The homeward journey required going from Bangalore to Kochi and then to Abu Dhabi. In the afternoon, I flew to Kochi. I was back where I landed three months ago.
I checked into the same homestay that I stayed at on first landing. I’d got to know the owner, Babu, three months ago. He was friendly and good company. His Japanese business partner was away for her annual trip to Japan.
Helene wanted me to take a suitcase back to London. Babu kindly offered to look after the suitcase until I came. She dropped it off when she was in Kochi
When I got to Kochi, Babu and I spent time catching up. He told me about his holiday with his wife and children in Rajastan. It was the first time the family had gone there.
After some refreshments, we started talking about the carrom board in the corner. When growing up, I had a carrom board that, I assume, came from India. No one else in the Indian community had one. So it was a mystery how we got one. But we used to play all the time. The board is about a square metre. The game is a bit like snooker but you use your hands to knock pieces into the four corner pockets.
I had not played for many years but I quickly got the hang of it. The rules were exactly the same as I remembered them. We never knew when we used to play as kids whether we were following “family” rules or the “official” rules. It didn’t matter.
Babu and I played one game. It seemed appropriate that I was playing an Indian game in India that I’d only ever played in London. This childhood memory was now connected with India, the origin of the game.
The following morning, I returned to Kochi airport. I remembered the comfortable armchairs in the departure lounge from my first trip a few years ago. They were part of the charm of India.
My journey to India had been via Abu Dhabi. My ticket included a complimentary two-night stay in Abu Dhabi for the return journey. I took this option because I liked the idea of breaking up the journey. Long flights are not comfortable! Also, I’d never seen Abu Dhabi before (apart from the airport).
The four-hour flight was smooth and left a bit early. On arriving, after picking up my baggage, I arranged eSims for my phones.
As I headed for the exit, I noticed a “smoking cabin”. This was a glass room for smokers. It reminded me when I first flew, many years ago, people used to smoke in the planes! Eventually, before being fully banned, the smoking was confined to the back of the plane. Of course, this made little difference since the smoke drifted everywhere! Whenever people talk about “the good old days”, I remind myself that they were also “the bad old days”!
The airline, Etihad, not only provided a free two-night break, they let me choose from a range of three/four-star hotels. I checked into the Traders Hotel, which was far more plush than what I was used to during this trip. It was nice to end with a bit of luxury!
I asked the person checking me in to recommend a place to eat. He said apart from the hotel restaurant, there was a souk ten minutes away.
I came across souks, large marketplaces, in Marrakesh. They were full of stalls and people trying to sell you stuff. I was looking forward to seeing a thriving market.
When I got to the “souk”, it turned out to be a one-floor shopping mall! It was full of boutique stores and restaurants. Since it was after 9pm, most places had shut.
There was a security guard near the entrance. We spoke for a while. The food options were limited but he recommended a Palestinian restaurant in the souk/shopping mall. I went there and had a simple meal.
