At germany
Ok…let me start with the Bangalore airport security check in.
We went in. there was no mention of the invitation letter. I was very happy once the immigration was stamped. We went in for the security check in. put our baggage and jackets on the coveyor belt. Then we saw…oops…everyone else had a tag on their bags.we dint. We got a tag and fastened it to our bags. The security then stamped his seal. Then we went …oops again….that was the wrong tag. It was the british airways and not air france. We managed to find and air france lady and got our tags and put it. The luggage was thru with the security check now. We waited for them to check us up. They checked us….and there we went…oops again…the boarding pass had gone along with the conveyor belt safely kept inside the bag. Took permission got it out and got it stamped. Finally cane into the hall where the boarding announcements were being made.
Fish market….. That’s what it was. Too crowded. Loud announcements. People talking so much. Made a call to tell everyone that all was done. Then finaly managed to find a seat. Sat there for a long time. Most of the time was fiddling with the mobile messaging.
Found a duty free shop with nice shawls. Just went and asked how much it costed. 1000 he said. I Just turned around and walked away.
Was very hungry. Managed to drink some water. Then came the announcements for our flight. We dint realise it was seat wise and were waiting god knows for what. Then we realised (a little late tho) that we had to board and then went in. I had securely kept passport and everything inside. But had to keep taking it out a 1000 times. I think by the time I am back the passport holder will be in tatters.
Got our seats. One aisle and one next to it. It was a four seater. Had a tv, pillow, remote control for the light and a shawl. The tv dint switch on till take off. The announcements had so much of a French accent that it was just too difficult to understand wat they were saying. I am not sure abt the other flights as I have not flown international before, but I found the seat very small and of course uncomfortable. I was in the aisle seat. If prashanth had to sit his legs would go for a toss as there was absolutely no space.
We were dead hungry and kept wishing that they would serve some food. The stuff on tv was not too good. They supplied us with head phones, cloth to cover eyes while sleepin(donno what its called) and ear plugs. The tv had musics, cartoon, movies, one hindi movie(pathetic amesha patel one), games and the camera from the flight below(which would show us how it looked below the flight).nothing was interesting.
Finally the food arrived. Don’t remember what was there. It was veg. some sandwitch, jam, yogurt and water. I guess something else was also there but I don’t remember.we ate and finally went to sleep at 4 AM IST.slept quite well for sometime. But then it was too cold and leg was not at all comfortable as there was no leg rest.got up and walked up and down to reduce the back and leg pain. Tried to sleep again. Somehow managed to get some sleep. morning came. Switched on tv. Watched some movie for sometime. Then came the breakfast at 6:30 paris time.it had idli, vada, sambhar, bread, some fried stuff, strawberry jam, yogurt and nuts, semiya upma(must have been abt 2 spoons of upma).had it. Was too full.also had some coffee…tasted yuck.they gave an orange juice packet. Kept it aside to drink later. Was watching movie. Took out the juice to drink…yuck it was. Just kept it aside. Went to the loo. QQQQQ….looooonnnnnnnnnnggggggg queue.waited. finally got chance. After that came back to seat. And waited.some idiot at the back seat I think spilt the juice. It came flowing to our place and made my legs sticky. Landed at charles de gaule the paris airport at 8:45 paris time.
Kept following the crowd. Reached the terminal F. were supposed to go to terminal D. A,B,C,F are there but no D. no one was there to ask. Stood in a queue that said non European passports. But then someone said we had to go somewhere else. We left the long queue and went out,. A kind lady told us to get back into the queue because that was the right thing to do. Then we found some Indians in the queue. Asked them and confirmed that we were at the right place. The long queue moved quite fast. Got immigration cleared at paris. Now what. We dint know. We went in search of terminal D. it was so far. We asked in some counter of air france. They said go to terminal D but they dint know if after immigration we had to do anything else.so we walked.
There were conveyor belt kind of moving things for people to walk. We just stand on it and it takes u to the other end of the room. We wanted to try it. So we took that instead of just walking across.we had a real long walk. The airport looked as tho it was almost the size of Bangalore itself.finally we got to know that we had done all formalities and had to only do the security check in after which we cant come out. Our flight was at 1:05 and it was just 10:30. our back packs were getting heavy.
We first figured out where the restroom was so that we could use it when we wanted.then we took a trolly. Put all our stuff onto that. It was much easier now..we went into many duty free shops.found many cute and nice stuff but too costly.juat admired everything and sat down. We were hungry again. Took out bread. Had 2 slices each. Went to the retroom. Washed face. Combed hair and freshened up. It was 12. so we went for the security check in. by the time we finished that it was 12:20. again a fish market and this time no place to stand also. Flight was delayed by abt 15 nins. Finally boarded the flight at 1:20. got one widow and the next seat in a 3 seater. This time it was very nce to see the take off from the window and the clouds. Snow capped mountains In heaven. That’s what it looked like.gods live there….deepthi says.we were hungry again. Finally after abt 15 mins of sleep got one sandwitch and water(which I was dying for). Then slept again. It was time to land. So got up. Watched the landing thru the window.
Guess what….air france dint give us chocolates that they give during take off and landing. I had a tough time with the ear block and swallowing spit.
