26 January 2008

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

I had been infected, neglected, spat out, sent home - the initial trip to India was a total disaster. On the outbound flight major illness gripped me and my snowboard gear disappeared. I arrived in Srinagar without my health or my bags and had nothing to do but wait and endure. After a long week I raised the white flag, hopped a plane and headed home.

I had bounced from one strange place to another: south Florida during Christmas, or as they say there - the "holiday time". Sun-burnt Santas, plastic trees, and religious dogmatics arguing over public displays. My mind was made up on the fight home, but here it was cemented - my New Year resolution was to return to Srinagar & Gulmarg ASAP, and finish the trip I had started.

The challenge was how to do it without spending more money. Seeking a complimentary ticket from the airline as compensation was considered a long-shot, but I did it anyway, and so initiated a slow-motion wrestling match with Jet Airlines. I set a deadline for the end of January: Have an answer by then, or move along.
Photo credit: MHIP

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