Some how i feel the story of my trip to Bangalore from Singapore is more fascinating than the trip Tioman isle... so i'll do this part first... so much chronology and free time.
Stage 1:
When i was to check-in my luggage, I noticed i was the only one without any check-in luggage. carrying only a backpack which weighed only 5 kgs. the clerk there was so shocked that she repeatedly enquired as to why i didn't have any check-in. Might have thought of me to be some kinda terrorist, coz nobody goes to Chennai on a budget airline without check in luggage. probably i created history. Infact she even asked me if i was on transit from the US!
As expected the Air India Express flight (which is a misnomer coz it took all of 6 hours in place of 3.5 to cover the distance) took off late. The day chose to land was a Tuesday and hence there was no Shatabdi at 5:30 PM. So i did settle in for the 9:30 Kaveri Express well ahead giving me a lot of time to kill.
Stage 2:
After abt 4.5 hrs, there was a stopover at Trichy, where suddenly the plane got emptied and people came in to clean it! crew change and all... was wondering if it would ever take off again. Finally, it took off after an hour, landed an hour late in Chennai at 2:30 PM. Luckily the weather was very pleasant coz of the rains.
Stage 3:
I had a very stereotyped view of Chennai until i met Mr L. Yeah I considered them to be just as dirty as the city. Now dont kill me for this... I'm a changed man now! So first thing I bought was mineral water. Lunch at the Golden Chariot was great... yeah except for the flies.... i kept flinging my arms over the table so often that it became too obvious to the hotel staff. Suddenly if i wasn't already embarrassed this waiter comes with a small swat which resembled an miniature tennis racket and starts swinging it around me. I looked up right into his eyes and he smiled showing me all his teeth. I said " boy, I am irritated with the number of flies inside ur A/c restaurant, but this is even more embarrassing." Promptly, still smiling he replied " Sir what to do, mango season!" Need i say more... I burst out laughing so loudly that the rest of the people in the restaurant wondered what the joke was. Then I ask for the ketchup bottle and the waiter goes to next table and almost snatches it from the next guy's hand. In the only restaurant around the international airport, there was only one ketchup bottle!!! I was charged a big sum for the alu gobi + egg fried rice! but the food was great! :)
Stage 4: after 4PM
Boarded an auto to Chennai Central... again the ride was very pleasant! loved the cool breeze blowing. Nice change from the aircon chill I'm used to in Singy. The moment i landed at the station I realised I had made a mistake. It appeared like the whole of Chennai's population was waiting in the station. Thanks to a derailed train, (of which i was warned abt in advance by a friend who had a crazy morning switching trains,) there was no train moving in or out of the station. I found a place near some platform to sit. i was in the 2nd row of chairs. both rows were filled with random junta. Then, an old couple arrives and the first 2 guys leave their seats for them. A minute later, a friend old couple of the 1st on arrives and chases away 2 more people. this goes on for a while and then its abt my turn. the old lady sitting beside me points out to a girl a little younger than i am and says "ladies ko seat do!" (Give the sat to the lady) I usually dont mind giving away my seat to a needy person, but this was the limit. It was almost an attack on poor people who were already seated . So i didn't budge. Just gave the poor old lady a dirty look.
A few mins after the entire gang vacated and I suddenly saw a 50+ aged lawyer occupy the seat next to mine. He went on talking about his family and trips and life.... I had lots of time to kill so i didnt mind. Life in singy is so different, that the 1st thing my mom asked me when she entered the train there was as to why ppl were so self involved. My sister went the extent of saying that her exam halls had more noise than the local singapore trains. Yeah I think SGP turns ppl to be self involved. seen it happen to a lot of friends. back to that lwyer, he was so interested in knowing abt me, and even went to the extent of asking me to show him a demo of my phd project! all done spent 2 hours and realised it was time i decided on taking a bus.
The nice lawyer directed me to the nearest travel agent and i picked up a tkt for the 10 PM bus to Bangalore after informing my folks at arnd 7. Met this funny guy in front of the phone booth when i went to call my parents. I was standing outside one waiting to make a phone call. suddenly this guy comes and squeezes in, in between me and the phone booth door. so i make a hand sign to queue up behind me. he inturn says something in tamil + hindi + english which kinda meant that he was there sometime before i was. somehow he starts a conversation with me and suddenly wants me to find a job in Bangalore for his daughter who was in Hyderabad!!! Ironically, I am looking for one myself at this very point!!!! (job i mean) ... man why do i always run into such people. Now his attitude suddenly changed and he wanted me to be ahead of him in the queue ... which btw had only 2 of us!
Ran into another character in the train tkt cancellation line ... I had a tkt which reqd a passport for confirmation coz it was an e-tkt. i knew i wasnt gonna get much in return. this guy wanted to buy it at full cost and convinced me to sell it to him despite knowing that no trains were leaving!! I didn't mind it at all...
So after all these events, me boarded the bus and reached Bangalore safely and on time at 5:30AM! With an experience to cherish.... 24 hours after i started my journey! |
