South Asia

Portuguese Touch Throughout Nehru Park for Children

28 July 202328 July 2023travelingpersecond

What I had to pay attention to was the feeling of heart that wasn’t satisfied yet in witnessing the busyness of the local fishermen who were absorbed in taking care of their catch.

The sun had begun to slip from its highest point, slowly losing its sting, bowing to the twilight that begins to rule the day.

Meanwhile I, with a heavy heart, got up from my seat under the tent that was set up a few fathoms from the beach. A while later I had joined myself in the increasingly bustling currents of River Road. The flow of travelers seemed to refer to the preparation of natural attractions which were none other than the setting of the sun on the western horizon, all of which would occur in the next few hours. The clear sky seemed to be fully supporting the natural attractions later that afternoon.

Not only tourists, but the decline of the sun from the highest throne combined with the calm coast of Fort Kochi also made a flock of crows land on the ground and enjoyed the atmosphere. That black animal seemed to dissolve in joy by busily scavenging for food from the leftovers that had fallen from the travelers’ grasp, one or two of them seemed busy collecting fallen hanging roots which I suspected would be used to make nests and the rest were just busy chirping in thanks for the cool afternoon.

Then I was stunned at an inscription on the side of the road. I nodded reading stroke after scratch inscribed on the inscription. Meanwhile, other travelers joined in following my actions. Of course, they also wanted to understand the important information contained in the inscription. Let’s just say, the travelers and I understood it pretty well in the end.

Do you understand an inscription like this?….. Hahaha.

Let’s forcibly conclude that the inscription is the token of endorsement of the garden plot in front of me. Inside, residents seemed to be enjoying the coolness of the park by leaning on the available benches, some others were seen sitting on concrete benches scattered at several points.

City parks……Why do I like presenting myself in that type of landscape?

Guys…..To find out the life atmosphere of the lower middle class, then looking at the city parks in the area concerned could be the most effective step apart from visiting the traditional markets. Therefore, a city park is a type of destination that can’t be separated from my stopover goals wherever I explore.

Entering it, at all points, fish sculptures seemed to dominate the park architecture which according to my observations had an area of no less than two hectares.

Fish?…..

Of course, a conclusion can be drawn…..Fish is a symbol of the main livelihood of the people of Fort Kochi who inhabit the Malabar Coastline.

The age of the trees that shade the entire park from the sun could probably describe how old the park was. And somehow the joy of the park in the night because of the presence of lampposts in all directions.

The concept is intended for children, of course, children’s playgrounds are installed massively throughout the park’s area. Slides, swivel chairs, and swings are standard rides.

There are so many fish statues….Why is that child peeing carelessly?…. Hahaha.

The children weren’t yet present….Maybe soon.

A typical Portuguese building that dates back to the 1800s.

Wow, I wanted to go crazy, I was going to ride that bike….Tired of walking grandiose.

Taking a seat on one of the benches, I casually enjoyed the authenticity of a row of typical Portuguese historic buildings across to the south. These classic buildings stand elegantly along Tower Road even though they have been converted into four-star inns.

The classic style of the Portuguese buildings seemed to transport me into the 19th century. For example, the red-dominated Koder House and the white-dominated Old Harbor Hotel represent a European touch on the coast of Fort Kochi.

While on the west side of the interior, I could see the existence of a post in the form of a large tent with the title Green Cochin Mission. This is the program promoted by the city government as the main movement to liberate Kochi from the city’s garbage disaster. It turns out that not only in Indonesia, in India it’s the same, garbage has become a complicated problem that has never been completely resolved.

Meanwhile, on the north side, River Road looked busier with souvenir shops and local snacks. Then to the east of the park was the beginning of the legendary street….Princess Street.

Come on, let’s explore Princess Street….What’s going on?

Next Story—->

Chinese Fishing Nets: Fort Kochi’s version of Anco

27 July 2023travelingpersecond

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The long wait to be present on the coast of Fort Kochi had paid off. In one jump down the orange KURTC Bus, I stood in the city built on mangroves. For a moment I stood motionless looking around, quickly adapting to the boisterous travelers at that famous destination in the State of Kerala.

Starting from a corner of KB Jacob Road, I was aligned with the Kochi Corporation Zonal Office, a government office tasked with managing the city of Fort Kochi, which had a population of seven hundred thousand people.

It was still Thursday….I didn’t know why?…. In the middle of the day, the two-story government office with cream-colored walls had its front gate tightly closed. It managed to make me look away and stared straight at the stretch of KB Jacob Road which was perpendicular to the shoreline.

That afternoon I wouldn’t follow a structured agenda. Without an itinerary, I would let my feet go as to enjoy the charm of Fort Kochi.

Just stepped out….It didn’t feel like a beach area, that was because the streets of Fort Kochi presented a shady situation with old tree decorations shading all along. Even paving blocks were chosen as the base for the streets, which were arranged very neatly.

Coupled with the crowds of local and foreign tourists, it made me feel less lonely even though I was far from home. After all, many European tourists seemed to be walking alone as solo travelers like me.

Just setting foot a few steps on the streets of Fort Kochi, my heart was amazed because I was transported to the past when I saw models of local buses chasing passengers along the side of the road. The buses seemed to have come from the past….Old, but they make the atmosphere of the city more classic.

Kochi Corporation Zonal Office at the confluence of River Road and KB Jacob Road.

Toward the first destination, I decided to pull over to the beach. From the tourist photos of Fort Kochi that I often find on search engine pages, Chinese fishing nets were always the ones that appear most often on that page. Then, I wanted to find its whereabouts, if I was lucky I would look closely at the activities of the Indian fishermen in the vicinity.

The shoreline wasn’t longer far, only thirty meters parallel to the River Road that I was currently crossing. I immediately got out of the flow of the street and decided to move closer to it. Within a few steps I arrived at the edge of the beach and as far as the eye could see the blue expanse of Malabar Beach was quite pleasing to the eye.

The beautiful scenery was added to the routine of the fishermen along the coast. A group of fishermen seemed to be relaxing enjoying coffee in a food stall, another group seemed to be just taking shelter from the hot sun and several others were seen busy anchoring their boats and unloading their load from the sea to then transfer the load to cold barrels.

Another sight on the shore was the activity of several small groups of fishermen catching fish using Chinese fishing nets…Fishermen in Indonesia (my country) called it “anco” or “tangkul”. Because it was installed on the shoreline, the catch from the operation of that fishing gear was mostly small fish.

Well, the fish were coming….Let’s see how big the fish were.

