Used up some fruit for breakfast, so have a massive smoothie made of Sharon fruit, pear and mango along with the last of those yoghurt drinks.
Then set off for the airport for my cheapy flight to NYC on Air India. Have not flown Air India before that I can recall, so not sure what to expect. At least I imagine that, for once, airline vegetarian meal will be OK!
At airport, I use my Priority Pass and go to Servisair Business Class Lounge where I (as usual) gorge myself on complimentary snacks. Not sure why I feel the need to do this, but I always do and I stuff loads into my carry on bag for snacking later on, too. I imagine it is back to the old "getting my money's worth" mentality which I have in spades (thanks, Dad).
Anyway, in the lounge I had a couple of Vodka & Tonics plus assorted sour cream & Chive flavoured pretzels, regular salted pretzels, Walker's crisps (three packs!) and peanuts. Just what I need before a flight - lots of salt & alcohol.
It was a Boeing 747-400 with the old fashioned movie screen mounted on the bulkheads - no individual entertainment screens in the back of the seat in front of you! And the plane was in pretty poor shape.
One women near me complained that her seat was stained with BLOOD. As the seat next to me was vacant, the stewardess pulled the cushion up and used it to replace the seat cushion of the complaining passenger. The blood stained cushion was then placed next to me, although wrapped in a Air India blanket.
In the toilets, the sink refused to drain and closer inspection revealed that the strainer fitted over the drain was a makeshift contraption made of tin foil. The holes whoever fitted it had punched were too small, hence the slow drainage. Anyway, I pulled the whole thing and it drained just fine.
It also reminded me of the general air of "get on with it" that I had experienced in my travels in India. Very efficient, if a little off putting to the uninitiated. For example, the flight appeared to have come from India to London, before heading on the New York and ultimately Los Angeles. So, there were transiting passengers from India already on the plane when it landed in London. One of them was a tiny, ancient, wizened up little old lady who became concerned when her travelling companion (niece? daughter? grand daughter?) appeared not to be re-boarding the plane. She started to get up and go look for her, but was very frail and unsteady. So, the steward bodily lifted her and returned her to her seat. Efficient, yes, but I was a bit concerned for her welfare.
Anyway, Air India do make a good veggie meal. I had curried vegetables with rice, salad and yoghurt. For dessert, there was badami kheer (I think) - a very nice rice pudding with almonds. We also had spicy packs of friend chana dahl with our drinks, instead of the usual Western pretzels.
Before we landed, they gave us all tea, which comprised the breakfast, along with a croissant and a small, sweet muffin.
Anyway, if was a little "rough and ready" as airlines go, but the food was good and it did what it said on the tin - got me to New York City!
Hopped on the first airport bus into Manhattan and arrived at the Shelburne Murray Hill at 37th Street & Lexington Avenue in the early evening.
Dumped my bags and promptly went out into the New York evening. Went to a Korean Deli a little way down Lexington and bought two big bouquets for the room (it is my birthday tomorrow and they were only $12 each).
Then , I went to the D'Agostino's Supermarket on 38th Street and 3rd Avenue and stocked up on food. One of the reasons I like the Shelburne Murray Hill is that all rooms are suites and all have a kitchen, so you are not stuck eating in restaurants or fast food joint three times a day.
Dinner was a pack of Cheetos and a salad, pictured here:
It was nice to eat something green and crunchy after all my snack food excesses. And the camera reminds me that it is, in fact, 6 April in London and so my birthday.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment