Delhi-London

0735 Up, dressed, feeling like shit - didn't get to sleep til gone 3, probably more like 330, snoozed on 7 alarm til about 725. Having some bourbons before final check round room.

0801 OK, let's go check out.

0828 On train about to leave for airport. All very modern, swish and virtually empty. Except because this is the *airport* line we have to have intrusive airport-style security. Contents of my pockets examined by guard. Because they presumably won't check at the airport now. Oh no, they will. The one thing I can see which remotely justifies this is that they do have bag scanners and security guards on entry to regular metro - I never had my pocket contents examined, but maybe that's just because it's too busy, whereas airport line is practically deserted. Because otherwise what possible excuse is there to have extra-tight security on that line, when you could kill hundreds of times more people on the jam-packed regular lines? But then, what does logic have to do it? I just don't appreciate the complexities involved.

Had trouble finding ticket gates once bought ticket, local woman showed me in the end. They were sort of obvious but I still think the signage once you passed the ticket counter was poor. In theory you can pay 120 and have it on your smart card, but that didn't seem to be an option so I paid 150 for a plastic token. Still, touch wood all going pretty smoothly.

The line used to run at >100km/h but doesn't any more. They are supposedly slowly ramping it up again, something to see next time maybe.

Didn't tip anyone at hotel, not got loads of cash and I might want it for food at airport and I felt slightly harried with the receptionist, portery chap who intercepted me as I left my room and offered to carry my bag and the door-opening chap.

Still feel a bit tired but not too bad.

Oh, despite struggling to find ticket gates, I got lucky with this train - they are every 15 mins, and this one was waiting on platform and left 2-3 mins after I got on. Of course I will probably end up with hours to kill at airport but better that than be rushing like crazy. (It's not massively likely but if I did miss the flight somehow I might be at slight risk of not making it back home for Christmas. Would probably be OK but still, I do have a definite 'thing' to be back in time for.)

0848 Here at airport! [Can they have improved the speed since what I read on the web, can't remember where, was written?]

0940 Through security. Seemed a little shitter than normal, they got upset because I put some notes in the tray when I emptied my pockets out. Wearing short-sleeved T-shirt and jacket and I feel hot. My trousers also feel tight on the third hole, even though I've been wearing (admittedly the combats, not these, but it's the same belt) them on that for weeks. Presumably my body has swollen in the heat.

1042 Sort of tempted to go get food but in reality I feel a bit bloated and that is the last thing I want. If I wasn't going on a plane I wouldn't even be considering it, it's only the 'now or never' feeling. But the food on plane will probably be OK, I have two big bags of peanuts or the like if I get desperate for nutrition and while right now it is the last thing I want, if I am feeling hollow by the time I get to London I can have a gorge on pizza there, which will be something to look forward to.

Not as sad as I might normally be to be leaving India. I think in a way that is unfair; in part the fact I am leaving to go home to see family etc for Christmas (not work) and maybe a certain tiredness after 2.5 months travelling contribute to it, whereas when I left Thailand and (sort of) Georgia I was going on somewhere else. I don't think I have fallen in love with India but I can well imagine I will come back in the future.

1114 Looking at screens I see my gate (1) is open. I might as well go over there I guess. (I knew the number before and could probably have gone anyway, but it is open now.)

1124 At gate. Had to be security screened *again*. Oddly they asked if I had anything metallic in my pockets and had to put that in tray with jacket, but they let (in fact, insisted) I kept my belt on and didn't send me through the metal detector but instead a chap felt me over (not with one of those wand things, with his hands). I had to take my laptop out for the bag scan. I also suspect given both compression straps on my bag were loose and I only undid one (I think) to get laptop out they opened the bag for a peer inside when I wasn't looking but not sure.

I was not rude but possibly slightly sullen at the security check, not sure.

No one seemed to care that the contents of my pocket emptied into the tray included Indian notes and coins.

1206 On plane. No one sat next to me yet and they boarded rows 50-53 quite early, so just maybe I get a double seat, though not holding my breath - it's probably some tubbler who was busy shoving food down their gob and hasn't got to the gate yet. Though generally the rear rows look empty so maybe the flight is not that full.

1211 Wow. Announcment says we can now use mobile phones, e-readers and personal headphones during take off and landing.

1239 It's quite foggy out BTW. Got my double seat. Loads of spare space; it's packed up front judging from the seat map on the online reservation page. ;-)

1648 Watched Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and The World's End. First not bad, second sort of OK but also a bit crap, still, I guess I'm glad I've seen it, slightly interested me when it was advertised on billboards. Let's switch to London time.

1120 So about five hours to go, maybe a bit less as announced flight time was 8h something instead of the 9h something I expected. Difference might only be 10-20 mins I suppose, and you have to allow for time on the ground.

Not sure if will watch another film. Nothing astounding, could watch Great Gatsby but I dunno. I quite like the book, not sure I could stick a dramatisation. Maybe I'll give it a go.

1653 We landed about fifteen mins late, could see on map we did one big circle over NE London and one zig zag. On platform at T5 now waiting for tube.