Discovering Bali - 23 December 2017

The small room had been comfortable and I slept quite well. However, the time zone change robbed me of two and half  more hours of it. As the taxi would arrive at 8 am I was at breakfast just after the restaurant opened for it at 7. It wasn't a buffet. There was a set menu with options to choose from. Opening the order was strong Balinese coffee and a combination of breads with butter and jam. Next to grace the table were poached eggs on muffin with steak. That was a huge helping. The breakfast feast was completed with cut fruits and guava juice. All this was accompanied by exemplary service and smiling hospitality. It was a knockout. I was fortified for more than half the day.

I had a call from reception to announce that the taxi had arrived, well in time. At the checkout I wrote out an appreciation of the hospitality and personally thanked the people who had made the stay comfortable. The room with breakfast had cost me just INR 1500. Danu was the name of the driver who had contracted to take me around. He already had the itinerary I had suggested. As I settled into the car he apologized for being deficient in the English language. However, I put him at ease saying that I was not looking for oratory but simple communication. In a short while he became a good friend who gave me nuggets about the Balinese way of life and some numbers of how much it costs to live in Bali. His name is the Balinese word for lake. He said that Hinduism is practised by over 85 percent of the island people. Moreover, Bali is safe as no other place in Indonesia as the people are very trusting and God fearing.

First on the list for the day was the Ulawatu temple, which was in the southern corner  of the island. Once we left the busy Denpasar roads it was countryside, simple and beautiful. Speed limit on the roads was 60 kmph and road use was extremely disciplined. I had not expected  this because there are innumerable posts warning of haphazard driving in Indonesia. Maybe, it happens in the other islands of the country. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, cycles and carts coexisted peacefully on the roads without honking and other signs of annoyance. Traffic was never paralyzed even where there was congestion because  people had the patience to await their  turn. The 'me-first' mentality  was thankfully absent. 

When we reached the parking lot of the temple Danu told me to take my specs off and keep them in the car. He said that the monkeys there were particularly aggressive and some of his earlier fares had their specs broken by them. I was apprehensive about the arrangement because my sight is substantially impaired without specs. Anyway it was not  worth inviting the wrath of the monkeys. After taking the entrance ticket I was asked to tie a silky sash around my waist, apparently a mark of respect while visiting the temple. The complex is neatly maintained with ladies working hard to sweep up the leaves that fall through the day and other debris that the strong winds deposit. The entire area is paved and has adequate amenities for sightseers.

The Uluwatu temple is one of the key spiritual pillars of Bali, located as it is on steep cliffs 70 metres above sea level. The amazing location of the temple and the rivetting views of the Indian Ocean, with waves breaking against the cliff, are sights to die for. If I hadn't so many things on my plate for the day I would have stayed there the whole day. A favourite with visitors is the sunset with the temple in the background. There were many worshippers about in traditional clothing and large offerings. The Balinese believe that the Trimurti, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva become one here. After walking almost a kilometre from one end to the other of the complex I got back to where I met up with Danu. I had not encountered any aggressive monkeys, maybe it was too early for them. I had only met more smiling and affectionate people who seemed to respect Indians. Almost always the remark was, " Aahhh from India", when I told them I was from that country. Indian movies and songs have tremendous influence there.

Luwak coffee is famed all over the world and is the costliest coffee. Danu suggested a short break in one of the centres that showcased how the coffee was made. There we met Yani Widiarti, a personable young man who showed me the Civet Cats that did the job for that centre. In traditional coffee plantations the Civet Cats feed on coffee beans and after the digestive process excrete them. In centres such as the one I visited coffee beans are fed to the cats along with its daily meals. The excreta of the cats is collected and processed to make the famous and precious Luwak coffee! The centre has an outlet that sells all types of coffee. I was told that I could have more than a dozen varieties of them free of charge to taste and a cup of Luwak coffee for nearly INR 250. I opted for a cup of refreshing ginseng coffee and took leave of Yani.

Danu suggested changes to the day's schedule. He said that I may like to visit the Pandawa beach instead of Kuta, which would be overrun by visitors. I went by his advice and opted to go to the Pandawa beach and i didn't regret that decision. On the approach to the beach massive construction is underway to take advantage of the commercial opportunities that were opening up  with the recent 'discovery' of the 'Secret Beach'. The beach was opened officially only in 2012. First glimpse of the beach from the road cut through limestone  cliffs is magnificent. Local visitors far outnumbered the international tourists here. Vantage points had been set up for photography, jaw dropping views and fun. Rain had begun to fall when I was ambling along on the beach and I sought quick refuge in the taxi. Along the limestone cliffs niches had been carved out to house statues of Kunti and her five sons, which gave the beach it's name. 

On the way to the Tanah Lot temple Danu suggested a short detour to the Turtle Island. I had visited some place similar in Thailand and hence, decided to give that place a skip. The Tanah Lot temple is another magnificent pilgrim site abutting the Indian Ocean. Legend has it that sage Niratha travelled to Bali from Java in the late 15th century to spread Hinduism and set up the site honouring the sea god. His teachings angered the village chief who sought to commit him harm. The sage is said to have moved his meditational centre, situated on a rock, out to the sea using his unusual powers. The sashes he wore were transformed into sea snakes that guarded the site, where a temple was set up later. The chastened village chief became the sage's follower. The complex has well arranged shops and eateries.

Most of the local handicrafts are exquisite and works of delicate craftsmanship. The magnificence of the complex has to be experienced. Mere words are insufficient. Even with milling crowds I did not feel hemmed in or jostled around. At a few places I found pythons coiled up and waiting to be handled by interested visitors, of course for a small fee. In one of the food stalls I settled to have lunch of Nasi Campur with a drink of coconut milk and pudding. 

After lunch Danu suggested that visit to Monkey Forest and Goa Gajah be postponed to the next day. Instead he suggested a visit to the Taman Ayun temple, built in the first half of the 17th century as the chief place of worship in the Mengwi kingdom. The large complex has magnificent traditional courtyards, landscaped gardens, fish ponds and architecturally important structures inspired by contemporary Chinese design. The pristine surroundings of the temple complex add to the elaborate four tiered division of the temple  complex. I took a leisurely stroll around the complex to admire the symmetry of construction and complex sculptures that abounded there. One thing with tourist sites in Bali is that most of them charge an entrance fee ranging from INR 100 to 300, are clean and neat, public toilets and garbage bins are provided, and most importantly, people don't litter.

I had walked a fair bit the whole day and my legs were beginning to cramp up. Danu suggested a massage once I got to my hotel in Ubud. He said that traditional Balinese massage would ease the aches and soothe the muscles. On the way to the hotel he took me to a centre that showcased wood carvings. The guide explained the type of wood the artisans worked on like crocodile wood - so called because of the texture of its bark - mahogany, teak, ebony, etc. The works were undoubtedly superb but was pricey too.

The last stop of the day was at Semar Kuning 1 where local artists exhibited their paintings. It is also possible to watch the artists at work. I was told that some of them are even commissioned by hotel chains and museums. The works are intricate and most of them depict mythological themes and events from daily Balinese life. The cheapest painting was about USD 120 and some of them were priced over 5000 USD.

The Artini Resort and Spa was bang in the centre of Ubud, a spitting distance away from the Monkey Forest. I was surprised by the superb hotel I had sourced through booking.com. It had been cheap thanks to the travel advisory. Once I took leave of Danu, promising to meet up next day morning, and checking in to the hotel I walked about a bit noticing the Bebek Bengil, the famed dirty duck diner close to the hotel. After checking out a few places I settled for a massage centre close to the hotel and spent more than an hour relaxing over a foot massage and a body rub. Back in the hotel in settled for a Nasi Goreng, the local delicacy, for dinner. That was a wonderful end to a lovely day.

An impulsive Christmas vacation - Chennai to Denpasar, Bali 22 December 2017

It was a long time since I had taken a planned Christmas vacation. I had some leave to burn that would lapse with the onset of the new year. A couple of days would be consumed by a year end trip to New Delhi for a batch get-together. Prefixing and suffixing a couple of days to the long Christmas weekend would give me five days. Air travel at short notice within the country, and that too with the vacation looming, was too expensive. Countries requiring visa too were out of the question due to paucity of time. A few days of deliberation and research led me to Bali; free visa on arrival for Indians and reasonable return fares by Malindo Air. The threat of a volcanic eruption coupled with travel advisory by many countries presented me with cheap stay options too. I would have three clear days in Bali, 23rd to 25th December, with two days for travel. 

