Carry On Up the Kyber

It seems that this summer’s major events have come about largely by chance.

Idly browsing the property pages a month ago has led to me moving into a new home by the end of August. After toying with several preliminary holiday destinations – Chile (flight too expensive), Barcelona (cost of living too expensive) and Riga (more of a long weekend trip) – I found myself idly browsing Finnair’s website. Why I even checked prices to Delhi I don’t know, but it cost less than most flights to continental Europe!

I later discovered that this promotion was designed to lure tourists to India during the monsoon. But this hasn’t put me off – at least it will take the edge of the heat.

Maybe the moral of this tale is don’t idly browse the Internet? Or do? But it’s too late for such philosophizing. I’m off to spend two weeks doing the Golden Triangle. I’ll (un)fortunately miss experiencing the infamous Indian railways, as I’ll be covering those many miles with my own personal driver.

How terribly turn of the century that sounds! Still, my chance to be a memsahib who’s served gin and tonic on the veranda ran out a good sixty years ago. I should rather heed keltanen’s tales from last year and prepare myself to visit all the carpet shops owned by the driver’s extended family.

Ah well, at least I’ll have protection: the driver to protect us from the touts and my companion to protect me from the driver. Despite the fine points made in April’s debate, India is not the sort of place one should go alone.

So … anyone for tiffin?