Day 9: Abu Dhabi

Lost my sneakers at the Olympic event at the India Expo Mart. I was washing my hands in the lady's room when suddenly people around me screamed and jumped back. I looked down, the sewage has come out of the drain and I was standing in the pool of pee and poo. I screamed too and jumped back, feeling so grossed out. Luckily we have brought our luggage with us so we could go to the airport directly from the venue, so I was able to find another pair of shoes and throw the dirty pair in the trash.

I can't help but trying to compare India with China. There are many similarities between these two most populated countries in the world. Both are extremely crowded and polluted; both experiencing the big boost in their economies. However, I do think India is lagging behind in infrastructure development. There are way fewer roads than what the cars needed, in some smaller cities, the roads are in very bad shape, desperately need repair. Public transportation doesn't meet people's needs, that's why we see as many as 5 people in a tiny scooter. The air quality is worse than China too. Believe me, China has its own smog issues, but Evan and Steve didn't experience such a severe reaction as they do in India now. Evan started coughing soon after we stepped into the smog the first night we got here; sadly the coughing is getting worse. Last night he coughed almost all night! Steve started to develop some respiratory issues too now. It's actually a good thing we are leaving now before he gets worse.

Despite all these issues we have experienced in India, we have fall in love with the country and its people. The rich history and culture are impressive; the arts and crafts are amazing; most importantly, the people are the nicest people we met! They are kind and considerate, hard working and easy going, always ready to help. We have made some good friends in this trip.

To reach Abu Dhabi, we have to go through 4 separate security checkpoints. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy. We have our LEGO robot pieces in our carry on, along with many batteries and chargers. The most suspicious item is the EV block which is the brain of the robot, unfortunately it looks like a bomb detonator, so it would be checked by multiple people at each checkpoint. I have to show them the invitation letters from the Indian government for the Olympic game every time. Once they realize all these stuff are for Evan to build a robot and compete, they were very nice about it. Gave him a thumbs up and told him good job. I guess it's good that they take security so seriously, but it took us forever to go through each checkpoint.

Abu Dhabi airport is very modern, I love the fact they have excellent Wifi, which allows me to post this final entry of my India trip travel blog.

Thanks for reading it! It has been fun!Read more