As I would be landing in Denpasar airport after nightfall, with additional time factored in for Visa on arrival, I looked around for a decent place close to airport in Kuta area. Booking.com has been a trusted guide to accommodation during my overseas travel since 2014. If  minor glitches on the Trans Siberian expedition are set aside the experience with booking.com has been reasonable satisfactory. So it would be Grandma's Airport Hotel for the first night and the Artini Resort Hotel in Ubud for the next three, all for Rs 7000! I could have landed decent hostels for less than half, but I was beyond experimenting.

Further research was done on places to visit and things to do in Bali. Beach activities and nightlife don't interest me; so places of natural beauty, historical monuments and traditional shopping would be my focus. High on the list are the two volcanic mountains, Batur and Agung. Elephant caves, terraced rice fields, Monkey forest and the Goa Gajah also sounded interesting. A visit to a coffee plantation where the costliest coffee is made, the civet cat ingested special coffee bean, is also highly recommended. Besides, there are many traditional Hindu temples and furniture marts, if I have the time. I toyed with the idea of renting a car and driving around, but the need for an International Driving Permit put paid to that strain of thought. I have been told that chauffeured cars would be available at reasonable rates, which could give me the flexibility to explore more than I can on my own.

I arrived Chennai international airport well in time but was greeted by queues and queues. First it was the Malindo Air check in counter. They do not offer web check-in at Chennai. The check-in counter, therefore, is inevitable. There were people with tons of baggage and the queue moved at snail's pace. System is slow, mentioned the comely girl who checked my passport and ticket before directing me to a counter. Sachin, a Malayali, counter clerk, served with a smile and gave me an aisle seat as requested. Second came the queue for immigration. It took forever. Just three officials to serve more than a hundred passengers. Added to that, the officials engage in social rather than professional behaviour amongst themselves with scant respect for those standing endlessly in the queue. Wonder whether the higher officials ever review data on camera to put in place a mechanism to improve life for passengers. Out of the clutches of immigration and you are confronted with the CISF security queue. Even if you double the number of scanners the problem will not be solved. They are more interested in talking amongst themselves and socialising. The guy at the scanner is bored and inattentive. The throughout dramatically reduces and people continue to wait. Demonetization and it's fallout proved that we have an insatiable capacity to stand in queues and wait and wait. The airport experience is no less. And an intemperate reaction can invite a no-fly ban! So lump all this and take them in your stride.

Just after the security check was the small duty free shop that primarily vends liquor. There were excellent deals like the JW Double Black buy three get one offer for USD 125. Indonesia permits only one litre of liquor import and hence, I settled for  Bacardi Oakheart rum. Should the weather in Bali keep me indoors I would not remain inactive, I rationalised! The shuffle I was forced to practice in the three queues had made me hungry. I further shuffled around the sparse departure hall and came across the express food counter that served food from many of the popular restaurants of Chennai like Anjappar, Sangeetha, etc. Set up as an automated facility that freshly seals and serves hot food, it was manned by a pleasant young man. My idly order was served in less than two minutes, as advertised at the counter. However, it was so thoroughly sealed that I had half the sambar on me before I got to eat the idlies! When I was on to the second idly I started to hiccup. I needed water immediately. Fortunately, I spied drinking water taps in close proximity. I ran to it and discovered that the taps were dry. A cleaning lady, seeing the immediate need I was in, directed me to taps at the end of the hall. The manner in which facilities are maintained in the international airport is truly shocking.

Boarding for the 7.50 am flight started at 7.30 and the aircraft finally took off nearly an hour late. The reason given was inspection of the runway. I wasn't too worried because the same aircraft would take me to Denpasar after a brief transit halt in Kuala Lumpur. The delay in Chennai meant that I would have lesser waiting time in KL.

