No dogs at the airport, and, so far, no cows, bicycles or pedestrians on the freeway.

Things I learned in India:

1 Our guide said you need three things to drive in India: good brakes; good horn; and good luck.

2 There is always room for one more: including passengers (2 adults and 3 children on a motorcycle; kids cramming into,or on top of, a bus to school; 2 cars and an assorted collection of bicycles, tuk tuks, bicycles, and pedestrians – not necessarily headed in the same direction- in a traffic lane).

3 Don’t make eye contact,

4 “No” means “yes” to a vendor or beggar.

5 Watch your step.

6 Mutton means lamb. And goat.

It was an amazing trip. Kathmandu, Bhutan and India were breathtakingly beautiful at times (Mt Everest, Tiger’s Nest, Taj Mahal, and Varanasi) and sobering (crematoriums, walks down the side streets, rituals on the Ganges) at other times.