Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Journey to Chicago

Unlike the previous trips, this time it is terrible. I've reached Hyderabad airport at 10pm on Saturday. As I was proceeding to collect my boarding pass, I received a call from Lufthansa ... "hello sir, we are sorry to inform u that the flight got delayed by 9 hrs. the tentative departure would be tomorrow morning 9:30am and we are not sure abt that." Those idiots would have told this to me before I arrived at the airport. I said I've reached the airport already. The lady continued ... "not a problem sirr, we would be giving you a hotel accomodation." I was a little worried about the connecting flight at Frankfurt. I would miss it and then God knows what happens to my luggage. I've heard of many instances where the luggage is misplaced in instances like these.
I stayed in The Manohar, quite close to the airport for that night. Haadd a free hot chocolate over ther ... Then early in the morning, I came to know that the flight would depart a little early at 6.
I went to the airport and then I had a worst experience of my life at the immigration. There is an idiott who blocked me for not showing him my Motorola Identity card... i donno how will the card matter to him. I showed him my Invitation letter, Passport etc. He wasn't convinced. Then came a stupid sound from his stinking mouth ... "gimme something and i will let you go... ". I wanted to slap him for that... but I had no other choice. I had to give him 100 Rs. This is the first time in my life that I had to give a bribe to someone. I was totally upset.
Then I've boarded the flight and watched 2 movies. One is Namaste London and the other The Namesake, of course with the English sub-titles :-)). I've liked the first one a lot and the other one is okay. The first one is how an Indian brings out the Indianness in a lady born and brought up at London. Then I reached Frankfurt.
Some good news at Frankfurt ... the connecting flight to Chicago also got delayed and if I can rush immediately to a gate C5(which is very very far away from the terminal i landed) then I can catch it. The boarding for that flight has just begun. Ther I am ... running with my laptop even on escalators pushing everyone .. had no other choice. If i miss it, the next flight at Frankfurt is after 5 more hours. Atlastt, I got into the flight. By the way, I had a first class ticket in this flight to Chicago. I really enjoyed flying in first class. For the first 2 hours, they have been continously feeding me and then I had a very nice sleep. I saw 300 in this flight. I wokeup just an hr before we reached Chicago.
Then I was very eager to go to the baggage area to check if the luggage had come. Fortunately, yes it did.
And then my aunt received me at the airport and dropped me at the hotel.

This is how i reached here. :-))
Now its 4AM over here and I am feeling very sleepy.

No comments :