Shimla Diary 27th - 30th Sept.

"Let's go someplace in India this time, I haven't seen much of it like you have" said my wife to me, when I told her that the two of us should take off on a short break.

We narrowed down our choices to a few places and picked Shimla as the place to go. Actually, it was more the hotel "The Wildflower Hall" rather than the destination that we selected. It was a 3 night - 4 day trip, of which, 2 would be spent commuting to fro from the hotel to the nearest airport (Chandigarh), and with just 2 days on hand, the hotel had to be really spectacular. QED.

Air Tickets were booked on Indigo. Fortunately, there was a fare war going on, and Indigo had a pretty good deal going on the direct BOM-IXC (Mumbai to Chandigarh) flight at the time. The selected dates were officially the last 3 days of the supposed off season for the hotel. Even so, the rate worked out to USD 350/- a night inclusive of tax and kind of breakfast for a mountain view room.

A week before departure, the trip became a talking point to garner the statutory free advice from friends on the hotel and or the destination. "The hotel was fab when i visited some 13 years back. Don't know how it is now. Must be good. It is an Oberoi hotel after all," said one. "Do visit the Mall road in Shimla. It's an absolute must see," said another. "Are you crazy thinking of wasting time on that Mall road? Such a waste of time, unless being harassed by men and monkeys is your thing," a view point from the third. "Since you are a foodie, eat the tandoori paranthas (stuffed and oven baked Indian flat bread) at 'Giani's Dhaba' on the way in or out of Shimla," were the wise words that I penned in my list. So much to do or not to do, and such little time.

27th Morning. Terminal 1B. Mumbai International Airport. With pre-printed  boarding cards in hand, stood in line for the baggage drop. While this queue was being serviced by some 10 counters, the line for normal check in was much shorter. No wonder Indigo requires passengers to report at least 90 minutes before departure time. At this rate, it looked like touch and go to the gate for a flight that was going to fly on time. "Anyone for Chandigarh? Anyone for Chandigarh?" A ground agent yelled. I raised my hand, and was asked by her to head to the first available counter, where I was greeted by a counter officer called 'Clive'. "Good morning Sir. I see you have blocked seats on row 28. May I offer you seats in row 1. Better leg room, and on this two and a half hour flight, you will like the extra space." Even before I could smile, Clive let me know that the move would cost me Rs. 800 per seat. I told him that I would pass. So he cut a deal to give me 2 seats for the price of one. Deal struck, we were now on row 1. As he wrote the receipt, he asked if I would like to block the same seats on the return leg as well. I looked at my watch and told him that I would decide that on my return. He smiled a smile which said "you are making a big mistake not listening to me. But, it's your life." Enough face reading, had to contend with the security line and then grab a coffee before queuing up again to board.

I cannot understand why frequent travelers behave like it's their very first time. Security check in India requires all laptops and large screen equipment to be placed out of the bag, and all mobile phones inside the bag switched on. Yet, it dawns on most passengers to perform that ritual at the screening conveyor belt, holding up the line unnecessarily. Time, there was a line for people with no bags and no lap tops. Stamping of boarding cards and cabin bag tags was something that the airport has been trying hard to eliminate for months. But the practice exists and walking away with either unstamped would mean going through the entire process all over again.

My adrenaline was already up, so I skipped the coffee, but my calm and composed wife did not. We were on a break she reminded me. Yes we were, and the ride from Chandigarh to Shimla booked on www.chandigarhtaxiwala.com  had not yet called me with driver and car details among the million other things that were bothering me that morning. The world was not going to stop for me and neither was time. What the heck. Enjoy the break. (The hotel charges Rs 6700 from Chandigarh to Shimla in an Innova (MPV) and the local service in the same type of vehicle costs Rs 3,400, with an optional full route air condition service at an extra Rs. 500). Two minutes prior to boarding, I get a SMS with the car and driver details. The flight was packed and the seat move option was suddenly the 'worth it' one. We had 3 seats to ourselves.

