Without knowing it, we had already taken the first steps towards allergy oblivion.

In the clean mountain air of Dharamsala, we made a compromise. Even though our budget rooms were giving us sniffly noses, the views from the balconies were nice. And at Rs. 250 a night ($6), we figured that we would get enough fresh air during the day to make up for our Sudafed dreams.

But then came Agra, and its Mordor-style industrial emissions. Our respiratory systems had already been pushed around a bit. Now they were getting a full-on spanking. As we suffered through another night of poorly-planned budget accomodations, our bronchial tubes were discussing their revolt.

When we returned to Delhi, a full respiratory collapse awaited us. My surprise departure had left the maid without any access to our flat. And so the dust had accumulated. To make things worse, our one week out of Delhi was the one week when the local temperature had finally risen to “hot.” I had already planned on renting an AC unit — but now it was too late. The dust, the heat, the budget accomodations. Catherine was suffering. I was wheezing. And Scott stoically read the newspaper at 4 AM.

It’s no way to send off your guests. Their flight back to San Francisco was leaving at 8 AM. But there was no good night’s rest to be had. I should have taken care of things before they arrived. Now, my suffering guests were a reminder as to why one should take pre-emptive measures. Not reactive ones.

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