We headed up early in the morning to the airport for Mumbai – Jaipur – Agra flight. We would be flying domestic and majority will be locals there. I know we would be safe it was just that kind of strange feeling I had for the moment. Our flight was delayed which is a part of the chain of late flights, but it was a comfort to be finally in the airplane flying to Jaipur. In my mind i was looking at the map of India and considering how big it is, we would have some hours flying up north. In countries like this one, security is of concern so they don’t allow photography in some airports, but we mistakenly took one in Jaipur when we arrived there around 1pm. The next flight to Agra will not take off till 3:00pm but again the flight was delayed for an hour, and the ground staff told us that the delay was due to air traffic congestion, as if we didn’t know better. We wait for another thirty minutes extension to the delay. Though I shouldn’t be surprised, it is still different when I think about the saying that goes in my place “gi-Indian, mostly late, or worse yet, will not show up“, seems the saying is based on real life.

Anyway, it was so much of a relief when the plane finally arrived. But what surprised us most was that hubby and I were the only passenger of that plane for the whole trip to Agra! It was hubby’s first time also to experience that; it was like we were on chartered plane, with people attending us. But in fairness, the service was great and they were very accommodating. Kingfisher airlines has just taken that route not long ago and for sure in the future they will have many passengers going there so they will not lose some in flying such a new and big plane with only one or two people.

This a photo hubby and I took upon looking out of the glass walls of the apartment one morning. A man paddling in the lake in his boat that accomodate just himself.

This is a “good morning” view right from the room where we are living in Mumbai. The apartment is a Lakeside Chalet offering very quiet, peaceful and so relaxing view of a lake and the city, the very nice pool and tennis court, and the greenery.  In the morning the India sun will peek at the glass windows, so perfect and at night, the glow of the Bombay city offers peace despite the turmoils in the busy streets. A very nice place to be. I am glad that hubby and relief will be ocupying this chalet for as long as he will be working in this place so that he will feel at home, just like what I am feeling right now. This Marriott apartment has also in-room internet access and hubby got us pc here so I could not ask for anything else. I love this place!

I was so glad I made it to my flight, I did not miss it. So I leaned on the seat and relax for a while from the excitement of the minutes before. Oh God, I was sitting next to a man who has a very powerful underarm that can create headaches! A very bad underarm odor, and in few minutes, I found out it was just not the problem, he has a bad breath, bad breath in the sense that every breath he took, grrrr. Well, I was not judging but I couldn’t help to be disturbed so. Have you sat next to one with strong body odor? I easily get headaches and that time I would have migraine. In the entire flight I kept leaning sideways to avoid the breath and the “bomb” under the arm, anyway, I wanted to rest so I just tried to keep my face away and tried to sleep as much as possible. So learn how to treat bad body odor.

I kept looking at my watch while in the plane. (Singapore and Philippines are in the same time zone, ie, they have the same time, no time difference). No use huh to keep looking, I couldn’t make the plane fly faster than 940 km/hr? But I was estimating the time for me to move to make it to the next flight.

The plane lands in Singapore Changi airport at 7:40 pm, plus still some minutes to enter the main building. I was one of the first ones to go out and I hurried out but just in the gate I saw my name in the placard being called for by the ground staffs. “Excuse me, that’s me.” To my utmost relief, a buggy car was waiting for me and someone was taking me to the farthest gate boarding Mumbai passengers. I was very glad. I was very thankful of the Silkair flight of their taking care of my travel adjustments. With the buggy car ride, I saved an overnight’s worth of time. We reached gate 60 just when they were starting to board passengers. And my baggage? I just had one and in Davao they were placing it in the best place also so they could pull it out easily in Singapore. The buggy car driver was helpful enough and he called other ground agents to see to it my baggage can make it in the plane. He told her in the other line that I was going to India to get married so my bag must make it. Unique huh? Well, I was going to Mumbai to be with the man I married, almost the same reason, but not quiet, but I just listened. He was just making initiative to help me. I was so glad. But it was not sure if my bag indeed made it so I will just report it if I don’t see in in Mumbai airport. “See you in India, bag,” trip there.

I called hubby telling him I made it, and he was so glad. Imagine if I could not make it? We have been away, well, just for six weeks only, hhmm. Just few minutes after I was inside the air craft it was taking off and in four and a half hours, I will be in India. Thank God.

I was comfortable when I bought my etickets because I had plenty of time, an hour and half to board for the connecting flight to Mumbai. But my first flight bound Singapore yesterday was delayed for an hour so, and that leaves me thread chance if I could make it, so tight squeeze there. So I told the agents on the check-in counter about that, and gladly, they took care of it, anyway, it’s not my fault to have missed the next flight. They placed me in the best seat and treat me like a VIP traveller, haha, I didn’t think it mattered if they let me board last as long as I go out first, but they let me in first. I felt spoiled. Darn, those people are very caring of their costumers! I did not regret Silkair was delayed. They promised that someone’s gonna take care of me in Singapore and if I would miss my flight, oh God please no, they would arrange for hotel for me to stay the night in, as they do with others. For me Singapore Changi is very big airport and if I will just walk and run, still.. Okay so I entrusted it to them. Imagine how worried we were, especially hubby, for me to extend another day? Oh well. Part of a travel experience I would not mind having, anyway, it was secured and safe.

So I’m gonna fly today to India to spend the holidays with hubby. I will be there for almost a month, and glad that I will still see my family after that. I still go back to the Philippines after the India trip for final departure to the USA. I am so excited for the trip though. We have been away for more than a month and half now. If I would not have this Indian vacation for a month, I will be away for three months and hubby said he’s not gonna let me leave that long, so long. But be together in few hours. Keep posted for my stay in India. Bon voyage for me.

In the old age, people live longer life than we do today. It seems the more confortable and convenient life is, it gets shorter, just a price to pay, and results of the works of man himself. If one lives near a hundred, lucky is he to have exist that long. But just this week, the known oldest man in the world, laid that long life to rest, and guess at what age? Hryhoriy Nestor, a bachelor who was thought in his lifetime to be the oldest person in the world, has died in his sleep on Friday night at the age of 116 in the village of Stary Yarychev, in the western region of Lviv, Ukraine. With life that long, he must have witnessed great events and history. When he was born, Hitler was not yet two years old.

How he survived that long? He loved to get outside and would run barefoot through the grass. , His favourite food was simple country fare with his greatest luxury a slice of sausage in a bread roll, and Vodka he drank in moderation.