Aug 30th 2022, Tuesday
I started packing, we out out for breakfast to
Le Pain Quotidian
The menu card
The interior of the breakfast place
Some books in a shop nearby
Orange juice and croissant
Bread and avocado
Avocado on bread, open sandwich
Eggs, ham and bread
Me and Nam on the way to Manor, where we shopped for chocolates
Ate lunch at migros, my petite plate of salad which was amazing
Evening mass was in St. Anthony of Padua church
Nice shadow of Mother Mary and child in church 44. Then got home and packed and weighed our luggage. Vinod made rosti for dinner, the others had spring roll.
Aug 31st 2022, Wednesday
Went walking to St. Marie church, met Fr. Gabriel then we walked to the bakery near his home
Ate lovely croissants and said our goodbyes
A picture before leaving. We then went to denner and the train station to pick up last minute gifts and things. Then went to parfum beyrouth for chicken sandwich which was lovely. Came home, packed, slept. Made veg burger at night with cannoli.
September 1st 2022, Thursday
Went to church for the 12:15pm mass. Then went to Ikea to pick up some lights and bought cheese, croissants at coop. Flight was at 21:40 pm, so by 6:30 pm we left home, and went to the airport. The woman checking us in was so cute, asking us how to pronounce Thiruvananthapuram. Everything went by smoothly, I went to tax refund to drop the receipt for the stuff we bought. Then immigration check, that was pretty quick too. Then walked to the gate, the guy checked our passports, signed the boarding pass and said, that's it, you don't require the passports anymore. It was all so cool and effortless. Before going hugged Nam and Vinod and we know that we'll meet up again for more adventures.
In the flight now, have four seats to myself...
Good food, chicken and potatoes. Papa wanted veg, they gave him gnocchi which he didn't like and passed it over to me. Reached Dubai and had to walk a lot to find the Dubai connect desk; finally found it and they said it will take 3 to 4 hours for the UAE visa.. we were like whaaaaat! They wanted us to buy it for 120 Dhirams, since we had a US visa. Anyway, we decided to wait and within 45 minutes we got the visa. And then immigration, after that Dubai connect desk again and there was a shuttle to take us to Copthorne airport hotel. They had allotted three rooms, we asked for one with an extra bed. Rested a while and Bond came to meet us at the hotel... we spoke a while then we went out to church. Took a taxi for 22 Dhirams to
St. Mary's church Dubai... where I thought this statue of Jesus on the cross was a not correct. It seemed off on so many levels... it made me feel uneasy. Then we took a taxi came back to the hotel, had complimentary lunch and came back to the rooms to rest again. Woke up, took a shower and checked out, there was a shuttle to the airport. Immigration was seamless, just scan the passport and the gate opens... no meeting people to get anything stamped. Then we walk to the gate, bought dates, pistachio and all that stuff. Had some coffee there, then boarded the flight to Trivandrum.
Taking off from Dubai
Some vegetarian fare
Chia seed dessert
After landing in Trivandrum, I get into the car and we go straight to the domestic terminal and I get ready for my next flight to Chennai while mom and dad travel straight home.
Nearing Chennai... a barge in the waters below
Chennai coast, I reach and take the metro home.
What a journey it has been... travelling from primary to tertiary to secondary home. Now as I sit here in my sister's home in New Jersey, documenting my last year's trip, I'm awed by how alive life feels when you're filled with love and know that everything is going according to the Master's plan.
Here's the entire list of Travel 2022:
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