Sao Paulo, Vienna, Shanghai, Mumbai - 3 capitals in a week

Had a fun time in Brazil. Managed to walk out and see a craft fair and flea market. Pleasant. Got propositioned in the lift of the hotel, much to my colleagues amusement and disappointment that he didnt. We also found that in the area of Sao Paulo we were they have no idea on how to make smoothies. We tried many places and each time they were either milky fruit juices, fruit milk, solid ice creams, or mush. We even went to a frozen yoghurt store, and tried them When they had to find the equipment to make them we knew it was going to be a disappointment. So give it a few more years and I could be going back to set smoothie outlets in Brazil. In Sao Paulo they have a save the rhino campaign - a bit like the elephant one we had in London.

Long flight back to Dubai, no first class upgrade this time, but still was OK, I had space and slept a lot of it. Arrived Dubai and checked into a hotel for a night near the airport. £100. Huge room or should I say suite it had four rooms (see below)

Following morning flew to Vienna, Flight was empty so got talking to my personal stewards. Had a meeting didnt see much but enough to think worth a trip back

Last picture is the opera house. Caught the plane back the following afternoon, again very quiet and the same crew to look after me. So I now have my own personal air crew. Maid  and Driver in shanghai, air crew in Dubai. Back to Shanghai for the week end, leaving Monday for Mumbai.

Mumbai trip was pretty uneventful until I got here.

Flight was delayed an hour (due 12.35 am)- landed Mumbai an hour late, only to sit on the tarmac for an hour to the delight of the guy sat next to me - who didn’t want to sit in the airport for four hours for a connection. Going through the airport we got sent the wrong way by a man with army fatigues and large gun. Eventually got to immigration which was empty except for the sleeping officers at the desks. So they were woken up. Being near the front I got sent to a desk at one end, which was marked, diplomats and special immigration. The guy looked at my passport and sent me back saying I wasnt a diplomat. So I wandered back to be sent back, and forth, back and forth, before the guy relented and stamped my passport. Through immigration the luggage belts are either side of immigration and you are directed to which side by a screen. The screen showed left so we went left, only to be stopped by a lady, who wouldnt let us through as our flight was not shown on her screen, It wouldn't be two hours late. Eventually she was persuaded to look at the other monitor.

Then get to the hotel, first the elevator stopped working and they couldn’t get the doors on the other two to open as it was stopped on the ground floor. So every time you pressed the call button the doors opened. Six hotel staff spent five minutes working this out, before I was taken up the stairs.

Finally got to my room on the fourth floor - no iron and ironing board - someone had nicked it, after they assured me there downstairs there would be one! So I rang guest services and argued for a few minutes that there wasnt one. Had I checked all teh cupbaords etc. So he concedes and sends someone - to check. No ironing board with him. He sees the empty hook for the board and the little holder for the iron, empty, and then wanders around the room checking. Eventually this ironing board was declared missing and he went and brought me one.

So get to bed at 3.30am - air con whirring - switched it off, temp in the room gets to 30C. Bit hot under a tog15 duvet.

Booked a wakeup call for 5.30 for a conference call, they ring me at 5.45, and 5.55. To which I jump out rush to join the call only to find it had been cancelled.

John Cleese eat your heart out. The day got better but only after I set off from the hotel for a 5 minute walk to the office. However because of security threat they have closed this route and so I had to go the other way. Back past the hotel onto the main street to the office in 36C smog.

Still always good to meet the people in the office.