Flight arrived a few minutes before schedule. Being an aviation buff, I was excited to catch sights of some air force jets at this military airfield. (No photography allowed). No Sukhois or MIGs - but a lot of medium and heavy lift crafts including the mighty C-130 Hercules. Chandigarh at 11.30 am was already at 35 degrees Celsius. Bags collected, driver called, driver greets, and moments later we are ready to leave. The ride to Shimla would take at least 4 hours to cover the 130 kms,  and Mr. Rinku our driver and I got into multiple conversations including his most recent 14 day drive to Leh-Ladhak, something that I have on my adventure list. I asked him about places in Himachal that we would not visit, and got a pretty good idea of what we would and would not be missing out on. An hour into the journey, on a great quality road, we hit a traffic jam. We learnt that the traffic was backed up for a couple of miles. It was a Sunday and the end of a long weekend, so the road was surely full of cars, some being driven by accident prone hungover guys (and possible gals). The drive for the next couple of hours was a painful crawl. We reached Dharampur by 3.00pm  covering just about 15 kms in 2 hours, still some 70 kms and 2 hours away, already an hour behind schedule. But, the body needed some food and 'Giani's dhaba' was where we would eat.


I have traveled a lot by car and have eaten at some of the best 'dhabas' in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Had to try this one out. The number of cars outside gave me reason to believe that this was a right choice too. It was a mad house inside. Packed. The owner got us to wait next to a table that he thought would be vacated in a couple of minutes, which is exactly what happened. We ordered a chicken curry suggested by the waiter and some tandoor baked stuffed paranthas. We were hungry, and normally in hunger anything tastes good. Sorry, the food was just average. We should have tried the "Chole kulche" being sold by highway vendors instead. My wife was not too excited with that idea. City folk have this belief that anything inexpensive is bad for the stomach. A further 30 minutes drive, and we could feel the weather changing. We asked the driver to switch off the air-con unit. The road had become more scenic too, and the sound of the crickets outside louder in the background of silence.

We crossed Shimla at 5.45pm, still some 10 kms to reach the 'Wildflower Hall' at Chharabra, and thirty minutes later, we were there. We could sense that the temperature outside was down to single digits.

As soon as we entered the lobby, we felt less tired then we actually were. It was cozy and welcoming, as was the reception committee that greeted us. The Front Office Manager introduced us to some key members of the staff, following which we were introduced to the room we would call home for the next 3 days. There was still some light to see the great Himalayan mountain range. The Floor to ceiling windows were designed to enjoy their magnificence. We were warned not to keep the windows open though, unless we fancied wild monkeys in the room for company. But, going a bit wild was something that we had on our minds too, and we decided to check with the activity desk on what it could plan out for us.

Treks in the wilderness or a picnic at a secluded spot, a pony ride or some mountain biking. Then, how about some white water rafting? Yes, that's what we wanted to do. The hotel rate with transport was quite high and I thought better to check with Mr. Rinku, now my unofficial informer. he got me a quote that was exactly half of what was quoted by the hotel. I was told that yes, the rates are half but then the run was only about 6 kms on grade 1 and 2 rapids (From Chaba to Sunni) whereas the hotel contractor had a 18 kms run (From Malgi to Chaba) with some serious grade 3 and 4 challenges. The idea of a 3 hour road trip plus a 3 hour row on the rapids and a 3 hour return journey though more exciting was not really as enthusing after having spent a whole day of travel from Mumbai to Shimla. The alternative was half of everything - cost - distance - time and excitement, but acceptable.

28th Morning. We were ready for our mini adventure at 10 am. The ride to Tattapani some 51 kms away took about 2 hours. The temperature was about 15 degrees C when we left, and by the time we had descended the hills, the temperature would have been around 30 degrees C or so. At Sunni, some 5 kms from Tattapani, we transferred to the rafting operator's pick up to drive up to our starting point. We thought we would have a crew of 3 in the raft, but realized that included 2 of us as well. Life vests were strapped but no helmet. Guess, the experience would not require it. The raft was being commandeered by a Nepali boy named 'Nakli' (which could mean either fake of great mimic). The experience was more a lazy river boat trip with a couple of brief run ins with mild rapids. If one was looking for an adrenaline rush; guess it was the wrong boat. We were not disappointed though. I got to work my arms rowing and enjoy some fab hillscapes. Next time though, I would go for the real thing. I was told that the river Sutlej that we were rafting on, starts in China, passes through India and ends up in Pakistan. The rapids were much wilder earlier (even on the placid stretch we did) before the dam was built to generate electricity and provide water for agriculture. Now here is a tip to help one avoid the rafting trap.

White water rafting can be done from Chabba (12 Kms) or Sunni ( about 5 Kms before Tattapani) to Tattapani. Located about 50 Kms form Shimla on the banks of the river Sutlej Tattapani is an ideal place to enjoy the river as well as the sulphur springs sprouting out on its banks. The Hindu temples as well as the Shiv Goofa (Shiva Caves) located at Saraur at a distance of four kilometers from there are also places of utmost interest. Fishing can be an exciting activity in the place.

