged with my three bags .. my backpack and my over-the-shoulder bag and my suitcase .. and I was met by two very 'official looking' gentlemen who told me .. " Sir .. it is winter here and your train has been cancelled due to severe fog on the route ! " ..
" Sir you need to go to Connaught Place .. to the 'N' Block and there at the 24-hour Railway Bureau you will be given instructions on how to get a refund of your ticket and to schedule another train. "
" We have a government taxi available for you .. it will cost you 300 Rupees to take you there .. to wait for you .. and to return you to the Railway Station. " .. " Come with us Sir ! "
In India you have one ' Cardinal Rule ' and it is this : You NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER get into an 'unknown' taxi or automobile EVER !
People who violate this ' Cardinal Rule ' end up dead .. drugged .. stripped of all their clothing and left naked in a remote area having had everything taken from them .. etc !
India has a very dark side believe me ..
So with my two 'official looking' escorts behind me .. down the stairs we trotted and upon getting to the street ..
Despite their pleadings .. " Sir come this way .. Sir .. come with us Sir ! " .. I took off and left them behind me and headed directly back to my Hotel Capital Residency .. I told Shivam that I had some trouble and to get my three bags back into my room ..
Then walking alone in the early morning New Delhi dark (this act alone is extremely risky and dangerous !) off I walked to find the 'N' Block in Connaught place and the 24-hour Railway Bureau .. and guess what .. I walked and I walked and I walked some more .. about 50 minutes total .. NO 24-hour Railway Bureau .. NOTHING OF ANY SORT OPEN AT ALL .. and at 6:15AM ended up back at the New Delhi Railway Station and went to the Train Master's Office to be told .. " Sir .. the train left on time and on schedule and the train was not cancelled Sir !
I had been scammed big time !
The bad guys had tried cleverly and very very professionally to lure me into a taxi or car to do what bad guys do to people ! Let me assure you .. there is a serious and an organized criminal element here .. and this was not my first encounter with them .. 'They' won the first one back in 1993 ! In fact 'They' won a second one also !
So I lost a couple of dollars on my train ticket .. I was refunded 50% of my ticket despite missing my train !
India does have a good and a caring and a considerate side too !
I lost a full day .. I had to re-book a train for tomorrow morning the 11th of February .. and I did ' take a significant hit in psyche and energy levels' ! .. I slept basically most of the day ! It sure felt good to ' shut out this morning ' for a few hours !
And I outwitted the bad guys who failed to kidnap me !
I now know the baggage X-Ray Machine Attendant was a criminal as were his two cohorts upstairs .. knowing how they work .. the instant I went upstairs The Attendant disappeared and was gone ..
What to do ? Look below and see what I did .. I went to McDonald's to have a McFlurry !
Smiles .. Alive and Well .. Cap ..
Thank you Patti for being-with-me by cell phone through-it-all .. Will you proof the above ?
Everybody has a plan until they get hit !
And this morning .. I got attacked .. this morning I got hit !
It was 5:15AM this very early morning .. Sunday morning .. February 10th, 2013 .. and I had done everything correct .. I had gotten a lot of sleep yesterday afternoon and last night .. I was up at 4AM .. with lots of time to get to the New Delhi Railway Station in time for my 6AM train to Agra Cantt .. no excuse of 'being tired' .. NO EXCUSES PERIOD !
So there I was .. at 5:15AM this morning at the New Delhi Railway Station .. I was at the baggage-checking X-Ray Machine and was about to feed my three bags into the X-Ray Machine when .. The Attendant helping people load their bags onto the X-Ray Machine feeder-belt asked me .. " Sir .. What train are you boarding this morning ?" ..
I told him .. " Train Number 12002 The Shatabdi Express to Agra Cantt. "
I will repeat myself here because this is important .. The Attendant assisting with loading baggage into the X-Ray Machine asked me the above question .. THE ATTENDANT !
