India flight

The flight to India was quite different than that to London. On this flight people were standing and pushing up until the plane took off. Even then there was the odd person standing or peering over the sheets for a better place to sit. When we first sat down my nose tickled with the smell of patchouli. The woman next to us was holding a Buddha statue and burning incense – luck or a prayer for the flight? Then, the woman’s brother started speaking in an odd combination of Spanish and Hindi – a new combo to me.

I fell asleep right as the plane took off only to be awakened 20minutes later by the smacking sound of the teenagers in front of us who appeared to be kissing for their first time. That or they were preparing for the Ashram in Pune.

Finally! After a total of 40-hours travel time we made it. Mumbai is beautiful – a city filled to the brim with colors, smells, and of course people. Just driving to the hotel I was counting my blessings – thinking about everything in San Francisco and then thanking God we were still alive in our cab.

Two tangents, but the streets of Mumbai render themselves to dual-pathed thoughts. Our hotel is a thing of beauty right on the water. Just half a mile away is a Muslim mosque, down the street is a park dedicated to Gandhi, and in front of us are hundreds of tourists, vendors, and beggers. The streets are wide open telling isms every second. I can’t wait to experience a few.

Somewhere between 14, February and 15, February
London We decided to spend our 11-hour layover in London out of the airport and in town. Getting on the tube we made our way to Covent Garden. The tube is always entertaining as there are isms happening in every 3rd seat. I think young adults in London try to set themselves apart as a new kind of different and cool – these are, after all, the people setting the trends for the rest of us. Disembarking in Covent Garden we ran into the usual CG suspects – a man dressed as the tin man and a boy doing magic in the square.

Both of these characters would fit in perfectly in San Francisco. Walking through our bleary haze up and down the streets it was a good thing everyone else was so caught up with themselves. We passed Parliament, Westminster Abby, and the Themes. In front of the Abby a group of young girls were trying to make the guards crack a smile – instead, they succeeded in making the guards annoyed and subsequently they started marching around. Back to the airport and on our final leg.