Shimla's Tattapani has become a spot of big tourist attraction. The time taken for this is about one and a half hour This activity is done on sunny days during the daytime only. They provide all the equipment, dress and shoes along with well trained and professional staff.

Activity	Strength	Distance	No. of Packs	Price	Above 15 Pcks
Rafting	Chaba to Tatapani	12 KM	4	650 per person	400 per person
	Malgi to Chaba	18 KM	4	1250 per person

Distance: 51 Kms from Shimla on the Shimla Naldehra Mandi road
Travel time: two hours
Travel mode: By road only, preferable in a car

  

We were back at Sunni at half past two. Hunger pangs were quelled at a local eating house that served simple home food. Back at the hotel by 5 pm, we were exhausted. A soak in the heated jacuzzi that overlooked the valley was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was followed by a bottle of wine and a fab romantic dinner while toasting ourselves next to a bonfire on a full moon night, temperature some 6 degrees C.

29th Morning.  Fully refreshed, it was a day to enjoy the hotel. Breakfast on the terrace was followed by a visit to the spa (her) gym (me). It was nearing noon and we thought of taking a hour and a half long 6 km trek in the forest just behind the hotel. It's a beautiful walk with mild to steep gradients, shaded by the tree cover and made serene by the ambient quiet. The sound of insects playing their symphony was heart filling. The only wild things we came across was a cow, a couple of monkeys and some school kids using the path. This is what we came here for, some space from mankind and we got it, even if it was for a very short time.

We contemplated paying a visit to the proverbial "Mall" road in Shimla, but decided against it. A dip in the hot Jacuzzi (again) followed by a walk in the gardens and a visit to a charming temple.  The books we had carried were never read. Enjoying nature and each others company took precedence.


30th Morning. Time to go home. It was warm today. On the way back, we saw the extended runway of the airport that would open up to air traffic sometime end October. Once open, the Jabarhatti airport just 22Kms away from Shimla may shave off some 3 hours of hair pin winding bends on the mountains. The trip down was thankfully devoid of much traffic this time and the scenery looked very different in bright sunlight. We picked up some apples that the region is famous for as souvieners. Giani's Dhaba looked empty this time around and we not hungry. Clive's wicked smile was not without reason. The counter agent at Chandigarh airport was not one to be bothered about upselling seats. Nor were we interested in the extra comfort seat.  Home was calling us and that was all we had on our mind.

Flight check BOM-SIN-BOM on AI342/343

I would have selected some other airline to travel on the Mumbai Singapore route, but pricing by SIA and the displeasure of flying long haul on a single aisle narrow body 737 or A320 or flying indirect pushed me to experience the national carrier. The advertisements it runs would certainly not impress me to fly it.

Air India flies a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, direct, at a decent time (both ways) at a price that is not too bad. Moreover, it would be my first flight aboard the 787 that have joined the fleet fairly recently, but have earned a bad rep for more than a couple of reasons.

Check In at GVK Terminal 2. It took more than 45 minutes to get to the check in counter. Counter staff inefficient and prone to VIP or related party pandering. Airport security check - quick and efficient. Immigration Check - dreadful. Took nearly an hour and I cannot figure out why so many counters were unmanned at peak time.

Flight departure. Announced on time and it was on time. Aircraft, spanking new. Cabin crew, spanking old. Seat pitch at 33 inch - fantastic. Seat width at 17 inches - no complaints. Seat Recline at 6 inch - comfortable. LCD touch screen in front at nearly 11 inches - pretty cool. My co-passengers, not so cool. Craft configuration: Business 18 seats in 3 rows of 2-2-2; economy 238 seats in 3-3-3 arrangement starting from row 11 to 39. Nice big windows with electronic window shades.

Flight announcements were clear, the security video boring. Flight push back on time (15 mins behind schedule).

Up in the air, Entertainment system not working. Electronic window shade would not operate. I had tried it on the ground - it did not work. I thought it would operate once air borne. Nope. The entertainment and control system on the neighbours seat had a couple of buttons jammed in as a result the reading light was on throughout the flight. My arm rest had an ink tattoo drawn my a person to immortalize his love in the air.

Good all else worked, as the aircraft has been notorious for fires and technical failures. Cabin sound very low. pressure and temperature - perfect.