Fresh and large fish from the sea were immediately transported using pick-up vehicles to be taken out of the beach area. Meanwhile, several medium and small-sized fish were immediately sold at fish stalls along the coast.

Mingling with the local community had indeed become a favorite activity. Sometimes even a little smile that was thrown on their faces made me feel like I was still close to home. That was what made me feel at home sitting with them for a long time and reluctant to move from the beach.

Fort Kochi indeed depicts a high economic movement, in any place, tourists could be seen thronging.

In the waters, tourist boats went back and forth along the coast carrying various multi-national tourists. Of course, the tourist ships offered sea cruise services along the coast to enjoy the exotic Fort Kochi.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, there weren’t a few tourist buses parked along the streets of Fort Kochi. As if Fort Kochi had been sovereign as a tourist city in the State of Kerala.

Tourist Boat….Boat tour around the west coast of Kerala, maybe as far as Vembanad Lake?

Even so, for one hour I put myself on the beach and was satisfied to enjoy the activities of the local fishermen.

I have to leave soon….

Let’s follow in my footsteps again….The next place wasn’t far from the beach.

Next Story—->

KURTC: Cochin International Airport to Fort Kochi

27 July 202327 July 2023travelingpersecond

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After eating light snacks of Appam, Elai Adai, and Samosa, I completed my breakfast by slowly sipping hot Chai which kept my body warm after being exposed to the cold of the airport air conditioner all night.

Chai’s last sip indicated that I had to get ready to head to the main destination of that day….Moreover, if it wasn’t Fort Kochi, an area where four cultures blended: Dutch, Portuguese, British, and Indian.

Leaving Cafe Sulaimani, I headed back towards the roundabout around the main gate of Cochin International Airport. When I got there I felt lucky that there was a police officer on duty.

“Sir, where is the bus shelter which can deliver me to Fort Kochi?”, I ventured to ask.

“Just wait there, the bus will come in fifteen minutes”, he looked at his watch and pointed to a street corner.

“Thanks, sir”

“Welcome”

I immediately crossed the road and waited right around the corner. There wasn’t a bus stop on that side of the road. It was just that the police officer’s instructions convinced me that the bus could be stopped at that corner of the street.

Fifteen minutes of waiting was a calming period, how could I not, the police officer always seemed to be paying attention to me when directing traffic around. He seemed to be making sure I was caught by the bus at the nearest departure.

It was true, in exactly fifteen minutes, an orange bus with the KURTC (Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation) logo came out from the airport. I quickly caught its presence, and so did the police officer. When the bus slowly approached, the officer looked at me from a distance and pointed his finger at the bus while smiling. I gave a thumbs up and smiled back at him.

“Thank you, kind police”, I cheerfully thought.

I entered the bus from the front door and took a seat in the middle. Exiting the airport, the rows of bus seats still looked empty. Not long after sitting down, a female conductor with an EDC machine came up to me.

“Where will you go?”, She asked a question.

“Fort Kochi, Mam”, I answered smiling.

“88 Rupees”, the conductor shook her head.

It was half past eleven when the bus slowly headed west leaving the Aerotropolis Nedumbassery. The bus pushed through Airport Road, the main road with sidewalks between the two sections.

Slowly but surely, the bus picked up its passengers one by one along the way. Some were picked up at the bus stop and some were picked up outside the bus stop.

In fifteen minutes, my curiosity paid off when the bus passed by an MRT station.

“That must be Aluva Station”, I thought to myself.

In my surfing in cyberspace, I found that Kochi is a city that has MRT facilities. That day I found the trail and I was determined to try Kochi Metro even just once. Maybe when I was coming back from Fort Kochi that afternoon.

Leaving Aluva, the crowds of residents began to look massive when the bus entered an industrial area, the Kalamassery area. Big industrial trucks seem to fill the streets, while other types of city buses were crammed with residents who were busy with their activities.

Then leaving the Kalamassery area, I began to see apartment buildings. I guess that most of the workers from the industrial area live in apartments built up around the Ernakulam area.

Aluva Station is one of the stations in the Kochi Metro network.

The atmosphere of HMT Road in an industrial area of Kalamassery.

TBPL GK Arcade (front right) is an apartment building in Ernakulam district right on the side of Ernakulam-Thekkady Road.

After 45 minutes of the journey, the bus arrived at a terminal in the Vyttila area. Most passengers got on and off at that terminal. This was a large bus hub in Kochi. Buses from and to other areas in Kerala seem to stand by at that terminal.

After picking up passengers at the Vyttila Hub Bus Terminal, the bus returned to the streets. Farther west, large rivers began to acquire views. I understood that the bus I was on was getting closer and closer to the west coast of Kerala. The rivers branch off and split the land. As more and more land was separated by water, I started to find lots of bridges at the end of the journey to Fort Kochi.

One of them was the longest bridge in Kerala, the Kundannoor Bridge, which connects two areas, i.e. Maradu to the east of the bridge and Thevara to the west. Those vast waters make the panorama as far as the eye could see cooler and bluer.

After crossing the longest bridge in Kerala, the bus spun its wheels along Willingdon Island, which was a stretch of land surrounded by water, making it separate from the mainland of Kerala. Meanwhile, the Fort Kochi area itself was part of mainland Kerala which was located in the far west so buses must once again cross a bridge to get there.

It is the Gateway of Cochin BOT Bridge that facilitates the connection between the island and the mainland.

Vyttila Hub Bus Terminal on the banks of the Kaniyampuzha River.

The scene on the bus after leaving the Vyttila area.

View from the top of the Kundannoor Bridge.

The Gateway of Cochin BOT Bridge connecting Willingdon Island with mainland Kochi

Bustle in the Thoppumpady area around eleven o’clock in the afternoon.

Another scene of the Thoppumpady area around AK Xavier Road.

And in the end, even after an hour of journey, the bus started to enter the Fort Kochi area. At that time the crowd around was more dominated by tourism activities. Both local and foreign tourists mingle in every corner of Fort Kochi.

It took half an hour for the bus to push its way through the crowded streets of Fort Kochi until it arrived at the last stop of the KURTC bus which was located not so far from the west coast of Kerala.

Okay….Time to explore Kochi for the next few hours.

Next Story—->

Hotel Royal Wings: Tasting the Appam, Elai Adai, and Samosa

25 July 202327 July 2023travelingpersecond

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Darkness was still overshadowing Kochi’s sky when the time pointed at six. Making my guts shrank for stepping towards the inn which was only one and a half kilometers away. I decided to still seated in the arrival hall’s waiting room at Cochin International Airport Terminal 3.

