Oct 11 - '94
Our departure with Sabena from Brussels to Paris passes off quietly. The real problems
however would show up very soon.
The Air India jumbo is already waiting for us... Nepal, here we come ! At last, after a
long and irritating year in Belgium the time has come to explore the wide world
again...you know how it feels!
The first problems present themselves through the speakers in the departure-hall when they
call our names for identification of our luggage which we already checked-in a while ago.
A man asks us to follow him into the basement where he shows us a luggage-van with some
backpacks in it. I recognize mine but Wim's is missing... Nobody knows where his pack has
gone. The man tells us to check again in Kathmandu, they would certainly know what to do
there. So we board without certainty about the backpack and the trekking-equipment inside
and leave to DELHI with a 30-minutes delay.
The plane, a 747.300, turns out to be old and neglected. Toilets are dirty and don't flush
very well...the floor is a wet experience.
Alcoholic drinks cost 2 $...Oct 12 - '94
-3 AM : an unexpected landing in Dubai (Arabian Emirates). Because of a plague-epidemic
the Gulf-states decided to cancel all flights to India. Lots of Indians got stuck in
Dubai. Our plane was not full and that's why Air India decided to pick these people up and
bring them home.
-4 AM : Take off, destination Delhi. A few minutes later, still ascending, we hear a loud,
frightening bang coming from outside. One of the engines of the right wing broke down and
immediately the pilot turns back to Dubai for an emergency landing. Several fire-engines
arrive but there's no fire or panic among the passengers, some of them didn't hear a thing
because they were sleeping. We are ordered not to leave the plane because the Arabian
authorities fear a plague-contamination. In the mean time a team of technicians try to
repair the engine.
We wait for hours and hours...without any message from the crew. Only this : "No
problem Sir!"
-10.30 AM (!) : A radio-voice commands us to leave the plane. They are not able to fix the
engine and we are offered a free hotel and meal in the city.
Oct 13 - '94
We spend whole day in Dubai city.
-1.30 AM : Another plane arrived from Bombay... Transportation back to the airport. Once
in the transit-hall, Air India introduces the next surprise !
Instead of flying to Delhi (as planned), they decided to change our destination to...
BOMBAY. This message is too much for some poor families and causes a fierce quarrel with
the staff... in vain!
Nobody wants to give us some more information about the facts. Are we going to reach Delhi
in time to catch our connect-flight to Kathmandu ? Nobody knows ! One answer though : "No
problem Sir!"
To be quite on the safe side we inform Asian Trekking by fax.
-8.30 AM : Landing in Bombay... next disappointment... connection to Delhi only at about 5
PM. Again we are offered a room in the five-star 'Centaur' on the account of
Air India.
Fortunately the flight to Delhi leaves on schedule. Our mood starts to suffer from the
continuous flood of set-backs.
In Delhi there is no more connection to Kathmandu. Again we are stuck, and again they pay
us a 'nice' hotel, free of charge !
Oct 14 - '94
-11.00 AM : After breakfast we are transported to the airport.
Formalities in Delhi are strict. After a long and strenuous debate Air India is willing to
pay our airport-tax.
Travelers who leave India are submitted to a small medical check-up because of a possible
plague-infection. This check-up is nothing more than a measurement of the pulse rate and
the question whether we feel alright.
"No problem Sir!"
-1.50 PM : Without further incidents, relieved and with a three-days delay, we leave for
Kathmandu.
Immigration works fast and efficient and before we even
realize we are on Nepalese territory.
Wim's backpack is still missing ! There are three days left before the trekking.
We stay in the 'Gauri Shankar' hotel in Thamel, a clean and well-ran hotel,
property of Asian Trekking. |
N E P A L
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