Day 31 – October 18 – Tokyo, Japan – Delhi, India

Honestly, there is not much to say about today. I checked out of the hotel and got myself ready for a long day of travel. I took the airport express again to Narita (what, do I friggin live at this airport now?) and checked into my JAL flight to Delhi. The flight was delayed and over nine hours, so I didn’t get to Delhi until late. Not only that, but once I got to Delhi, my bags took about 45 minutes to get off of the plane. I found the driver sent by my hotel to pick me up, and we made our way for the center of Old Delhi.

Here is my initial impression of Delhi. Polluted, dusty, crowded and dirty. I got into an old, beat-up car and it took well over an hour to get to the Hotel Tara Palace. It was fine, nothing special. Definitely no Shilla or Park Hyatt. No, this was a concrete floor with a mattress laid on it. It did have plenty of power outlets, though. It was late at night, around 11pm, and there were big BOOMS and POPS exploding every few seconds. As it happens, I am in India during Diwali. If you are a fan of The Office, you will know that Diwali is the most important celebratory festival in India. It is a three day festival, with the first night being the most important. The fireworks were loud and, honestly, obnoxious. Most were just like M80s, loud and with no cool colors or sparks. It just sounded like I was in a war zone. Hopefully, I will be proven wrong tomorrow and I will see the face of Incredible India (trademarked by the Indian Tourism Board).