But it turned out….

I was so sleepy, I even sat asleep while hugging my backpack….

A few minutes after eight o’clock, I jerked awake. The bright light had penetrated the airport’s glass walls. I walked past a soldier armed with a long barrel who had faithfully guarded the airport’s exit door since early morning.

I walked across the drop-off zone, passed the edge of the car parking zone, crossed the bustle of Chili Restaurant, and then arrived at the main gate of Cochin International Airport which was beautifully adorned with the sun on the eastern horizon.

After passing through that exotic gate, I stood at a very busy roundabout with vehicles which going in and out of that main airport in Kerala State. Standing on a side, I could see the existence of a row of modern buildings on a side street.

“There’s no mistake, my inn must be there”, I thought.

“Very close,” I happily smiled.

Now, I was right on the south side of the straight road and getting ready to cross to the modern building complex. The crowds of vehicles that morning made me difficult to cross. Being on the streets of foreign countries has always been something that I always pay attention to, I don’t want to do silly things and endanger myself, because half of my journey wasn’t over yet.

I trudged across Airport Road to arrive on its north side and then started looking for the whereabouts of the accommodation which I had booked through leading travel e-commerce for 800 Rupees.

Yiiaaiiyy, I found it….

I’ve left the main gate of Cochin International Airport.

A roundabout on the west side of the main gate of Cochin International Airport.

Rows of modern buildings on the north side of Airport Road.

This was the Royal Wings Hotel, where I was staying that night.

Back again in advance of my backpacking departure, it was so difficult to consider the location of the inn which I would choose. My desire was so strong to stay around the beach which would certainly provide many opportunities to enjoy the exotic west coast of Kerala for a longer time.

It was just that, the next morning to Dubai was a limitation for me not to be too far from the airport when choosing a lodging. Finally, I decided to stay at the Royal Wings Hotel and decided to just spend the whole day enjoying the situation in the Fort Kochi area.

“Hello, Sir. Can I put my backpack here?”….I asked a male receptionist.

“I have booked a room in this hotel. This is the e-confirmation”, I added information.

Receiving the confirmation letter, he started surfing on his desktop and checked the whereabouts of my inn order.

“Okay, Sir. I have checked your order. You can put your backpack here and you can check on at 1 pm…Come!”, he started to direct me to a small room behind the reception desk. The room was specifically used to store the belongings of the inn guests.

Half of my backload had been deposited at the inn, then I would step away to start exploring.

But before going any further, I decided to look for breakfast around the hotel.

Smelling the sweet smell of a cafe, I was intrigued to approach it, seeing the tempting Indian-style breakfast menu, I decided to enter and took a seat.

“Cafe Sulaimani …”, I read the name of the cafe on a wall.

I decided to buy a simple breakfast like the locals did in the cafe. This was my breakfast menu that morning.

Appam, Elai Adai, and Samosa and a glass of Chai for 55 Rupees….Hhmmhhh looked delicious too.

After breakfast, I rushed to the roundabout near the main gate of Cochin International Airport to find a bus to Fort Kochi….I would tell you how I got there later.

Still regarding Hotel Royal Wings….

I was only able to enter the hotel after exploring Fort Kochi.

I arrived back at the hotel by taking the airport bus from Aluva Station. Towards six o’clock in the evening, I immediately asked for the key from the hotel owner who was at the reception desk.

After getting the key, I was escorted by a room boy, I carried a backpack to the room upstairs to immediately bathe. Oh God, the last time I took a shower was 30 hours before I arrived at the hotel.

Want to know how the hotel I stayed in, here it is:

Accessibility

Remembering the location of the Royal Wings Hotel which is close to the airport, of course, this hotel is very close to various public facilities that make it easy for its guests.

At least I could easily go to Fort Kochi using the KURTC bus that departed from the airport. Apart from that, it was also easy for me to get halal restaurants, money exchange, and minimarkets around the hotel.

The distance which could be reached in fifteen minutes from and to the airport, makes it easier for me to catch the next morning’s flight on time than when I had to choose accommodation around Fort Kochi.

Reasonably priced restaurants around the hotel.

Kerala Urban Road Transport Corporation (KURTC) bus bound for Fort Kochi which runs on Airport Road in front of the hotel.

In the end, visiting India was always fun because that country has hotel facilities and a wealth of culinary delights at very affordable prices for a backpacker.

Therefore, never hesitate to travel to that Sub-Continent Country.

Come on, visit India.

Next Story—->

Fighting Anxiety at Cochin International Airport

18 May 202325 July 2023travelingpersecond

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A concern came with the alertness of the Air Asia AK 39 cabin crew who were busy checking all passengers as a sign that the plane would soon be landed on the Cochin International Airport runway.

Air Asia’s six wheels even hit the ground before one o’clock in the morning, while my head was still full of questions.

“Will there be a passenger waiting room at the airport after the immigration counter?”

“If there is no such facility, is it true that I have to wait outside the airport building until the sun rises in Kerala?”

“Or do I have to carry out Plan B where I will sleep while sitting in a restaurant outside the airport terminal building?”….Yes, that was my final plan if there wasn’t a waiting room at the airport after completing immigration matters.

Never mind, I’ve prepared myself for all possibilities….

The beautiful Indian flight attendant smiled while signaling that it was safe for passengers to leave the cabin. I stepped along the aisle of the cabin confidently.

Took a Look at the Arrival Hall

Walking through the non-glass aerobridge made me unable to enjoy the situation around the apron. Because usually I would stand on the side of the aerobridge and take some pictures of the unloading activity around the plane. But I was still lucky because I was directed through the arrival hall corridor with glass walls, I thought the windows were wide enough and allowed me to enjoy the airport view facing the runway.

Cochin International Airport Terminal 3 starting corridor.

The duty-Free area before the immigration counter.

Came on, took a peek at the toilet….It was clean…

I stared at the eight-filled arrival card that the flight attendant gave me a moment before landing while continuing to rush along the floor without a carpet until I arrived at the immigration counter.

“Stupid….”, I cursed myself that apparently had lost the only pen to fill out the arrival card. At the tables where foreign passengers filled out the sheets, there wasn’t even a pen that could be used.

As a result, I had to go around borrowing pens from passengers who had finished filling out the arrival cards. Without hesitation, several passengers seemed to ignore me and chose to refuse on the grounds of being in a hurry.

But an unexpected incident came….The male passenger who sat next to me on the whole flight came over….

