On our way to Rajasthan

The kids slept in their clothes, got up to eat a quick breakfast and clambered into the waiting car.  We were still 15 minutes delayed leaving but I was proud of how responsible the kids were. As we pulled out of the neighborhood I anxiously glanced at the clock, 5:56 a.m.  I did some quick calculations and realized with trepidation that we were cutting ourselves short by a few minutes.  We left with exactly one hour to spare until check in time.  The government regulations require you to check-in no later than 45 minutes before your flight, no exceptions.  Our driver drove our Toyota minivan like 007 in a James Bond movie.  Thankfully there was no traffic.  His driving matched my anxiety.  I felt like we skidded to a stop at the airport and I rushed the kids out, grabbed our suitcases, and threw a quick glance and a “thanks, Raj” at our driver as we made a mad dash for the airport doors. Three kids ran behind me, I assumed, as I looked back once just to be sure.  Yep, all there.

 So many people.  There were lines everywhere.  Just to step into the building you have to present your itinerary and i.d. to the guards at the door.  Then we rushed to the check-in desk.   We underestimated how long the lines to check-in would be and my heart sank as I looked at the clock on the wall and the number of people ahead of us.  Tears welled in my eyes when I realized we wouldn’t make our flight.   Dragging three young kids that early to the airport was hard enough, but now I had to accept the fact that all that effort and rushing was useless.  My son looked up at me and asked anxiously “are we gonna catch our flight, mom?” “I don’t think so”, as I fought hard to keep tears from spilling.  Our long day of flying was going to be even longer and my husband would be in Jodhpur waiting.  Who knew if we’d even get on the next flight?  Then to my utter disbelief, I heard, “LAST CALL FOR DELHI!  ANYONE FLYING TO DELHI?”  Oh, Oh, YES!  He lifted the ropes and let us through.  My daughter looked up triumphantly at me and announced that “it’s because I prayed mom!  God answered my prayers.”  Then in utter relief, the kind that only a mom travelling alone with three kids would understand, the tears started to roll down my cheeks.  Big fat crocodiles tears.

We had a 2 ½ hour flight to Delhi, 4 hour delay, then a one hour flight to Jodhpur.   We made it and how wonderful it was to see that handsome face waiting for us at the other side of the glass doors.  My husband hugged me after almost a week apart.

Rajasthan

We're off to Rajasthan tomorrow which is the one place I wanted to visit even more than the famous Taj Mahal.  Once you've lived in India for a while you realize that the Taj is probably better in the photos and the romantic images you have in your mind will never compare to the real thing; Kind of like watching a football game for so many years on television then you finally go to a real game, then disappointed because you can't figure out where the ball is, there's no instant replay, and you had no idea the players would be so hard to see.  So I've come to the conclusion that a nine day tour in the desert seeing palaces and sand dunes is far better than a short, disappointing trip to a monument that will never look as amazing as the photos.  That all being said, we are off early tomorrow morning, myself with the three kids, catching a flight to Delhi, then after a four hour delay, it takes us to our first stop in Rajasthan- Jodhpur.  If all goes as planned Steve should be meeting us there from Mumbai.  I'll keep you posted.