The Switzerland Diaries
Of missed flights, visa hassles, missed trains and a pakistani bakery.
One of the two recurring dreams that I always have is looking at my ticket and discovering that my flight which I thought was a good 10 days away,leaves in 20 mins.(The other being ..well thats another story!!).The dream especially recurs after Ive booked tickets for my annual India trip. And On August 16th last week it was not deja vu ..deja vu after all is merely an illusion..this was a nightmare turning real ..eeriely real !!!
Took the 4:58 to Liverpool Street. Hopped on to the tube to Kings Cross. Walked over to St Pancras. The train to Luton was at 6:36 AM.That would take me to the airport at 7 giving me half an hour to check in for my flight that I knew departs at 7:30 AM.
For a veteran at being the last person to check in, sprinting on railway platforms to catch a moving train, forcing closing train doors apart to get in, half an hour to check in and board should be an easy walk across the park, I thought.
I take out my tickets and let out a volley of expletives (aimed at whom, I have no idea) that draws the attention of passers by.
The ticket reads
Easyjet Flight EZ2055
Departure Luton : 7 am.
Arrival Geneva : 9:40 am
We decide to go ahead to Luton to see if Easyjet puts us on the next flight at an affordable price. The chap at the information desk says he is happy to put us on the next flight (at 25 quid per ticket). The next flight he very politely tells us is a good 7 and half hours away at 2:30 PM.Luton isnt a very exciting place to get stuck for 7 and half hours. So coffee and half an hour of sudoku later we decide to go to Luton town. (Boring English town with a charming paved town centre.)
We return to the airport by 12 and check in at 12:30(that is when check-in opens)... the lady at the check-in very politely tells us that while I can go ahead, T can not as she does not have 'residence permit' on her visa but an 'entry clearance' that just gives her permission to enter the UK and nothing more than that. I try to reason it with her, but she tells me that she is pretty sure of the rules and had to turn back an indian couple for the morning flight for precisely the same reason.
She directs me to the easyjet information desk for details on the location of the swiss embassy and for changing my itinerary.But Ive had enough. Switzerland was never a place I had wanted to go anyway I tell myself (The place is picture post card pretty but lacks the character of a paris or a ladakh..And havent we seen it all in every second hindi film...A holiday calls for the wildness of cuba or trekking the amazonian rain forests or the ruggedness of ladakh or the energy of a Paris/NYC I had argued with pals doing the mandatory swiss trip.. But that was a different age..those were different times!!!!).
I decide to join the queue at the information desk when I spot a tv crew recording the goings on there.(could be from that channel 4 series 'Airport'). Wearing the best crestfallen look that I can muster , I explain the situation at the counter.The cameras that till then are concentrating on the neighbouring counter turn towards me.(Brown skin,visa issue - an opportunity to show case multicultural Britain..makes for excellent television you see !!!) For the next 10 mins the Easyjet information desk is my stage. I insist that easyjet talk to geneva and when that is of no help I ask them to talk to the swiss embassy. The swiss embassy takes details of the case with a promise to call back.The cameras continue to devour our agony filled wait and later our exaggerated ecstasy when the swiss embassy calls back to inform that we can proceed with boarding.
(Note to readers: Watch out for two indians in one of the forthcoming episodes of Airport for a terrific insight into how great actors are born)
17:30 Swiss time we are in geneva. The last golden pass train to interlaken has left . We now have an ordinary train that does not go through all the breathtaking swiss canvas that the golden pass train has to offer. At "geneve aeroport" I notice a
very north indian appearing family looking lost. The man approaches me with a 'excuse me u r indian?' 'Oh phir to aap hindi samajhte honge'. He introduces us to his wife and kid . He explains that they are from pakistan on a tour of London and switzerland.He asks if he can tag along with us if we have no problem that is. I tell him thats not a problem although my mind thinks otherwise.I inform him that I am buying a 4 day swiss train pass as we intend to do a lot of travelling and suggest that he too buy the same.The bloke isnt too impressed. I then suggest that he book a hotel by the lake in geneva and stay there which he does.
During our chat , the lady in an attempt to showcase the large heartedness of Pakistan mentions about a bakery in Lahore that goes by the name 'Bombay Bakery'. T immediately jumps in and enlightens her about Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad.
After an invitation to visit Pakistan, we go our separate ways - they to the hotel and we to the train station.
Its already dark when we board the 7 pm train at geneve aeroport. A jet black switzerland speeds past as I begin to have regrets for this vacation - a vacation where all that seems to happen is dissapointment after dissapointment. 10.44 pm we reach Grindelwald the village where I have my hotel reservation.The place is so bloody dark that I wonder if the marvels of electricity have not yet touched this part of the planet. The owner of the hotel, a very affable german gentleman meets me at the station and takes us to the lovely chalet style Hotel caprice.We crash into bed..Sleep gradually takes over my brain giving it a break from all the hassles meted out by life that day. I wake up after a sound 9 hour sleep , look out of the window from my bed and this is what I see....
Wasnt it on seeing the other Switzerland (our very own Switzerland with its chinaars, jheels and shikaras) that Shah Jahan had exclaimed
"gar firdaus bar ru-e zameen ast, hameen ast, hameen ast, hameen ast"
Of missed flights, visa hassles, missed trains and a pakistani bakery.