“For you….Just keep it”, with an Indian accent, he smiled.

“Thank you, Sir…”, I said

“Happy traveling….”, he smiled and walked away leaving me to immediately join the group of worshipers from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple who seemed to be pushing towards the immigration desk.

Table?

Yups, this is the most unique immigration counter I’ve ever encountered.

At Cochin International Airport, the immigration counter is not in the form of standing counters, but a counter that is set very similar to an interview table. Every foreigner will be seated in front of the immigration officer and interrogated with several questions. It’s tense, but for me, the excitement side stands out more.

I took out my passport, eVisa, and Hotel Booking Confirmation while waiting for a European woman to be interrogated at the immigration desk. After that, I was asked to sit down and the officers began to interrogate me.

Two attendants stood by to question me at the counter, one sitting facing the laptop and one standing.

As soon as I handed in the documents, an officer sitting in front of a laptop immediately started looking for information about me in their immigration database.

Immigration officer: “Mr. Donny Suryanto? If yes, you’ve visited India once, haven’t you?”

Me: “Yes, Sir. New Delhi and Agra. Beautiful cities in your country”.

Immigration Officer: “How long will you visit Kochi?”

Me: “Two days”.

Immigration officer: “Oh, just two days. Why?”

Me: “This is just a transit trip to get a cheap flight to Dubai, Sir. Cause I’m a backpacker, Sir”

Immigration officer: “Clever…No matter for a very short vacation. Happy traveling, Mr. Donny”

Me: “Thank you, Sir”.

I very quickly and easily went through the interrogation stages at the Cochin International Airport immigration counter. Now I hurry and swing through customs and easily arrived at the exit door.

I was so happy when in front there was a small row of seats.

“Yeaaa….I’ll wait for the morning in that row of chairs”, my worries have vanished.

This was the waiting chair.

It was on my right-hand side that was where I exchange Dollars.

But before actually sitting down, I started hunting for Rupees for purposes while exploring Kochi. I approached the foreign currency exchange counter owned by Thomas Cook Change Currency.

Me: “How much is the minimum Dollar which can be exchanged here, Sir?”

Counter clerk: “100 Dollars, Sir”

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, I just need to change a few dollars into Rupees”

Counter clerk: “No problem, Sir”

I left the counter to go to another counter that can serve exchanges under 100 US Dollars. Finally I was able to exchange 5 US Dollars and 5 Malaysian Ringgits to get 320 Rupees at the Weizmann Forex Money Exchange. That much rupees would even be left over for my two day adventure in Kochi. Very cheap right?…..

Meanwhile, for communication access, I decided to use an Airtel 4G SIM card. Because I bought it after exchanging US Dollars, I bought the SIM card with a 3GB quota using a 5 US Dollar bill.

“It takes four hours to activate your card”, said the seller to me as soon as I left the telecommunications counter.

Although in the end, I would never be able to activate the SIM card that I bought during my adventure exploring Kochi….Damn.

Several Rupees were in hand and communication access was in hand, now I could sit in a row of empty seats at the last end of the arrival hall. India was known for its cold air in January, so I feel grateful to be able to wait for the morning to come inside the airport.

It was still half past three in the morning when I sat on one of the benches…..

For more than five hours of waiting time, I could only witness the discipline of a soldier guarding the entrance gate to the area inside the airport. The soldier was never tired of combining sitting and standing movements for hours to check the traffic of airport staff, airline ground staff, and other officers when going in and out of the area inside the airport building.

Or witness the typical ritual when some guests pickers place their palms on the feet of the person being picked up as a form of respect. The rest I could never completely close my eyes in that waiting chair.

And so on, until exactly eight in the morning, I decided to leave the waiting room to go to the Royal Wings Hotel which was located 1.3 kilometers in the west of airport.

As usual, before I left the airport area, I took the time to explore all sides outside the airport building. Here were some spots in Cochin International Airport that I could show to you.

Cloak Room to the west of the Terminal 3 exit door.

If there were no waiting chairs in the airport building, I planned to wait at the Chili Restaurant which was open 24 hours.

The elegance of Cochin International Airport located in the Aerotropolis Nedumbassery.

Solar panels ground which was the main source of energy for Cochin International Airport.

Did you want to know the Departure Hall of Cochin International Airport?…I would show you later….Be patient.

Came on, explore!….

What’s in Kochi?….

Next Story—->

Failed and Succeeded: The Story of India’s eVisa Hunt

11 May 2023travelingpersecond

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I have experienced that applying for an eVisa was easier and the chances of being accepted were greater than applying for a Regular Visa. It was enough to attach the required documents and pay at the online payment gate, the e-Visa would be issued according to the planned time of arrival in the country.

At least I had made eVisa Taiwan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman. Everything went smoothly and the eVisa was easy for me to get.

Well, this time I will share a little story about how I made India’s e-Visa three times.

India’s eVisa is the second eVisa that I’ve ever pursued after the first eVisa that I’ve taken care of, i.e. eVisa Taiwan.

At that time….End of 2017….

The mental challenge that was so heavy after getting a Jet Airways flight ticket towards the capital of India, made my quest for an Indian e-Visa less enthusiastic. Getting an Indian eVisa was indeed very easy. I only needed to complete the data on the e-form and attached documents in the form of a photo of myself and a scan of the passport biodata sheet requested by the official India eVisa website. Then I only needed to wait some time for the eVisa to be issued. But the lack of enthusiasm in dealing with the e-Visa lied in the feeling of anxiety about visiting that Gandhi’s Country.

The eVisa validity period to entering India was short, which was around four months, making me had to apply for this eVisa close to the departure date.

I myself applied for this eVisa twenty days before departure and the eVisa was approved the day after submission after paying 50 US dollars at the payment gate. The application address was as follows: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/

This was my first story of hunting for an Indian eVisa.

The next day the eVisa application had GRANTED status.

Check it out!…. Any entry point in India that could use this eVisa.

Tracking eVisa status on the application page.

Second Experience

Whereas my next experience in applying for an Indian eVisa occurred on November 8, 2018.

At that time, India’s eVisa was made free by the Indian government on June 18, 2018. The idea itself was conveyed by Nerendra Modi during a meeting of the Indian Diaspora in Jakarta.

Where was my destination at that time?….

Mumbai….Yups, I planned to get out of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport heading to the city center during a transit of more than 13 hours. At that time Jet Airways would take me from Dhaka to Colombo and transit in Mumbai.