An hour into flight, the cabin crew served a light snack. Avoidable unless rancid oil elevates your taste buds. Must say that it takes courage to handle Indians on flight and the well experienced crew have mastered the art. Many say that they are rude. If I was part of the crew, guess my tenure would have been short lived on account of throwing a couple of passengers out of the door in flight if I had the option. The drinks trolley was never circulated - strategically maybe. The crew was polite with me and I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Guess what, despite an over enthusiastic mother and daughter in the row behind, who were probably playing the game of kick and shout, I managed a 3 hour nap without the need of a sedative called alcohol, and without any stiff or pulled muscles. Thirty minutes before arrival, paid a reluctant visit to the loo. What? Clean? How? Miracle. I have always advocated that airlines flying in and out of India should drop a crew member and replace that person with a professional plumber/loo cleaner, This time however, that thought did not cross my mind.

Landing at Changi 2 - smooth and on time. From aircraft to baggage belt 15 minutes. Baggage was already trickling on the belt. My bag arrived with bits and parts broken. It was too early to pick a fight in the morning, I had a long day of work in Singapore and could do without the added angst.

Two days later, flight back. Check in at Changi 2, 5 minutes. Security 3 minutes, Immigration, 6 minutes, Duty free time 2 hours. Boarding, on time. Take off, on time. Arrival into Mumbai, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Immigration 30 mins, Baggage arrival, further 15 mins. Customs, further 15 mins.

Incidentally, the same cockpit and cabin crew on return journey. Probably the same craft as well. the entertainment system worked and I caught 2 movies. Electronic shade - not.  Dinner was decent. Drinks trolley did go round.

I had a  young lady on the seat next to me, and I could not help over hear her conversation that concerned spare parts for a Dreamliner stuck at Kolkatta airport for the last 3 days. I struck a conversation with her, and she said that the aircraft was an over engineered technical wonder; the first true fly by wire by Boeing, and one where it has made tons of error in pursuit to gain superiority over Airbus. It has scored in some departments, but on others it's a "nightmareliner".

I read this article the very next morning:

NEW DELHI: An Air India Dreamliner (VT-AND) has been stripped of parts to keep the other Boeing 787s flying. 

Question that I ask myself, will I fly Air India B787 again? I have learnt to never say never, but I must add, not out of choice.

Aviation tech

BOEING BAGS A $6.6 M DEAL TO DESIGN SATELLITE LAUNCHER
Mumbai Mirror | Aug 8, 2015, 05.04 AM IST

Looks a lot like the Airbus below

http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Gallery.aspx?id=05_08_2015_022_020_002&type=P&artUrl=LONDON-TO-NEW-YORK-IN-AN-HOUR-05082015022020&eid=31804

To the Queen's Land (UK) once again.

It was not meant to happen; but just as last year - the situation forced me to look at Old Blighty as a holiday destination. I had to visit Manchester on work and decided to frame my holiday around the British Midlands - Lake District, Blackpool, Manchester. Yes; it does sound a bit industrial and boring. With two teenage kids - I rather cross over to the continent and visit some fun places in Europe - specially with the currency beaten up for now. But; by the time I woke up to the idea of including South of France (Prove
nce and the Coast) to my itinerary - it was a bit too late to get my visas.

Fate had made sure that I explore England and research increasingly told me that I was prejudiced. It need not be boring as I had imagined.There were lot of things one could do from enjoying nature peacefully to seeking an adrenaline rush to burning cash on shopping to exploring true English culture (not the bastardized one visible in London). I had no clue how this holiday would end up; but there was no choice now.

Visas - The VFS online visa process has been vastly improved over the years and despite the holiday season; the visas were ordinarily delivered within 2 weeks of submission. By the way the visa (at Rs 8300 for 6 months) was marginally cheaper this year.

Travel - Air tickets were marginally cheaper this year too. JetAirways was what I chose to fly - not out of choice; but because it offered the best deal.

For internal travel; there were many friends who suggested that I rent a car. I decided against it for a couple of reasons. Rules and Luggage. Traffic violations can be quite punishing and one may end up with a huge fine bill on the credit card by the end of the trip. With more than 4 to 5 bags; a small car was definitely out of question. Parking fees and finding places to park was another deterrent. But the truth is that I hate driving on a holiday. Much rather be driven around and take in as much of the scenery while keeping awake. The option then was low cost air carriers or bus or train. I was in no mood to book and prepay non refundable fares the low cost carriers that flew from far flung airfields - to reach them was often more expensive than the flight itself. Trains and buses much nicer. Unlike India; train and bus travel is relaxed, comfortable, clean with seats generally being always available. The time from origin to destination often the same as air travel - when time to reach airport is added on.