One of the two recurring dreams that I always have is looking at my ticket and discovering that my flight which I thought was a good 10 days away,leaves in 20 mins.(The other being ..well thats another story!!).The dream especially recurs after Ive booked tickets for my annual India trip. And On August 16th last week it was not deja vu ..deja vu after all is merely an illusion..this was a nightmare turning real ..eeriely real !!!
Took the 4:58 to Liverpool Street. Hopped on to the tube to Kings Cross. Walked over to St Pancras. The train to Luton was at 6:36 AM.That would take me to the airport at 7 giving me half an hour to check in for my flight that I knew departs at 7:30 AM.
For a veteran at being the last person to check in, sprinting on railway platforms to catch a moving train, forcing closing train doors apart to get in, half an hour to check in and board should be an easy walk across the park, I thought.
I take out my tickets and let out a volley of expletives (aimed at whom, I have no idea) that draws the attention of passers by.
The ticket reads
Easyjet Flight EZ2055
Departure Luton : 7 am.
Arrival Geneva : 9:40 am
We decide to go ahead to Luton to see if Easyjet puts us on the next flight at an affordable price. The chap at the information desk says he is happy to put us on the next flight (at 25 quid per ticket). The next flight he very politely tells us is a good 7 and half hours away at 2:30 PM.Luton isnt a very exciting place to get stuck for 7 and half hours. So coffee and half an hour of sudoku later we decide to go to Luton town. (Boring English town with a charming paved town centre.)
We return to the airport by 12 and check in at 12:30(that is when check-in opens)... the lady at the check-in very politely tells us that while I can go ahead, T can not as she does not have 'residence permit' on her visa but an 'entry clearance' that just gives her permission to enter the UK and nothing more than that. I try to reason it with her, but she tells me that she is pretty sure of the rules and had to turn back an indian couple for the morning flight for precisely the same reason.
She directs me to the easyjet information desk for details on the location of the swiss embassy and for changing my itinerary.But Ive had enough. Switzerland was never a place I had wanted to go anyway I tell myself (The place is picture post card pretty but lacks the character of a paris or a ladakh..And havent we seen it all in every second hindi film...A holiday calls for the wildness of cuba or trekking the amazonian rain forests or the ruggedness of ladakh or the energy of a Paris/NYC I had argued with pals doing the mandatory swiss trip.. But that was a different age..those were different times!!!!).
I decide to join the queue at the information desk when I spot a tv crew recording the goings on there.(could be from that channel 4 series 'Airport'). Wearing the best crestfallen look that I can muster , I explain the situation at the counter.The cameras that till then are concentrating on the neighbouring counter turn towards me.(Brown skin,visa issue - an opportunity to show case multicultural Britain..makes for excellent television you see !!!) For the next 10 mins the Easyjet information desk is my stage. I insist that easyjet talk to geneva and when that is of no help I ask them to talk to the swiss embassy. The swiss embassy takes details of the case with a promise to call back.The cameras continue to devour our agony filled wait and later our exaggerated ecstasy when the swiss embassy calls back to inform that we can proceed with boarding.
(Note to readers: Watch out for two indians in one of the forthcoming episodes of Airport for a terrific insight into how great actors are born)
17:30 Swiss time we are in geneva. The last golden pass train to interlaken has left . We now have an ordinary train that does not go through all the breathtaking swiss canvas that the golden pass train has to offer. At "geneve aeroport" I notice a
very north indian appearing family looking lost. The man approaches me with a 'excuse me u r indian?' 'Oh phir to aap hindi samajhte honge'. He introduces us to his wife and kid . He explains that they are from pakistan on a tour of London and switzerland.He asks if he can tag along with us if we have no problem that is. I tell him thats not a problem although my mind thinks otherwise.I inform him that I am buying a 4 day swiss train pass as we intend to do a lot of travelling and suggest that he too buy the same.The bloke isnt too impressed. I then suggest that he book a hotel by the lake in geneva and stay there which he does.
During our chat , the lady in an attempt to showcase the large heartedness of Pakistan mentions about a bakery in Lahore that goes by the name 'Bombay Bakery'. T immediately jumps in and enlightens her about Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad.
After an invitation to visit Pakistan, we go our separate ways - they to the hotel and we to the train station.
Its already dark when we board the 7 pm train at geneve aeroport. A jet black switzerland speeds past as I begin to have regrets for this vacation - a vacation where all that seems to happen is dissapointment after dissapointment. 10.44 pm we reach Grindelwald the village where I have my hotel reservation.The place is so bloody dark that I wonder if the marvels of electricity have not yet touched this part of the planet. The owner of the hotel, a very affable german gentleman meets me at the station and takes us to the lovely chalet style Hotel caprice.We crash into bed..Sleep gradually takes over my brain giving it a break from all the hassles meted out by life that day. I wake up after a sound 9 hour sleep , look out of the window from my bed and this is what I see....
Wasnt it on seeing the other Switzerland (our very own Switzerland with its chinaars, jheels and shikaras) that Shah Jahan had exclaimed
"gar firdaus bar ru-e zameen ast, hameen ast, hameen ast, hameen ast"
posted by Pawan at 5:13 AM
2 Comments:
thats a good narration.. will watch the next episode of "Airport".. :)
btw, wd u be interested in attending the Indian Blogger's Meet in London on Sunday, the 29th?
You can find details abt the same in my blog and i wd appreciate if you can drop a mail to sam_chakra [at] yahoo [dot] com abt whether or not you can make it. Many thanks.
Thanks for dropping by Chakra.Shall mail you today.
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