Maybe due to a change in policy from a paid eVisa to a free eVisa, there had been a change of address on the India eVisa page. I submitted the eVisa application myself, exactly two months before departure.

Because the Web URL that I entered was wrong, the decision to accept or not my eVisa application never reached my email. The URL I went to at that time was https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/

Do I then plan to reapply?

No….Because at the same time, there was a change in Jet Airways flight from Dhaka to Mumbai. The change in flight schedule didn’t allow me to get out of the airport, let alone head to the city center. Because the change in flight schedule apart from shortening the transit time also made 80% of my transit time fall at night. Hence, it would be impossible for me to explore Mumbai at night….Too risky.

In the end, I decided, I wouldn’t continue the continuation of this eVisa application because basically, I didn’t need it anymore. But my curiosity was prolonged, finally, I tried to find the correct Indian e-Visa application page address. And I found it, here is the URL in question: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/eVisa/

Even though this page was wrong, the appearance of the e-form turned out to be exactly the same as the e-form on the correct page.

The page for checking the status of eVisa applications was also the same.

Third Experience

The third submission for the India eVisa was when I intended to explore the Middle East Region and decided to take entry to Dubai from Kochi.

The decision to jumping off to the Middle East from Kochi was of course closely related to the budget conditions I had. This condition was strengthened by the availability of low-cost Srilankan Airlines flights from Kochi to Dubai with temporary transit in Colombo. Of course, I chose to jump from Kochi also based on a strong desire to return to nostalgia with the rich culture of India.

The next opportunity occurred at the end of 2019. I applied for India eVisa to explore Kochi.

I processed this application by visiting the eVisa India page twice.

On December 4, I filled out the e-form partially due to busy work. Partially filling out the e-form during the day, I had to complete it in the afternoon until finally at four o’clock in the afternoon I was able to submit the e-Visa application.

This was the advantage of applying for an India eVisa where we could fill out the e-form several times (not fill in once). Usually, at the opportunity to fill out the first e-form, we would be given an Application ID No. which was entry access to our submission data if we wanted to edit or complete data.

On the third occasion of making this India eVisa, I submitted my eVisa application on December 4, 2019, and eVisa got GRANTED status on December 8, 2019.

Email sending that filling in the partial filling of my eVisa application was stored.

Notice that my e-Visa submission e-form was successful and waiting to be processed.

So, it was easy to make an Indian eVisa….

Come on, the pandemic was over, let’s go to India.

Second Chance to India: Air Asia AK 39 from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Kochi (COK)

3 May 202311 May 2023travelingpersecond

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Air Asia flight route AK 39 (source: flightaware).

Going to India always has a thrill in a side of my heart. The provocation of irresponsible information sometimes succeeds in making the guts tremble.

Gusts of news ranging from security factors, culinary hygiene, scam variations, and other gripping things began to cloud my mind that afternoon.

Therefore, before leaving for India, for five days I warmed my guts in Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur, hoping that by leaving them I would be able to carry courage. But that afternoon it seemed as if I was still building up the courage from zero again.

In the continuation of my adventure, India would be the prelude to my main destination, i.e. the Middle East. Why was that?…. The only reason was that India was always giving many chances to get cheap tickets to the main tourist city in the Arabian Peninsula, i.e. Dubai. In addition to tickets, India also provided a variety of starting points to jump into that city.

As for my adventure history, after New Delhi and Agra two years earlier, this time I chose another point of departure, i.e. Kochi, an exotic tourist destination in southwest India.

—-****—-

I enjoyed the soft texture of white rice at Quizinn by RASA after 24 hours of not tasting this idol’s food. The white rice at that time also represented the last Ringgit I had, starting the next day I was using Rupees.

Five minutes before the Air Asia Ak 39 check-in desk opened, I finished eating white rice with the last piece of fried egg.

As I stated above, instead of getting excited, my chest was beating fast…” Oh India, please make peace with my adventure this time”, I calmed my heart.

Rising from my seat in a corner of the food court on the 2M floor, I carried my favorite blue backpack. Stepping up to the Departure Hall on the 3rd floor.

“It turned out that the queue was long….”, my confidence to become the first queue fell.

The contortions of the queue, which was dominated by Indians, kept me in the bloated queue. After all, I remained calm, there was still a long way to the flight, still four hours away. I started taking out the zipper bag to prepare documents, i.e. passports, hotel booking confirmations in India, tickets to and from India, and free Indian e-Visa sheets.

“Do you have a Visa?”, the check-in desk staff firmly asked me.

“This is Miss”, I handed over all the documents I had prepared.

“Was Indonesia to India enough with e-Visa, Sir?” That female officer asked her senior colleague.

That senior staff confirmed and that female officer finally printed the boarding pass for me.

The first stage was over, I rushed to the International Departure Gate which was heavily guarded by several Aviation Security. In the front queue, there weren’t a few prospective passengers who were being held back due to carrying too much cabin baggage. In addition to Aviation Security, several Air Asia airline ground staff closely monitored passengers who cheated by carrying excess cabin baggage.

For me?….. It was easy, I pass through the gate without checking. Even with the inspection, I would still pass, because I had weighed the entire load of my backpack before heading to the check-in desk….Easy, only 6.5 kilograms.

“Where is the direction to gate L14?”, I asked myself.

I continued along the long corridors until I descended an escalator which at the bottom was already blocking several columns of the screening gate.

As usual, I always took off my shoes when I pass through the screening gate, it was all because I would feel lazy if I had to repeat the screening process when my shoes rang the screening door.

I easily pass it….

Now I only needed to continue through the remaining corridors to reach gate L14.

One of the corridors in the International Departure Hall is KLIA2.

Those are the directions to the Air Asia AK 39 departure gate.

A little after seven in the evening, I arrived at the gate in question.

“Hhmmmhhhh….An hour and a half to boarding”, I sat on a chair outside the waiting room which was still tightly closed.

I decided to perform the prayer and filled up drink bottles at the free water station. And in the remaining time, I just sit waiting until the waiting room door opens an hour before the flight.

Luckily while waiting, my boredom was dampened by the cute behavior of a little Indian toddler whose behavior was so adorable.

—-****—-

Waiting in the waiting room, I was again stunned by a large group of Hindu congregation. From the all-black uniform worn, I could identify the congregation as coming from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple, located in the State of Kerala, India.

The peculiarity of the Indian Hindu congregation was that they do not use footwear. Some Hindus in India believed that not using footwear was a form of respect for the Gods.

