Appooppanthaadi - 1

30.11.2010 : The Emirates Airlines was kind enough to offer me a window seat in its flight while I flew from Chennai to Dubai and from Dubai to Frankfurt. This was my third journey to Europe; the former two were to Zurich in as many weeks.

 

As the plane took off from the Dubai airport, I hung out my head from the small window of the aircraft to have a good glance of the city of Dubai. Hanging the head out of the window is a little exaggeration anyway- Please excuse me for my affinity towards exaggeration. Those tall and magnificent buildings, roads, flying Audis, Camrys, Toyotas, the reclaimed strips of land in the sea and above all the tallest building of the world …all were a treat to my eyes. I took a few photographs of them too. Dubai administration reclaims a lot of sea space to construct fabulous buildings.

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The famous seven star hotel Burj-Al- Arab and Hotel Atlantis are situated in such reclaimed lands. They have so many such fancy ideas. There will be no dearth of flight of fancies, if we have a lot of money to spend. I too have a fanciful idea- to spend a day or two in the seven star hotel Burj Al Arab and wallow in its luxury with my family. One night stay at this most luxurious hotel in the world may cost a minimum of 6500UAE Dirhams besides the taxes. My billionaire friends in Dubai will certainly help me see through this wish. Luckily I have a dozen such friends in Dubai.

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The airplane had been cruising at a speed of 700 to 800Km per hour at an altitude of around 36000 feet. From water to land and then to water and then to land, the flight had been taking its chartered path. It first flew over Gulf of Oman and then over the vast expanse of the desert of Gulf. Sand dunes, small villages and then big cities of the desert were all visible like dots from the top. It flew almost over Baghdad and then entered Europe. The ice covered Dolomite Mountain – the Italian Alps, green valleys of Europe and the snow covered terrains all over. The display unit in front of my seat had been showing flight information. The temperature at this height was around -50 degree celcius.

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All through the flight, after it departed from the make-believe heaven called Dubai, my entire attention was to spot some heavenly characters out in the sky. All our mythical TV sops show Gods travelling in the sky, wading through the snow white clouds. I wish I could come across anyone among them. I just want to know how they brave the temperature of -50 degree and fast moving objects like our aircraft.

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I knew it is impossible. God is visible only to those who have unflinching devotion towards Him or Her. In the olden days people did have it, and hence Gods used to appear in front of them whenever needed. They incarnated in the earth whenever there was decline of 'dharma'. Those Gods, like dinosaurs made an extinct from the Heaven long time back. The modern day Gods are the creation of the mankind. Like flaws in any product the human beings make, these Gods are also made with flaws. They develop feet of clay when they are exposed to the creativities –or lack of it- of silly mortals like a cartoonist or a painter or a teacher or a writer. The Gods feel insulted or denigrated, and their creators suddenly take to arms to punish the perpetrators. Can a human being really insult a God? If yes is the answer, then it is high time we dumped those Gods along with the heaps of garbage we produce every day.

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Ok, back to the flight. The flight ended at Frankfurt airport after being around six hours on air and travelling 5000 kilometers. Frankfurt was a name I heard of many times. So many of our software geeks travel to Frankfurt to work in software companies here. I too got a chance to see the place, though I could be neither related to chalk nor cheese when it comes to software code writing. Destiny has its own ways, we must believe.

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After I disembarked from the plane, I walked towards the emigration and within no time the passport had been stamped and the baggage was ready for me. I collected the baggage and then headed towards the information counter. The information counter was manned! Or rather womenned. The woman in the counter guided me to take a shuttle bus from there and reach another Airport terminal- Terminal-1. As I have been standing in front of the terminal 2, the bus came and I boarded it. It took me to the Terminal 1. From there the sign boards were giving specific directions as to where I have to go. No need to ask anyone for help.

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I walked and then came across the railway station ticket counter. Railway station is right under the airport. I took a ticket to Mannheim and waited for the train. The train came 10 minutes late and everyone boarded the train quietly. Look, here too trains run late! As the train reached Mannheim, the announcement came in the public address system on the train and also displayed on the board. I got down at Mannheim. Walked out of the station and called a taxi, showed the address of the Hotel at Bad Durkheim. Hotel room had been booked by me through internet. The taxi driver took me straight to the hotel.

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For a twenty minutes ride on train I had to pay twenty euros and for a thirty minutes ride in car thirty seven euros. On the way I crossed the River Rhein too. The river divides Mannheim and Bad Durkheim. There at the reception of the hotel,I showed my booking number. The next moment, the receptionist handed over the key to me. There ended my first journey to Germany. Did it look so simple? It is so simple. Travelling in Europe is as simple as walking in a park.