We haven’t disappeared (Don’t make us worry)

[June bug]

Good grief! I hope you get out of no-mans-land soon!

Wasn’t there a movie with Tom Hanks about something like this?

[Foggy]

Yikes!

[jemcanada2]

Good grief! I hope you get out of no-mans-land soon!

Wasn’t there a movie with Tom Hanks about something like this?

It was based on a true story of a man who was trapped in a French airport for the rest of his life!

[Sam the Centipede]

So.

I’m trapped in no-man’s-land. I’m in the Delhi airport. I can’t leave the airport because I don’t have a visa. I can’t enter the main terminal because I don’t have a boarding pass. I can’t get a boarding pass until the United ticket agent shows up at five pm! It’s now 10:13 am, and I’ve been here since 2:30 am.

but I shall express my sympathy for you by having a chicken dansak curry with aloo gobi and a few Singha beers for my dinner.

दिल्ली में अपने समय का आनंद लें!

[Foggy]

Yeah, Maybenaut is a sooper strong personality, and she's with her husband, so ordinarily I would not be seriously worried about her. She's as capable as they get.

But now I'm wondering, what can she find that she can eat? Remember, she has that terrible alpha gal disease and she can't eat meat. I hope she and her husband snuck a lot of edible stuff in their backpacks or sumpin'.

[Maybenaut]

Yeah, Maybenaut is a sooper strong personality, and she's with her husband, so ordinarily I would not be seriously worried about her. She's as capable as they get.

But now I'm wondering, what can she find that she can eat? Remember, she has that terrible alpha gal disease and she can't eat meat. I hope she and her husband snuck a lot of edible stuff in their backpacks or sumpin'.

Actually, I’m with my friend. But we’re both strong, so.

As for eating, there isn’t anything here in no-man’s-land where they’ve revised the issuing of the boarding pass to 8pm (so, soon, hopefully).

[bill_g]

India would not be the worst place in the world to be stuck with a vegetarian-ish diet. The no-mansland part is awful. I'm sure it will be sorted soon.

[Volkonski]

So.

I’m trapped in no-man’s-land. I’m in the Delhi airport. I can’t leave the airport because I don’t have a visa. I can’t enter the main terminal because I don’t have a boarding pass. I can’t get a boarding pass until the United ticket agent shows up at five pm! It’s now 10:13 am, and I’ve been here since 2:30 am.

Terrible.

[Maybenaut]

I finally got my boarding pass and I’m at the gate. After air india rebooked me on United, they kept my luggage tags. United wouldn’t issue a boarding pass without them. A very helpful United agent helped cut through the BS.

After I had a confirmation number, in a rare moment of clarity I checked in with the United app and got a seat assignment (middle seat, but paid extra for an exit row with a bulkhead - this is a 15 or 16 hour flight and I’ve been up since 6am yesterday). Everyone on my Kathmandu flight got stuck with a middle seat - I’m glad I thought to check in with the app

[sugar magnolia]

After the storms came through Tuesday night and knocked trees down all over hell's half acre, including another massive oak in our back yard, we lost power, cable and internet about noon Wed from 3 trees that fell over down the street and took out everything, including 5 cars. No damage to any people or houses though. Power finally back on Friday night and cable and internet back on about an hour ago. Chainsaws have been running from daylight until dark since Thurs. Huge tree still blocking the front door across the street but the big oaks that were blocking us from getting out of our street are gone so we can at least go get coffee and food. My brand new fence, from the last storm, has heaved up about 3 feet from the root ball of the oak. No internet for 4 days sucks. Our phone has been giving us alerts for 2 days on how much data we're using.

[Foggy]

Man, who knew you have to rake the forests in Jackson, Mississippi?

It's been a few years since a big tree came down in our yard, and luckily it missed the house (because it was a BIG oak).

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Glad you’re back, sugar!

[Maybenaut]

Finally back on US soil but not home yet.

