Mystical India
The dream of going to India, that land of turbanned Sikhs and garlanded elephants, was hatched in the four walls of my dormitory room. It seemed so far, so foreign and so mystical to our freshie minds.
Maybe it was an influence from my readings in KAS-II (Kasaysayan II - Asian History), or watching National Geographic or..... (medyo nahiya ako aminin!) from reading those Harlequin Historical Romance novels of British earls and damsels in distress living in India during the 19th century.
It was a long time ago, more than a decade to be exact, but then --- dreams are forever, aren't they?
---
The overwhelming feeling of no-return started rushing in on me, do I really know what i am doing? Should I have waited for someone to go with me on this trip? Should i just stick to cities and fly commercial all the time? A myriad of conflicting thoughts started crowding in my head and then I felt my buddy, Josiet, buzz me on the cheek and said, "Mader good luck sa byahe" and ahead of me, the airport staff was asking me to hand over my passport for checking.
The trip from Male International Airport (from Maldives) to the southernmost state of Kerala will only take two hours via Indian Airlines. And here i thought PAL's seats are already cramped, the seats in IA definitely takes the cake! It can barely accommodate me -- and speaking of me, I am only 5'4 and weighs 100 lbs! How much more if you are taller and a bit on the heavier side.... -- the seat dimension commensurate to the price of the ticket -- $210.00!!!
My knees can almost kiss the back of the seat in front of me and i just blanked out the fact that my seatmate's head keep on slipping to my headrest. And i keep on thinking --- i bought a roundtrip ticket ! There will be a repeat performance on the way back!
I'm bored..... my seatmate is awake now. She told me she is working as a nurse at IGMH (the main government hospital of Maldives) and this is her first vacation after 1 1/2 years. Hey guys, the jeepneyload of relatives and friends with "baon", shouting greetings at the Arrival area is NOT a monopoly of Pinoys! Meron din silang Indian version doon. And as enthusiastic as we are too!
We are almost there. My apprehensions about the trip vanished, replaced by the exciting temptation of exploring the unknown.
I can't wait to get out there and experience India!
First stop: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala -- or otherwise known as "Trivandrum" (sounds exotic na agad!)
p.s. (I am a "piktyur"-addict and this trip will not in any way be different...in other words, lahat ng sulok ng India magpa-piktyur talaga ako!)
Maybe it was an influence from my readings in KAS-II (Kasaysayan II - Asian History), or watching National Geographic or..... (medyo nahiya ako aminin!) from reading those Harlequin Historical Romance novels of British earls and damsels in distress living in India during the 19th century.
It was a long time ago, more than a decade to be exact, but then --- dreams are forever, aren't they?
---
The overwhelming feeling of no-return started rushing in on me, do I really know what i am doing? Should I have waited for someone to go with me on this trip? Should i just stick to cities and fly commercial all the time? A myriad of conflicting thoughts started crowding in my head and then I felt my buddy, Josiet, buzz me on the cheek and said, "Mader good luck sa byahe" and ahead of me, the airport staff was asking me to hand over my passport for checking.
The trip from Male International Airport (from Maldives) to the southernmost state of Kerala will only take two hours via Indian Airlines. And here i thought PAL's seats are already cramped, the seats in IA definitely takes the cake! It can barely accommodate me -- and speaking of me, I am only 5'4 and weighs 100 lbs! How much more if you are taller and a bit on the heavier side.... -- the seat dimension commensurate to the price of the ticket -- $210.00!!!
My knees can almost kiss the back of the seat in front of me and i just blanked out the fact that my seatmate's head keep on slipping to my headrest. And i keep on thinking --- i bought a roundtrip ticket ! There will be a repeat performance on the way back!
The food served was so-so. Only a bit spicier than the ones served in the restaurants in Male. So far, my tastebuds have not suffered a shock yet! Umm, well.... maybe except for the dessert -- it tasted like gelatin (and it wiggles too!) with too much milk and made to look like a pudding!
Hey, don't get me wrong I'm enjoying every minute of it -- i did not even take a nap the entire time!I'm bored..... my seatmate is awake now. She told me she is working as a nurse at IGMH (the main government hospital of Maldives) and this is her first vacation after 1 1/2 years. Hey guys, the jeepneyload of relatives and friends with "baon", shouting greetings at the Arrival area is NOT a monopoly of Pinoys! Meron din silang Indian version doon. And as enthusiastic as we are too!
We are almost there. My apprehensions about the trip vanished, replaced by the exciting temptation of exploring the unknown.
I can't wait to get out there and experience India!
First stop: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala -- or otherwise known as "Trivandrum" (sounds exotic na agad!)
p.s. (I am a "piktyur"-addict and this trip will not in any way be different...in other words, lahat ng sulok ng India magpa-piktyur talaga ako!)
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