India June 2001

Edited and embellished details from my Diary covering my visit to India in June 2001, or if you prefer, Another Passage from India. Click on the links below, or scroll down to read all about it.

Wednesday 20 June 2001  My birthday, and events are curtailed by a trip to Manchester and after an overnight stop, on to India.

Thursday 21 June 2001  An eventful flight to India, with a restless night spent kipping in Delhi transit lounge, when I should have been tucked up in a nice hotel in Mumbai.

Friday 22 June 2001  A walk in the park, and we have our picture taken. Return to my favourite restaurant in Bangalore.

Saturday 23 June 2001  Visit to Mysore. We stay in one palace, visit another, and take a night drive to see some water gardens where I gain an Indian nephew.

Sunday 24 June 2001  Visit to Sri Chamudeswari temple where bribery clears the way and on to the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Flight to Kalkata, and an even more opulent hotel.

Monday 25 June 2001  A quiet day in the office.

Tuesday 26 June 2001  The return trip, an uneventful trip home.

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Images and text Copyright © 2001 - 2002 Gary Allman

WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE 2001 - Flight to Manchester

I wasn't best pleased at the timing of this trip. It was my Birthday, and I was giving up my usual day of introspection, navel gazing and evening boozing to get packed and fly up to Manchester. At Manchester I was to meet with the customer (Ian) at the check-in at around five thirty AM the next day.

The flight from Southampton to Manchester went without hitch, and I spent the evening reading my book in the hotel bar. So much for riotous birthday celebrations.

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THURSDAY 21 JUNE 2001 - Flight to India

Up at four thirty to check-in for the flight to Amsterdam. Met up with Ian as planned. I bought a Psion Revo and modem for the Indian office in the Duty-free, assuming we wouldn't get a chance later on - Ho! Ho!

On getting to the gate we were met with an announcement that the flight was delayed by an hour which meant we would miss our connection to Mumbai. No problem, we were told we would now be routed to Mumbai via Kuwait. I later discovered that the delay was due to a 'Trolley Dolly' not turning up for work. Things didn't augur so well for KLM this far.

We finally arrived in Amsterdam at ten twenty, with no chance of us and our bags making the scheduled flight, so off we went to sort out our onward journey. It transpired there was no Amsterdam -> Kuwait -> Mumbai flight, and the best they could do is Amsterdam -> Delhi and get our tickets changed to Delhi -> Bangalore, but the unhelpful creature behind the desk couldn't (wouldn't) organise this. Some words with his supervisor rectified the situation. Revised tickets were issued and off we went to the lounge to waste time until our flight at a quarter to three.

The flight to Delhi was delayed by over half an hour because the Air conditioning on the 'plane wasn't working. We got seats on the top deck (very hot on the ground with no A.C.) just behind the driver. This had its disadvantages as a constant stream of small (and not so small) children made pilgrimages to the cockpit throughout the flight.

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FRIDAY 22 JUNE 2001 - Delhi to Bangalore

Delhi airport turned out to be marginally better than Mumbai. We arrived at around two AM and then had a wait until six thirty for our flight to Bangalore. Domestic flights go from another terminal, so we had to transfer.

It was the middle of the night, with non-existent ground staff and no signs. After a close call with a sneaky taxi driver we managed to get the transfer bus for a thirty minute ride. Once at the domestic terminal we had to spend the next few hours in the departure lounge, which makes Mumbai Airport look fairly luxurious - there was no business lounge either. A scout around in the middle of the night found a fair proportion of the airport staff asleep on flattened cardboard box mattresses behind the check-in desks.

We finally arrived at the Taj Residency hotel in Bangalore around ten AM the next day after a three hour economy class trip - another error by the KLM staff, which unfortunately we didn't spot until it was too late. The flight had enough spare business class seats for a large fluffy toy previously flying economy on the lap of the chap next to me to be upgraded. The damn thing had two seats to itself! Boarding was preceded by a record number of security checks - five in all. These included checks before getting on and then after getting off the bus across the apron to the 'plane.

