“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
- Robert Frost
The time read 12:55 am on 15th day of April 2006. I had few final words to all with me, not looking anyone in their eyes, as I rolled my luggage carrier towards the departure section of Cochin International Airport. Ram came with me to the entrance. I shook his hand as I walked ahead for my journey - the journey to the other part of the world. My mind was frozen - no thoughts, no emotions – I was tired with sleepless nights and hard travel for the last many days. I moved ahead first towards the luggage scanning then to ticket checking and baggage weighing counter. My bags weighed 28 kg and 31kg each as they were taken away for loading. I was given another ticket card and a form to fill-up. I again looked out and waved to them. I saw them wishing me happy birthday - few more moments and they all disappeared from my eyes.
Now it’s a lone journey ahead. I filled up the form then went to the immigration counter. Again my tickets and form was verified. I moved from there to the customs check for back pack and body checking. After completing all formalities, I sat at the lobby waiting for the announcement - a long wait in fact.
It was 2:00 am. I was floating in a tired nap when someone shook me up. It was the retired DySp who was also travelling with me. I suddenly heard the announcement for my flight and the person who called me moved on. I had slipped into deep sleep. I took my bag and rushed for boarding.
On AI-0691 - COCHIN - MUMBAI -
I moved to the boarding entrance where a person checked my boarding pass. I walked in half consciousness along the long corridor and then suddenly - through the glass window I saw the Cochin-Mumbai Air India AI-691 Boeing waiting there. An aircraft in such a close proximity and it seemed like a mammoth Jurassic creature. My sleep evaporated. Reality struck in. A flight journey ahead. Excitement, fear, pain all rushed into my mind. A stride through another narrow corridor took me near the entrance of the aircraft. A lady greeted me as I stepped in carefully keeping my right leg in.
Inside the aircraft it looked like a mini movie hall. I was guided towards my seat – the 23C. There were three sections inside. Two seats each were on both the sides and four seats were in the middle. For me it was the right most seat of the middle section. The seat next to me remained vacant and the other two were occupied by gentlemen. The time should be around 4:30 am. I sat on my seat watching the surroundings. After sometime an announcement welcomed us with some safety instructions. We were told to fasten the seat belts. Then slowly the aircraft started to move. First it was a swift roll but then it accelerated suddenly. The acceleration kept on increasing and then suddenly with a big bang it took off towards the sky thus starting my journey - A spark went through my heart and I felt a momentary fear. But again the tiredness and sleep helped me.
There was nothing visible through the window though I felt like the full moon glow was prevailing all around. Inside the aircraft, an airhostess, a fat aged lady, brought some snacks and coffee. Though it was not the right time to take any food, I didn't waste anything. A scan through some magazines at my seat, some time looking here and there and then soon it became a boring episode. There was nothing to see, nothing to do and the sleep was hanging in somewhere.
An hour crept on somehow and then through the window I saw the sky slowly getting painted by the early sun rays. Another half an hour - an announcement alerted us to fasten the seat belts. We are going to land in the City of Mumbai. The time was 6:00 am. I got ready and kept my eyes fixed towards the window. Few more minutes, I felt the aircraft going down. Through the window I saw the Mumbai seashore, then the miniature buildings and streets. The view of Mumbai city from the sky lit by the rising sun was simply breathtaking - the city where I dwelled once for my survival.
The distance to the ground diminished and in a couple of minutes, the aircraft thudded down as it landed in Mumbai City thus ending the first part of my journey. A quick stride along the transit to gate no 17 - another verification of the boarding pass, the passport, a customs security check and in 15 min I was ready for my next flight.
On AI-191 - BOMBAY-NEWARK via PARIS
Like a frequent flight traveler I got in for my second flight. This time again, I was not lucky to have the window seat. My seat 61D was like my earlier one. The side seat of the middle section. Two Telugu speaking ladies were in my section. There were many foreign travelers as well who were taking their seats. This aircraft seemed to be bigger and sophisticated that the earlier one. There were three seats each on either side and four in the middle section. Each seat had a personal video screen with it. The sleepless night was disturbing me. But still I decided to keep awake, just because I am now going to cross the border of my country for the first time in my life.
