Day 2

After a splotchy night of sleep, we've already charged into Day 2!

To make up for lost ground yesterday, our journey to India was a very smooth one. My mom and I arrived at the MSP airport at 5 am (nasty stuff) and were on a mission: check bags, Starbucks, plane.

New York came into view pretty soon--we were both

 really excited to be off, after months of anticipation. As we dipped below the cloudline in New York, we were even able to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty (we agreed it made the trip for both of us). After we got settled at the JFK airport, there wasn't much to see or do, so we did what we could...wandering, snacking, and shopping (got your postcards, Katie! :)) 

Our flight to India was a pleasant surprise--it was a very new plane, and each seat had its own personal TV and we were given complimentary ear plugs (tactful), a blanket, socks, pillows, and breakfast and dinner. Mom and I gave the American movie selection a workout, and then tried to sleep. We failed. 

We arrived in New Delhi with immense relief to stretch our legs after a grueling 14 hour flight. New Delhi was an old face to my mom, but was a culture shock for me as soon as we hit the airport bathroom. A woman was lying on a cardboard box waiting for someone to enter; when we did, she showed us which stalls were available and then politely handed us paper towels when we had washed up. We didn't have any rupees yet, so we couldn't give her anything; she was still very nice. Not exactly something you see every day in America, and I stayed extra close to Mom after my first encounter with Indian culture. 

We absolutely loved our hotel: "The Intercontinental: The Grand New Delhi". We were able to shower up, put on green tea lotion, lounge on the huge puffy beds, and eat down at the restaurant (the black coffee got an A+ from my mom :)); in the morning, we could choose from anything from honey dripping off the honeycomb to bacon to donuts (freshly made) to muffins, which we ate with gusto. This was in retrospect, smart; I don't think we'll be eating familiar food again for a few days...

Our rickshaw driver, Kuldeep, picked us up bright and early, and brought us to the Embassy. He was very sweet, and told us about his American friends "Mistah Paul" and "Mistah Jason" (who he described as 'veery funny mahn. Nevah serious!'). We got to the Embassy at around 9, and I was grabbed by an Indian policeman (with a GUN) because I had my camera out. Photographing or videotaping the Embassy is a serious thing, apparently, and he wouldn't leave me alone until I scrolled through my pictures to show him I hadn't taken one of the Embassy (yikes). The rest of our visit there was nice, and we were even able to chat with some other couples that were completing their adoption process as well.

After a day of shopping and sightseeing, Kuldeep dropped us off at the hotel and said goodbye. We took the hotel taxi to the airport, and took off for Kolkata at 5. And so began a brand new adventure.

Kolkata is...a class of city all in and of itself. Looking at traffic is like looking at a school of metal fish that can honk at each other: weaving, stopping, honking. About halfway to the hotel from our cab our driver told us a bus had "already" flipped in front of us, so apparently that's a common thing...

We're at the Kenilworth now, and we're preparing for the big meet tomorrow!! We may have the option of leaving for home as soon as Thursday...please keep this in your prayers!

We can't wait to see you all again, and thanks again from the bottom of our hearts for praying for us and keeping us in your thoughts. Until tomorrow :)

Allie