After a restless night for me, Katie, Stephanie and I made our way back to Heathrow without difficulty. We were in time for a lunch stop at another favorite place of mine - Wagamama, a British chain of high quality, fast food, Japanese restaurants. Our meal was a feast for both eye and palate! If you are lucky enough to live in Boston, check them out!
The weather was good, but the flight was delayed about an hour. It's still about 10 hours plus to Hyderabad from here, so we hoped to "touch down" around 6 AM local time. The sun was just coming up. Light rain was forecast but none were in sight.
Heathrow is the world's busiest international airport - 65 million passengers in 2011. Rajiv Gandhi International handles just under 9 million, so it's a little smaller than Reagan in DC or Midway in Chicago and a little more than 20 miles from our hotel. Our hosts at Deloitte had arranged for a car to meet us upon arrival to take us to our new "home away from home," the Lemon Tree Hotel in HiTec City. Upon arrival, security is simultaneously ominous and reassuring. An auto trunk check, luggage scanners and metal detectors are part of the routine, all before you reach a magnificent lobby.
And just so you know, HiTec City actually stands for Hyderabad Information Technology Engineering Consultancy City. There will be a quiz in December.
