Departure Day minus 1: Today I am consumed with the minutiae of travel – photocopying my passport, credit cards (front and back) and health insurance policy, clearing my refrigerator of anything that will turn green and furry in my absence, laundering and packing my clothes. I have achieved success – some clothing has indeed fit into my carry-on; not a lot, but enough to see me through several days between washings.
I wonder about turning my hot water thermostat down and disconnecting all of my electrical appliances and then stop to wonder why I am thinking this at all. I have gone on long-ish vacations before without doing such things. But I face so many unknowns in the next three weeks that I feel compelled make my home secure.
My unknowns:
India, a great unknown to me. We start in Delhi in the north (red marker), then go to Agra (blue), K
alakho (green), and Jaipur (yellow). Half way through the tour we fly south to Mysore (purple), then proceed to Wyanad (orange), Palakkad (deep green), Kerala backwaters (fushia) and finish up in Cochin (light brown). This is a link to an interactive map of my itinery: http://www.zeemaps.com/304824. It is annotated to some extent.
I am not travelling from Canada with the tour group – no frequent flyer miles on Air India – and will arrive in New Delhi on my own a day in advance of the group. Road Scholar has arranged an airport transfer for me. Will I find someone waiting with my name on a placard? Do I call the hotel to announce my arrival? Is there a hotel shuttle pick-up system like the ones in North America? I emailed these questions to the hotel several days ago, but have not heard back.
I will be spending three weeks with a group of around 20 people I don’t know. I hope I will like them, and they me. One of my tour mates, a retired physics professor from North Carolina, has emailed to introduce himself and his wife. He sounds nice…
All my fretting and fussing has intensified my anticipatory state. I have become a small child, certain her next-day birthday party will never begin.
On the Move 