Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Bon Voyage

After a lot of hurdles to get visa and airticket to fly, i had my flight on 26th morning. I was 2 hours early to the airport. Everthing went easy at the banglore airport. I boarded the flight on time. It was my 1st time in a plane. I had infact checked in online to make sure i got a window seat. I did infact get. But before i went to my seat one young indian boy had already occupied my seat.
His mom asked " do u want to sit by the window", I wanted to but i said " its ok" and sat on the edge seat. Before the take the captain played some safety vedio. Our plane started to move to the runway. From ther it took off. I was no more on indian soil.
I was flying on British Airways, most of the airhostess were british women. All seemed to be 30 plus . So i had do to something else to pass time. I switched on the LCD monitor to watch a movie. After going through all the list, i started watching " rab ne bana di jodi" . Huh i could not watch it for more than 30mins. Then i watched Friends episode, it was fun like always. Meanwhile the cabin crew started serving breakfast. The airhostess asked me " Sir do you want veg or non-veg" I said non-veg. I was served the non-ver breakfast. My first bite i realised its not chiken or mutton. I never asked for nonveg later on my flight unless i was very sure it was chicken. I had a veg lunch later in the afternon. Its was some 9 hour journey from banglore to london. My flight was via london heathrow internatinal airport( biggest intl airpot on earth). It was always my dream to go to london. As my flight approached England I started to peek from from the window from some 2 to 3 kms above the ground. I could not see the london bridge though, i could get a feel of how london is. My flight landed on terminal 5 at Heathrow Internatinal Airport, which itself is a tourist attraction in london. I asked directions to go to my next flight which was some 3 hrs after. I had to go in a metro inside terminal 5( which is so big). I arrived at the international flight checkin counter and checked in. Terminal 5 itself had a shopping mall bigger than garuda or any other malls of banglore. Time passed just as i roamed the shops and checked out ferrari and bmws on display. I after couple of hours i went to my gate where i had to checkin. An italian girl(seemed a student) sat next to me( i sat next to her infact). She had this same angry look on her face all the way, i had a chance to talk to her later in the day. I checkedin and i we were taken in a volvo bus to wher the flight was parked some 5 kms away( such big was the airport).
This time i got down from the bus soon and i was the second to be welcomed on the flight. I found the seat soon and sat on my own window seat this time. A man from sudan sat next to me. I talked to him about sudan and shared some info i knew about sudan, he was surprised to know that i knew camels are cheap in sudan and its was quiet famous for that. He was a computer engg, it was a good conversation untill he slept off. I was peeking down the window all the way till the plane crossed england annd ireland. I could see the land just couple of times, it was very cloudy and i saw the clouds ffrom the other side all they way. By the time i reached atlantic i slept off.
I woke up after couple of hours and was still on Atlantic Ocean. The cabin asked to fastent he seat belts. I got nervous. Nothing went wrong. Few hours later i was flying over America and soon my flight started descending from 11.5kms altitude to 3kms above. I could see washington DC from my window and sky was clear. I flet happy that i am going to stay in this place. Finally i landed on America. I fiinshed all the custom declaration and other stringent security measures that US autorities carry for all immigrants.I was waiting for my baggage, italian gal also stood along with me. We stood waiting for some 30mins, i asked her if we are in the right place.. she must be standing ther just because i was ther... i asked some officer and he told i had to go to a diff place and collect. we both went and got the our laguages. I come out of the fimal EXIT door from the airport.It was 10 already, my cousin picked my up from the airport to one of his frnds place wher i am living. I had a good sleep that night.