Did I say train travel was cheap? No it's not - normally. So the first thing one does is by a British Railpass. Actually NO; you don't. For travel within the UK; simply sign up for a "family and friends" railcard. It costs GBP 30 and can be purchased online or at a train station prior to the days of actual travel. RailCard can get discounts from 40% to 60% depending on the time and number of travelers. My trip for 2 adults and 2 children cost GBP 190 (Second Class) in total for my route London-Windermere-Blackpool-Manchester-London. I booked a day in advance and picked up the tickets at the station from the prepaid ticket machines. The second trick is to book on www.thetrainline.com - better fares than www.nationalrail.co.uk. Just download the app and book the trains at will. On the weekends; the seats can be upgraded to first class for a flat fee of GBP 15 per adult and GBP 5 per child. I did that and the kids were thrilled to travel in better style.

National Express runs clean and comfortable busses and one may want to consider this mode of transport too - specially if the travel time is an hour or so.

Local travel - I was quite tempted to hire a car for my stay at the Lake District. But; my research told me otherwise. The entire region is well served by buses and a car can be given a miss. Blackpool; well is quite compact and a car is unnecessary there too. By the way; if you do use bus no 12 in Blackpool - it offers a GBP 6 discount on the Pleasure Beach ticket. Too bad I did not read it till after my visit. Manchester is a walking city - but plenty of inexpensive motorized options for the lazy or tired ones.  London with a family can be quite expensive when it comes to local travel; specially with the cost of the day travelcard being upped to GBP 10+ for zone 1 & 2. Oystercards (no difference between local and visitor cards) are good but when 4 persons travel by bus or underground; the cost ends up as much as a cab. Well; no secret then that I used the Uber app as much as the soles of my shoes. Good drivers - good cars - no regrets.

Now about where we went.

The Lake District is actually a very large area and one can spend from a couple of days to a couple of weeks exploring this area. I regret having booked here for only 3 nights. May to August is generally high season and hotels do charge a lot more than the value they offer. No big brands here but some fine owner run B&Bs; Boutique Spa Hotels and Inns. Most have a prepay policy with stiff cancellation terms. Those that do not are generally priced higher too. The other issue is that of number of occupants per room. I found a decent B&B called "Lonsdale House" at a decent price that allowed free cancellation up to a week before stay on www.booking.com . Problem. A family room would allow 2 adults and 2 children under 5. I checked with the B&B directly and I was told my kids (13 & 15) were welcome. Moral of the story - check when in  doubt - rules quite flexible.


Our journey on Virgin train from London Euston to Oxenholme and Transpinnine Express from there to Windermere train station took about 4 hours.  We got a cab to Lonsdale house (GBP5) in the town of Bowness on Windermere (BOW). Windermere station is well connected to Kendal, Ambleside, Grasmere, and Keswick by a frequent bus service.So really no real need to worry about getting from here to anywhere in the Lake District region. The family explorer and boat bus passes for GBP 25 and GBP 32 are real value; and as I said earlier - did not need a car. The first day; or what was left of it was spent exploring BOW. Leisurely walk to the lake; exploring quaint shops; having a coffee and dessert at a hotel that offered fabulous views of the lake; and taking in the beauty of the town. Next day; took a lake cruise from BOW to Ambleside and from there took a bus to the beautiful little village of Grasmere - the home of poet Wordsworth. Just looking around; I could tell that the place would bring out the artist in me. Day 3; and the exploration moved further North to Keswick and lake Buttermere. The air is fresh and the body becomes is energized to embrace activity. I wish we could have stayed in this region for a few days more to enjoy it more completely. Eating out - plenty of options - including Indian, Chinese and Thai.


Next on our list came Blackpool. had heard so much about it as a mini Vegas. Nowhere close - but not bad either. But, the teens had their adrenaline fix planned in the City and so we were here. The sea did not look very pretty nor was there anyone on the beach. Maybe it had to do with the weather. Fortunately; the day we arrived it was nice and sunny and with the forecast predicting gloomy and rain the next day; we had no choice but to dump our bags at the Hilton and make our way to Pleasure Beach. It can now call itself a theme park having added the Nickelodeon section. Otherwise it is an all and out ride park for any age group. From tame to nerve testing - it has it all. A family pass costs about GBP 100 if booked online and GBP 120 at the gate (with the Bus No. 12 discount). It was money well spent. Must have covered 10 + rides in under 4 hours and by the end of the day were exhausted. There is a Blackpool day travel pass and is quite economical. All that a tourist wants is on the 2 mile strip and there is again no real need for a car or taxi. The next day; as predicted by the weather app was a write off. My son went into sulk mode as his trial flight (in a single engine plane where he could man the controls for a while) was cancelled. My wife was delighted as there was nothing else to do but shop.

