India Blog
So I plan to keep a journal of my adventures. I don't think it will be daily but at least weekly. So here goes
India,
I finally made to India for training. It was a rocky start to say the least. The flight to Newark was uneventful. Boarding for the flight to India took no time but was a taste of what it would be like in India. The gate area is under construction making for a rather cramped space for 200+ people to line up in 5 different groups. Luckily I paid the little extra to be in one of the first groups. Everything was going well until we sat on the tarmac for a few mins. Then the pilot said there was a light that came on from one of the engines. Not a good thing to hear just before taking off for a 15 hr. flight. We went back to the gate and waited for a while. Next thing the pilot came on again saying the light thingy was fixed BUT the crew had to be replaced. You see FAA regulations or something like that limits the crew’s time on duty. They needed to find another crew to take us to Mumbai. About an hour later we had a new crew, pilots and flight attendants. But wait it gets better as we were being unhooked from the tow vehicle the announcement that one of the flight attendants needed changed. As we sat on the tarmac they off loaded one crew member and replaced with another. 2 ½ hrs. later we finally made it in the air. The flight was long but uneventful I slept for almost 5 hrs. just not all at once. I saw American sniper and Fury 2 decent movies for what they are. Once on the ground at 11:45 local time next to go thru customs and immigration. Unbeknownst to me I needed to fill out another form before going thru the line. I completed that and got in the wrong line. Fortunately there were helpful people in line and redirected me to the right line. I got my bag and made it out to the crowd of people with signs. I was to meet one of them with the name of the hotel and my name. After going thru the line twice I found my name. Everyone at work said be ready for the ride from the airport to the hotel. They weren’t kidding vehicles from large box trucks to small cars to mopeds and 3 wheel motorcycles called tulip cars all trying to get to the same place with no rhyme or reason. Lots of horns and close calls we made it out of the airport mess and on the way to the hotel. It didn’t take too long at all. We pulled up to the guarded and gated hotel once thru the gated the hood and trunk was checked as well as the undercarriage. The staff was very helpful, something I’m not used to at all. I’m kind of a do it yourself kind of guy. The room is nice much like most hotel rooms with a nice view of a roundabout. This will be home for the next 3 months.
India,
I finally made to India for training. It was a rocky start to say the least. The flight to Newark was uneventful. Boarding for the flight to India took no time but was a taste of what it would be like in India. The gate area is under construction making for a rather cramped space for 200+ people to line up in 5 different groups. Luckily I paid the little extra to be in one of the first groups. Everything was going well until we sat on the tarmac for a few mins. Then the pilot said there was a light that came on from one of the engines. Not a good thing to hear just before taking off for a 15 hr. flight. We went back to the gate and waited for a while. Next thing the pilot came on again saying the light thingy was fixed BUT the crew had to be replaced. You see FAA regulations or something like that limits the crew’s time on duty. They needed to find another crew to take us to Mumbai. About an hour later we had a new crew, pilots and flight attendants. But wait it gets better as we were being unhooked from the tow vehicle the announcement that one of the flight attendants needed changed. As we sat on the tarmac they off loaded one crew member and replaced with another. 2 ½ hrs. later we finally made it in the air. The flight was long but uneventful I slept for almost 5 hrs. just not all at once. I saw American sniper and Fury 2 decent movies for what they are. Once on the ground at 11:45 local time next to go thru customs and immigration. Unbeknownst to me I needed to fill out another form before going thru the line. I completed that and got in the wrong line. Fortunately there were helpful people in line and redirected me to the right line. I got my bag and made it out to the crowd of people with signs. I was to meet one of them with the name of the hotel and my name. After going thru the line twice I found my name. Everyone at work said be ready for the ride from the airport to the hotel. They weren’t kidding vehicles from large box trucks to small cars to mopeds and 3 wheel motorcycles called tulip cars all trying to get to the same place with no rhyme or reason. Lots of horns and close calls we made it out of the airport mess and on the way to the hotel. It didn’t take too long at all. We pulled up to the guarded and gated hotel once thru the gated the hood and trunk was checked as well as the undercarriage. The staff was very helpful, something I’m not used to at all. I’m kind of a do it yourself kind of guy. The room is nice much like most hotel rooms with a nice view of a roundabout. This will be home for the next 3 months.