I am sure what I am jotting down today may not be quite so interesting for many out there as they have experienced it many times before. I am talking about my first, my very first experience at flying!!!
I have always wanted to travel to as many places I could and luckily I had an opportunity to visit Kerala with my cousin and his wife. Since they had only a few days to tour with us they opted to take us, that is me and my daughter by flight., The whole trip in itself was awesome and the most memorable trip ever but what made it more so was the flight to and fro from Mumbai to Cochin.
It all began at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Vile parle where we were dropped in an auto by my brother-in-law. As we neared it we could see the brand new and sparkling terminal 2 or T2 which was to be inaugurated soon in January by the honourable President of India. Yes, I have been to the airport a few times but this was different as I was here to take flight and not just see someone off!!!
Shreya and I were a bit apprehensive as we did not know what the procedure exactly was. The sign boards put up all around the terminal were of great help and soon we had our boarding passes in our hands and had our luggage checked in. We were there much before departure so we had a mini photo session as we waited in the waiting area. I had a washroom break three times, not any less as it was quite cool or maybe it was nerves.
Both of us had a good look all around and we observed the passengers as they moved around with their baggage with different expressions on their faces. There were the frequent fliers who walked about as if they were in their hotel lobby, they knew where to go, what to .....they felt at home in these surroundings. Then there were families with kids (or is it the other way around?)The kids talked non-stop, played games, ran after each other, dropped things and fidgetted with the baggage looking for God knows what!!!There were the 'I need my beauty sleepy' types too. They were fast asleep and like magic they were up when their flight was announced or just a little before it was. They made themselves comfortable on the chairs or spread themselves on the ground and had a good snooze. There were the groups of tourists, honey-mooning couples, office goers out on work and those like us who were out on their first flight. We also saw the security personnel, service staff, receptionists and the air-hostesses.
Finally our flight was announced and we moved on towards gate number three (well ahead of the others),showed our boarding passes and sat in the king long bus that took us to our vaahan. Yay!!!At last we were climbing the steps and getting into the giant plane. Shreya was clicking away and was told by the airhostess who was there to welcome us with folded hands, to stop taking pictures. Both f us were too excited to mind and we got into the plane. We had the good fortune of having a window seat too!!!The personnel in the aircraft made themselves busy and there was a flurry of activity .The flight pilot and co-pilot was announced and the main doors were shut. Time to fly!!!!
The aircraft steered itself towards the runway and took off. Shreya and I ,like little kids kept our eyes glued to the window to see the take-off. There were lights all around the runway and the airplane slowly and steadily made its way into the dark sky. It was exactly 5:35 am when we took off. Immediately the airhostesses took their positions and as the announcement regarding the safety measures to be taken during the flight were announced, they enacted them. This was so interesting for us to watch as we had had heard so many jokes about the "do dwaar aage aur do dwaar picche" announcement. I think there were about 4 to 5 air-hostesses on the flight and they wore well ironed colourful printed sarees. Only one of them was young and beautiful and she enacted the safety drilll so well. while the other one was looking so fed up. After the drill we took time to gauge our surroundings in the plane. Surprisingly, we did not even feel as if we were in flight. On looking out we felt that we were moving so slowly. All we could see was pitch darkness and slowly when it was dawn we could see the bright sun.
Breakfast was served within a few minutes. Like well-oiled machinery, they got to work and soon every passenger had their breakfast before them on the little tables. I opted for non-vegetarian fare when Shreya settled for vegetarian. She had meduwada, sambar, chutney, bread, jam and butter while I had egg omlette ,potato wedges, bread,jam and butter. This was followed by coffee or tea. We had our fill and Shreya dozed off while I sat and just looked out of the tiny window afraid to miss out on anything exciting during the flight. Before long,it was time for me to use the wash room.the washroom was so small!!!It was clean and the sound of the flush was quite loud...whoooooshhh!!!!I whiled away my time by looking at my fellow passengers and just about ten minutes before landing it began.......the terrible ear ache!!!Shreya too awoke and she too said that there was unbearable pain in her ears. There was nothing we could do to reduce that pain as unfortunately, though I was told to chew on chewing gum during the flight ,I did not have any chewing gum. Thankfully ,it lasted only for about five minutes but even those few minutes we both were close to tears. Pain gone, we concentrated on the view outside and saw the famous backwaters of Kerala, tiled roofs and the approaching Cochin International airport. What a wonderful first-time flight it had been (minus the part where our ears had ached)From the high skies back to the ground, we collected our luggage from the carousal for baggage and walked out to see Mr.John, who had come to recieve us on behalf of Paradise Holidays, holding a placard with my cousins name on it.
After a truly wonderful and memorable stay there we came back to Cochin International Airport for our return flight. Like the earlier flight, here too we had breakfast but this time I too opted for vegetarian fare. This time it was dosas and medu wada sambar.The wada was tasty but the dosa was like white cardboard and tasteless. Here too I enjoyed the hawai sundaris go through the emergency drill for passengers.As this flight was a morning one we could see the view below much more clearly. Shreya had the window seat and I had a huge passenger beside me who tried to occupy a quarter of my seat too as he spread himself comfortably in his seat. Miraculously, this time around even during the landing both of us did not experience any ear ache! What a relief! So,as we began to descend we looked out and saw the innumerable hutment colonies lining the airport. Sad to know that this is the view any tourist to India has when she/he lands at Mumbai airport. Anyway, we collected our bags and made our way out of the airport and though our mini vacations were awesome it was great to be back to Amchi Mumbai!!!
After all, home is where the heart is!
What a wonderful experience we had on our first ever flight!
Hoping this is a beginning of many more flights.......after all who does not want wings???