Blackpool is also known for penny arcades, casinos, cabarets, faux celebrity shows and plays. One can do as much or as little and same goes with the spend. What I liked about the City was that it relies a lot on green power. I could see massive wind farms out in the sea and I kind of wished that some of the coastal cities in India could adopt such a model too. We stayed here for 2 nights and I thought one would have been enough. But then, it was the bad weather talking.

Taylor Swift +Manchester Arena 

Manchester came next. I had visited this City some 20 years back and was not impressed. But, I had some work here; my son a Man U fan; my daughter wanted to catch the Taylor Swift concert; and my wife wanted a day out at the outlet mall called "Cheshire Oaks". To justify my own visit; I decided we could take off to the Peak District for a day and enjoy the natural beauty and history of the English Moorlands. I was pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong. The city won my heart with its historic and modern buildings, museums and galleries, superb restaurants and bars, its own Chinatown and theater district, and friendly people - so passionate about the City they live in and the two football teams housed there. Sadly there was too much to do with too little time. I could easily have spent a few more days here. In fact, I may just make this City my base for UK on my next visit in stead of London. Within 2 and a half hours or less; one can reach London, Cardiff , Glasgow, Edinburgh by car or train; and to any part of Europe by plane.

Back in London after a glorious 10 days up North; I wanted the spirit of experiences to continue and the next few days were devoted to visiting some nice eateries like Novikov and Chiltern Firehouse; attending a musical at Dury lane - the spectacular "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; getting my son to fulfill his dream of flying a plane.  15 days were gone even before I realized it. Boring? You must be kidding. It was fun. There are so many things to do in the UK and yet for most the trip starts and ends in London.

Well; it was time to return. my final tip on VAT Refunds. First; finish all your shopping and do the VAT refund tax invoices on the last day. Second; I suspect that the refund process being run by Travelex (post customs declaration) is a possible mini scam. The counter agents know that the passengers are in a rush and force them to accept cash refunds in dollars and their own home currencies converting the amount in pounds at a very poor rate. I was offered USD 640 for GBP 438 at a rate of 1.46 as against the bank rate of 1.56. I asked them for GBP and i was told that it would take some 30 minutes to arrange it. No choice but to accept the dollars. My reviews on the hotels I stayed at and the places where we dined are listed on tripavisor and zomato.

Go Goa Gamble

Our boy's club met for our monthly dinner meet; and over dinner, the discussion moved to the best poker player in the group. Soon the discussion veered that our next meet should include a cards session. I was not enthused one bit as I do not play cards nor did I have any reason to pick this form of entertainment now. "How about going to Goa for a casino weekend?" said one of our member; a serious gambler as we came to understand. "Except for the air tickets - everything on the house". There were mummers of dissent as we could not allow him to foot the entire bill; even if it was thrown as bait to agree to the trip. "No! I am not paying. The casino is". Aah! of course, our friend the "great gambler" would be invited with open arms with his entourage at the Casino's hotel at their cost based on the fact that he played big; won big; and lost even bigger. the house always wins.

Unappealing as gambling was; Goa remains my favourite Indian holiday destination, and the location of the hotel - right on Goa's Baga beach .... an offer i could not refuse. Trip planned - the boys landed in Goa at what I call the oldest looking new international airport. An hour's journey later we were at La Calypso hotel and escorted to our villa suites. The sound of "villa suites" is so rich; but really, these are clean and simple (not luxurious) over sized cottage rooms with decent bathrooms that have been built close to the beach under the provision of "temporary structure".  But; who stays in the room in Goa anyway? Lunch at the beach shack and our gambler friend was in full form dishing out large denomination currency notes as tips to the waiting staff to ensure super personalized service. The head chef decided to sweat it out in the kitchen himself to please this special guest and his friends. He is a regular at this hotel and has built quite a reputation for himself.  



It was hot and muggy; it was mid April and expected; but none of it mattered. Goa has this strange effect on people. Sit by the beach, hear the waves, drink whatever, eat whatever and dream whatever; it is as close to paradise as one can get. At 5 pm; we got off our lunch table and crawled back to our rooms for a Goan nap - to revive us for the long night ahead. We gathered back at the shack for a round of drinks and light eats at 8pm and were off to the Casino boat by 10. takes 30 minutes from Baga to the Panjim (Main City) jetty from where feeder boats transfer the players to the casino of choice anchored in the river Mandovi. In our case - it was Casino Pride I & II.  





