Saturday, June 25, 2011

Airborne!


Okay it is 4.18 am, i mean i used to be awake so late on those days when i used to catch those early morning flights, and those immigration guys would grope you with so many questions when you are literallly walking in your sleep in the airport.
There came a point last year when I started dreading boarding flights, i wouldnt take the window seat after a series of heavy turbulent hit flights , going to Bangalore ain't easy, neither it is to any other south-eastern ports. Neway there are some moments in our flights or airports which stay with us for a long time, some which help us change our perception towards people, at times life, some which makes us see newer side of us.
One of the best moments of my life was to sleep over at Hannover airport at Germany, a small town which is called the exhibition city of Germany. They are not connected with any international flights to India, so basically one has to catch a flight to either Munich or Frankfurt before they can think of Mumbai. So here I was after a go see of one of the most history rich city in the world, Berlin, that too all alone and making my way to Hannover Flughafen(airport). I searched for hotels and the beautidul lady at the reception of the Maritime hotel, the hotel next door to the airport was charging me 115 euros for 6 hours. Alas, there is some marwari-ness in me that wakes up whenever I am out of country and my calculator runs faster than my thoughts. No way on this planet would i pay Rs 6900 for a room, though i had a booking in a hostel i couldn't manage to find it and the fact that I really couldnt have paid for a business class ticket for Lufthansa if i over slept made sure that i stayed back at the airport.
As a business class passenger you can always enter an airport 24 hours prior to the flight, now does everyone know that? I do. So i stepped in at Hannover at 10 pm and entered the airport with my hughe backpack which was loaded with loads of candy packets, wine bottles, a bottle of water, clothes and hordes of files and notebooks. I felt every eye on that airport was on me because i was the only one seated on the departure terminal. Just to make myself feel comfortable I went and sat at the arrival terminal and i saw last three flights coming in till 2 am, thats when the last flight comes in and the airport entirely shuts its operations. Trust me i havent seen a sight like that, entire family came to pick up their sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, gf's coming to pick their bf's and friends coming along, at 2 am..dozed in sleep but people came in hordes. Not a single passenger, mark my word not a single soul left his sole alone.
Everyone came hugged, kissed, those bright and broad smiles, i couldnt stop but tell myself , what a moron you are, which world do we live in , nobody ever comes to either drop me or pick me. Yah my mom does, Neha did and yes of course Sree does at times. I think he is the only person who takes so much pain for his friends, we are talking about a different breed here. Rest, naah never.
And finally after checking around the entire hannover airport, all emergency exit maps, all the different washrooms, the confectionary store, the swaroski store, and what not i was so hungry i ate the rest two pizza bites left over which i had bought in the morning and slept off.
It was like exactly a scene outta movie, I heard commotion some random jewish words, the noise of the wooden card plates changing every second, those wooden planks which shows flight details, the ones which were used ages back in Mumbai airport, I had seen them as a kid. A woman pushed my bag off the chair to sit and i looked at my watch it was 5 am. I ran, checked in and jumped to the other corner of the airport , it was heaven--the business lounge, i had my oats and milk, lots of facebook, got ready, boarded the flight and reached Munich, again shopped got into my seat took a deep breath, had a glass of french wine and a movie on my screen, and I was ready to fly to Mumbai....the dream run was over!
Also, you can sneak in matchboxes in your handbag, wont tell you the secret though!!! No i didn't sneak in.Honestly!
Dont forget to tell me your experience, m listening!

2 comments:

sanket kambli said...

you write about travel/journey quite well..
a bit of polishing and you could write more stuff that could sell..

anyway since my flight experiences are of short kind (domestic)..the way you described reminded me of the movie "The Terminal" .. it must have been amazing to experience germany ! the land of super mech inventions..

good blog post !!

Sree... said...

:) Finally, after using the much useful tool of Crtl+F, I found my name in your blog.....

Thanku Thanku Thanku... for adding my name into a completely different breed... he he he

Infact am writing this blog while simultaneously messaging you that I would not be able to accompany you for your next airborne venture....

It is truly a gr8 experience to have someone waiting for you at the airport...

I can recollect my trip to US....Didn't have anyone to see me off....no one to receive me when I landed in US for the first time...No one to see me off from there...nor anyone to receive me here...

But the 16 hrs direct flight each way was an experience in itself...

Hats off to you dear... for going off on ur ventures and being so very confident... I actually spent 3 hrs at the NY Airport just to figure out how to go bout venturing into the city..after i arrived..

It was 6 AM actually and my check-in was not scheduled till 3 PM... Since I had time... I kinda used my calci to see which would be the cheapest way to my hotel...

Its good at foreign airports where you get free maps and brouchers with info...

Within 3 hrs I was able to locate my hotel...see for the cheapest transport option...(I just spent $20 where the taxis charge $60+, but ya.. when it was time for me to come back..I actually managed to reach there with $7..... ;))

It is a totally different feeling to be out there alone.. I think thats when and why we value our familt soo much..

Which makes us part of another different breed... :)