A MARATHON WHIRL AROUND NORTH AMERICA: Off and Away

Bombay, Wednesday, August 7, 2024

We had been preparing for the trip—a marathon tour around North America—for at least three months (if not more) before our departure. With the cooperation of a number of family members and friends who provided advice, guidance, made appointments on our behalf and offered accommodation, we had six weeks fully covered. By the time we were ready to depart on our flight, we had travels that could be divided into Five Phases: Phase One (Attending Chriselle’s Wedding in Los Angeles, California); Phase Two (Our Great American Road Adventure through the Grand National Parks of the US Western States); Phase Three (Our Stay in Connecticut, New York and Boston); Phase Four (A Stay in Toronto, Canada); and Phase Five (Attending our friend Kristen’s Wedding in New Jersey).Here is an account of each of those monumental segments and the huge amount we managed to cram effortlessly into each day.

Departure and Flights to Los Angeles:

We felt fortunate that our departure for our flight taking us away from Bombay was scheduled very late in the day. This afforded us the entire day to finalize packing decisions, say our goodbyes to my Dad and brother, Russel, close down our flat and tick off our To-Do List all items that need to be accomplished before one leaves home on a long (almost 6 week) trip halfway around the world. With all our tasks done, we left home using an Uber at 9.45 pm and were off to Bombay International Airport for our British Airways flight to the USA (Los Angeles) via London.

All went smoothly with our departure and we arrived at the airport one hour later (at 10.45pm). Check-in was super smooth in the hands of Traffic Assistant, Brunell Bayross, with whom we entered into a friendly conversation as we requested window seats. By the time we were all done with check-in formalities, there wasn’t much time to use the airport lounge. Instead, we went straight to our gate to await boarding.

Our flight was right on time and boarding began on schedule. We were delighted with our seats (one behind the other) in Club (Business) Club where the flat beds awed us as we would be airborne in the middle of the night and had achieved no sleep to speak off until then. All the frills that we associate with flying luxuriously made their appearance: hot towels, glasses of bubbly, an upscale toiletry case and set, etc. We figured out how to use our own personal TV screens and acquainted ourselves with the available entertainment. The amount of legroom we had was unbelievable—a particular delight on a long-haul, late-night flight.

The stewardess came around with our menu cards and both of us selected different starters: Both of us chose the grilled shrimp starter which came with mayonnaise, cucumber curls, sliced olives and capers as well as a croissant with butter. For our mains, I went for the honey and chilli roasted smoked salmon which came with sour cream, dill, hard boiled eggs, cucumber wedges and sliced lemon together with a croissant and butter curls and a small serving of butternut squash soup. Llew chose the Chicken Rara which came with biry

ani and bhindi masala. Dessert followed and was comprised of baked mango cheesecake. I chose to watch a movie and began with All of Us, Strangers, that starred Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, two of the most talented young British actors today. It was a very sad and poignant film about a gay relationship that is fraught with painful past memories. I then closed my eyes for a while, slept soundly as only a horizontal sleep position will allow, and awoke to find that we still had about three hours of flying time left. Breakfast was soon served but both Llew and I were disappointed to find that by the time we ordered the FEB (Full English Breakfast), it was no longer available. Instead, we had to content ourselves with orders of the Indian option which was keema paratha which was, sadly, inedible. Neither of us did any justice to it.

We were compensated for our disappointment at breakfast with another movie that I enjoyed thoroughly, F. Scott Ridley’s Napoleon starring Joaquim Phoenix, It was a terrific historical biopic that taught me so much about Napoleon’s life and his complicated relationship with his wife, Josephine. By the time, we were ready to touch down in London, it was nearing the end of the flight and the end of the movie. I managed to shoot some video of the Thames Estuary as the river emptied itself into the North Sea before it was time to land. And we had lapsed into a new day. I cannot imagine where the almost ten hours of flying time had vanished.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…