DAY 1 FEB 6- PREFLIGHT THOUGHTS-UP UP AND AWAY!

PLEEP and I have been dreaming of visiting India for many years. My dear friend Marta invited us to the Boca Festival of Arts in 2009 to hear Shashi Tharoor, an Indian diplomat and author speak.  His book,  THE ELEPHANT, THE TIGER AND THE CELL PHONE- Reflections on India, the Emerging 21st Century Power, describes the vast changes that have recently transformed this once sleeping giant into a world leader in science and technology.  Pleep so wanting to fit in, can't wait to get his horoscope read-as Thadoor said "that an Indian without a horoscope is like an American without a credit card".

Another book Pleep was inspired by,  moving the "let's visit India" trip up the TO EXPERIENCE LIST was INDIA- A PORTRAIT BY Patrick French. Tracing the trajectory of Indian economics after the country won independence (1947)- looking at the past 6 decades- in a way promoting corporate India-Ah bribery and corruption in short order?  Where is a good Hindu mystic when you need one?   So as long as we're going to India Bubs we might as well hit a few other spots on the  TO EXPERIENCE LIST.  Isn't Tibet and Nepal right down the road?  They are right next door on the map.....

 It took the better part of 2011 to put this trip together.  Thank you Marla.  If I ever have to take another passport/visa picture I'll pull my hair out.  As frightening as mine are- sans make up I looked like Joan Rivers 1 day post surgery- in spite of the scary photos I bought 30 of them.  The idea is not to go back to the CVS again and again and be aggravated by the pimply teenager who just can't manage to snap the photo in one shot or in less than an hour.  Then the visa fun began-why oh why do we wait to the last minute for this task??  Creating angst, aggravation and of course translating into costing more dough.  We only had a year to do this task.  And by the way, no getting a Tibet visa in advance.  Certainly the Chinese required theirs in advance and only on their soil can we "apply" and receive one for Tibet.  The good news our dear pal Annie is joining us for this Bubba and Boca journey and picking up those pesky visa's right now.  We met Annie a couple of years ago on a Regent Cruise and have been friends ever since- we visiting her in Newport Beach Ca last road trip and she visited us in Boca last week while on business.  No such thing as a 3rd wheel-Buddha Bubba is used to hangin with the "goils".   We will be the 3 Amigos!

Not easy to get "there" from here.  Departed Ft. Laud on Monday/today at 1 pm catching the  Delta flight to Detroit.  In the lounge right now waiting for the Beijing flight at 7pm/ and  scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 11 pm the next day/Tuesday.  I am soooo looking forward to wearing those Delta jammies-  Bocahita does not understand why they always hand her a size 2.



  Further fun -more of those sleeping pods Bocahita does not like-she envisions a Dentist gassing her while she naps, pulling all those veneers out.  Conversely, Buddha Bubba is looking forward to the pod....Bocahita across the aisle and unable to wake him up to remark on what she was reading or any lame thought that pops into her brain at any given moment.  Hmmmf.  Ok, enough of the bad Chardonnay and snacks.   Bocahita is sure they were saved from a Polish wedding in Hamtramock a month ago....time to board.

Pleepita gets a bit nervous when flying so he always loads up on his favorite reading at the airport to distract himself until the champagne starts to flow....








As Bubs mentions-" highs in the low 30's and lows in the teens".  So glad he brought some long johns for me...Oh and don't forget our pals in China are not keen on Bocahita's Blog....so it may take a day or a few to hear from the me....does Tibet have the same "rules"?  Has Bocahita's reputation preceeded her???