Day 14, Paro to Hyderabad

May 6, 2009

I began my journey home from the world’s most challenging airport.

I took the Drukair flight from Paro to Kathmandu. Just like the hotel I stayed at last night, the plane to Kathmandu was full of firangis. Both at the hotel and in the plane, I was the only colored person. During our flight to Kathmandu, we were treated to a spectacular view of the Himalayas and the Mount Everest. Everyone on the flight was so excited to see the Everest that at one point I could feel the plane tilt to the right.

After a stopover at Kathmandu, the same plane took me to Delhi, from where I caught the 4pm Spice Jet flight to Hyderabad. I am averse to flights. And taking three flights in one day is something I haven’t done before. I was almost sick and dizzy by the time my plane took off in Delhi. To make things worse, I had extremely annoying neighbors on the flight home. The guy sitting next to me and his female colleague relentlessly discussed everything on earth – food, politics, people and his wife. The girl was a stereotype - loud, incessant and completely oblivious to the inconvenience she was causing to everyone around her. I’m sure she is a bad driver too. I was extremely relieved on landing in Hyderabad, I don’t remember being so happy to see the Shamshabad airport before. And after a painfully slow two hour drive, I was home.

Thus ended my trip. I took eight flights, travelled some 1000km by road and 7000km by air, all in two weeks. I abused my body with battered cars and bad roads. I missed seeing the Himalayas from Pokhara and Gangtok because I went during the wrong season. Despite several efforts, I couldn't visit the Indo China border at Nathula because of the landslide. Yet, I am happy. I visited several places, met a lot of interesting people and learnt innumerable things about the culture of my neighboring countries.

But more importantly, I rediscovered myself.