We have arrived in Gurgaon, India!

Here am I thinking I would have lots of time to write about our arrival, post pictures and let you all know we have landed and are doing very well. (Where on earth did that idea come from?)
Not so - instead, here I am, 4 days later and posting my first insert from India! Well, maybe that is actually me already getting accustomed to the Indian way ... a bit of the "mañana" mentality :-)

In any case, the flight was fabulous (Lufthansa flights were on time in spite of the rumour of strike, which reached us the day before departure!).

... sparkling wine and gin tonic ...

... food and films ...

... and finally a good sleep!

We arrived at the Indira Gandhi airport in New Dehli a little ahead of time at 07.40 on Friday March 28, 2014.

All 6 (!) bags arrived with us!

Although summer has begun, it was actually not as hot as it can be at this time of year. The car, which was supposed to meet us and take us to our hotel, was 1,5 hrs late - we were prepared with patience, so no problem (I wonder how long that will last ... ). A very helpful guy offered to call the missing driver and at the same time taught us our first very useful lesson - keep at it! He kept calling the driver every 10 minutes to check that he was actually on his way. 30 minutes later he did show up and took us to a hotel - however, not in Gurgaon but in Manesar, which is a little outside Gurgaon, where Ian will work. Someone had booked a room very convenient for Ian - a nice suite with a little kitchen even, close to work - but unfortunatelly very inconventient for Maia and myself. They had not received the information that Ian was coming with family already from day 1.

At breakfast suddenly this guy turns up - on 5th floor hanging in a rope outside the window cleaning it!

Not a problem though. The very next day we moved to another hotel in town close to shopping facilities, restaurants and most importantly close to Maia's new school - Kunskapsskolan. From here Maia can take the school bus even!

We checked in, left the luggage and immediately asked the driver to take us to some place where we get some summer clothes. Maia was still wearing her lined trousers and long sleeve shirt! Galaxy Mall was our first stop. A really nice and not too big shopping mall, where we found some clothes suitable for the climate - and looking good!

Conny - they do have big sizes in India!

A great surprise was the great Chinese (!) restaurant on second floor! We had lovely dim sums - Maia tried the spinach ones ... and liked it! YES!

Next - the Ambience Mall - the complete opposite! Huge!

Here we found an airtel shop and purchased prepaid sim cards for our mobile phones - now we don't feel "naked" anymore. Strange, isn't it, how quickly one gets used to having a phone at all times. How on earth did we survive before mobile phones??
This is also where Ian first found out about Kunskapsskolan in Gurgaon.

In the evening we had a meal in the hotel - yet another Chinese restaurant ... The waiter asked what we wanted to drink - beer, please. A large one? Sure, a pint, that's fine.

A mistake we will not make again! I could hardly lift the glass ;-)

Maia was happy - yes, she really was, but here looking cool! - in her new hat.

On Sunday we spent most of the day looking at apartments in different condominiums together with an estate agent and her driver. Exhausting, interesting, informative and hot! They left us at the Ambience Mall again since our phones, in spite of brand new sim cards, refused to dial or receive calls. Of course, it was too easy ... they had to be activated, not once but twice in different ways ... (don't ask) ... We stayed for a while and explored - turns out there is a cinema, an amusement park and lots of other things in this mall! Maia and I went to a 5D movie - a .... special experience ... then for the possibly best part of the day ... the taxi back to the hotel.

If ... some of us look a bit apprehensive it is because we are in a disguised moped on the motorway in CRAZY traffic with no seat belts, no doors and a driver who looks about 14!

Fun though ....

... until next time