Our friend suggested we go to Pride II first. We just nodded - he was the boss. There is an entry ticket which includes a meal on board. Pride II is hosted on M.V. Boa Sorte; a inland river cruiser that will remind you of an elegant Mississippi paddle boat. (I did some research and found out that the boat was built in 1991 in Florida). Gaudy on the inside; showing a fair bit of wear from lack of attentive maintenance; it looked like we had stepped into a film set of the sixties. What was lacking was the period character that could have been incorporated with the look and feel of the boat giving it an inside outside theme. Pride II wore a quiet look with not too many people on board. Again; being April; was expected. Our friend said that this boat attracted the high rollers so is generally less crowded and the players of better class. What I figured later is that this boat serves better food than its sister boat and those in the know come here more for feeding their bellies than emptying their pockets at the high stake tables. No choice; the crowd was at Pride I; and so we moved to the sister boat M V Pride of Goa which looked older and on entry even less maintained. It was crowded though with several people exercising their hands on the automated "one arm bandit" machines or at the roulette wheel or at whatever the gambling tables are called. We of course were escorted straight to the VIP room reserved for big games; could not be among the riffraff for sure. I am not being mean. the people on the lower deck looked like refined escaped convicts as there is not much of a dress or grooming code adhered. Money from any hand smells the same I suppose. I thought that the VIP room would have people dressed smartly - even if it meant jeans and collared tees. But; new money in India seems to have come to a different sort; and why not? I may have been dressed right but the players there had enough chips on the table to give me a complex. There were people there from as far as Assam and Tamil Nadu wagering big money and our great gambler friend was not an exception in that room. The VIP room bar is well stocked with expensive booze and organizes service of light eats at the table.  But I was in no mood to partake in that feast as  I observed my friends playing with other players and loosing to them big time. Considering myself as bad luck for them - moved out to the buffet area where there was a raunchy dance show every 15 minutes. I was surprised to see that there were kids allowed into a Casino boat. Anyway; I took a tour of the boat and ate a very unappetizing buffet and learnt a wee bit of poker (observation) till my friends were broke. The croupiers and floor managers were all well dressed as is customary but the customary suits and attire somehow was a misfit on them - kind of funny as it kind of looked out of character.

Goa has some 7 gambling boats on the Mandovi river. One of them was owned by a Minister from Haryana and shut down soon after his arrest for a raping an employee of his. From September 2015; the casino boats have been asked to move out of the Mandovi river and relocate to either the Vasco bay or operate in the Arabian sea. The most professional and best looking boats happen to be owned by the Deltin group.

Back at the hotel at 3am; the group decided to move into the on site slot machine and electronic gambling zone. (Live gambling happens only on the boats) and we were there till 5 am. Wanting to make the most of our trip; the boys were at the breakfast table by 10am; ready for a Thai massage next door at noon; having a beach side lunch with cocktails by 2pm; and all excited to party the night away by 10 pm all over again. No casino - but at the famed beach clubs of the North. Goa used to be a seasonal destination until a few years back. Now it's virtually busy round the year; thanks to the Indian travelers and more important the Indian gamblers. The Rouble hit Russians are now visible in lesser numbers. Hopefully the tourists driven away by their presence will now return. It's good to have a diversified tourist market; but for now the Baga Rd. looks like a back alley of Moscow with all the cafes sporting their menus in English and Russian. My gambler friend turns to us and says. how about our next group meet in Moscow?

All Classes are not Equal - Seat Fight

The Seat That Erases the Line Between Business Class and First Class

http://skift.com/2015/04/15/the-seat-that-erases-the-line-between-business-class-and-first-class/#1

In economy you are a sardine. 

The 11 abreast economy cabin seating configuration revealed by Airbus at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany April 14-16, 2015. Front row seats are Geven Piuma seats; back row are Zodiac Z300s. There have been no commitments for this configuration so far, but Airbus says it is in talks with some A380 operators. Photo by Karen Walker

The Thompson Cozy Suite is an innovative way to cram more passengers into economy, but comfortably. 

http://airwaysnews.com/blog/2014/04/14/aircraft-interiors-expo-2014-wrap-up/

Premium Economy the new Business Class

Actually makes sense in an A380

http://www.core77.com/posts/22731/experimental-seating-designs-for-airplane-cabins-22731

MOST PRACTICAL 

eCONOMY SEATS

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/crystal-cabin-awards-announced

Good idea to wear an adult diaper if flying economy given that number of seats in that class are increasing and ratio of passenger to toilets going down. 

