Very nice report, especially the pics which bring back all the memories.

One observation re exchanging money - Western travelers tend to go to Thomas Cook as they recognize the name. Thomas Cook takes advantage of this and charges 3% commission. You can avoid this 3% fee if you go to any of the unknown-sounding Indian banks (of course, to have an airport counter, they are well known enough in India).

I am sorry about the 25-min hassle you experienced in changing rupees back to dollars. I visit India often enough and therefore leave any leftover rupees for the next trip. For infrequent or one-time visitor, I would suggest arriving at the airport with no more than INR 250 (=$5) for tips etc and then donating the rest to some charity (even AA makes a collection onboard).