Over the last two days we:


1. Went on a long walk to explore some landmarks on hills overlooking Leh - the distance was quite short but as K's stomach was still recovering from the previous day's battle against a local watermelon, we strolled at a very sluggish pace.
2. Made the mistake of deviating from our usual path of proven and safe eating places in Leh to try out a restaurant recommended in the book as "offering good helpings of North Indian food". If the medieval toilet and the pervading stench of burning hair coming from the kitchen didn't tip us off, the beer can exploding in my face definitely should have. Fortunately I refused to finish my chicken shai korma, but what I did manage to eat still made for a revolting stomach churning experience.
3. Developed a terrible runny nose and grotesquely parched lips because of the bone dry air in the whole area.
4. Saw thunder clouds over the mountain range around Leh for the first and were thrilled we were not up there anymore.
5. Did not buy any Kashmiri wool shawls - pashminas - as souvenirs. For various reasons. In fact no souvenirs at all.
6. Went through what has got to be THE single funniest, most annoying and disorganized security check/check-in procedure ever - courtesy of Leh airport. Our boarding passes alone were looked at no fewer than 11 times, our baggage scanned at least 3, different tags put on different items of it twice (that includes a tag on my jacket), after all of which we still had to go out of the terminal and identify our check-in bags BEFORE the flight, showing our boarding passes once again. Good thing: baggage allowance not really enforced. Combined with the absolute lack of any PA system at Indian airports whatsoever, and staff scurrying haphazardly among the crowd and shouting gibberish out in the air, this has the makings of an unforgettable pre-flight extravaganza. Oh and they also tied the zipper pull tabs on our carry-ons shut with sturdy cable ties (they missed mine though but not K's). That left K swearing halfway into the flight as she couldn't reach her book...
7. At the same airport I was asked to get off my bench, which apparently was blocking some door, so a lady employee could pass. My attempt to move the bench (there was space so the door wouldn't be blocked) was met with swift and resolute resistance - this door is blocked on purpose, sir, and so whoever sits on that bench will have to be excused from time to time.
8. Found local people's interest in whatever I was doing on my iPad at the moment (typing this entry for instance!) infuriatingly keen. Only when I typed the preceding sentence did my neighbor on the plane actually take his eyes off of my screen. Prior to this none of my reproachful glances did the trick.
9. Had my electric toothbrush baffle airport security guys every time I left it in my carry-on bag. Responses varied from sheer bewilderment to mild amusement to outward suspicion.
10. Noticed Indian people are super impatient even by legendary Asian standards - I heard people unbuckling all around me literally seconds BEFORE we touched down.
11. Watched with hilarity as a young male flight attendant received 250 rupees from my German neighbor for his breakfast (which cost 230), said he would pay him the INR20 change later on, the German said no need, after which the guy appeared a half hour later claiming the customer probably owed him some change and wasn't it like 20 rupees, sir? After they cleared all this up and the German guy again said keep the change, the boy vanished only to reappear 15 mins later with the guy's change. I mean whatever GoAir's crew is on, I want some of that too!
12. Astutely noted that the Indian drivers' idiotic macho attitude toward pedestrians is not about having a vehicle. It's actually much more basic: it's about having wheels. Any wheels. Such as wheels on baggage carts that passengers who OBVIOUSLY were in a bigger hurry than yours truly used to run over my poor feet.
13. Made it safely to Bombay only to be told by the security at the international terminal we can't go in because it's too early (yes, they check tickets at the door at all Indian airports). Apparently there is also no left luggage at departures. There is one at arrivals but we wouldn't be let in there because well... We already left arrivals so we wouldn't be 'arriving' anymore. And so, furious, we were sent on our way with the heavy bags. So we went shopping - fortunately malls here are all too eager to provide left luggage services.
14. On our last legs but surprisingly happy we boarded the fight to Zurich...