Revised Sunday 6th September.
Friday, 4th September 2009
I've spent the afternoon on a city tour with a guide. Amongst other things, we visited the famous Howrah railway station (bet you're surprised) and the small Railway Museum (I'm surprised - I didn't know they had one in Kolkata).
I’d not realised the legacy of rather grand buildings left by the British in Kolkata. Originally, Kolkata was the centre of British operations in India and it was only later that Delhi achieved its current importance. Some of these buildings, like the High Court, have been maintained in good order but many are visibly crumbling and rather sad, although still in use for one purpose or another in the makeshift way that the Indians adopt. Pictures of Kolkata.
In Kolkata, I'm at the Oberoi Grand - a classic hotel which I'm enjoying (albeit briefly). Although there's Wi-Fi in the hotel, I'm using the plug-in connection in my room which is uploading pictures very satisfactorily.
I have to leave the hotel at 4.30 a.m. to get the flight to Bhutan's single airport at Paro.
Bhutan was a closed kingdom for centuries but the new King has sought to modernise the country without destroying the good features. I know they have Internet - I don't yet know whether I'll be able to access it or not. So don't be surprised if I go quiet again.
Saturday, 5th September 2009
Getting up at 3.30 a.m. to be ready for pick-up at 4.30 a.m. is not my idea of fun but I’d slept well (if briefly) and whilst I slept the computer had uploaded my Kolkata photographs. In case my travel alarm didn’t rouse me, I’d booked a wake-up call which was on time and this was followed by morning tea delivered with a smile. I was picked up on time so, once we’d stowed the luggage in the rear of the 6-seater, we were on our way through the dark, wet streets. Yesterday lunchtime, the route had been crowded with traffic, made worse by the movement of people for the Holiday, but we made the airport in around half an hour.
I’m amazed at how tiny the international terminal is, considering it serves a city of some 15 million people. I’m told the domestic terminal is larger (I’ll let you know when I transit to Mumbai on the way home). My guide and I sit in the waiting area until check-in for my flight starts (late), then we say goodbye and I go into the passenger only area. First, there’s X-ray for luggage to be checked in. Each bag checked is strapped with a polypropylene tape to prevent tampering. At this point, an old porter with bad teeth and rather fractured English adopts me and conducts me to check-in where I am issued with a ‘Royal Executive Class’ boarding pass for my Drukair flight KB121 to Paro although the check-in lady says it’s ‘Free Seating’. My porter applies ‘Executive Class’ labels to my carry-on baggage, hands me the Indian departure card, sits me down with his pen and invites me to complete the card. Having obtained what I hope was a suitable gratuity, he then took me to the queue for passport control and scurried away looking for further business.
I noticed a ‘fast-track’ of elderly females in wheelchairs with their husbands who thereby managed to circumvent the tedium of queueing. I’m suspicious of their disabilities but it seems typical of a country where the class system is alive and well. There were a number of immigration officers on duty, so the wait was only short and customs waved me directly to the escalator to the departure lounge. I was a bit puzzled by a refreshment voucher I’d been given at check-in with the explanation “On your left when you are through immigration”. In the departure lounge, there was a tiny snack bar, so I presented my voucher to be told “Inside, inside” and directed to a small partitioned-off area communicating with the snack bar. Apparently, this was the Thai Airways business lounge and I was to use it. Sandwiches, cake and drinks were available and I was the only customer. At seven o'clock, I and my hand baggage went through a thorough but friendly security check. I was amused to see the operator shuttle my computer and camera bag through the scanner a number of times. I volunteered that we should do a hand search if he was dubious but he seemed happy to just view on screen. During the short wait I was intrigued to watch two stewardesses arrive followed by a captain and second officer. They had a separate security track with separate body scanner and X-ray machine, with a separate group of security people. This is, I like to think, the compassionate side of State-operated India where one man is never used for a job if three can do it almost as well. The Station Manager for the airline came and went a number of times, making arrangements for boarding. I was intrigued that her hand-held radio went through the X-ray scanner each time. Another man was in charge of the doors giving access to the air bridges and the apron. These doors were unlocked to let the stewardesses through then immediately secured. The same process was followed for the pilot and co-pilot and finally for the passengers.
We were led down steps and out onto the apron where we walked across the tarmac in the rain to reach our waiting aircraft, an Airbus (A319, I think). Two sets of steps were in position and my boarding pass got me to the front steps for separate access to the Business Class cabin. This was already fairly full – I realised the flight had originated in Bangkok and I was boarding at its intermediate stop. We were away a few minutes late and climbed above the clouds when they served a simple but quite acceptable cold breakfast.
