Last minute ticket purchase

I just purchased my ticket to Malaysia - with it being just a day later than I wanted. I guess everything is flying off the shelves with it being the holiday. Being in a predominately Hindu country, I sort of forget that Christmas and the ensuing holiday madness is coming. So Jet Airways and Air India and Malaysia Airlines were all out of tickets - but I got an indirect flight through Singapore Airlines. The other option was Indian Airlines, but after reading so many bad reviews I decided to fly in 5-star luxury instead. Hopefully all will go well.

My cousin in Melaka reports that the flooding in south Malaysia is much improved and it is safe to travel again. She's given me the go-ahead and I hope to meet up with her and my aunt at the end of next week.

Today I biked around Pondicherry, did some shopping and mostly struggled to find these Malaysia tickets. I had a nice thali lunch at Bombay Anandha Bhavan (on Mission St, on the same block as Nilgiri's) and a pongal breakfast at Saravana Bhavan (on Nehru, just east of MG Road). I'm much more impressed by quality at BAB and we've had quite a few lunches there already. They give refills on veggies, exact amount of rice, some chutney powder and a roti (all things that SB doesn't do).

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Final days in Pondicherry

Again, checking in, this time from Pondicherry. My internet access has been quite infrequent until now and I've gotten a few emails from people wondering if I'm ok. I'm doing quite well! I've gotten over several health issues (thank goodness I picked up some cipro before I left) and am feeling great. I should be going to Malaysia next week some time - hopefully ticket prices won't be prohibitively expensive.

Having spent over a month in India now, it's a bit hard for me to write up anything now. Overall it's been an incredible experience and I'm looking forward to coming back!

Picture taking came to a near halt a couple weeks ago - I'll have to post later as these cafes are still slow speed (though I seem to have found one not effected by big power outages) - along with more details about what I've been doing. For now, I'm off to the store in search of chinese food ingredients - a difficult task in south india.

(ps Chewy - you're right - no news is good news - but tell me it's the same for you in Seattle!)

Checking in from Tamil Nadu

Internet time is extremely limited and slow so here's a quick check in to say I am still alive. The stay has been fabulous so far, with great food, warm weather, and incredible hospitality. We've been to Pondicherry, Trichy, Tanjore, Trivanduram, Vazhkala (sp?), and Coimbatore. Yesterday I saw the wooden chariots for Deepam being pulled around the temple in Tiravunamalai. We are waiting for the 10th day (final day) before heading back to Kerala.

I will have to share more stories and pictures later. As of now, I am playing travel planning by ear - any plan we do make seems to not happen, but it all ends up well in being a great experience.

Hope everyone is doing well - happy thanksgiving to those in the US!

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Preparing for India

I'm not even in India yet and I've encountered trouble. Last night when I went to check on my Kingfisher ticket - the reservation had disappeared! Luckily, my friend and host in India were able to call the office and get some more information. Unfortunately, they just said it hadn't been confirmed and was on the verge of being canceled. This despite the fact that it was confirmed when I bought it! After a lot of hassle, I finally gave up on them and bought a new ticket with Jet Airways. It's more expensive, but hopefully will offer higher quality service.

Travel Note: Jet Airways currently can't book online with a Visa. Use Mastercard.

So I am almost done packing, quite nervous and also quite excited. I have no idea what is ahead of me, but we'll see what happens. Subsequent blogging will likely be delayed, but the camera is charging now and I'll make an effort to take a few pictures. My int'l flight is to Mumbai, and then I have a flight to Chennai.

Thanks to Shaykat, Kiran, Dave, Peggy, Karla and Mia for the last words of support on chat. It's helped to calm my nerves. Kiran advised me to get Bisleri mineral water, being higher quality than others.

I welcome all advice - for my immediate travel in India, and future travel in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and in general. So please comment if you have anything useful. I've just finished packing, with 2 bags weighing in at 10.1 kg (22 pounds). This is just about as much as Hugh weighs - he must have known and purposefully gained weight to help me prepare for my travels. Thanks Hugh!

I'm off to have some lunch with my family, and then head off to the airport. Wish me luck!

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