There were no mixed emotions about leaving Nepal. It has been 210 days since we last saw our grandchildren and our grand parenting addictions were screaming for a fix.
Leaving Nepal was not a simple task. It involved four separate and equally invasive hand frisks. The first one came at the entrance to the airport. Not quite in the parking lot but close. Frisked again before entering the secure Departure area. Frisked again, for the last time we thought, as we left the boarding gate to get on the bus that would take us out to our plane. I am willing to swear that the guy who frisked me at the departure gate was the same guy who frisked me out in the parking lot. But no time to dwell on that as to our surprise, we were met on the tarmac by another gang of rubber gloved security Gestapo's who not only frisked us but gleefully pawed through our carry on luggage with impunity before letting us board the plane. I didn't know whether to feel violated or in love but I have certainly never felt safer from hijackers.
Our original plan was to spend a few days in India but due to time and some silly visa rules we opted to only fly through Delhi to Montreal with a 10 hour layover at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This decision was a fateful one. Arriving, we were greeted by a very shiny, state of the art airport that had just opened for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. We were changing airlines here so needed to pickup our luggage, go through customs then recheck our luggage with Air Canada.
Leaving the Arrivals area, we were directed outside the airport and told we must enter the airport's Departure area from an outside entrance. We went to the first entrance and were met by two seriously armed soldiers and told that we were not allowed to enter the airport until 3 hours before our next flight. Seems that Delhi had been experiencing some social upheaval so the airport was on some sort of minimal lock down. We attempted to return to the Arrivals area but were told by more soldiers that we could not reenter the Arrivals area. We were directed to a small glassed in area located within a small corner of the Departure waiting area. There was no food available but it didn't matter as we had no Rupees to buy any. To go to the bathroom, you had to show your passport and the seating had been recycled from a torture chamber. So for the next seven hours we were crammed into to this tiny, sad excuse for a waiting area, staring through a glass security wall at the empty Departures area, tantalizingly close to restaurants, coffee shops, currency exchanges and bathrooms. To add salt to our wounds we forced to stare at this gaudy pink neon sign inviting us to Relax, Enjoy, Unwind and Explore all the services of the new airport. Not a pleasant welcome to |India.
But the 30 hours of travel time was worth it, because for the next six days we got to have a fabulous fix of our grandchildren while enjoying all the amenities that Mount Tremblant had to offer. Mount Tremblant is a year round playground located about 70 kilometres North of Montreal. Lakes, trails, fishing, skiing and some great hotels and restaurants.
We had pre-booked a car with driver to deliver us from the airport to the condo that we had rented in the hills above the village of Mount Tremblant. Much to our pleasure the car turned into a stretch limo. Very civilized. Could get used to that lifestyle. Got lots of stares.
The jet lag and the sucky weather didn't stop us from enjoying our selves. Took a few hours out of our busy schedule and ran in the Mount Tremblant 1/2 Marathon, completing the 10 K race in 55 minutes.
Leaving Nepal was not a simple task. It involved four separate and equally invasive hand frisks. The first one came at the entrance to the airport. Not quite in the parking lot but close. Frisked again before entering the secure Departure area. Frisked again, for the last time we thought, as we left the boarding gate to get on the bus that would take us out to our plane. I am willing to swear that the guy who frisked me at the departure gate was the same guy who frisked me out in the parking lot. But no time to dwell on that as to our surprise, we were met on the tarmac by another gang of rubber gloved security Gestapo's who not only frisked us but gleefully pawed through our carry on luggage with impunity before letting us board the plane. I didn't know whether to feel violated or in love but I have certainly never felt safer from hijackers.
Our original plan was to spend a few days in India but due to time and some silly visa rules we opted to only fly through Delhi to Montreal with a 10 hour layover at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This decision was a fateful one. Arriving, we were greeted by a very shiny, state of the art airport that had just opened for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. We were changing airlines here so needed to pickup our luggage, go through customs then recheck our luggage with Air Canada.
Leaving the Arrivals area, we were directed outside the airport and told we must enter the airport's Departure area from an outside entrance. We went to the first entrance and were met by two seriously armed soldiers and told that we were not allowed to enter the airport until 3 hours before our next flight. Seems that Delhi had been experiencing some social upheaval so the airport was on some sort of minimal lock down. We attempted to return to the Arrivals area but were told by more soldiers that we could not reenter the Arrivals area. We were directed to a small glassed in area located within a small corner of the Departure waiting area. There was no food available but it didn't matter as we had no Rupees to buy any. To go to the bathroom, you had to show your passport and the seating had been recycled from a torture chamber. So for the next seven hours we were crammed into to this tiny, sad excuse for a waiting area, staring through a glass security wall at the empty Departures area, tantalizingly close to restaurants, coffee shops, currency exchanges and bathrooms. To add salt to our wounds we forced to stare at this gaudy pink neon sign inviting us to Relax, Enjoy, Unwind and Explore all the services of the new airport. Not a pleasant welcome to |India. 
But the 30 hours of travel time was worth it, because for the next six days we got to have a fabulous fix of our grandchildren while enjoying all the amenities that Mount Tremblant had to offer. Mount Tremblant is a year round playground located about 70 kilometres North of Montreal. Lakes, trails, fishing, skiing and some great hotels and restaurants.
We had pre-booked a car with driver to deliver us from the airport to the condo that we had rented in the hills above the village of Mount Tremblant. Much to our pleasure the car turned into a stretch limo. Very civilized. Could get used to that lifestyle. Got lots of stares.
The jet lag and the sucky weather didn't stop us from enjoying our selves. Took a few hours out of our busy schedule and ran in the Mount Tremblant 1/2 Marathon, completing the 10 K race in 55 minutes.
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