Sunday cricket was never like this

Thanks to a What’s App message from Marina saying that it wasn’t worth doing the Elephant Island boat trip, I used Lonely Planet walking tour as a guide. Glad I did and sort of using the side roads to walk along seeing more of the locals go about their Sunday morning. It was Sunday and the area was very quiet with most businesses closed.

Again the storekeepers were happy for their photo to become taken and all agreed (just the policemen said no). The chai seller and in his poor English beckoned me to sit and have a chai for 20 rupees / NZ$0.40 / US$0.30 - which I did.

Classic cars on display and I love what the policeman did when he and his men drove up.

Sunday cricket was never like what I saw in the Oval Maidan. Hate to think of the numbers of Indians who were out there with bat in hand.

With a late check out arranged till 2pm / 14:00, this was enough.

Taxi from outside the hotel was only 800 rupee / NZ$16.90 / US$12.40 to the airport.

Not bad. An hour from leaving the hotel to have in my hand a boarding pass for Jet Airways 9W 625 window seat 40A. Being Sunday the traffic was certainly much less and the actual journey took some 50 minutes. No queue at check in so hassle free so far.

Like leaving Cochin security was obvious. Passport and booking details that has your name on it before you can enter the airport with your bag, passport and boarding pass to enter the domestic departure area, at security one queue for ladies and another for gents to be screened, once body scanned, both parts of the boarding card stamped.

Connected to the free wi fi and tried to catch up with posting my images. Trouble free wi fi was only available for 45 minutes.

A delayed lift off to Kolkata at 6.35pm / 18:35 due to the flight arriving late. Climbed and headed east with a thin band of orange in the distance being the sun’s last remains rays as it headed west.

Captain informed us of an 8.40pm / 20:40 touchdown with 10 minutes taxiing.

Temperature of 16C will certainly be cooler than down south.

My bad luck as each of the 2 queues for the prepaid taxi booth had over 30 people in it. Plus they were slow in processing each person. Nearing the front I was second behind when the dot matrix printer ribbon decided to play up and it took forever for the staff to fix it. However eventually got my prepaid taxi chit. Despite using a prepaid taxi for just 260 rupee / NZ$5.50 / US$4.00, the driver still expected a tip. I suppose this is India where tipping is part of the culture.