It was an early start to catch the morning flight. The journey was smooth from Calicut to Kolkata.
There was a stopover in Hyderabad. When I went through the transfer security, I noticed a lounge. It was for people with membership of some club or who had certain bank cards.
I had opened my Indian bank account in London. I vaguely remembered being told at the time that the account allowed free access to some airport lounges.
Almost everyone was queueing to see the lounge counter staff. I saw instructions to gain access using a QR code for the lounge. I scanned the code and filled in my details. Within a couple of minutes access was confirmed. I showed my code to the staff and was in the “exclusive” lounge!
The lounge had comfy seating, fast Wi-Fi, and power sockets. A staff member said I could also have unlimited food and (non-alcoholic) drinks! He asked me to join the buffet lunch queue at 12.30.
There were lots of options at the buffet counter. Each dish had allergy information. I picked quinoa and various bean salads. I saw someone with a dosa but couldn’t see any in the buffet section. A staff member said that they would begin making dosas again in 15 minutes. He would ask for a non-dairy version and bring it to me!
By the time I’d finished my lunch, dosa, and coffee, it was time to go to Gate 14.
After arriving in Kolkata, I saw a WhatsApp message from my accommodation owner. He asked if I wanted him to send his usual taxi driver. His apartment was a bit awkward to find. I didn’t answer because I was in the air at that time. He sent a later message saying that he would send the driver anyway. He gave me the driver’s details.
On landing, the driver called me whilst I was on the plane! He couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t speak Hindi. I asked my neighbour on the plane if he knew Hindi. He spoke to the driver, who asked me to message him the exit gate number once I’d picked up my luggage.
It took about 45 minutes to get to the homestay. I could see why the accommodation owner wanted to send someone. The final 50m required driving through a crowded shoe market and finding a side road!
Someone (who turned out to be the chef, Rabindra) took my rucksacks to the apartment. I was greeted by the owners. Their daughter soon joined us, followed by their very friendly golden retriever!
After I’d settled in, I got a message from the owner, asking if I wanted some kichdi, veg and pickle. I was wondering what to do for dinner. Soon the chef brought the food into my room. It was very good.