He said to me very politely and 'in earnest' .. " Sir .. that train has been cancelled .. you must go upstairs to the Tourist Bureau on the second floor and get further instructions ! "
What should I have done ? Should I have said to The Attendant .. " You Lying S.O.B. ? Get out of my way ? " .. What would YOU have done ? I assume .. like I actually did .. you would believe The Attendant and do as he had suggested ..
So up to the second floor of the New Delhi Railway Station at 5:20AM I trudged with my three bags .. my backpack and my over-the-shoulder bag and my suitcase .. and I was met by two very 'official looking' gentlemen who told me .. " Sir .. it is winter here and your train has been cancelled due to severe fog on the route ! " ..
" Sir you need to go to Connaught Place .. to the 'N' Block and there at the 24-hour Railway Bureau you will be given instructions on how to get a refund of your ticket and to schedule another train. "
" We have a government taxi available for you .. it will cost you 300 Rupees to take you there .. to wait for you .. and to return you to the Railway Station. " .. " Come with us Sir ! "
In India you have one ' Cardinal Rule ' and it is this : You NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER get into an 'unknown' taxi or automobile EVER !
People who violate this ' Cardinal Rule ' end up dead .. drugged .. stripped of all their clothing and left naked in a remote area having had everything taken from them .. etc !
India has a very dark side believe me ..
So with my two 'official looking' escorts behind me .. down the stairs we trotted and upon getting to the street ..
Despite their pleadings .. " Sir come this way .. Sir .. come with us Sir ! " .. I took off and left them behind me and headed directly back to my Hotel Capital Residency .. I told Shivam that I had some trouble and to get my three bags back into my room ..
Then walking alone in the early morning New Delhi dark (this act alone is extremely risky and dangerous !) off I walked to find the 'N' Block in Connaught place and the 24-hour Railway Bureau .. and guess what .. I walked and I walked and I walked some more .. about 50 minutes total .. NO 24-hour Railway Bureau .. NOTHING OF ANY SORT OPEN AT ALL .. and at 6:15AM ended up back at the New Delhi Railway Station and went to the Train Master's Office to be told .. " Sir .. the train left on time and on schedule and the train was not cancelled Sir !
I had been scammed big time !
The bad guys had tried cleverly and very very professionally to lure me into a taxi or car to do what bad guys do to people ! Let me assure you .. there is a serious and an organized criminal element here .. and this was not my first encounter with them .. 'They' won the first one back in 1993 ! In fact 'They' won a second one also !
So I lost a couple of dollars on my train ticket .. I was refunded 50% of my ticket despite missing my train !
India does have a good and a caring and a considerate side too !
I lost a full day .. I had to re-book a train for tomorrow morning the 11th of February .. and I did ' take a significant hit in psyche and energy levels' ! .. I slept basically most of the day ! It sure felt good to ' shut out this morning ' for a few hours !
And I outwitted the bad guys who failed to kidnap me !
I now know the baggage X-Ray Machine Attendant was a criminal as were his two cohorts upstairs .. knowing how they work .. the instant I went upstairs The Attendant disappeared and was gone ..
What to do ? Look below and see what I did .. I went to McDonald's to have a McFlurry !
Smiles .. Alive and Well .. Cap ..
Thank you Patti for being-with-me by cell phone through-it-all .. Will you proof the above ?
FEB 10, 13 .. WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER BEING ATTACKED .. Part 2 of 2
I have written above about ' The Attack ' .. I cannot speak for you .. but once I recovered from ' The Attack ' . .. I decided that I needed a 'McDonald's Fix' ..
So here is the McDonald's in the 'B' Block of Connaught Place in the heart of New Delhi ..
A closer view of the main .. the only .. entrance ..
Why not another angle ..
Step right up Sir .. and we will help you with our modern facilities here at McDonalds in Connaught Place in New Delhi in India !
And just LOOK AT THIS .. to save just throwing away the condiments you do NOT use .. you just put them into this little container .. I wish we did this in the United States !
After The Attack .. you cannot believe how good a McFlurry tasted to me .. yum .. then back to my hotel for another nap ..
