Vacation Adventures- Part 1- Srilanka

22/4/09

We were rushing to the airport caught amidst the traffic jam. Our flight was scheduled at 9:30 P.M. We reached the airport around 6:30, got our baggages checked ( with our hand luggages being opened becuz it simply had batteries in it.), got our passes ( and i requesting for a window seat ), put in all our heavy baggages. My dad had to get some books delivered at the airport and this man just did’nt come!! We were waiting and waiting..the first call for immigration came up, then the second one and then the final one.. and finally he did come…thank goodness. We proceeded for immigration and then security checks and it was around half-an hour of waiting ( and you know waiting at the Chennai Airport is not an easy job!) I decided to buy some sandwiches. It was all packed good and nice. But when i opened it, Yuck!! it was so cold and it was full of pepper and had only tomatoes in it, and i paid 150 bucks for that good for nothing thing !! phew…

Boarding call…we boarded.. and..yea The air hostesses going “Ayobawan” “Ayobawan” like a programmed robot. I pity them for their job to smile at they most stupidest times ever!! Fine! and we got our seats and I got a window one!

I couldn’t get a good view of the runway . I gleamed across the window and saw something huge and that was it !. It was a minute after that when I realized it was one of the wing of the aircraft!. It was a huge aircraft seating 450 people and it was fully filled!. Many people were first time travellers i guess. I say this because as soon as they were boarded they took on thier cameras and handycams and began shooting that good for nothing srilankan flight. The flight was filled with Flash lights. Just when a kind Air- hostess came in and said ” not possible sir !” ” please, it’s not possible”. When she just said this and moved to the next cabin the story started all again. * sigh*

The Wing of the Aircraft

” In Preparation for take off..” came he announcement and yeas a lot of announcements to go and finally the take off. I love the part before the takeoff when the flight goes like mad horse……….vroomm.. nd off we went! Chennai shined in the twilight! wow!! i could see all of Chennai sparkling sprkling !! twinkle! twinkle !! wow!! After the usual snacks ( Which tasted Yuck! with some thing made of aloo which i just didn’t touch. I was happy to see a cheese cake there

We landed at Katunayake International Airport after the 1 hour flight. Srilanka, contrary to my pre- conceived notions was huge and the airport was much much better than Chennai’s and not a speck- symptom of the civil strife going on between the Military and the LTTE was shown. We headed for the Night stop counter and got our immigration forms and then proceeded for immigration with that really sulky officer behind the desk.

We were to Stay at some Good Wood Hotel that 9 hrs. The hotel wasn’t good. But unlike the airport we can at least stretch out ! We had some sandwiches and orange juice for dinner and I was just too excited about Singapore that I didn’t sleep and there was not time either. At 4:30 we were all ready at the hotels reception. And there was a very comfy bus to take us to the airport. ( i recall my mom’s comment that this bus is better than the plane !)

And after all the formalities at the airport, we were waiting at our departure gate and the flight was an hour delayed. Waiting there for 2 hours was dreadful!. But for the betterment, there was free internet access in the waiting hall.

There came the boarding call and 30 mins from then we were flying 39,000 feet high. A nice breakfast ( there was a rotti which was said to be srilankan food which was something between Idli and Dosa ) I was watching confessions of a Shopaholic!! and that 4 hour flight seemed like for ever! I slept for sometime I guess…and a few mins later we landed at Changi Intl Airport!And Changi was Awesomee… The airport seemed like a paradise. oh GAWD! how can something like this exist on earth ?. With wonderfully carpeted floors and full of tiny eyed Chinese were such a cute site ..after all formalities being completed we stepped out to hire a taxi!

Will post soon about Adventure in Singapore

Sheba