Malindo Air is a no frills airline based out of KL. The flight to Denpasar was a code share operated by Batik Air, the Indonesian airline. Announcements were incomprehensible as the very peculiar pronunciation did not make any impact on the cranial nerve that was meant to decipher sounds. Moreover, the situation was exacerbated by the inadequate public  address system. Shortly after take off I was asked my preference of meals. The options were vegetarian and Nasi Lemak, chicken rice. It was Nasi Lemak for me. The small helping was quite tasty even though it was not warm enough. Later I asked for coffee and I was served black with sugar. There is no provision for milk, said the smiling hostess. Budget airline, I remembered. And then, headsets for inflight entertainment were passed around only on demand. The next encounter with budget in flight was when I used the toilet. There was no light in the enclosure. This was the limit. When I pointed this out to another hostess I was told that the lights didn't work. Wow, that's a new definition of a budget flight. 

I had two interesting companions next to me in the flight. A mother and son. Both Myanmarese. The son, who studies in Savita Medical College in Chennai, was accompanying his mother to Yangon after a surgical procedure on her. Before take off the young man was 'interviewed' for a long time about his mother's medical condition. After meals were served and cleared he was told to present medical documents and boarding passes for airline staff to examine and record. All through, the young man maintained a smiling countenance. Sitting nearby I was vexed!

Some announcements were made as we were landing in KL, but as had happened before, I could make neither head nor tail of it. I was interested in knowing whether I should remain in the aircraft for the onward journey to Denpasar. As I was exiting my query was answered in the most amiable way by the young hostess. I was asked to contact ground staff upon disembarkation, which I did. The young girl, who I understood to be ground staff, told me that boarding would commence at 1540 hrs local time, which gave me about 45 minutes to roam around the lovely terminal.

The more I wandered the more I was amazed. The quality of infrastructure, the manner in which it is used, vibrance of colours and vegetation, facilities - even the noiseless terminally trains that ferried passengers - food stalls and such like. Suddenly I came to the Plaza Premium lounge. I had walked past so many restaurants and food stalls that my mind, rather than my stomach, yearned for some input. I walked in and asked if my Priority Pass would be accepted and I was surprised when it was. The girl even told me that it would free of any charge and should any charge reflect in the account, I should inform the bank to reverse it! The normal fee for use of the lounge is RM 168. Of course, I was alerted that the wines and spirits would be charged. I had 20 minutes and in that I had two huge helpings of chicken wings, drumsticks and pickled veggies. Awesome is the only way to describe the experience.

It was 1540 hours by the time I left the lounge. It would be an understatement to say that I almost panicked. I had lost the direction from which I had started the tour of the terminal. But, I remembered the departure gate number. I attempted to run in the general direction in which I thought the gate would be. At some stage I knew I was not in the right place. I stopped and asked a security guard for direction. Further time was consumed. Panic was starting to rise. The pace quickened and heart started thumping so hard that I knew I couldn't continue much further. It is in times such a stgis that you realise how terrible your health condition is. Just then I noticed Gate 23 and I stopped, not just slowed. There was a huge queue in front of the gate and I had time. I was relieved and happy that I would not have to holiday the Christmas in the airport terminal, having missed the flight.

After the security check there was further wait before boarding. That gave me enough time to return to steady state. When I boarded I founded an elderly Chinese gentleman occupying the seat I had been allotted. The hostess requested me to sit in the seat directly in front of it as the elderly person was a wheelchair passenger. I could not believe my luck. I had a seat with more legroom, the same seat I had occupied on the journey from Chennai to KL. The fortuitous good Samaritan had a more comfortable seat.

A couple of westerners, a young girl and her partner, occupied the seats next to me. As I sat down and took out my copy of Sapiens the girl got all excited and told me that she was reading the same book too. She showed me her copy. I told her to read the sequel after she  was done with Sapiens. After a few pages of the book I dozed, only to be woken up with the meal tray. I opted for chicken biriyani ahead of rice and chicken masala, my fourth meal in about eight hours. It was spicy and demanded copious quantity of water to get the fire out of the mouth. 

The flight got into Denpasar a few minutes past the scheduled 1940. The immigration check was over before I even reached the counter. It was that fast. And the clearance included a free visa on arrival. I was just asked how many days I would be staying in Bali. That's it. The baggage came a half hour later. Customs clearance required a form to be filled and handed over. At the exit I changed USD to local currency and I suddenly became a multimillionaire. I managed to find a reasonably priced taxi to take me to the Grandma's Plus Airport Hotel. Even though the distance was just two kms I had to ride over 8 km in slow moving traffic to reach the hotel. I had to wait a bit for the check in as other customers were being serviced. In a while I was allotted a comfortable and clean room. Before turning in for the night I arranged with the reception to hire a car for 10 hours for day long sightseeing. I was warned that I should not pack too many places into the agenda because the traffic snarls in Bali are notorious. I had a small experience of that while on the way to the hotel from the airport.

