Day One - Heathrow to Hyderabad

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All,

OK well in order to keep everyone up to date I thought I would try one of these travel blog things....whilst enthusiasm is strong though at the momnet, I can always promise that this will be the case....we shall see how we go!

Day 1 - Heathrow to Hyderabad

I guess there should be nothing to report about flying out of heathrow to then arrive in Hyderabad and sleep should there? Well I guess you would be wrong. The first thing that struck me was that instead of the one security check, it appears when you fly to india you get three, that is 'the normal one', followed then by a checking of details and bags etc to get into the departure gate and then just to make sure that the security guard who had passed you as being 'ok to travel' hadn't missed anything, so another security officer came around to check you passport again as and when you were sat down in the departure gate (approximately 10 metres from where it had last been checked).
Anyway under the assumption that all those that we boarding the flight weren't liable to blow it up en route we all boarded to to find the flight virtually empty which was good and allowed everyone to spread themselves over three seats. Anyway lunch soon came around (yep i opted for curry!), and having watched some documentary on the Beckhams, sat back to watch the Dirty Dozen but the DVD seemed to keep crashing at the same point so gave up and just tried to get some sleep.
More food wasn't long behind and I'm not sure where they got this from but had a mint and cucumber sandwich followed by 'fake' cheese sandwich (to which you could add if you so wished-tomato ketchup!). Needless to say I didn't bother with the ketchup.....
Before I knew it Bombay was soon below us and a change of flights was imminent. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until such time as I then had to have another security check. You are instructed to stand on a wooden platform so that you can then be checked to ensure that on the flight you hadn't done an a team and constructed guns, knives or indeed ingenious booby traps out of your food tray. Unfortunately for me, I stood on the back of this platform, this mean the security had to move forward to perform the search...he tripped and before you know it, I had an indian security guard falling over into my crotch area....nice! Fortunately for me, he and his friends found this funny.....
Having survived this and having got on the next plane I found myself swarmed by Mosquitoes. I must say this was the first time, that I have been on a plane and had mosquitoes buzzing around my head, a quite bizarre experience, anyway they must die at a certain altitude though because by the time the hour flight was over there weren't many left!
So to Hyderabad airport. First thing to achieve, cash. Having no currency on me or indeed travellers cheques I was keen to find an ATM. A gentleman from one of the currency counters approached me, going on about changing currencies. When I told him, I needed an ATM he stated that it was out of order. Brilliant, I'm screwed then I thought.
'Sir, Sir. Change some money' was all I could hear in the background to my thoughts. 'I don't have money to change' I replied and showed him the meager 3 English pounds I had to my name. I need ATM i said again. I think maybe downstairs it is working, he replied after realising I was not going to get him much business' Welcome to India Phil I thought. I've not even collected my luggage yet and already they are trying to rip off the 'rich' foreigner. Despite waiting an eternity, my luggage (all 33 litres of it) eventually arrived and so I made way to the exit. After struggling with the ATM a guy helped me out (they have the card in,take card out, then enter PIN number variety- hey it was 3 in the morning) ajnd eventually I had some hard currency to my name...
After speaking to one taxi company who wanted 1050 rupees to take me to hotel, I stepped out and was met with the 'Sir, Sir Taxi Taxi' and a 'where you go' echo followed. Having consulted my Lonely Planet (hereafter known as 'The Bible') prior to leaving the airport, I knew the company I wanted and having found their stand walked over, showed them where and before I knew it, I was hotel bound...Kind of...
To cut this story, they did the same as has happened before. Put the metre on and then drive you around. The guy had said it was 32 kms to hotel (as had the women from the initial company I had approached in the airport). After inquiring if we were nearly there, we shortly pulled off the highway (think we would have kept going sometime otherwise) and so the hotel...only he didn't know where the hotel was...even though I had asked him this before leaving the airport. After stopping to ask some security guards, we eventually spotted it (and I say we because I spotted it before him). Not having small change and with the bill having now reached 775 (far beyond the initial 600 estimate), I said I would check in then give him money but told him I would only be paying 700 cause he had wasted the other time (and money) driving around. Needless to say, having given him the 700 he stayed there whilst I checked in (to an equally grumpy hotel owner). Eventually I left him waiting for his extra 75 rupees whilst I went up to my room....the first day was over, but it was now 4 in the morning and I had to decide whether I stayed here as from 9 i needed to pay for the next night or just go....given that I felt I might now be on the hit list of the local mafia taxi company I voted for checking out...

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