Dressed in black and Lungi*1) was also the religious appearance of the group. I had to sit mingled in the waiting room with their group.

While the view in the glass window was a perfectly parked Airbus A320 Twin Jet aircraft, dominantly white with a blue-red color combination and bearing the tourism promotion jargon “Sarawak More to Discover”.

Waiting patiently for it to end…

Boarding calls for Air Asia flight AK 39 filled the airport ceiling.

I immediately got up and prepared my passport and boarding pass to pass the final inspection of prospective passengers before entering the cabin. Ahhh….I couldn’t wait.

At half past nine I started boarding…..

Passing the aerobridge to the aircraft cabin.

Cabin situation while hunting for a seat.

Look at those Indian citizens…..Do you want to go to India or not?

Entering the cabin of the small-body aircraft, I looked for seat number 11E. On the next 3 hours and 40 minutes of flight, I would sit in the middle column, making it difficult for me to capture beautiful portraits of the earth.

When the boarding process was over, in my row there was only me and one of the Hindu congregation. Therefore, I decided to move to an aisle seat to get relief from the 3,000 km flight.

—-****—-

To my surprise, when I opened the Travel 360 inflight magazine, I found a self-portrait of a travel influencer that seemed familiar to me. I was very familiar with his surname….Groves.

I made sure it was a beautiful traveler from Aussie whom I had known a year earlier in Samosir, Eloise Groves. He once told a story under the Naisogop waterfall that he had a brother named Jackson Groves who was a travel influencer. Seeing the similarity in the facial expressions of the figure in the inflight magazine I was reading with the figure that often appears on Eloise’s Facebook page, I’m 100% sure it was her big brother.

And it was true, later I would get confirmation from Eloise that it was her sibling after sending a short message through the Facebook messenger application when I arrived in India.

Trying to close my eyes after flipping through Travel 360, I tried to sleep. But I didn’t sleep. That was how I was, never completely fell asleep every time I sat on the plane.

That was Jackson Groves in Air Asia’s Inflight magazine.

Arrive at Terminal 3 Cochin International Airport.

Finally, the awaited time has arrived….

At one o’clock in the morning, Air Asia AK 39 landed at Cochin International Airport, a magnificent airport in the State of Kerala in southwest India.

Thank God….

Now I was even further away from home.

Kochi which was nearly 9,000 km from Jakarta.

Let’s explore….What was in Kochi?

To get flight tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi, you can search for them on 12go Asia Asia with the following link: https://12go.asia/?z=3283832

Next Story—->

Description of the word:

Lungi*1) = A long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist and is a typical Indian dress.

Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque….Spiritual Decoration in Ibai River Estuary

27 August 202228 August 2022travelingpersecond

<—-Previous Story

Failing to get off at Batu Burok Beach due to entrusted my trip too much to the Bas KITē driver, I was dropped off at my second target destination. It was Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque, the first floating mosque in my neighboring country.

Bas KITē stopped on the north side of the parking area which was also known as the Floating Mosque Ramadhan Bazaar area. Once down, I didn’t directly enter the mosque. I took a standing position on the north side of Ibai River’s estuary to enjoy the full view of Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque with its thirty-meter minaret from a distance.

Zaharah….is a word taken from the name of Sultan Mahmud’s mother, Tengku Intan Zaharah. The thirty-year-old mosque is truly enchanting to my naked eye from my standing position, it is appropriate that long wooden seats are provided on the north side of the estuary, allowing any visitor to sit at dawn or dusk to enjoy the beauty of the mosque which can accommodate a thousand worshipers.

Not only the building but I was also stunned by the water below. The estuary water is filled with tame fish which beautifully flock when fed by visitors from the connecting bridge on the north side. Visitors got fish food from a fish pellet seller in the parking area at a price of only one ringgit per pack.

I started to enter the mosque from the north bridge which was intentionally provided with a canopy along it, making it comfortable for visitors to linger to feed the fish. Along the canopy, signs bearing the words of the Prophet managed to become a shade of heart before actually entering the mosque.

The first thing I did when I arrived at the mosque’s door was to walk around the mosque and saw its view from all sides. Some amazing views of the surroundings were easy to find when I stood at the best spots on the mosque’s terrace. Do you want to see that beautiful view?…. Here it is:

Visitors who enjoyed fishing activities.

The connecting bridge on the south side is without a canopy.

Clear green….This is the form of the Ibai River estuary where the mosque stands.

An elegant pavilion that provides seating for visitors to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.

After finishing recording memories in my head about all the beauty around the mosque, I rushed to the purification room. The time for Dzuhur hadn’t yet come, but I was very excited to perform the “tahiyatul masjid” prayer.

Entering the purification room, I washed my face solemnly, preparing myself to worship at the mosque whose position was very famous as an important landmark of the State of Terengganu.

Now I would enjoy the mosque inside which was the core part of the building, of course also the core part of this visit. The stretch of soft red carpet on the front row combined with a light blue carpet on the back makes the room come alive. Twelve large pillars support the entire mosque body and the side poles of the pulpit are decorated with beautiful lights looking up. While in the middle of the building perched a dome with a hexagon structure base. Then the dominant green windows enrich its color. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to look upstairs.

I finished praying while some mosque staffs were still busy cleaning its terrace. I returned out of the mosque through the bridge on the north side and walked around the river estuary to the garden on the south side. I had to complete the point of view. After enjoying the north side, now I sat in the south garden and enjoyed the beauty of the Tengku Tengah Zaharah mosque from the other side of the estuary.

The visitation was completed by enjoying the beach on the east of the Lagun Kuala Ibai Public Park. That was a substitute beach for the Batu Burok Beach destination which I couldn’t reach because I was dissolved in the speed of the Bas KITe.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, I finished relaxing on the beach. I had to immediately take a seat in the area of the Floating Mosque Ramadhan Bazaar which was widely stretched on the north side of the mosque to wait for the arrival of Bas KITē which would arrive in an hour. I didn’t want to be left behind because I had to immediately go back to the Hentian Bas Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu. I still wanted to look for opportunities to go to Crystal Mosque which I decided this morning to cross off my bucket list.

The view from the south side of the estuary.

This time I deliberately didn’t attend the congregational Dzuhur Prayer which would soon be held, I decided to just do it later. I had to catch the bus that time because the Bas KITē might come sooner.

I decided to sit on a side of the grassy area under the Rhu trees to avoid sunlight directly. Rhu trees certainly made my body more comfortable in waiting for the arrival of the C01 A KITe Bus.

I was now preparing to leave the Kuala Ibai District.