Landed at Frankfurt at 3. this was very late. 30 mins delay. The cab person would wait only for 30 mins. We ran to the baggage back). Ran to the revolving door from which we came.oops!!!! the door stopped moving and a voice started saying pls step back. We realized that it was only for entering and the exit was elsewhere. We came out with the luggage with great difficulty.ran to info counter. Asked them that were there any other formalities or we could leave and we were told that we could leave. We ran to terminal E. dint find SAP cab driver. Searhed all over. Dint find. We decided to wait for 10 more mins else we would call Christian. But then …lö behold!!!there was the man standing. We went to him and he told us that one more guy from amsterdam was coming. So we had to wait for him. That took ten more mins. Then we left to the cab. It was a Mercedes benz. Sooper car. Sat in it. Changed the sim. Called home. Spoke. Then slept. Then watched the scenes outside.
Germany Is really green. Very beautiful.the cars were too small.i donno why. Maybe because we were in a big car. But no…the cars were really too small.if prashanth was there he would have known the names. If sangu was there we would have made fun of the german people for using such small cars when they made some of the best cars in the world.anyways…no one was there. So I just could imagine and go to sleep.
It was a very long drive from Frankfurt to walldorf.it took 1:15hrs. but then when Christian told us that it was 200 kms…I felt we reached very fast. That Amsterdam guy was dropped off at holiday inn and we went to hotel ambiente.
Checked in.sooper room. Have a look at the photos. Of course the fan that u can see was there for the first day. But today after the room cleabning they have taken it away.beds are really soft.
I was in room 325 and she got room 322.we took the lift. Came to the room.cannot unpack because we will move to apartment on Saturday. So just opened potti….just to find that unpacking was unavoidable….pulikachal had played holi.
Took out everything. Then remembered that we had to call up Christian. Did so and he said he will come in half hour. So left everything as such. Ran and took a quick bath. Thanks to prashanth that I knew how to use the bathtub without dirtying the bathroom and other etiquettes. So could mange a quick freshening up. Wore black pant and dark blue top.
Ran down to find chrisitian already waiting. He offered to take us to Heidelberg asian food shop when we badly wanted to go to aldi(a store close to the hotel where the stuff was supposed to be too good). We anyway went with him and just ot some rice, haldirams bhelpuri and channa masala of mtr(don’t ask why we bought all that when I had so much of food stuff…I donno). Then we went to another shop. Got 2 apples, 2 bananas and some milk).came back to hotel…of course in christian’s car.
Gave a missed call home. Spoke. Ate apple and banana. Washed all the pulikachal and other used clothes.put it for drying.cleaned up all the mess. Layed out all stuff required for next day. Went to sleep at abt 11. had worn socks sweater and gloves. So no problem. Warm sweet sleep.
That was day 1.
Day 2:
Got up at 5:30.got ready……made sandwitches with pulikachal and bread. Packed it for lunch.did some stretching exercises. Sit ups made my legs freeze. Cleaned up room.locked luggage. Left for breakfast at 7:00. had cornflakes, some kind of bread, orange juice, fruit salad, coffee. Got a banana back to room.took pics of room. Christian promised to pick us up at 8:45. so got ready and left.
Had forgotten to take camera on day 1. so made sure I took that. Had also met ranjini on day 1. today met nalini and one more guy from SAP.
Met Christian. Asked in reception if I could leave food items in cupboard. Asked them route to station and to SAP office.
Went with Christian to office. Tried to take pics from car. But the camera conked up. We went round all the buildings in walldorf and also some other industrial stuff in walldorf. Then the same in rot. Landscape was beautiful..
Went into office. Got introduced to many people. Went to have coffee with Christian. Got our seats somewhere.
I was not able to use the german keyboard……then not able to connect to messenger. ….Not able to call on wan phone. Whew!!!bad day it was. Somehow managed to speak to prashanth for 2 mins I guess. Then went for lunch with Christian. Access card dint work. Got it activated. Then had some salads, yogurt, one pice bread and the sanwitch that I prepared.it was too much. Extra filling. The canteen was far away from the seats. In another building. So could not get the yogurt to the table as prashanth had suggested. The food was not all that bad. There was some more veg stuff like fried potatoes. But I dint take. By mistake took an apple.dint know it was charged. Then went and kept it back saying sorry.
Tried to fill water in glass.lifted off the whole tray instead of a glass. Then filled of full hot water by mistake. Finally managed to get proper water. Then left the stuff on the conveyor belt that took the dirty plates away.
Came back to seat. Had to copy the photos as I had to reset the camera to make it work. Copied it locally. But could not put it on my system. Struggled the whole day. Then deepthi told me one website which I have used. Hopefully it works. Planned that this weekend we visit only germany with moitreiyee.
Had some coffee. Went back to seat when Christian said we could leave. So we packed . took the laptops with us. Went to christian’s house.picked up his wife. Left to see the rhine vally. Went up the hill. Freezing it was. But absolutely beautiful. Heidelberg is supposed to be a very romantic city. That was true. We saw the city from the topmost point on the hill. Took snaps
There was a machine. If u put a 5 cents coin it would imprint the Heidelberg castle on it and pop it out.took a snap of it. Saw the funicular(a winch is what we call it or a cable car I guess). We saw the turbine kind of thing used to run it also. The drove down. On the way had a view of the castle and then the heielberg town. Then we were dropped back at hotel.
Called prashanth. Had some bread slices with pulikachal.washed some clothes(today no fan to make it dry so hope it dries). Now typin. Neck is aching. Its very late. So not going to do any packing or anything more. Tomorrow Christian will come of at 8. so have to sleep now and get up at 5.tata. bye bye. Will keep u posted. As I have the laptop I can type offline.