An airline called Vistara (Flight check BOM AMD BOM)

It's been a couple of months since this airline took to the Indian skies; a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. I heard mixed reviews from "OK - it's new" to "the new best thing to happen in Indian aviation ". As Buddha kind of said; second hand knowledge or experience equals zero - I had to experience to gauge for myself.  Would it match the high standards of "Kingfisher" service? When it had started and for quite a few years thereafter; Kingfisher was my absolute favourite. With that thought, ticket booked for the BOM AMD BOM sector - a short 1 hour flight. Vistara sells itself as a premium full service carrier, but pricing is quite competitive as yet. Its flight code is UK.

It uses the Mumbai's GVK-CSIA terminal T2 (at Sahar) as it's operating base. For now; it's the only private domestic carrier operating to Indian destinations from this terminal - all others use Terminal T1 at Santa Cruz. Closer to my office I thought and so much better compared to terminal T1 - even after all the improvements there. In my mind, T2 is one of the best terminals found  anywhere in the world and proud that it beats the IGI Delhi terminal T3 in look - feel -  fit-  finish. Check-in and baggage drop happens at the Departure level and security check a level below. Counters are well manned but did not experience the process on account of the well constructed user friendly web-check in on its site www.airvistara.com .  Web-check-in starts 48hrs before flight and is open to all classes. Good thing is that you can block your seat right at the time of buying the ticket.  Baggage allowance 15kgs - Grrr. By year end 2015; once the entire terminal and additional gates are ready; most domestic carriers flying out of T1 will shift to T2 and the airport looks ready to receive the hordes of domestic passengers. Vistara being a Tata company must have had the advantage of using T2 first thanks to its partner GVK - the operator of the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. www.csia.in

The gate management is pretty good and boarding very organized. The aircraft - the latest generation airbus A320 (with sharklets) smells new and feels new. Obviously cleaning very good. Arranged in 3 class configuration: Business 2-2 (16 seats); Premium Economy 3-3 (36 seats); Economy 3-3 (96 seats) total seating 148 seats is what I would assume. The only difference between premium and regular economy seems to be the seat pitch. The pitch is quite generous in economy class too - much better than Jet and Indigo.  Toilets were spotless. The cabin crew looks smart in the purple attire and seem to have been well trained. 

Flight takes off on time and lands at Ahmedabad on time too. Grouse if any - the food pack. Not that I was offended by the purple box or the plastic cutlery - which may be prompted by principles of recycling, hygiene and eliminating the use of water for cleaning trays and whatever. But, I really thought the food provided by Taj-Sats (another Tata-SIA JV) sucked. The dessert tasted totally synthetic reminding me of some pineapple flavoured vitamin tonic I used to have growing up. No hot (or cold)beverage served in economy. Maybe on account of flight duration. Bottled water is served before take off and along with meals; but if you want more just ask. My second complaint is the training of the ground staff at Ahmedabad airport - the lady making announcements had no clue what she was saying. She mixed up flight numbers (there were 2 Vistara departures happening within minutes of each other); called evening morning and her tone was a reminder of railway announcements. I tweeted all this to @airvistara just to see how the airline would react. No reaction. Indigo and Jet score over Vistara here. In flight magazine - not too impressed; but it's new.  

Load factor BOM AMD for a 3.25pm flight barely 30% overall with just 1 or 2 seats in both business and premium econony occupied. AMD BOM 5.25pm flight 55% load factor with about 90% of passengers in economy. 

Returning back to Mumbai T2 - exit the aero -bridge and walk right to the luggage pick up area.Baggage carousel number announced on board. The terminal does have one drawback though. If you are being picked up by your own transport, then it has to pay a hefty parking fee even if it has entered the terminal for a couple of minutes. But what the heck. It's a small price to pay for the brilliant infrastructure created for an almost hassle free experience. 

Some 45 years ago; Air India was owned by the Tatas and it was rated as one of the finest in the world. Singapore Airlines (SIA); a fledgling start up at that time sought inspiration and training from Air India. The Air India of today is not a patch of what it was under the Tata flag while SIA  has established itself as a hallmark in the aviation circles. Some 12 years back; Tata along with SIA made a bid to buy back the airline from the government of India - and failed. I would say providential that it did fail because it has now got a fresh start with Vistara to groom a world class airline that India can be proud of.