The Eagle Has Landed!

I am writing this several days after the actual event - 00.30hrs Sunday 19th January to be exact. The reason being that upon my arrival, I was exalted as an international hero and have been feted by dignitaries and national icon figures had have been fully occupied ever since.

Oh - sorry - jet lag does strange things. Actually, the delay in announcing my arrival has been due to very limited internet access grabbed briefly at locations other than where I'm currently based - until today (well yesterday now because it's past midnight).
Friday a man came to drill a hole for the internet cable - and today a man came to fill it with cable and a router. We have made contact with the outside world and I feel like:

So - backtracking a little - I'll complete this entry up to my arrival and then shortly will add another entry to bring events up to speed.

In the event, the flights were smooth but tiring - didn't dare go to the toilet on the first plane in case I needed to leave a window open and when I got to Dubai - I thought I'd have a try - until I saw that they were squat ones! I decided to leave it and only had a number one instead and hoped for the best. 
I don't know what I'd fussed about really - getting on the right plane was easy both times - just a long wait at Dubai and nothing really to do. The pictures of it had looked nice but I wasn't very impressed with it. I watched the film 'The Lone Ranger' on the first flight - highly recommended bit of fun - on the second I watched an older Robert De Niro one - it helped to pass the time. 

What was very impressive was approaching India, we flew towards the sunrise and to see the amazing crimson and orange colours rise in a line across the dark horizon was spectacular.
On arrival at Hyderabad, they actually let me into the country and surprisingly my suitcase was there too. Having collected it - my big concern was whether the person sent to meet me would actually be there. 
As I emerged onto the street, at the back of the crowd waiting to greet my arrival (!?) was my new best friend Suddakah holding a scruffy piece of paper with 'Dave Benfield' written on it.

Suddakah is Sarah's assistant and I am his new hero (see next blog - but he's easily impressed). His English is better than my 'Indian' but we do still struggle at times (for example try explaining a ballcock to someone who looks strangely at you when you do so - again see next blog) and he wobbles his head in various directions when you talk to him (but they all do that). He bundled me into the car with the driver who takes us everywhere and we were off'

That picture will give you an idea of where he was going and where I have arrived.
To be continued shortly...........