Friends,
I
got up much ahead of the wake up call I had arranged with the reception and got
ready for the drive to the airport on 24th. The drive to the airport was smooth
early in the morning and we reached well ahead of the check in time. The flight
was in time. It taxied for long in the airport to reach the appointed gate for
disembarkation. At the time of take off from Rome the flight deck announced the
temperature of 0 degree centigrade in Madrid. It was 1 degree centigrade at the
time of landing there. I had packed my warm clothes into the checked in bag. The
international flight terminal is very far from the domestic terminals. Bus
transfers at frequent intervals transfer passengers between the two terminals.
It was extremely cold waiting for the bus transfer to T4 terminal for the
Emirates flight to Dubai. The T4 terminal is huge; one has to even transfer
within the terminal by train. By the time we reached near the scheduled gate we
were hungry as hell – the result was a huge Burger King meal. The EK 142 flight
was unusually delayed, even after boarding due to some push back trouble. I
opted to watch Spanish Masala, the movie by Lal Jose, on the flight. The food was
also served late due to turbulence. It consisted of an appetizer of smoked
salmon served with cream cheese, mixed olives and a lemon wedge; main course
was a choice between seared chicken breast topped with mild curry yoghurt
sauce, served with steamed rice and sautéed spinach and braised lamb roulade
served with a lamb jus, accompanied by roasted rosemary potatoes, princess
beans and tomato concasse. I chose the former. The moist sticky toffee pudding
drenched in a rich toffee sauce encased in a creamy vanilla topping was the
right conclusion for the meal. Also accompanying the meal was a box of savories
consisting of cracker biscuits and cheese, brochettes and spicy chilly sauce
and a piece of chocolate. The wine went right where it had to and it aided a
peaceful sleep.
There
was enough time to transfer from the arrival gate in the Dubai T3 complex to
the departure gate on 25th early morning. The terminal was so overcrowded
that I could not walk around without bumping into others. The Dubai Shopping
Festival had drawn its share of additional passengers into the terminal besides
the passengers transiting from one country to another – Dubai has indeed become
the premier transshipment hub in the region, stitching one part of the globe
with the other. The check out counters of the Duty Free shops was overworked. It
took time despite the efficient handling of the counters.
The flight
started boarding at 1.30 am – departure time being 2.15 am. The flight, as was
to be expected, was full. Breakfast was served on the flight at about 6 am. It consisted
of scrambled egg (against the steward claiming it to be an omelet!), potato croquettes,
fruit cuts, bun and coffee. I settled for an orange juice instead of alcohol. The
two other passengers by my seat were having a whale of a time – by their own
admission, they had more to drink than they should have.
The flight
landed ahead of time at the CIAL, by 8 am. The immigration counters were quick
with disposal. However, the Customs department was operating only one scanner,
which delayed passengers, with children getting restive and the elderly
thoroughly inconvenienced. But worse was to come. Baggage got to the carousal
very late. When checked with the Emirates personnel they mentioned that Customs
was responsible fro the delay for they were scanning both sides of every bag! If
they had to be stringent with checks they could have operated multiple scanners
and carousals. Customer is least on their mind, it seemed. It took me two hours
after the flight landed to be in a pre-paid taxi to head home. For the first
time in ten days my watch showed the right time, for I had not changed it in
Spain.
It
is worth recollecting some impressions of the visit to Spain. The people look a
lot like North Indians; their stature, complexion and hair color look a lot
like that of the Kashmir/Punjab Indians. They are not as formidable in
structure as the Americans. In fact, this is one factor that made me feel at
home immediately on arrival. The public transport is excellent; the Metro, bus
and tram services are very well organized. Combined day passes make for
extremely economical multiple journeys to visit places of interest and heritage
locations. They are also extremely visitor friendly, with eager to help
personnel manning the buses and sites. One negative is the fact that the
brochures and handouts are mostly in Spanish and hence, a bit difficult to
appreciate the sites unless researched in advance. The relaxation facilities built
for the local people are fantastic; the promenades, the shaded walkways, the
beaches and eateries are shared by visitors with the locals. The discipline observed
by the local people in using their facilities is another notable feature. Segregation
of waste and their collection is a model worth following in our land. The discipline
also flows from a respect for fellow inhabitants of the city or town. Breakfast
consists only of cold foods – cereal, croissants, Danishes, fruits, juices,
etc. Hot food is mainly for supper, which is had early. The normal
accompaniment with meals is either beer or wine. Roman influence is pervasive.
In a sense, they are proud of it too. Preservation of such influence tells its
own stories. The Spanish are big on art, dance and culture – the preponderance
of Museums, Art Halls and theatres are proof of this. They have a proclivity
for lengthy conversations; time stands still for them when thry engage another
in conversation and they have all the time in the world for that. The Spanish romance
is exemplified by the paseo in a promenade. The lengthy leisurely walks studded
with coffee and pastry is a pleasure to watch. All in all, an extremely
wonderful part of the world to spend a holiday in.
No comments:
Post a Comment