RETURN TO CHENNAI - 14 DECEMBER 2017

Shaji and I had agreed to meet up at 5 pm on 12th from where we would go to his lovely home for drinks and dinner. On the way we stopped at a supermarket for a couple of things I wanted to pick up. Amaretto biscuits and soft jelly candies I had had at the B&B were on my purchase list. Special goodies were on ample display for Xmas shoppers. Shaji had prepared a whole lot of stuff for dinner. But generous helping of artichokes in olive oil, steamed assorted seafood and fried chicken wings more than stuffed me, besides the Glenfiddich. The lively conversation revolved around life in the country, opportunities for new generation and work. Shaji is an excellent conversationalist and I lost my sense of time. After 9pm I suggested we leave as I had to pack up and get up early to go to the airport.

I had a 10 am flight out of Milan on the 13th. This meant that I had to take a taxi to Centrale at 6.30am, from where I could take a 7am, or thereabouts, bus to the Malpensa airport. Over breakfast on the 12th Cinzia offered to get me a reliable taxi. When I didn't get her confirmation till late evening I was a bit ruffled. But she sent me a message in the night that Fluvio would be at the B&B to pick me up at 6.30. I was more than a bit jittery knowing what happens in India about such promises. I needn't have been. Fluvio was right on time and he dropped me off at Milano Centrale after a wonderful conversation about the city, its growth and his own personal experiences.

I was just in time for the bus that left a few minutes after 7 am. Having woken up quite early I dozed for most part of the drive to the airport. When I woke up I marveled at the amazing sight of snowcapped Alps that 'fenced' the airport. It looked as if the airport and the surrounding region had been neatly placed in a bowl with snowcapped sides. Despite having checked in online I had to wait an eternity to drop my bag; some glitch with the software, I was informed. Two shots of Baccardi and coke, snacks, breakfast and "Munna Micheal" helped me through to Abu Dhabi.

I wonder why we have to face gargantuan and slow moving immigration counters in India. Of course, all the paperwork has been done away with. Even then, I am sure, passengers need not queue up for so long to secure immigration clearance. Even security check in India is so cumbersome. Everywhere these days, security and immigration are a simple walk through experience. But not so in our country. We have to stand, shuffle, stand and suffer.

SIGHTSEEING IN MILAN - 12 DECEMBER 2017

8. Santa Maria delle Grazie is a 15th century church built by the Duke of Milan and served as a Dominican convent, the refectory of which contains The Last supper, a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece completed between 1494 and 1498. Miraculously the painting survived a vicious aerial attack by the Allied forces in 1943, while many others perished. In 1980 the entire complex was accorded a World heritage site status by UNESCO. The church is open for worship and tour, while the refectory is a museum, which requires a prior booking for a fee of Euro14.

9. Sforza Castle is another iconic place of tourist interest in Milan. Remnants of a 14th century fort were used by Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, in the 15th century to build his resident castle. It was enlarged over centuries by successive residents of the castle, until it became one of Europe’s largest citadels in the 18th century. Today the castle, or what remains of the original structures houses the city’s many museums and art collections. A short walk through the gardens of the Castle lead to the Sempione Park.

10. The Sempione Park is adjacent to the gardens of the Sforza Castle where the triumphal arch “Arco della Pace” is a riveting masterpiece. The Porta Sempione stands at a place that housed another gate to Milan city. The Arco della Pace dates back to the 19th century and is a celebration of the Napoleonic years.

11. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity, the Milan cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. The first church in the premises date back to the early 4th century. Churches and basilicas were added to propagate the Cathedral. However, a devastating fire in the 11th century left many of the structures damaged and unusable. Reconstruction of the Cathedral lasted the whole of six centuries and it was a Napoleonic order that signaled the finish of the Cathedral reconstruction in 1805. The roads radiating from the present day Duomo and the roads that ring it show the importance of the Duomo in the development of the city. The Milan Cathedral is the largest church in Italy and the third in the whole world.

12. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy’s oldest shopping mall – built between 1865 and 1877 - and is named after the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. Christmas gaiety is exemplified by the massive Xmas tree put up within the Galleria by Swarovski and decked up with crystals of varying sizes and shapes; mouthwatering indeed. Four mosaics on the ground of the central octagonal portray the coat of arms of Turin, Florence, Rome and Milan. It is said that if a person spins on his heel three times on the testicles of the bull from the Turin coat of arms it will bring the person good luck to visit the city once again; I had done that in 2014 and here I am today, once again, inflicting unspeakable pain on the bull!

SIGHTSEEING IN MILAN 10 DECEMBER 2017

After a wash and additional warm garment fortifications I ventured out into the cold in search of the San Donato metro, which I was told was a 15 minute walk. That walk lasted the better part of thirty minutes with the aid of Google maps, a physical map of the city and directions elicited from many kind passersby! My sense of direction is so awful that I could lose my way even on a straight road. On the way, however, I  came across a statue of our country's "Father of the Nation", who looks increasingly more relevant in foreign lands than in our own.

The public transport network of trains, trams and buses is very efficient and lets you commute seamlessly on a single ticket. The one day pass for Euro4.50 is a great bargain for tourists. Between the afternoon of 10th and forenoon of 12th I covered all of what I had set out to see and experience, including the snow.

1. The San Siro stadium was opened in 1926 and is now home to two of the celebrated Italian football clubs, the Inter and AC Milan. It is the largest stadium in Italy with a seating capacity of over 80,000 persons for a game. A grand sight indeed, but missed the opportunity of a stadium visit as it was being readied for a match.

2. The Cimitero Monumentale, Monumental Cemetery, was built in the second half of the 19th century to consolidate small cemeteries that dotted the city into large ones. Along with the other in Maggiore this cemetery is one of the largest in Italy and was designed by a noted architect of that time. It houses elaborate sculptures, temples, obelisks and works of art that serve as tombs for some of the prominent citizens of the city. Some sculptures are extremely poignant as some others as outlandish.

3. The Napoleonic gates of Porta Nuova was built in 1810-13 of sandstone. The decay of the gates makes it stick out like a sore thumb, especially since the neighborhood is receiving a complete makeover into a modern precinct with high rise buildings, shopping malls and parks.

4. The Colonne di San Lorenzo is a set of tall Roman column ruins, dating back to the 2nd century, almost in the centre of the city. They are directly in front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, which was originally built in the 4th century and renovated to its present form after many disasters over the centuries.

5. The Naviglio Grande is one of the major canal systems in the Lombardy region of Italy. Initially started in the 12th century as an irrigation project it soon morphed into a navigation channel, ferrying goods and people. It is one of the busiest places in Milan with vendors, bakers and tourist attractions occupying center stage. The smell of fresh bakes took me into a bakery from where I emerged with a huge Crockett and chocolate donut. The cold was increasingly affecting me. That's when i met Rana, a Bangladeshi who has been staying in Naviglio Grande area for 21 years, vending seasonal products. I bought a pair of gloves and cap from him, at a special discount!

6. The Porta Ticinese was one of the several Spanish gates that ringed the city in the 16th century. The gate was demolished and rebuilt in the 19th century, as were most others, to serve as toll gates to the city. At the top of the gate is the message "to peace that frees peoples", added after the Napoleonic wars. The Gate is a major tourist attraction in Milan, along with Naviglio Grande.

7. Snow was not on the cards. But the weather turned without much notice. After 4 pm it got dark and windy with traces of rain, which soon became flaky. When I emerged from the San Donato metro station by 4.30pm it had started snowing. It snowed through the dinner meeting and became incredibly cold. Wasn't I happy to get under a warm quilt on a comfy cot?

AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – MILAN 10-13 DECEMBER 2017

If someone had asked me a month back about my chances of visiting Milan any time soon I would have responded by saying, "Zilch". That is what I like most about life. It serves up cards that you never expect, pleasant or unpleasant. I have been served so many pleasant ones that it has helped me to appreciate the unpleasant ones as part of life’s great balance.