A challenging morning to say-the-least .. Smiles .. Cap ..
So here is the McDonald's in the 'B' Block of Connaught Place in the heart of New Delhi ..
A challenging morning to say-the-least .. Smiles .. Cap ..
Saturday, 9 February 2013
FEB 9, 13 .. NEW DELHI (SHIVAM) .. INDIA ..
"What do you think of the weather you see?" .. This is some absolutely great weather here in New Delhi, India .. later this month the heat will begin .. so everyone enjoys this 'winter' season ..
Below is the main entrance to the New Delhi Railway Station .. the large .. white building you see in the background ..
Now.. turn around 180 degrees .. and walk a short distance (crossing the street) and you look down the below street .. to your right .. in the distance .. the vertical red sign .. is my hotel .. see it ? .. do NOT squint too hard .. it is coming up closer immediately below ..
Below is a closer shot as we just walked up the street towards my hotel .. The Capital Hotel .. begin to notice .. on the roof .. some greenery .. see it up there ..
And closer a photo looking back in the general direction we just walked .. again .. notice the rooftop greenery ..
And below is the entrance .. in the ABOVE photo .. to the extreme right side .. is my room .. my room is NOT visible in the below photo .. let me tell you .. the steps UP are steep ..
And here is my room .. notice I can walk out onto a small balcony .. and .. although my bed takes up most of the room .. I LIKE my modest room and I LIKE the hotel very much .. and .. I am SO CLOSE TO THE RAILWAY STATION .. this is why I decided to stay here .. do you see Mister India Bag at the foot of the bed ..
Looking back .. standing in the doorway out to the balcony .. the door to the bathroom is shown ..
And .. here is a shot .. UP ON THE ROOF .. NICE HUH ?
All of this for only 600 Rupees a night (about $13.64 US Dollars) .. well .. NOTHING IS PERFECT is it now ? .. I do NOT have a sitter in the bathroom .. I DO have a SQUATTER .. after twenty one years of doing India .. I CAN .. IF necessary .. squat ..
Below are photos of the Manager .. SHIVAM .. a very pleasant and a most interesting gentleman !
Here is a photo of Shivam .. on the job at the front desk of the hotel ..
And one last shot of Shivam .. a VERY VERY OFFICIAL PHOTO !
In the morning .. at 6AM .. I catch the Shatabdi Express and head down to Agra Cantt to visit my friend Jeevan Lal .. so my being so close to the New Delhi Railway Station is great when I have such an early departure !
It took me over two (2) hours to get my railway ticket for tomorrows train ..
Smiles and Joy from Cap and from Shivam !
Below is the main entrance to the New Delhi Railway Station .. the large .. white building you see in the background ..
Below are photos of the Manager .. SHIVAM .. a very pleasant and a most interesting gentleman !
In the morning .. at 6AM .. I catch the Shatabdi Express and head down to Agra Cantt to visit my friend Jeevan Lal .. so my being so close to the New Delhi Railway Station is great when I have such an early departure !
It took me over two (2) hours to get my railway ticket for tomorrows train ..
Smiles and Joy from Cap and from Shivam !
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
FEB 6, 13 .. BOBBA CAPS ASKS RHETORICALLY ..
Bobba asks rhetorically .. that is .. not expecting a reply nor an answer ..
Which is more important ..
Having money ..
Having water ..
I assume most of you will say with emphasis .. "Having water is more important ! " ..
Well here in India .. here in New Delhi .. here in the today and here in the now .. I MUST HAVE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE WATER ..
So when I wrote this morning that I had gotten money .. I was on the right track ..
The ramblings I am about to now embark upon rightly deserve to be over at Baba Kaps Doxology .. my 'dot net' website .. BUT I can NOT access my 'dot net' website because I can NOT access my most imortant e-mail address BECAUSE yahoo.com is protecting me from myself and refusing to believe me when I tell them where my mother was born ! Saying to my response .. "NO that is the incorrect answer !" .. being unable to get to this one particular e-mail address deprives me of the 'hyper-link' to get me to my 'dot net' website sign-in location ..