Next Story—->

SriLankan Airlines UL 225 dari Colombo (CMB) ke Dubai (DBX)

27 January 20222 July 2022travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Rute SriLankan Airlines UL 225 (sumber: flightaware).

Hatiku sumringah usai memergoki nomor penerbanganku pada salah satu tampilan Flight Information Display Siystem (FIDS) di sudur transfer hall Bandaranaike International Airport.

“Yiaayyy, sebentar lagi berangkat ke Dubai”, hatiku bersorak girang.

Dengan sigap aku menyudahi aktivitas mengisi daya baterai smartphone dan Canon EOS M10 yang sudah kulakukan sedari beberapa waktu lalu.

Tau gak sih?, kalau aku harus lama berdiri menunggui “alat bantu perjalanan” itu selama dicharge. Hal ini dikarenakan charging station itu berada di sebuah tiang nan ramai dengan lalu-lalang pengunjung bandara. Sedangkan apron view tempatku duduk sebelumnya berada sepuluh meter dari tiang tersebut.

Hmmhhh…..

Sembari menahan betis yang pegal karena terlalu lama berdiri, aku segera melangkah menuju gate 14 seperti yang diperintahkan dalam FIDS. Kali kedua mengunjungi bandara ini, membuatku dengan mudah menemukan gate itu.

Terduduklah aku di kursi tunggu di luar waiting room, gate belum sepenuhnya siap mengantarkan penumpang menuju penerbangan.

Aku tersenyam-senyum sendiri, memperhatikan seorang perempuan muda asal Eropa yang tampak bermain dengan kedua anak perempuannya yang sepertinya masih bersekolah dasar. Mereka memanfaatkan pojok koridor untuk melakukan permainan melompat, berlari dan menari. Sungguh lucu dan menggemaskan. Sementara sang suami tampak sibuk menelpon ke sana kemari.

Selang beberapa waktu, tetiba bangku sebelah kananku yang kosong telah diduduki oleh seorang wanita. Selepas duduk, dia tampak gelisah, tatapnya terus berpindah-pindah titik pandang. Hal itu membuatku penasaran, kuliriknya apa yang dia pegang. Tak salah lagi, itu paspor hijau Republik Indonesia.

“Ada apa gerangan wanita ini sendirian sampai di Sri Lanka?”, aku membatin.

Mencoba menenangkan suasana aku pun berinisiatif untuk membantu,

“Ibu mau terbang kemana?“, aku memulai pertanyaan.

“Loh, masnya orang Indonesia toh?, Alhamdulillah ada teman. Saya mau terbang ke Dubai, bingung cari gate, mas”

“Gate berapa, bu?”

“14, mas. Tapi ini kok nomor penerbanganku kok ga sama seperti yang tertera di gate ya, mas?”

“Sebentar, bu”, aku bangkit dari tempat duduk dan berinisiatif bertanya kepada seorang petugas aviation security yang sedang berdiri di depan gate. Dia menjelaskan singkat bahwa gate 14 akan digunakan untuk dua penerbangan.

Aku menjelaskan perihal ini ke si ibu bahwa penerbangannya akan mendahului penerbanganku dan dia menganguk faham setelah kujelaskan. Masalah selesai, kini si ibu bisa menunggu pernerbangannya dengan tenang.

Sebelum si ibu terbang, beliau bercerita bahwa dirinya sedang menuju Dubai untuk berkerja sebagai seorang asisten rumah tangga pada sebuah keluarga Arab di sana. Dia menemukan majikan yang baik hati dan baru kali ini dia pertama kalinya terbang sendirian tanpa teman-temannya sehabis mudik ke kampung halaman.

Beberapa menit kemudian, si ibu berpamitan dan mendahuluiku terbang ke Dubai.

Kenapa kalau masuk kabin, pramugari selalu menjadi pusat perhatian….Selain cantik, apalagi ya alasan lainnya?

Usai waiting room kosong kembali dari penumpang, maka giliranku untuk memasukinya dan bersiap diri untuk terbang. Setelah menunggu beberapa saat di waiting room, akhirnya gate pun dibuka untuk mengalirkan penumpang ke kabin pesawat.

Memasuki aerobridge, aku mengantri di sepanjangnya demi memasuki kabin pesawat.

“Dari Indonesia, Mas?”, seseorang di belakangku menyapa.

“Eh, iya mas. Lho mas dari mana? Saya dari Jakarta”.

“Saya dari Sidoarjo, Mas”

“Aku tadi juga barusan ketemu sama seorang ibu dari Wonogiri lho, Mas. Wah di Sri Lanka malah banyak saudara sendiri ya, mas….Hahaha. Kerja di Dubai, Mas? “

“Iya, Mas, aku kerja di kapal pesiar”.

“Wah mantab, gajine gede pasti”.

“Alhamdulillah, biasa aja, Mas. Masnya juga kerja di sana ta?”

“Ndak mas, aku cuma ingin liat-liat Dubai bentar. Aku kerja di Jakarta”.

Tak terasa percakapan itu terbawa hingga ke dalam kabin pesawat dan terhenti ketika aku menemukan tempat duduk.

“Ati-ati ya mas di jalan, takut nanti di bandara Dubai ndak ketemu lagi”, dia mendahului ucapan perpisahan

“Iya mas, hati-hati juga kerja di sana”

Aku pun duduk dan dia mulai mencari bangkunya di kabin belakang.

—-****—-

Terduduk di bangku bernomor 56G di kolom tengah, aku mulai mengeksplorasi beberapa majalah dan brosur di kursi, membaca Serendib Treasure yang menjadi shopping cataloque milik SriLankan Airlines dan selembar “Taste Our World” yang menyajikan menu penerbangan dari Colombo menuju kawasan Timur Tengah.

Tak lama kemudian, pesawat bersiap lepas landas

Aku memperhatikan sejenak demo keselamatan penerbangan yang dilakukan oleh para awak kabin, untuk kemudian usai pesawar telah airborne maka aku mulai berselancar di LCD TV untuk menonton sebuah film. Kuputuskan untuk mengulang kembali menonton film “Green Lantern” yang diperankan oleh Ryan Reynolds.

Memotong sejenak waktuku setelah beberapa saat menonton….

Awak kabin mulai mendorong food trolley dari arah kabin belakang, aku kembali melihat menu dan kemudian memutuskan untuk memilih Chicken Red Curry sebagai hidangan utama dan untuk dessert kujatuhkan pilihanku pada Rice Phirni (hidangan manis khas Asia Selatan yang dibuat dari nasi putih bubuk, susu, dan gula) serta orange juice sebagai minumannya.

