The journey has commenced -19 Nov




Unsure when the trip commenced. To make it easier for me for decide “in the beginning’ I took 15-Oct as the start. My first day of leave (or retirement!!)

The leave started on a lazy Sunday, as I eat a late lunch with Russ and Nilofer at their apartment overlooking Mumbai harbour. The waters of were calm and the changing tide swung the ships at anchor in a confused manner. Each one of them looking for the incoming tide to settle to their final direction. Russ did remark, this trip ‘will be a life changer for you”. I just looked out to sea and into the endless expanse.

I followed up a late lunch with an even later tea. I sipped spring water from the Mulshi dam, but I contaminated it for the second time. Make a mistake the first time and you could be forgiven, the second time and you better pack your bags.

In my mini journey’s I never have been a great packer. I could fill up any suitcase for my weekend trip to Pune, Panchgani, Lonavala or the ever lovely Dhanau (at “Talisker’ the lovely home of Firdaus Patel). To overcome my fear of overpacking for a a 73 day trip, a drew up a ‘checklist’ of items that I should carry in a 60 litre backpack and a 35 litre small haversack. For those who know me, I live by ‘checklists’ and expect the whole world to do so. I filled up the bags without a ‘single’ white shirt in my bag, and that is a ‘first’ for me. For the record the combined weight of both bags was 20 kgs.

Thanks to Crystal, Terence (my brother) and Lorraine, David and myself were safely dispatched from Mumbai airport.



The first leg of the journey to Paris was uneventful. However, Paris airport was not so welcoming. The Champagne, Caviar and hot showers at the lounge were restricted to Gold Members. Undeterred we settled down to the vast expanse of an empty airport terminal for a 15 hours wait. We made a little corner of the airport our home. Lunch was a combination of soup, salad, gutli pao, caviar, assortment of cheese, parmesan ham, red and white wine. I am sure the meal would have been an envy of anyone in the Air France lounge, not that we cared.

 


 

The 15 hour flight from Paris to Santiago was the longest I have experienced. I sat next to a lovely Irish doctor, who was on her way to Patagonia for a 10 days vacation. I mixed conversation with her, by watching a movie and hours of sleep.

 

 

Comments

  1. Mukul Pujari Apte3 November 2017 at 01:38

    “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adversity - Remember the airplane takes off against the wind

Image
  It has been nearly 3 weeks since my last post. It should have been a free running blog with a post every few days, but a muscle spasm to my back laid be low for a week in Mid December. Due to this unfortunate turn of event, we had to cancel our sailing trip down the west coast of India, 24 hours prior to planned departure. A big disappointment? – Yes, but these are adversities of excess and sometimes an opportunity in disguise. The back spasm partly cured, and I hopped on to my car and drove to Pune to spend a most wonderful Xmas with Terence by brother. On the seat besides me on my trip to Pune, was a friend of ours, who is trying to build skyscrapers (and spoil) Bandra from the ruins of old ancestorial properties.   A week in Pune was followed by a trip back to Mumbai so that I could drive to Karjat to spend a New year with my dear childhood friends. In this every growing materialistic world of false secularism, messiahs, leaders   and social media that thinks for...
Read more

Keep it Local: Shop, Buy and Think

Image
I always wanted to live in a small town, and if you call #panchgani a small town here I am. Sadly, although I have set up temporary home around the world, I always pack the wrong things. . So I landed here in Panchgani, on a humid, rainy, misty cold  day and commenced setting up 'home' . Before long, I realized how ill equipped I was. Clothes that would have sufficed in Mumbai are not much use out here. Its been four day and the washed clothes have not dried yet. I am roaming in wet socks and moist clothing. I quickly drew up a list of clothes, toiletries, groceries that I needed. Much like the city bloke I am, I sat down an entered my requirements on the various Apps that claim next day delivery at half the price. I came to Panchgani not only to enjoy the weather/water but also try and do something for the town that has given us so many memories. I then decided to walk down the one road town and purchase the items on the list locally rather than the online stuff. Surprisingly ...
Read more

Tiger Tiger burning bright

Image
  In the mid seventies Bandipur National Park was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger. It adjoins Nagarhole National Park. I have been told it was once a private hunting reserve(sic)for the Maharaja of Mysore, now it now a Tiger Reserve. Bandipur is located south of Mysore and it is a 2 hour easy drive. The road at times looks infinite and appears to stretch all the way to Kanyakumari. The lodge that we stayed was clean and neat and the food wholesome. The guides told us to avoid safaris after monsoon as the bushes and shrubs are very dense. The during summer one could spot wildlife on the main road itself .   Road less travelled    Bandipur  The reserve is a short ride from the lodge. A guided safari is arranged and dusk and dawn. The forest was still very green due to the late departure of the SW monsoons and early arrival of the NE. We were told that forest turns shades of orange and brown in the summer, an...
Read more