NOW it is 8:35PM in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 .. we will see what day and date blogspot assigns to this rambling ..
OK .. I had one 'heck-of-a-day' today .. I got two (2) hours count them of work accomplished .. exhausted I then slept like-the-dead for well over four (4) hours .. I was able to resurrect myself from the dead and ate like a man possessed here at the Jai Singh Road YMCA dining facility .. burp !
What I got accomplished today was 100% of my 'to be done today' list .. and hey .. that is not all bad is it ? !
Well this is a program of honesty isn't it ? What I really got done in my two (2) hour day today was this .. I set into motion 100% of what I needed to get done today ..
Vodafone has begun the process of re-activating my India based cell phone .. I knew better than to believe that Vodafone would be able to fully get me up-on-line talking today and I was correct .. but they are working-on-it .. I will settle for them to get my little Vodafone to connect to its cell phone tower here to at least give me the correct time-of-day .. right now my little Vodafone is telling me it is tomorrow !
Getting myself a 'stash of Water' is a 100% done-deal .. I have five one-liter bottles of water and enjoyed a great visit with the owner and his grandson .. my friends of over twenty two (22) years .. Grandfather and Grandson .. the middle man passed away untimely a year or so ago .. leaving a void that will not be replaced .. No son for Grandfather and no father for Grandson ..
My tailor will have my India Shirt fixed up by Friday night and let-me-tell you all this .. finding my India Tailor of over twenty two (22) years was a frightening out-of-body scary experience .. see I KNEW .. I KNEW .. I was and I had lost-it !
WHY? ! Simply because I could NOT find the Shankar Market here in New Delhi where my tailor is located .. I had lost-my-mental ability to find a place that I know as well as I know the back-of-my-hand !
BUT I persevered .. doggedly and doggedly I kept searching .. and people on the street kept asking me .. "Can we help you out Baba? " .. they .. in their infinite street-wisdom knew that I was lost ..
SUDDENLY after an hour of wandering back and forth .. up and down streets .. there it was .. the SHANKAR MARKET ! See I had even forgotten that name (The Shankar Market) else I could have told all of my MANY street benefactors that .. "I am looking for the Sankar Market." ..
I found Shop Number 90 in the Shankar Market (this in and of itself was a job) and in I went and I was set .. Roy Exclusive Tailor .. my tailor .. my place .. "Sahib you shirt will be ready Friday afternoon after 6PM.""
It was then I found my way back to 1 Jai Singh Road and 'crashed dead' in my bed here at the YMCA ..
I did as Vodafone told me to do .. I waited for over four (4) hours .. after which wait I turned little Vodafone off-and-on .. tried to dial Vodafone Number 117 and could not do so .. I then walked back to Vodafone in the dark of the New Delhi night .. and they studied my little Vodafone and said .. "Go home to the YMCA and call number 117 in several hours after turning your phone off and on again."
I said in reply to them .. "I will see you here in person tomorrow morning at 10AM" .. KNOWING how to do these things after my years of experience here !
WHAT'S THAT YOU ASK ME 'ZILLA ?
WHAT AM I DOING JAY WALKING AGAIN IN INDIA ?
OUT IN THE NIGHT TRAFFIC IN NEW DELHI IN CONNAUGHT PLACE !
FORGIVE ME 'ZILLA FOR I HAVE SINNED AGAIN !
I seem unable to resist jaywalking here in India KNOWING it is a life-and-death issue period-no-questions-asked ! ..
Well at least my twenty two (22) years of experience of doing this .. jay walking in the India traffic .. stood me well !
First .. I place a woman between me and the oncoming traffic .. so the car(s) will hit the woman before they hit Bobba Caps .. and then .. for good measure .. I also carefully notice that between the woman and the oncoming traffic will be a small mob of other Indians so the oncoming traffic will have to hit about fifty (50) people before getting to Bobba Caps ..
