Homeward Bound

I'm going to get a little wordy here as I have a lot to describe in case other travelers stubmle across the blog and find it useful. If it annoys you, sorry!  Wait for the next post.

My return trip began with an unremarkable flight from Delhi to Hyderabad.  I arrived Hyderabad around 10:15 PM, and made my way to the Premier Plaza hotel that is built into the airport.  I was pleasantly surprised by my choice.  Before paying, they showed me my room, which was exactly what I wanted -- a comfortable bed, a clean bathroom, and otherwise very efficient.  It was small, yes, but paying for square footage was silly given I was just staying overnight between flights.  Add in the convenience of staying right in the airport with included wifi access and meals (though I ended up not eating since I was expecting a good meal in Emirates business), I couldn't have been happier with my selection.  Below are some photos of the room.

Clean, modern bathroom

This is literally the entire room.  The 3 walls surround the bed.  The
spot where I stood to take this picture is the hallway to the tiny bath.

Again, clean and modern.

Once inside, I proceeded to the Emirates desk to get my boarding pass and baggage tags.  Yes, that's right -- even if you carry on, you need to get bag tags for each one that you bring onto the aircraft.  After passing through the x-ray machine, they stamp your tags which are then verified as you board the plane.  It is an additional measure of security that was added after some terrorist attacks in India a few years ago.  Anyway, I proceeded to the Emirates desk, where they sent me to the First Class line, even though I had a business class ticket.  The agent handed me some bag tags, which I handed back to her since they said "First Class" and I was flying business.  The agent smiled and said I'd been upgraded!  Not sure why, but cool!

I haven't really covered the security measures, so I thought I'd run through it briefly.  Firstly, there is a men's line and a women's line -- a prudent measure given the slightly more intrusive measures here than we are accustomed to in the US.  There is an x-ray machine to check your bags, just like in the U.S.  However, they want us to take out all electronics such as cameras and lenses (not just laptops), unlike in the US.  Secondly, no need to take off belts or shoes.  After walking through an old-school metal detector arch (not the imagers like we frequently have in the US now), you stand on a podium as a security agent manually searches you using a handheld metal detector and, a brief pat down.  As you board the plan, your boarding pass and bag tags are checked at least 4 times by airline agents and security guards before you finally board.

I walked up to the gate a little late and people were already boarding, so I edged to the back of the line when a nearby employee recognized me from the check-in desk earlier, perhaps because I was one of two white guys in the entire airport.  He immediately ran towards me, gave a warm greeting, and escorted me to a separate entrance for the first and business class customers.  Not used to such privilege, I felt a little awkward, but at the same time enjoyed it very much.  When I got to first class I was astounded by the accommodations.  My seat was unbelievably huge and had everything one could wish for.  My own mini-bar, a power outlet, an easy-to-navigate entertainment system, very comfortable seat complete with built-in massager, and even a nifty reading lamp (if I actually read).  Even with my feet fully extended in front of me, there was still a good 18 inches between my toes and the seat in front of me.

How the "others" travel

This was the beginning of the most pleasant flight I have ever had.  The attendants were incredibly helpful the entire way.  The meal was the best I'd ever had on an airplane, and better than most restaurant food.  It started with a sea bass and scallop appetizer.  I selected a roll from the bread basket brought around, and the attendant encouraged me to take some garlic bread as well, so I took his advice and accepted.  Main course was some mashed potatoes with lamb.  With the exception of the lamb, which was cooked medium-well (should have been medium-rare), everything was cooked to perfection.

One page from the drink list.  Really
nice options to choose from.

In case you're interested in the lunch options,
here they are.

Sea bass and scallop with a chile lime sauce

Rack of lamb with mashed potatos

 The flight attendants were very attentive and never missed a thing (thanks Paula in particular!).  Though I did not order dessert, the attendant suggested I get the "rosemary cake" and I am glad she did.  It was absolutely amazing; arguably one of the best desserts I have ever had.

Rosemary cake with chocolate sauce, plus a couple of bonus
chocolates in case it wasn't enough calories already.

They offered an amazing St. Emillion Grand Cru that I had.... lets just say more than one glass.  Hey, when you find a great wine you need to strike while the iron is hot.  Especially when you're not paying by the glass!  Combine all of this with a guilty pleasure movie (Anchorman 2), and this was easily the most enjoyable flight I have ever had.  If only I had my wife next to me, it would have been the perfect flight.  Hopefully I will get to share the experience again with her one day.

We landed in Dubai ahead of schedule, and that is where I'm going to end this post since it's so long.  Next, the city of Dubai and return home!