If it's TUesday, it must be Kathmandu!

When we checked out of our Hotel in Delhi, this was the new floral design at the entrance to the hotel lobby. Each day, a man comes by and cleans up the marble floor, removing all of the design from the day before and then sets about creating a new design - using red rose petals, daisies, marigolds and even mown grass clippings.
We set out for the International Airport, where we had arrived less than one day previously, and worked our way through the snake-line at Jet Airways, finally to the ticket counter.  We were directed to go through immigration, and after waiting in that queue for about fifteen monutes, arrived at the counter, only to be told that we had been sent to the wrong part of immigration and had to retreat out of that area and walk about five hundred yards further in the airport to get to the right section.  We made it without incident through immigration and then entered one of the largest DUTY FREE ZONES I have ever encountered.  Everything one could possibly want to purchase or just "window shop" is available at IGI Airport in Delhi.

Our flight to Kathmandu was supposed to depart at 12:20 but by 1:00 we finally boarded and then took off.  While we were in the waiting area, however, we met several folks from the USA, many of whom were Rotarians on holiday, as well as about thirty people traveling from Turkey, who were most interesting.  One couple - which I suppose was the tour guide or organizer of the group, were dressed in black and red "buffalo" plaid shirts - and I guess I must have thought they were from Main, wearing our once-upon-a-time hunting garb.  The couple was very welcoming and wanted to encourage us to visit them in Turkey, where they would show us their country!  The American Rotarians inquired if we were there in India for an NID (National Immunization Day) which we answered "Yes" but due to unfortunate circumstances, the NID had been cancelled due to tainted vaccine, which was unsafe to administer.

Out flight was rather uneventful and upon arrival, the entire plane load of passengers descended upon a couple of counters to pick up Viaw Applications - filled them out, paid for the Visa, then scanned our information into the system, gout our receipts and then waited for processing at the immigration desk.  We then proceeded to baggage claim, went outside and were greeted warmly by our guide, Rakesh, but even more warmly by Mahesh - a Rotaractor who had taken me under his wing about ten years ago, on my first trip to Nepal, along with his girlfriend - now wife, Sabina.  It was wonderful catching up with him and it was as though no years had passed.  His infectious smile was still there. 

We were delivered to our hotel and after freshening up, our guide, Rakesh, met us and had us driven over to where the Rotary Club of Patan South was having tgheir meeting.  We were so warmly welcomed and learned of their many humanitarian projects, both locally as well as several hours distant from Kathmandu.  If I can upload some photos, I will tell you more about the meeting and the Rotarians there.