And I walk with one hand lightly touching the woman so I do NOT lose track of her since she may suddenly 'dart' to avoid being hit herself !
She 'darts' and Bobba Caps 'darts' with her !
Lord is this crazy or is this CRAZY ! ? ..
Over and Out for Now with Many Smiles .. and .. Much Love .. Cap ..
now let's us see what blogspot dates this post as .. have fun Patti proof reading this mess ! .. do not take my two hour day literally .. I probably was out for more like three hours .. but I was not out for so long that I should have been totally exhausted ..
let the record show that today .. God of Abraham .. introduced me personally to one .. PRA THAMMARATO (PAPA MONK) .. and my life is ever enrichened .. I may and I may NOT get back to 'Papa Monk" ..
Which is more important ..
Having money ..
Having water ..
I assume most of you will say with emphasis .. "Having water is more important ! " ..
Well here in India .. here in New Delhi .. here in the today and here in the now .. I MUST HAVE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE WATER ..
So when I wrote this morning that I had gotten money .. I was on the right track ..
The ramblings I am about to now embark upon rightly deserve to be over at Baba Kaps Doxology .. my 'dot net' website .. BUT I can NOT access my 'dot net' website because I can NOT access my most imortant e-mail address BECAUSE yahoo.com is protecting me from myself and refusing to believe me when I tell them where my mother was born ! Saying to my response .. "NO that is the incorrect answer !" .. being unable to get to this one particular e-mail address deprives me of the 'hyper-link' to get me to my 'dot net' website sign-in location ..
NOW it is 8:35PM in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 .. we will see what day and date blogspot assigns to this rambling ..
OK .. I had one 'heck-of-a-day' today .. I got two (2) hours count them of work accomplished .. exhausted I then slept like-the-dead for well over four (4) hours .. I was able to resurrect myself from the dead and ate like a man possessed here at the Jai Singh Road YMCA dining facility .. burp !
What I got accomplished today was 100% of my 'to be done today' list .. and hey .. that is not all bad is it ? !
Well this is a program of honesty isn't it ? What I really got done in my two (2) hour day today was this .. I set into motion 100% of what I needed to get done today ..
Vodafone has begun the process of re-activating my India based cell phone .. I knew better than to believe that Vodafone would be able to fully get me up-on-line talking today and I was correct .. but they are working-on-it .. I will settle for them to get my little Vodafone to connect to its cell phone tower here to at least give me the correct time-of-day .. right now my little Vodafone is telling me it is tomorrow !
Getting myself a 'stash of Water' is a 100% done-deal .. I have five one-liter bottles of water and enjoyed a great visit with the owner and his grandson .. my friends of over twenty two (22) years .. Grandfather and Grandson .. the middle man passed away untimely a year or so ago .. leaving a void that will not be replaced .. No son for Grandfather and no father for Grandson ..
My tailor will have my India Shirt fixed up by Friday night and let-me-tell you all this .. finding my India Tailor of over twenty two (22) years was a frightening out-of-body scary experience .. see I KNEW .. I KNEW .. I was and I had lost-it !
WHY? ! Simply because I could NOT find the Shankar Market here in New Delhi where my tailor is located .. I had lost-my-mental ability to find a place that I know as well as I know the back-of-my-hand !
BUT I persevered .. doggedly and doggedly I kept searching .. and people on the street kept asking me .. "Can we help you out Baba? " .. they .. in their infinite street-wisdom knew that I was lost ..
SUDDENLY after an hour of wandering back and forth .. up and down streets .. there it was .. the SHANKAR MARKET ! See I had even forgotten that name (The Shankar Market) else I could have told all of my MANY street benefactors that .. "I am looking for the Sankar Market." ..
I found Shop Number 90 in the Shankar Market (this in and of itself was a job) and in I went and I was set .. Roy Exclusive Tailor .. my tailor .. my place .. "Sahib you shirt will be ready Friday afternoon after 6PM.""