Once at the hotel there was time for a few minutes shut eye and then off into the office for twelve o'clock. Lunch was at the Oberoi (this is the hotel next but one to ours, so why we bothered going to the office is a bit of a mystery). Then back to work until five.

After work I took Ian for a walk in the park (well Ian is interested in things horticultural). We were stopped by two guys who wanted to take our picture (Ian was very suspicious), but they just wanted a picture of some Europeans to show their friends. Who was I to argue?

Gary Allman

In the evening we walked to my favourite restaurant, The Tandoor, MG Road, which in my absence seems to have expanded up a floor (must be all the meals I've bought there). Finally we got back to bed around eleven. All told around thirty-eight hours on what sleep we got on the 'plane, in the Delhi departure lounge and in our brief halt at the hotel.

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SATURDAY 23 JUNE 2001 - Visit to Mysore

Lalitha Palace Hotel outside Mysore

We were picked up by Ravi and the Driver at nine (Ian didn't want to start any earlier - wimp!) and drove to Mysore with one stop at the confluence of two rivers, where a you can hire a group of mourners to scatter your ashes. You can also take river trips in coracles, unfortunately we didn't try one.

Booked into the Laitha Mahal Palace hotel in time for lunch. The hotel, as its name implies, was once a palace. I was disappointed there were no armed guards and told Ravi they obviously didn't consider him important enough. Lunch was excellent and accompanied by a couple of guys on authentic Indian instruments.

Our rooms faced out over the pool and gardens

Our driver who claimed to know Mysore obviously didn't. Even I managed to direct him at some points. We visited Mysore Palace, which as before was truly impressive. I bought guide books for every one in the office except Darshan, he ought to know what it's like as he comes from Mysore!

In the evening we visited the KRS gardens, arriving around seven. Being stupid, I forgot that this would mean travelling at night. Night driving in India is every thing they say it is. Unlit bikes, cars, busses, lorries and oxen carts, all combined with the usual mad driving.

Once we'd arrived Ian was immediately accosted by a particularly tenacious young fellow who called him 'uncle'. The lad swore blind if Ian bought some post cards he'd spend the money on a pen for school. He followed us for ages, and no amount of (what sounded like) abuse from Ravi would get him to go away.

View from my room towards Chamundi Hill

The gardens were a bit of a disappointment as the water in the adjacent Dam wasn't high enough to run most of the fountains and a lot of the lights weren't working. However, the bits that were could inspire a whole new garden pond experience. There must have been more than a couple of thousand people there, but despite that, the same urchin latched on to me on the way back. So I gained an Indian nephew too.

Dinner at the hotel, excellent again (Indian of course, and Ian went local too, but took less spicy food). There was a mad pianist in the hotel somewhere; it sounded like the ghost of Les Dawson. Fortunately he couldn't drown out the indigenous band. Before bed, I sat on my balcony watching the bats have their dinners, swooping around the garden lights catching moths.

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SUNDAY 24 JUNE 2001 - Chumundi Hill and on to Kalkata

Another late start, and off to Chumundi Hill. Our driver now thought he was Michael Schumaker, when in fact he had more in common with James (the shunt) Hunt. If we were cats I'd say we lost at least three of our nine lives during the course of the day. The worst was when we went haring round a blind curve into the path of a bus. We stopped with inches between our bumper, the bus, and the rocks that mark the side (and steep drop) of the road. That slowed him down for at least ten minutes.

There were long queues at the temple, but after around forty minutes we got inside only to join another queue. Some serious bribery was called for, and Ravi got us the VIP treatment. We were whipped round the back, shown a wedding procession, gained yellow marks on our foreheads before being taken to the temple proper, where barriers were whisked aside, more coloured marks, red this time, were administered, we were encouraged to touch a flame, saw the statue of Sri Chamudeswari and out again. Ravi reckoned the bribe saved about an hour.

In the market there was a snake charmer with a cobra. It wasn't very mean looking, but then I didn't go that near.

Chamundi Hill Market

This is where Ian would like people back home to think he stayed...








