It’s not an Adventure until something goes wrong!

After leaving the Emirates flight to Kolkata – which has arrived a bit late – but I’m not concerned – I choose to wait for Helmut and Andrea near where they have the folks getting wheel chairs. I figure they flew cheap economy and Helmut is not walking super fast – so they are going to be getting off last. But there’s seat – and I’m still on my high from spending time in my personal suite – what could possibly go wrong?

We re-unite, Helmut agrees to accept the ride in a wheelchair and our lovely newest friend directs us down the hall and into the ‘fast’ line for folks in Wheelchairs. Unfortunately, one of our fellow wheelchair riders didn’t get her Visa to India done correctly – and the line stalls out while the patient border guard walks her thru the challenge.

Eventually it’s our turn – and we quickly clear the border to realize that the luggage hasn’t yet gotten off the plane. Ok – we wait. Our luggage appears (thank goodness – I hadn’t seen mine since Montreal, Helmut and Andrea last saw there’s in Munich!)

We exit the border control area – and re-group. In the instructions we were all sent – it was clear that we had to exit the airport to meet up with the guy from the travel agency who would have our boarding passes. Andrea decides to walk out first – and Helmut and I follow slowly. Slow enough to get stopped by a guy with a GUN! He’s dressed in camouflage and I’m hoping he’s India Military…

Without a word of English or German – he waves Helmut – still being pushed by our new best friend – and me back into the airport – and clearly won’t let Andrea back in!

Our wheelchair driver explains to Andrea that she needs to go up stairs to enter the airport – we have to go to the interior entrance that is at the far end of the concourse. We make our way to the interior entrance – and our drive asks Helmut for his Ticket. I have mine – but Andrea went outside to get their boarding passes! Here’s where confusion 1 happens – Helmut has their tickets – he doesn’t have the boarding passes, or as it turns out his Passport. With the ticket he can get past security. – but not without his passport.

I’m ok – I have my ticket and my passport – but I don’t want to leave Helmut. The wheelchair driver doesn’t realize a) Helmut has the tickets and b) Helmut doesn’t have his passport. He and Helmut are certain that the issue is Andrea and the boarding passes.

So we all wait thinking Andrea will appear shortly – but she doesn’t.

We try to call Andrea – but her phone isn’t working (she has an old phone and no India service), mine isn’t working either (not sure why – but it wouldn’t help anyway) , and we are all stuck. After a few minutes of hair pulling – our driver decides to find Andrea. Hopefully she has the boarding passes. And Helmut reminds him – his Passports – she is carrying both passports.

Helmut and I wait. The line to enter grows longer and longer – and then I decide to check on the time of our next flight. It’s at 10:10 – and it’s now after 9:00 AM. I doubt we’ll make it. But I don’t say anything to Helmut – this isn’t good news – but with no passport – Helmut isn’t going anywhere!

The driver returns – announcing that all the guy had for Andrea – who is now inside the terminal – was my ticket. No boarding passes. Then we all realize that in fact – all we needed were the tickets – and Helmut has those – but no passport – that’s still with Andrea.

Again we divide and conquer. I get inside and go find Andrea. We got to the Guest Assistance desk for the airline on my ticket India2Go – explain the problem – maybe they will hold the flight? and the guy says – why aren’t you on the flight!

I explain that I’m traveling with friends. And they have no boarding passes. He says – take the tickets to the counter and they will get the boarding passes. I know that Helmut has both tickets, and suddenly realize that Andrea has Helmut’s passport (that wasn’t clear to me until that moment) – so I grab the passport and run back to security – I find Helmut and the driver, and explain – Helmut has the tickets – it’s the TICKETS they need at security – not the boarding passes.

We pass thru security – race to the nice guy at the guest help desk who explains we are too late. The flight is closed. We need to sit down on these chairs and just wait till they finish boarding = then they will rebook us.

The lovely wheelchair driver says good bye at this point – and takes the wheelchair with him. No matter. We are just sitting around anyway.

Finally the 10:10 flight has departed and the India2Go team have time to talk to us. They quickly realize that even though the time for the flight on Helmut and Andreas ticket is exactly the same as the time on my ticket – the AIRLINE is different. Their tickets are on AirIndia!

OMG.

We finally reach Cristina (travel agent) and Avi (her assistant in Delhi) and they say. Ok – step 1 – let’s just ask Air India if they can help. If they can’t help – we’ll go back to India2Go and buy two seats on the 4:00 flight that I’m on.

Air India folks are very pleasant – but the next Air India flight to our destination is tomorrow. So sorry.

Ok – we call Avi back – he gets Helmut and Andrea tickets on the 4:00 flight to our destination in Northeastern India – and we hand in our suitcases. Their bags are checked for free – my bag costs $70 Canadian to fly. At this point – I’m not getting upset. At least we will make it to our destination by 5:45 of so tonight.

We stay in the airport, go past security (real security this time – not the front door to the airport security) and grab Chinese Food for lunch. Spring Rolls. Delicious.

We board our flight – arrive in Guwahati – are met by Abi (I know – different guy and different name – but just one letter off!) – who reminds us that we now have a 4 hour drive to get to the Musa Jungle Retreat. But don’t worry – they got a large car.

We walk out to the car park – and they didn’t get a large car – they got a BUS! It has 5 sets of seats for 3 people – so plenty of room for the 5 of us. Abi, the driver of the Bus, and us!

We load up – Helmut takes 3 seats to rest his leg – and we pull out and into the main road to Kolkata.

It’s Diwali – The festival of Lights – and in India – this is a BIG THING. Fireworks everywhere – folks tossing firecrackers like mad men, the building are all strung with lights that hang down from the roof to the ground – no mean feat for 3 story buildings by the way.

Neon is clean IN – but it’s the hundreds of strings of lights 45’ long hanging from buildings that just says – WAY over the top.

Think Christmas lights on Steroids with Firecrackers and folks wandering around in the Diwali Best! It’s AWESOME!

I’m loving the action – Andrea is also having fun – but poor Helmut is trying to just not hurt so much.

About 1/2 way to Musa we stop for Pastry and tea. I have hot water – and then pick out two pastries that look good. Oh may – not what I expected of course – but delicious. I’m quite the fan of coconut – so the first one was my personal favorite, but there was also a savoury version of a puff pastry tart that we divided up 4 ways!

Back into the Bus – and on the Musa.

After the day we’ve had – I think just about anything would have been perfect if it had a bed in a room with a toilet. But Musa’s Jungle Retreat is first class. AC, fans, private toilets, king size beds, huge rooms, lots of staff… Man – too bad it’s past midnight and Abi wants us ready to go at 6:00 AM

I drop exhausted into my stand-along cabin with its glorious view, magnificent porch, and oh so welcoming King size bed.

I’m done.

More tomorrow.

Signing off – the Soup Lady