It was then I found my way back to 1 Jai Singh Road and 'crashed dead' in my bed here at the YMCA ..
I did as Vodafone told me to do .. I waited for over four (4) hours .. after which wait I turned little Vodafone off-and-on .. tried to dial Vodafone Number 117 and could not do so .. I then walked back to Vodafone in the dark of the New Delhi night .. and they studied my little Vodafone and said .. "Go home to the YMCA and call number 117 in several hours after turning your phone off and on again."
I said in reply to them .. "I will see you here in person tomorrow morning at 10AM" .. KNOWING how to do these things after my years of experience here !
WHAT'S THAT YOU ASK ME 'ZILLA ?
WHAT AM I DOING JAY WALKING AGAIN IN INDIA ?
OUT IN THE NIGHT TRAFFIC IN NEW DELHI IN CONNAUGHT PLACE !
FORGIVE ME 'ZILLA FOR I HAVE SINNED AGAIN !
I seem unable to resist jaywalking here in India KNOWING it is a life-and-death issue period-no-questions-asked ! ..
Well at least my twenty two (22) years of experience of doing this .. jay walking in the India traffic .. stood me well !
First .. I place a woman between me and the oncoming traffic .. so the car(s) will hit the woman before they hit Bobba Caps .. and then .. for good measure .. I also carefully notice that between the woman and the oncoming traffic will be a small mob of other Indians so the oncoming traffic will have to hit about fifty (50) people before getting to Bobba Caps ..
And I walk with one hand lightly touching the woman so I do NOT lose track of her since she may suddenly 'dart' to avoid being hit herself !
She 'darts' and Bobba Caps 'darts' with her !
Lord is this crazy or is this CRAZY ! ? ..
Over and Out for Now with Many Smiles .. and .. Much Love .. Cap ..
now let's us see what blogspot dates this post as .. have fun Patti proof reading this mess ! .. do not take my two hour day literally .. I probably was out for more like three hours .. but I was not out for so long that I should have been totally exhausted ..
let the record show that today .. God of Abraham .. introduced me personally to one .. PRA THAMMARATO (PAPA MONK) .. and my life is ever enrichened .. I may and I may NOT get back to 'Papa Monk" ..
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
FEB 6, 13 .. SAFELY INTO NEW DELHI ! !
As I sit here .. it is Wednesday morning .. February the 6th .. in spite of what the Google Blogspot heading above may say!
Let's just start off basic .. I am safely into New Delhi, India .. and that is a good thing. Depending upon whom I ask .. it has been raining for either two or three days .. and today looks like it will continue the 'rainy trend' ..
As we landed at 1AM local time this morning .. it was raining and foggy .. and a tad unnerving .. but all is well that ends well ..
By the time I completed Immigration and Customs and was in a taxi it was past 2AM .. and the traffic .. at 2AM in the early morning was GRIDLOCK ! But again .. I got to the YMCA here on Jai Singh Road in good shape and 'over-tipped' my taxi driver because he really drove safely and sanely .. An over-tip to you reading along here amounted to Two ($2) US Dollars and let me tell you .. my driver was jumping up and down happy with that tip .. the total fare was about Eight ($8) US Dollars so I gave him a 20% tip in lieu of the common no-tip-whatsover ..
I tried and I tried and I tried again and again to call Patti with no luck .. the outside pay phone at the YMCA lacked a dial tone and my friend at the front desk .. despite about ten or more attempts .. could not get a call to go through to the USA .. either to a cell phone or to a land line home phone .. no difference .. it was about 3:30AM when I 'crashed' .. and I mean I 'crashed' ..
Busy day today .. I have eaten breakfast and gotten money .. next up I will try to activate my India Cell Vodafone so I can make and receive calls .. I must get a stash of bottled drinking water .. go to my tailors and have him do some work on one of my India Shirts .. and all of it 'in-the-rain' it looks like at this writing ..