I have always wanted to travel to as many places I could and luckily I had an opportunity to visit Kerala with my cousin and his wife. Since they had only a few days to tour with us they opted to take us, that is me and my daughter by flight., The whole trip in itself was awesome and the most memorable trip ever but what made it more so was the flight to and fro from Mumbai to Cochin.
It all began at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Vile parle where we were dropped in an auto by my brother-in-law. As we neared it we could see the brand new and sparkling terminal 2 or T2 which was to be inaugurated soon in January by the honourable President of India. Yes, I have been to the airport a few times but this was different as I was here to take flight and not just see someone off!!!
Shreya and I were a bit apprehensive as we did not know what the procedure exactly was. The sign boards put up all around the terminal were of great help and soon we had our boarding passes in our hands and had our luggage checked in. We were there much before departure so we had a mini photo session as we waited in the waiting area. I had a washroom break three times, not any less as it was quite cool or maybe it was nerves.
Both of us had a good look all around and we observed the passengers as they moved around with their baggage with different expressions on their faces. There were the frequent fliers who walked about as if they were in their hotel lobby, they knew where to go, what to .....they felt at home in these surroundings. Then there were families with kids (or is it the other way around?)The kids talked non-stop, played games, ran after each other, dropped things and fidgetted with the baggage looking for God knows what!!!There were the 'I need my beauty sleepy' types too. They were fast asleep and like magic they were up when their flight was announced or just a little before it was. They made themselves comfortable on the chairs or spread themselves on the ground and had a good snooze. There were the groups of tourists, honey-mooning couples, office goers out on work and those like us who were out on their first flight. We also saw the security personnel, service staff, receptionists and the air-hostesses.
Finally our flight was announced and we moved on towards gate number three (well ahead of the others),showed our boarding passes and sat in the king long bus that took us to our vaahan. Yay!!!At last we were climbing the steps and getting into the giant plane. Shreya was clicking away and was told by the airhostess who was there to welcome us with folded hands, to stop taking pictures. Both f us were too excited to mind and we got into the plane. We had the good fortune of having a window seat too!!!The personnel in the aircraft made themselves busy and there was a flurry of activity .The flight pilot and co-pilot was announced and the main doors were shut. Time to fly!!!!
The aircraft steered itself towards the runway and took off. Shreya and I ,like little kids kept our eyes glued to the window to see the take-off. There were lights all around the runway and the airplane slowly and steadily made its way into the dark sky. It was exactly 5:35 am when we took off. Immediately the airhostesses took their positions and as the announcement regarding the safety measures to be taken during the flight were announced, they enacted them. This was so interesting for us to watch as we had had heard so many jokes about the "do dwaar aage aur do dwaar picche" announcement. I think there were about 4 to 5 air-hostesses on the flight and they wore well ironed colourful printed sarees. Only one of them was young and beautiful and she enacted the safety drilll so well. while the other one was looking so fed up. After the drill we took time to gauge our surroundings in the plane. Surprisingly, we did not even feel as if we were in flight. On looking out we felt that we were moving so slowly. All we could see was pitch darkness and slowly when it was dawn we could see the bright sun.
Breakfast was served within a few minutes. Like well-oiled machinery, they got to work and soon every passenger had their breakfast before them on the little tables. I opted for non-vegetarian fare when Shreya settled for vegetarian. She had meduwada, sambar, chutney, bread, jam and butter while I had egg omlette ,potato wedges, bread,jam and butter. This was followed by coffee or tea. We had our fill and Shreya dozed off while I sat and just looked out of the tiny window afraid to miss out on anything exciting during the flight. Before long,it was time for me to use the wash room.the washroom was so small!!!It was clean and the sound of the flush was quite loud...whoooooshhh!!!!I whiled away my time by looking at my fellow passengers and just about ten minutes before landing it began.......the terrible ear ache!!!Shreya too awoke and she too said that there was unbearable pain in her ears. There was nothing we could do to reduce that pain as unfortunately, though I was told to chew on chewing gum during the flight ,I did not have any chewing gum. Thankfully ,it lasted only for about five minutes but even those few minutes we both were close to tears. Pain gone, we concentrated on the view outside and saw the famous backwaters of Kerala, tiled roofs and the approaching Cochin International airport. What a wonderful first-time flight it had been (minus the part where our ears had ached)From the high skies back to the ground, we collected our luggage from the carousal for baggage and walked out to see Mr.John, who had come to recieve us on behalf of Paradise Holidays, holding a placard with my cousins name on it.
After a truly wonderful and memorable stay there we came back to Cochin International Airport for our return flight. Like the earlier flight, here too we had breakfast but this time I too opted for vegetarian fare. This time it was dosas and medu wada sambar.The wada was tasty but the dosa was like white cardboard and tasteless. Here too I enjoyed the hawai sundaris go through the emergency drill for passengers.As this flight was a morning one we could see the view below much more clearly. Shreya had the window seat and I had a huge passenger beside me who tried to occupy a quarter of my seat too as he spread himself comfortably in his seat. Miraculously, this time around even during the landing both of us did not experience any ear ache! What a relief! So,as we began to descend we looked out and saw the innumerable hutment colonies lining the airport. Sad to know that this is the view any tourist to India has when she/he lands at Mumbai airport. Anyway, we collected our bags and made our way out of the airport and though our mini vacations were awesome it was great to be back to Amchi Mumbai!!!
After all, home is where the heart is!
What a wonderful experience we had on our first ever flight!
Hoping this is a beginning of many more flights.......after all who does not want wings???
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| The window to the skies! |
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| What a feeling!!!!!Truly sensational...!!! |
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| Shreya getting the most of her window seat..... |
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