AIRPORT DELIGHTS ! -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 6

We took an Innova and reached  Rajiv Gandhi International Airport much ahead of time, 2 hrs before scheduled departure time to avoid last minute hassles

We went directly to the airport ticket counter to get a printed boarding pass and check in the luggage which would part company with us and join us in Auckland,oh what a relief to surrender the heavy bags to the airline staff I thought, only then a small hitch arose ,my check in suitcase contained my hard disc which I was instructed to keep in my hand luggage , I was frantically trying to open my suitcase one person comes running to me asking if my suitcase exceeded the prescribed weight when I said no his face lost its shine!

 So now we were left with only the hand luggage and my hand bag ,we then proceeded to the security check ,luckily the Indian government has removed the rule of filling the departure cards from July 1st  2017 which meant one lesser formality before boarding the aircraft.

Reason for removing the departure card was that its passenger details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding, is available in the system from other sources,

Then we walked to our gate, for personal security screening. We presented our passports and boarding passes. We had to remove our jackets and luckily not our shoes and placed them in a bin for scanning ,similarly all carry-on bags /purses /laptops  in tubs on the line for separate scanning, laptops separated from its case and its accessories. We  placed all our metal and electronic items (e.g., cell phones, coins, keys) into a bin.

As I went for personal body screening, my Mangalsutra as usual pinged when the electronic screening was done which I am used to but I refuse to part with it even temporarily for sentimental reasons ,we heeded to advice of always keeping our luggage with us,not making jokes about bombs, weapons, or other security threats.

After security check we settled down comfortably in our seats ,as we were packing and running around since 2 to 3 days exhaustion started setting in and we were also feeling hungry but didn’t want to eat anything as anyway we would get our dinner served in the flight, I started looking around, the flight to Singapore had a lot of rush as usual and thanks to the omnipresent cell phones we had a lot of free entertainment.

Sons and daughters obviously waiting for their parents to come to them giving explicit advices on phones and some mothers from the Indian soil now bolder that they are going to their children were complaining against their husbands who were squirming in their seats hushing them up, some pregnant women and some women carrying tiny tots who were posing mortal danger to all other passengers by running around at random ,it is very difficult to manage children in airport leave alone in long flights I thought

As the check in luggage was electronically screened for security as it goes to a holding area to be loaded on the flight, some of the passengers got their names called for baggage check manually, most of the women were in saris and some like me in kurtis and jeggings which I find comfortable while travelling .Getting bored with the long wait I started looking at the material I had collected on my lap top

 If we were taking in more than NZ$10,000 (or the equivalent in a foreign currency), we had to declare it ,I was worried about the currency we were taking and my long suffering husband caustically replied that it was rather late in the day for me to be asking that question and asked me not to worry as we were taking a minimal currency adequate for the trip as we were not planning to do much shopping

I tried to catch up with a few kiwi words

§  Kia ora – A greeting wishing good health, often used to say ‘hello’. The two words are often blended together so it’s pronounced more like kee-ora.We were to use this word through out our journey some times calling out kee ora to total strangers throwing them into utter confusion,LOL!

§  Hangi – An oven in the ground made of wood and bricks and name for the traditional maori dish cooked in this oven.

§  Kai – Food.

§  Marae – A traditional Maori meeting house.

§  Tangata whenua – People of the land (traditional people belonging to a place).

§  Iwi – People, more commonly used to mean ‘tribe’.

§  Haere Mai – Welcome. .

§  Tapu – sacred.

§  Waka – A traditional maori canoe.

§  Pākehā – European (white) settlers.

§  Koha – Donation.

§  Gradually time passed and call for boarding was done  

TIME MACHINE AND A SAFE HOME - NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 5

We were going to travel by Silk Airlines from Rajiv Gandhi international airport to Singapore on Nov 20th 2017, the flight would start at 23.05 and reach Singapore by 6.15 and from there at 8.55, Air New Zealand would take us to Auckland ,we would be reaching at 23.45, so basically it would take us nearly 24 hours to reach Auckland from Hyderabad but thanks to the different time zones the equation was different.