This will-do-it for now at least .. I have got-to-tell you all .. this morning .. I am 'feeling' each of my 76 years of life .. knowing and accepting this fact .. it is critical that I move slowly and deliberately .. I am 'prone' to 'mistakes' when I am feeling as I currently feel .. and here in India .. a 'mistake' can be fatal ! Like the 'mistake' of trying to board a moving bus .. or to de-board a moving bus before it fully stops .. or to get 'casual' out in the New Delhi traffic ..
In late October of 1990 .. when I arrived in India for my first-ever visit .. I instantly 'felt' like I 'belonged' here in India. Now .. over twenty two (22) years and 'counting' .. at 10AM local time the 6th of February 2013 .. I STILL FEEL LIKE I BELONG HERE ! The magic of twenty two years is still alive-and-well with me and with Mother India ..
OK .. it is now .. "time to get-on-with-the-getting-on" .. and I quote Richard Petty who would say this prior to beginning a NASCAR race when I was with his team back in the early 1970's .. WHAT A THRILL THOSE FEW YEARS WERE !
Much Joy from a 'wired up' Captain .. Love too ..
Now Patti my dear one you can go to work and assist me to clean this up .. sorry I could not get a call through to you last night but you KNEW I was into Delhi safely ..
Let's just start off basic .. I am safely into New Delhi, India .. and that is a good thing. Depending upon whom I ask .. it has been raining for either two or three days .. and today looks like it will continue the 'rainy trend' ..
As we landed at 1AM local time this morning .. it was raining and foggy .. and a tad unnerving .. but all is well that ends well ..
By the time I completed Immigration and Customs and was in a taxi it was past 2AM .. and the traffic .. at 2AM in the early morning was GRIDLOCK ! But again .. I got to the YMCA here on Jai Singh Road in good shape and 'over-tipped' my taxi driver because he really drove safely and sanely .. An over-tip to you reading along here amounted to Two ($2) US Dollars and let me tell you .. my driver was jumping up and down happy with that tip .. the total fare was about Eight ($8) US Dollars so I gave him a 20% tip in lieu of the common no-tip-whatsover ..
I tried and I tried and I tried again and again to call Patti with no luck .. the outside pay phone at the YMCA lacked a dial tone and my friend at the front desk .. despite about ten or more attempts .. could not get a call to go through to the USA .. either to a cell phone or to a land line home phone .. no difference .. it was about 3:30AM when I 'crashed' .. and I mean I 'crashed' ..
Busy day today .. I have eaten breakfast and gotten money .. next up I will try to activate my India Cell Vodafone so I can make and receive calls .. I must get a stash of bottled drinking water .. go to my tailors and have him do some work on one of my India Shirts .. and all of it 'in-the-rain' it looks like at this writing ..
This will-do-it for now at least .. I have got-to-tell you all .. this morning .. I am 'feeling' each of my 76 years of life .. knowing and accepting this fact .. it is critical that I move slowly and deliberately .. I am 'prone' to 'mistakes' when I am feeling as I currently feel .. and here in India .. a 'mistake' can be fatal ! Like the 'mistake' of trying to board a moving bus .. or to de-board a moving bus before it fully stops .. or to get 'casual' out in the New Delhi traffic ..
In late October of 1990 .. when I arrived in India for my first-ever visit .. I instantly 'felt' like I 'belonged' here in India. Now .. over twenty two (22) years and 'counting' .. at 10AM local time the 6th of February 2013 .. I STILL FEEL LIKE I BELONG HERE ! The magic of twenty two years is still alive-and-well with me and with Mother India ..
OK .. it is now .. "time to get-on-with-the-getting-on" .. and I quote Richard Petty who would say this prior to beginning a NASCAR race when I was with his team back in the early 1970's .. WHAT A THRILL THOSE FEW YEARS WERE !
Much Joy from a 'wired up' Captain .. Love too ..
Now Patti my dear one you can go to work and assist me to clean this up .. sorry I could not get a call through to you last night but you KNEW I was into Delhi safely ..
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