LHR-BOM

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- It is required that all passengers fill out the landing forms



announces the loundspeaker on board of our plane.



- We are transiting straight to Thailand...?



- You don't need the form then.



The guy sitting next to me picks up the indian immigration form and starts filling it out. I'm trying to peep but can't see much, so I decide to ask



- Does this form ask for an address in India?



- It does usually... let me see... ah yes!



- See, I'm going to India later, so I need to know.



- Oh right, where are you going to now?



- Thailand.



- Oh, Thailand will be amazing!



- And you?



- Visiting family in Gujrat for a week, and then also to Thailand for holidays. Your first time in Thailand?



- mmm



- Take a boat ride to the snake farm, it's great.



- Thank you!







-Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Mumbai. The temperature outside is +31C.



We walk along a worn-out empty corridor towards the international transfer desk. The pain is coming off the walls and the damp old smell lingers in the air.



- On'-ly need too see your boarding pass. Thank you. Here are the luggage tags.



She hands in three luggage tags to us. Why? Never mind. We join a queue for security screen. A military guy dressed in greenish-brownigh unifor and a black beret looks closely at my green M&S bag with the neck pillow.



- Luggage tag? Put the tag on.



Oh dear. I attach the tag to the plastic bag, but write nothing on it. The guy comes round again.



- Luggage tag?



- I put!



- Okey.



The bag comes out of the screening machine, the tag duly stamped. Now i'm allowed to enter the waiting area.



Two hours to look at a dozen of duty free shops, visit two toilets and have a slice of apple crumble with mango juice. We have a look at the "indian sweets" display and I point at a box with round yellow sweets covered in something



- What is this yellow stuff?



- This is... (she says some indian word i don't know)



- Emm.. nuts?



- No, no



- Cookie?



- No... milk!



- aha...



The toilets feature a small hose next to the toilet itself. So here it is, the indian toilet wash device. Luckily there is toilet paper too. A lady tells you which cabin is free, presses on the soap dispenser and waves in front of the water tap to start the water running. Shame I don't have any rupees. All in hazy headache, on board again, to Bangkok. India, I'll come back in two weeks.

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