I work for Genchi India Pvt Ltd in Chennai as its Director Operations. The owner of the Company is the ebullient Ali Ashraf, who I had got acquainted with in my drive through Kazakhstan on the way to London. When he asked me to be part of company negotiations in Milan I was honored and happy at the same time; honored to be included in the team and happy to be visiting Milan once again. I had been to Milan in August 2014 during the London expedition. A friend I had made at the time, Shaji Paramkulangara, had become a regular FB mate. While planning the trip I took inputs from him and agreed to catch up on one of the days I would be in Milan.

I travelled to New Delhi on 1 December to arrange for a Schengen visa. The travel dates for Milan were yet to be confirmed, but I had to ensure that the visa was available soonest. Applying in New Delhi was the surest way to ensure its early issue, I was advised. And sure enough the visa was issued on 4th, despite two intervening holidays. And I was mightily impressed by the VFS facility functioning from the basement of the Shivaji Stadium metro station. If only the railways and metros in the country could exploit its premises like the DMRC they could make a pretty packet and at the same time offer a much better experience to travelers and shoppers.

I zeroed in on Qatar Airways finally for the flight to Milan from Chennai after exploring many options, even those of flying from Cochin and Mumbai. The meeting was confirmed for 9.30 am on 11th. To facilitate a strategy meet with Mr Ali in Milan I scheduled to reach early on 10th. I gave myself an extra day in Milan to attend to leftover business, if any, and booked the return on 13th. The weather promised to be cold, in keeping with the season, with forecast for light snow on the 12th. I hoped to catch some bright weather outside the meetings to take a quick tour of the city.

The meeting was in San Donato and I sourced a B&B close to the meeting place. Shaji told me that the best way to get to town from Malpensa airport would be to take a coach, which took about an hour from the airport to Milano Centrale. From there I registered that the Metro network would reach me to the B&B without a fuss. Later, however, Shaji offered to drive me from Milano Centrale to the B&B. Thus, all arrangements had been made for the three day tour.

The flight was at 9.15 pm on 9^th. I decided to book an Ola cab at 5 pm and finally managed a share taxi at 6 pm; being a Saturday evening cabs were few and rare. I started to panic as the share taxi stopped at two locations to pick up passengers who were not worried about one who had to get to the airport. As it was peak time on a Saturday evening I was stuck, not able to get an independent cab. After much fretting and panic I managed to get one by 6.30 pm. The traffic holdups at toll booth, intersections and construction locations raised the panic levels intolerably. I started bullying the driver like a jockey on a laggard horse. When I finally reached the airport I was experiencing a nervous meltdown; the check-in and immigration was completed without much ado. It had been a jumpy ride and I needed to cool off. A large cup of hot coffee and a donut helped soothe the nerves.

The flight to Abu Dhabi was on time. Besides a helping of some lousy wine and passable rice and chicken curry the time spent in the aircraft was unremarkable. I managed to watch the highly recommended movie, "A killing in the Ganj", before the change of aircraft in Abu Dhabi. The terminal was crowded and looked inelegant. The duty free at the airport was so-so but had great prices for liquor. I picked up a couple of bottles to fortify me for the grey weather in Milan. I slept through most of the flight after dinner and watching "Half Girlfriend".

The flight was half hour late into Milan, but the faster than quick immigration, baggage retrieval and Customs made up for that. I walked out of exit gate 4 and found the Terravision coach bound for Milano Centrale. After paying Euro8 for the ticket I tucked the bags into the luggage hold of the bus. Dressed in a shirt and a thick windcheater I braved the cold windy conditions for some time and then sought refuge within the coach. Being a Sunday there were hardly anyone about. The coach reached Centrale in less than an hour where Shaji was waiting for me. After initial pleasantries he drove me to the place I was booked to stay. The drive to the B&B was more than I had anticipated.

I had picked the B&B over many fancy recommendations on the internet. The minute I entered the cozy three bedroom apartment and met with Cinzia, who minded the B&B, I knew I had made the right choice. After showing me to my comfortable room, that had an attached bathroom, I was served excellent Italian coffee, cake and croissants. In between mouthfuls of the goodies I got practical guidance on how to see the sights of Milan using the metro train network.