The Temple had grown bamboo scaffolding since my last visit

Now behind schedule, we went back to the Hotel where some visiting dignitary warranted the local horse guard parade to be deployed - I didn't get any pictures unfortunately. We picked up our bags and set off back to Bangalore at breakneck speed stopping at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Ian, much to my disappointment, didn't seem disposed to go on the river (maybe it was my story about the crocodile). Some Indian tourists asked me where we came from, and then thanked me for visiting, which was really nice. Ian admired the fifty-foot tall bamboo plants (trees more like) and I was thinking that they ought to get some giant pandas. It was only after we had been closely inspecting the bamboo that Ravi told us that people don't grow bamboo in their gardens as the snakes like it too much. We were much more circumspect in approaching the Bamboo after that..

'Michael', having had his practice lap round Mysore, was in full race tune for the return trip to Bangalore travelling around 80-100 Kph (around 50-60mph) which doesn't sound much but on Indian roads - well....

He didn't slow down that much when he got to Bangalore either.

The river at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary


Now how tall is that bamboo?

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time to be met with Another delayed flight. Only thirty minutes this time though. Getting flight information was nigh near impossible, as the flight details were displayed alternately with Adverts and TV programmes. As India were playing a one-day cricket match there was 5 minutes cricket to 5 seconds flight details (no exaggeration). It took three attempts just to find the flight on the list. We had another thirty minute delay at Hyderabad in transit. We eventually arrived in Kalkata at ten. I could feel the heat through the aircraft windows, it had been raining, and when we disembarked it was like entering a sauna. I couldn't see where I was going as my glasses misted up (as they did whenever I left an air-conditioned environment).

Kalkata airport (arrivals anyway) is much better appointed than Bangalore's, and what we saw of the city was not as bad as we were led to believe or expected. The hotel was excessively opulent, especially as Ian fell for the spiel of the guy on the desk and upgraded his room (I had to, too of course, as I would not have been able to accompany him otherwise. Ho hum!). The floor we were on had its own security, reception, bar, restaurant, lounge and hot and cold running flunkies.

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MONDAY 25 JUNE 2001 - Kalkata

I was up early (despite not being able to sleep; 'too many hotels' syndrome), and in the office by eight thirty. Despite all Vijay's dire warnings Kalkata by daylight still didn't seem as bad as it was made out to be. It was very grey and 'mouldy' but in that climate that's probably how I'd end up too. When I came to think about it, I'd already passed the first hurdle anyway.

The office was situated in a would-be warehouse very much like Mindteck's Seepz offices in Mumbia. The office fixtures and fittings were on a par, or better than those at Bangalore. However the 'facilities' were basic. I told not to use the Loos next to the office, but I should wait to be escorted to the 'foreigners' toilets three floors down. Needless to say I managed to escape to the nearest toilet while the guy on the door was distracted. I've seen worse in some country and city centre pubs.

Ian got off to a good start training the development team, and fortunately he was confident of covering all the ground he needed to in the time available.

There was no time for any tourist activities, so we took advantage of the free booze our exulted position in the hotel offered and followed this with dinner in one of hotels many restaurants. Ian picked Chinese as the flavour of the night. He got a surprise though, it was spicier than the Indian food he'd been having.

Ian and the Team

Just to prove I really was there...

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TUESDAY 26 JUNE 2001 - Kalkata and Home

After breakfast I was staring out of the hotel's fifth floor lounge window (as you do), when I was surprised to find a lizard climbing up the glass!

Ian and I now separated, he was staying on to complete training the team, and as I'd done my bit chaperoning, and getting him safely to Kalkata I was to return home.

In the morning I visited another of Mindteck's offices, and got a chance to take a couple of minutes walk on the street, just enough to get the slightest flavour of the place.

It was then hotel, airport and the start of a long, but uneventful flight back to the UK. Once more, but this time planned, via Delhi and then Amsterdam. Kalkata's international airport is one of the best appointed I've seen so far in India. My trip home would have been fine if I hadn't had to go into the office (by tube). I was pretty shattered by the time I finally got home I can tell you.

From the fifth floor Kalkata looks very green and clean


While I stay here, five floors down people are sleeping on the street

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Images and text Copyright © 2001 Gary Allman