My main memory of the journey to KTM was watching the boys cleaning the windows inside the Delhi Airport Terminal. We left Liverpool at 10.48am on Monday morning and caught the train to London. Problem was we found out there was also a tube strike planned the same day. Greg no happy at this point and Liz concerned that Greg no happy. You see my main rucksac was huge and I had managed to get everything in it including plastic boots and walking boots (20kg worth). Anyhow, we made a bit of a dog leg and succeeded on getting onto some express thing which we has to pay extra on 'cos we had wrong tickets. Doh!
Checked in and chilled out. Take off at 5.40pm and arrived at Delhi at about 6.30am Indian time (5.5hrs ahead). As we were in transit to another plane we didn't get Indian visas. This is when it started to get a bit confusing as we couldn't follow the rest of the passengers to baggage collection. We simply had to wait it out until our airline staff came on duty. Will we ever see our bags again - well at least I had a toothbrush and spare knickers ready for the occassion! A couple of hours wait and we were called through. Our bags had were to go to the plane and we would see them in KTM. Great. We are now really knackered and hence the memory of the window cleaners. I'm lying on a seat in and out of concsiousness looking out the window at my first view of India, when a really young boy (about 14-15)in a full body climbing harness walks past me with a green bucket. He pulls himself up to a metal horizontal piece of window frame and then reaches up to the next and clips two lanyards with industrial size karabiners together from the one above. The distance between each horizontal is about2.5m. He steps into a loop of his rope and continues to a height of about 60m above us with his bucket to start cleaning the windows. Flippin heck where's the H&S Manager? In between unclipping from one section in order to clip into the one above he is unprotected and standing above me with a load of glass. below him. Oh yeah....his bucket is not clipped in too. Wouldn't want that landing on my head! Pics to follow as he was joined eventually by three others. We were under the impression Delhi Airport was entering the Cleanest Airport Terminal FinalS. We were surrounded by the Housekeeping Team (with dusters), the Maitenance Team (with spanners) and the Green Team (yes, they dust the plants)! Hope it's not all fur coat and no knickers!
Anyhow, luck found us guided towards our First Class seat (complimentary drinks and everything) on Kingfisher Airlines and landing in KTM at about 3.30pm Nepal time (+5.75hrs). Showers, food and sleeps followed in a variety of orders.
Checked in and chilled out. Take off at 5.40pm and arrived at Delhi at about 6.30am Indian time (5.5hrs ahead). As we were in transit to another plane we didn't get Indian visas. This is when it started to get a bit confusing as we couldn't follow the rest of the passengers to baggage collection. We simply had to wait it out until our airline staff came on duty. Will we ever see our bags again - well at least I had a toothbrush and spare knickers ready for the occassion! A couple of hours wait and we were called through. Our bags had were to go to the plane and we would see them in KTM. Great. We are now really knackered and hence the memory of the window cleaners. I'm lying on a seat in and out of concsiousness looking out the window at my first view of India, when a really young boy (about 14-15)in a full body climbing harness walks past me with a green bucket. He pulls himself up to a metal horizontal piece of window frame and then reaches up to the next and clips two lanyards with industrial size karabiners together from the one above. The distance between each horizontal is about2.5m. He steps into a loop of his rope and continues to a height of about 60m above us with his bucket to start cleaning the windows. Flippin heck where's the H&S Manager? In between unclipping from one section in order to clip into the one above he is unprotected and standing above me with a load of glass. below him. Oh yeah....his bucket is not clipped in too. Wouldn't want that landing on my head! Pics to follow as he was joined eventually by three others. We were under the impression Delhi Airport was entering the Cleanest Airport Terminal FinalS. We were surrounded by the Housekeeping Team (with dusters), the Maitenance Team (with spanners) and the Green Team (yes, they dust the plants)! Hope it's not all fur coat and no knickers!
Anyhow, luck found us guided towards our First Class seat (complimentary drinks and everything) on Kingfisher Airlines and landing in KTM at about 3.30pm Nepal time (+5.75hrs). Showers, food and sleeps followed in a variety of orders.
Hi Liz and Gregg
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying the trip so far. Picture that we saw on Saturday were brilliant, looks like you are having an experience of a life time. So wish I could swap places rather than having to work and listen to public spending cuts. Good news-your car heater is now working.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
Bruce & Jamie
Hi Liz (and Greg) how fabulous to read your blog really enjoyed reading about your adventure so far,keep it coming.I love the first class flight to start and it was great to see you in your video clips and looking so well and happy,it seems the trepidation has passed and you are really enjoying it.The bus story didn't sound good but suppose you have to take the rough with the smooth? Anyway i will look foreward to your next installment.Take care be safe and stay happy..Love Denise (Isis) x
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