I got ready. Time 7:20 am. AI191 slowly strolled towards the takeoff area. Then it dashed off like a sprinter on for a race, picking up the speed every second. Two more minutes, and it banged towards the sky. I had few glances of my country distancing out through the windows. Our altitude climbed up, taking us much away from ground, till we reached above the clouds. Through the window bright light was crushing in. The crew told the passengers to close the windows. Now there was nothing new around me. Few faces have changed. Other than that it is going to be another boring time ahead. Now it is 18 long hours.
The take off made some pressure difference in my ears and I felt some pain due to it. I kept my ears and eyes closed and relaxed for some time. My next thoughts were on Paris, where this flight is going to land for some time. It is going to be around 10 hours to reach Paris. I had no idea on how to kill time. I couldn't sleep, but again, I was too tired for any serious reading. I just browsed through the channels on the video screen at my seat – listening to some music which took out an hour. Then I saw an interesting channel on the video screen. It was the GPS system, displaying the exact route of our aircraft, the current location with the world map in background, the current altitude, temperature and similar details. I liked it and when I checked it we were above some part of Afghanistan. The flight had travelled over Punjab then through Pakistan to Afghanistan and was around the Tehran belt. The IST was 11:30 am and the time at the current location was 11am. The altitude was 35000 feet, temperature outside read -57 degrees (due to the altitude) and the ground speed 813 km/hr.
I kept observing the GPS as we can see the miniature aircraft moving over the world on the screen as per our location. By 11:45 am IST, we were above the Caspian Sea, then by 12:05 pm IST, above Baku, 12:45 pm IST Tbilisi and 1:30 pm IST over the Black Sea. Once the flight reaches its altitude, the passengers move around to relax. There were few windows near the exit which were open. I went there and had a look through the window at the ground below. But I found that we could see nothing from 35000 feet above other than clouds. Once over the Black Sea, I got a cloudless sky and the sea appeared to me like a granite tile with a nice design over it. The altitude, speed and temperature remained almost the same throughout. I observed how the time at current position varies from IST. It was like a practical session on a Geography class!
In between the routine food was going around. I never knew whether it is a breakfast or a lunch but whatever I got I kept eating to keep my energy levels up. There were drinks also being served. There was one hindi movie in a channel. I spend some time watching the Nasaruddin Shah movie on cricket. It was a nice one but as it got really interesting it stopped and never came back. Back again to the GPS screen. Time 4:10 pm IST, in Europe above Munich travelling via Budapest and the time at that location was 12:41pm. Another hour and half and we were ready to land in Paris. Time 5:40 pm IST, local time 1:58 pm we landed down in Europe - in the City of Paris. From the moment the aircraft was drifting down to Paris, I was looking out for one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Eiffel Tower. But it turned out to be a futile effort.
The halt at Paris was for an hour and half. Few people disembarked, few others got in and the crew was busy cleaning the inside. In the meanwhile, I found some time to get to a window and watch the Paris airport. The airport had so many runways going criss-cross with aircrafts, mostly Air-France, moving along. The cars and some vans were looking like dwarfs among them. At a distance I saw few bare trees and building structures but there was nothing else around. The outside temperature as the announcement said was 12 degrees. I spend some time watching the Paris around me then went back to my seat. The new passengers had taken their seats and we were set for the journey ahead. The local time read 3:30pm. The crew again went through with the safety instructions and slowly the aircraft started its move towards our final destination - The Newark airport.
As the aircraft took off, I had a severe pain in my ears, more severe than what I had earlier. I sat still till I felt I can move my head. By then we were 36000 feet above. The journey ahead was for seven and half hours. I went back to the GPS system. In half and hour we were crossing the English channel and then in another two-and-half hours we were above the great Atlantic Ocean over which we will be flying for next four hours. I went over to the door side window again, and looked out. I saw few blue patches among the thick clouds. Is it the Atlantic Ocean? Ten minutes there and I got tired. I went back to my seat. Tiredness slowly started to overcome me. I never knew when I slept, my nap over the Atlantic.
I woke up hearing the announcement saying we are going to land in Newark. I picked up myself and got ready for my great launch. The aircraft slowly drifted. At a distance I saw numerous buildings - my first view of United States Of America. We lowered down further and in another couple of minutes the aircraft landed at the Newark Liberty International Airport. The local time -15th April 2006, 5.00pm - temperature 28 degrees. I picked up my bag and followed the passengers towards the door and stepped out as I had stepped in for my journey - with my right leg first - a journey of my Birthday over the World, starting its celebration in India and finishing it in US.
