Travelling to the past
Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2: I collected my boarding pass and as I was passing through Kenya I was also recommended to be vaccinated against polio which the airport authority had arranged for. After all regular formalities of immigration, security check etc. I went in the airport lobby. When I checked my gate pass to reach the gate, I was surprised to see Gate no. 73 on it.
Did the new terminal 2 have so many gates?? Without wasting time I started walking towards it, I didn't know, how much time it would take. But then the moving escalators for walking made it easy and quick. The corridors glittered with decorative lamps and the chairs were colourful and comfortable.
I reached my gate and I had enough time to spend reading a book. "Lady, you are not a Man" (LYANAM==LAYMAN) by Apurva Purohit, accompanied me through-out my journey. The book is about woman for a LayMan (wink) and encouraging, especially for me as I was traveling alone.
After I boarded the flight and receiving the usual meal which had a Indian taste I dozed off only to open my eyes in Nairobi, Kenya. I had a connecting flight to Ghana from there as most of my fellow passengers had. It was interesting to see how people of almost all races in the world come together at a location and all disperse in the world. The airport with nearly 10 gates was full of people, leaving only few chairs for people adding in. Going through the window panes of many duty free shops, I inquired for a transit visa which I took in my return journey. After all this I had 2 more hours and the airlines declared that the flight was an hour late. What am I going to do for 3 hours? I sat on this really uncomfortable chair and started reading the book. I also made some changes to the ppt I was supposed to present the other day and then again I dozed off but didn't forget to put a alarm on my mobile phone.
After I got up I went through a confusing system of entering the gate no.8 where people from other flights were also awaiting their flight. They announced our flight name and asked us to board the bus which would take us to the plane. I got an aisle seat and the person besides me was reading something familiar. Although it is not meant to be good manners I peeped in and I found that the person was coming for the same meeting as I was. Small world!! I got introduced to him and then went back to my favorite task.. dozing off.
After the flight of 5 and half hour the pilot instructed to tighten our seat belts as we were about to land at Kotoka International Airport,Accra, Ghana. Amidst the grey clouds our flight landed safely. As we entered the airport we went through the immigration part, clicking our pics, imprinting our fingerprints and moved towards the exit. Now me and David walked together to find a person holding name of the institution we were invited at.
Sitting in a left handed driving vehicle we reached the hotel,we were staying at,in nearly 30min. Throughout the ride I felt that the driver was not following rules being used to the right handed driving in India. After we reached, true to the Ghanian claim of they being good hosts, the hotel staff was humble and very supportive. Although it was 2:00pm in the Ghanian clock I was in the evening as per my biological clock. All this travel had confused me in terms of date and time. After eating some home made snacks I slept to wake up only tomorrow morning.
Did the new terminal 2 have so many gates?? Without wasting time I started walking towards it, I didn't know, how much time it would take. But then the moving escalators for walking made it easy and quick. The corridors glittered with decorative lamps and the chairs were colourful and comfortable.
I reached my gate and I had enough time to spend reading a book. "Lady, you are not a Man" (LYANAM==LAYMAN) by Apurva Purohit, accompanied me through-out my journey. The book is about woman for a LayMan (wink) and encouraging, especially for me as I was traveling alone.
After I boarded the flight and receiving the usual meal which had a Indian taste I dozed off only to open my eyes in Nairobi, Kenya. I had a connecting flight to Ghana from there as most of my fellow passengers had. It was interesting to see how people of almost all races in the world come together at a location and all disperse in the world. The airport with nearly 10 gates was full of people, leaving only few chairs for people adding in. Going through the window panes of many duty free shops, I inquired for a transit visa which I took in my return journey. After all this I had 2 more hours and the airlines declared that the flight was an hour late. What am I going to do for 3 hours? I sat on this really uncomfortable chair and started reading the book. I also made some changes to the ppt I was supposed to present the other day and then again I dozed off but didn't forget to put a alarm on my mobile phone.
After I got up I went through a confusing system of entering the gate no.8 where people from other flights were also awaiting their flight. They announced our flight name and asked us to board the bus which would take us to the plane. I got an aisle seat and the person besides me was reading something familiar. Although it is not meant to be good manners I peeped in and I found that the person was coming for the same meeting as I was. Small world!! I got introduced to him and then went back to my favorite task.. dozing off.
After the flight of 5 and half hour the pilot instructed to tighten our seat belts as we were about to land at Kotoka International Airport,Accra, Ghana. Amidst the grey clouds our flight landed safely. As we entered the airport we went through the immigration part, clicking our pics, imprinting our fingerprints and moved towards the exit. Now me and David walked together to find a person holding name of the institution we were invited at.
Sitting in a left handed driving vehicle we reached the hotel,we were staying at,in nearly 30min. Throughout the ride I felt that the driver was not following rules being used to the right handed driving in India. After we reached, true to the Ghanian claim of they being good hosts, the hotel staff was humble and very supportive. Although it was 2:00pm in the Ghanian clock I was in the evening as per my biological clock. All this travel had confused me in terms of date and time. After eating some home made snacks I slept to wake up only tomorrow morning.
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