[bill_g]

Finally back on US soil but not home yet.

Hey! And you probably got some sleep too.

[bill_g]

After the storms came through Tuesday night and knocked trees down all over hell's half acre, including another massive oak in our back yard, we lost power, cable and internet about noon Wed from 3 trees that fell over down the street and took out everything, including 5 cars. No damage to any people or houses though. Power finally back on Friday night and cable and internet back on about an hour ago. Chainsaws have been running from daylight until dark since Thurs. Huge tree still blocking the front door across the street but the big oaks that were blocking us from getting out of our street are gone so we can at least go get coffee and food. My brand new fence, from the last storm, has heaved up about 3 feet from the root ball of the oak. No internet for 4 days sucks. Our phone has been giving us alerts for 2 days on how much data we're using.

Oh man. We've heard the song of the chainsaw bird here many times after a big storm. I'm glad you made it through safely without worse than a broke fence. That's doin good.

[AndyinPA]

That must be miserable. Good luck.

[Maybenaut]

Finally back on US soil but not home yet.

Hey! And you probably got some sleep too.

Not much.

We left our hotel in Nepal at 5:30 pm Nepal time. They’re +9:45 in Kathmandu.

We left Kathmandu for Delhi late (around 11:30). They took us by bus to the plane, and made us endure this farcical show of security. Everyone had their bags “searched” by placing them on a table, and picking them back up again, and then had to put everything back down again and go behind a curtain where a woman patted me down by tapping on one shoulder.

We got to the international transfer point in the Delhi airport around 2:30 am, and were told we missed our flight to Dulles, and to sit down. We finally got boarding passes around 10:30 pm, and after another farcical round of security we got to the gate just as they were getting ready to board. Then the airline (United this time - I’ll never fly on Air India again) had its own security at the gate (I certainly understand why). The flight left on time at 11:30. So, about 30 hours after we left our hotel in Kathmandu.

Instead of flying to Dulles (which would have meant another 24 hours in no-man’s-land where there was no food or water - good thing I had a life straw bottle coz you can’t drink the water in India), we opted for Newark, getting in around 6:30 am. It was about a 16 hour flight, give or take. So, 46 hours so far.

When we landed in Newark we had to pick up our bags at customs and recheck them. We expected an 8-hour layover in Newark, but a very helpful airport worker said there was a United agent nearby, and suggested we see if we could get an earlier flight. We did that, and instead of leaving at 2:00 pm, we got on a 10:30 am flight to Reagan National.

We landed at DCA at noon, some 52 hours after we left our hotel in Kathmandu. During that time I had maybe six or eight hours of sleep. No sleeping on planes for me, no matter how comfy the seat. And I was in economy the whole way.

My husband picked us up at DCA, and we dropped my friend off in Reston, stopped for a bite to eat - in those 52 hours all I had eaten was 2 PB&Js that I thought to pack in Kathmandu in case I couldn’t eat the airplane food (I should have packed more). We got home around 4:00 pm, about 56 hours after leaving the Kathmandu Guest House.

I went straight to bed, slept for 10 or so hours, now I’m wide awake.

But this wasn’t the trip. The trip was everything that happened before we left the Kathmandu Guest House. It was FABULOUS! If you ever get a chance to visit Nepal, GO! The people are warm and friendly. Most people speak at least some English. They’re proud of their heritage and culture, which is extraordinarily rich. And at $131 Nepalese Rupees to the dollar, it’s relatively inexpensive.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Welcome home!!!!!!!!

[Uninformed]

Lovely to hear that your abiding memories will be of a wonderful stay in Nepal.

[AndyinPA]

Awful airport experience, but glad everything else was really enjoyed. Welcome home.

[Estiveo]

Okay, okay, glad you're back, what'd ya bring us?

[Volkonski]

What a trip!

Glad you are finally home.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

Okay, okay, glad you're back, what'd ya bring us?

Uh, yeah!!! I always wanted a sherpa!