When I got off the plane in Paris I had one thing on my mind; finding a hotel where I could watch David Blaine hold his breath for nine minutes and escape from chains inside a water bubble. I spent about four hours on foot searching hotels near the airport and in the city, which was an hour train ride away. It started raining and my plans sank, but so did David; I couldnt find a hotel with ABC and he lost consciousness at seven minutes. What a couple of bum magicians.
When I told my uncle the lawyer Id be traveling and writing, he told me if I wanted to know how to travel and write and how to write about traveling, then I needed to read Hemmingway. So Ive been reading lots of Hemmingway lately. My uncles been my toughest critique growing up. In school my grades were never good enough and I never tried hard enough, but I must have liked it because Ive always gone back for his advice. He reads more than anyone I know, except for my friends wife who reads a book every two days and you can hear it when she talks. Id like to know that many words, but I do too many things and dont have the time.
The plan was to go to China next. Last week I booked airfare from Delhi to Hong Kong on Bangladesh Airlines that departed on the eleventh of May. The price was $330 and I put down a $100 deposit. I also bought a bus ticket from McLeod Gange to Delhi for last Friday. Ive always wanted to see that half of the world and Id have about two months if I was to make it London by the good weather in early July.
When I went to pick up my tickets on Friday, they werent in. Evidently there was some mix up and they wouldnt be available until the next day. The travel agency offered I pay the balance in Delhi and pick up the tickets at their office there. Ive heard plenty of stories of proof of deposits in India suddenly becoming invalid, so I insisted in getting my money back. They gave it to me on a handshake. I gave the travel agent a $2.50 tip and told him Id pick up the tickets in Delhi.