Apapun itu….Flag carrier pasti selalu nyaman walau di kelas ekonomi.

Duh kemampuan *english listening*ku pas-pasan….

Alhamdulillah, setelah 26 jam ga ketemu nasi.

SriLankan Airlines UL 225 sendiri merupakan penerbangan selama empat setengah jam melintasi Laut Arab. Menempuh jarak udara sejauh kurang lebih 3.300 kilometer.

Penerbangan kali ini menjadi penerbangan ketigaku bersama flag carrier milik Negeri “Permata Samudera Hindia”.

Ketika aku sudah di pertengahan perjalanan, film pun usai menonton film, maka kusempatkan diri untuk tidur sejenak sebelum tiba di Dubai.

ZZZzzzzzz……….

—-****—-

Aku terbangun dari lelap ketika lampu kabin dinyalakan. Para awak kabin tampak sigap dan serius mengecek satu persatu sabuk keselamatan dan sandaran kursi setiap penumpang. Aku yang tak pernah melepaskan sabuk keselamatan pun dilaluinya begitu saja.

Sebentar lagi pesawat akan mendarat di Dubai International Airport.

Jantungku mulai berdebar, menunggu kejutan-kejutan lain di tempat yang baru pertama kali aku datangi.

Welcome Dubai.

Kisah Selanjutnya—->

7 Jam Transit di Bandaranaike International Airport

25 January 20222 July 2022travelingpersecond

<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Hampir pukul setengah dua siang ketika roda-roda raksasa SriLankan Airlines UL 166 menyentuh landas pacu. Sedangkan di dalam kabin, aku terduduk sangat tenang di kursi bernomor 50G tepat di sisi kanan kolom tengah yang merupakan exit row sisi tengah kabin.

“Tak ada yang perlu dikhawatirkan, Donny. Bukankah dirimu telah menaklukkan bandar udara ini tahun lalu?”, begitulah tutur hati menenangkan debar dada.

—-****—-

Setahun sebelumnya….

Tepatnya awal Januari 2019, sekitar pukul setengah lima pagi, aku tiba usai melakukan penerbangan dini hari selama dua setengah jam dari Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport di Mumbai dengan menumpang Jet Airways dengan nomor penerbangan 9W 256.

Disusul empat hari setelahnya, aku menyambangi kembali bandara ini ketika hendak melanjutkan perjalanan menuju Maldives. Kala itu aku dihantarkan oleh SriLankan Airlines UL 0109.

Masih tentang Sri Lanka,

“Buat apa sih kamu ke Sri Lanka, Donny?”, begitulah pertanyaan tertrending di telinga bahkan enam bulan sebelum hari keberangkatan.

Pertanyaan yang hanya kujawab dengan senyum….Wkwkwkwk. Aku fikir pertanyaan ini tak perlu dijawab dengan serius karena setiap orang memiliki persepsi yang berbeda-beda terhadap opsi bertraveling. Lebih baik berbagi rencana daripada berdebat….Iya, kan….Hahaha.

—-****—

Menuruni Airbus A330-300 melalui aerobridge aku diarahkan menuju koridor kedatangan. Tatapku jeli mencari koridor lain menuju transfer hall. Tentu aku enggan meninggalkan bandara walaupun sebetulnya bisa-bisa saja. Masuk kota Colombo untuk pejalan Indonesia tak gratis ya kala itu? Harus menyisihkan uang sebesar 25 Dollar Amerika untuk menebus eVisa negara “Permata Samudera Hindia” itu.

Tapi dengar-dengar, sekarang pejalan Indonesia bisa mendapatkan free visa untuk berlibur ke sana selama 30 hari. Wah….Hal yang menarik nih.

Kembali ke pencarian transfer hall….

Masih fokus mencari markah menuju transfer hall. Bahkan sebelum menemukan markah tersebut, aku telah memutuskan untuk tinggal di bandara dan menikmati suasanya selama kurang lebih tujuh jam ke depan.

Setelah sepuluh menit melangkah, akhirnya aku berhasil memasuki transfer hall. Tentu untuk memasukinya aku harus melewati pemeriksaan tiket connecting flight dan dilanjutkan dengan pemeriksaan melalui screening gate yang dijaga ketat petugas.

Nah untuk bandara ini, transfer hall secara umum akan berfungsi juga sebagai departure hall bagi penumpang yang akan melakukan direct flight.

Pertama kali memasuki ruangan, interior yang paling mencolok dan mudah terekam dalam ingatan dari transfer hall bandara ini adalah sculpture Buddha yang berada di ruang utama hall. Tahun sebelumnya aku tak berani mengambil foto patung tersebut karena takut berbuat kesalahan dengan melanggar beberapa larangan penting dalam hal adab berfoto di patung Buddha itu.

Tetapi setelah membaca dan memperhatikan aturan dengan detail, terutama aturan tidak boleh berfoto membelakangi Buddha, maka aku berhasil menangkap gambar Buddha itu.

Satu hal lagi yang kuingat adalah berasa kurang nyamannya diriku ketika berada di bandara ini karena kebiasaan beberapa petugas cleaning service yang sering meminta uang kepada pengunjung seusai menggunakan toilet. Aku sendiri mengindahkan sikap mereka di pintu toilet. Walaupun mereka tidak memaksa tetapi tetap saja menjadikan sebuah ketidaknyamanan tersendiri.

Nah, pengen tahu ndak apa yang kudapatkan….

Yuk kita intip, ada apa saja di transfer hall Bandaranaike International Airport:

Serendib Lounge, *lounge* eksekutif milik SriLankan Airlines. Tau kan makna “serendib”? ….Yups, “tempat tinggal pulau singa”.

*Departure hall* terlihat dari lantai atas.

Ruang tunggu dengan pemandangan *apron*. Spot terbaik versiku nih.

Usai mengeksplor seisi transfer hall, kuputuskan untuk menghabiskan waktu dalam menikmati aktivitas loading-unloading SriLankan Airlines dari ruang tunggu sembari mengisi ulang daya baterai segenap peralatan elektronik yang kubawa demi bersiap-siap mengeksplore Dubai esok paginya.

Beruntung aku masih memiliki bekal beberapa potong jajanan khas India yang kuperoleh dari menukarkan semua uang koin tersisaku di sebuah kedai makanan di Kochi sebelum aku menuju Colombo.

Kisah Selanjutnya—->