Time gap between India and Singapore is such that we are behind Singapore by 2.30 hrs so when we reach Singapore it would be 3.45 I.S.T and New Zealand is faster than India by 7.30 hours and so though we will be reaching in Auckland at 23.45 it would be still 4.15 pm in India, mind boggling isn’t it ? By travelling to countries which are ahead of us in time we lose time and vice versa. Because of this time difference, we get jet lag , a condition caused by travelling across different time zones. This leads to disruption of our circadian rhythm, internal body clock that regulates sleep and waking. Jet lag symptoms include fatigue, sleepiness, digestive upsets, impaired judgement and irritability. Moreover, it is more severe when travelling in an easterly direction like how we were going to travel now as our day is shortened , our body takes more time to adjust, leading to severe jet lag 

The term "jet lag" is used because before the arrival of passenger jet aircraft ,it was uncommon to travel far and fast enough to cause jet lag . Previous travel by propeller-driven aircraft, by ship or by train was slower and of more limited distance than jet flights, and thus did not contribute widely to the problem

‘So we were definitely going to have jet lag after reaching Auckland but we shall face it when it comes’ I thought. Though some friends advised us to take some medication for jet lag we decided to combat it naturally. Whenever we travel abroad, as we both are old fashioned enough to still wear wrist watches,I merrily alter my time according to the local time, whereas my husband loyally sticks to Indian time ,I also notice a funny feeling of  loss and increased awareness of our country whenever I travel out of India  as if my absence is being missed by my mother country

As I was busy going around packing, my husband who had finished packing his smaller suitcase much ahead of me was going about with a troubled expression on his face, I said ‘what is the matter ?’ He was upset because we had to close our flat for nearly 20 days with both our birds (sons) out of our nest one in Delhi and the other in US

I assured him as it was not possible to coax any relative to stay in the house for so many days, I have thought of few safety measures ,I luckily have a very friendly neighbour who assured me she would keep an eye on our flat ,We would be closing all the doors and windows  

Other measures to be taken would be to install timers on electronics to create noise and flickering lights, if  cars are kept  in air ports better switch off the GPS or they would lead the burglars directly home, also very essential to stash any valuables in lockers

Beware of social media and not happily post holidays snaps of entire family on vacation and have burglars holidaying at home, better wait to come back to post those snaps

 I have also seen some of friends jovially removing  their house keys from under foot mats or flower pots, I am sure the thieves know of all these common areas where the house and almirah keys are kept  better as they are professionally trained at robbery and we are not !

Better lock garage doors ,as we didn’t have a garage ,staying in a flat complex ,we instructed our watchman to get our car cleaned daily which I am sure he did -once in a week ,keeping the wind wipers erect as an evidence of his cleaning LOL,

Main step was to inform the paper wallah and milk wallah to stop news papers and milk, other wise they will be happily piling up in front of the door step

All the electronics were plugged off and the fridge emptied and switched off and the cylinder knob closed after my final cup of  hot chai ,water taps closed after the maid finished cleaning the vessels, (invariably this turns out to be a regular night mare for me  , regularly after leaving the house for work a good 1 or 2 hours later I start worrying whether I closed the taps ,switched off the hot  water geyser and worst of it all the deadly pressure cooker) ,final instructions were to my maid to fondly water my potted plants kept in our front verandah and balcony

We weighed the suitcases and hand luggage ,the weight was well below the limit and  we were all set to go  to air port 3 hours before the flight time ,New Zealand here we come !

WHAT TO TAKE AND WHAT NOT TO TAKE ? -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 4

What to take and what not to take ?

The day of departure to New Zealand was fast approaching and a lot of home work  had to be done by me like the crucial final packing , and first thing which came into my mind was whether  we could  take some food with us , somehow when I don’t get home made food abroad, it makes me terribly home sick and so I started looking up things which could be taken safely

 New Zealand is a unique yet delicate country – it is a small island and so introduction of a foreign biohazard, such as a disease or a pest, has potential to cripple economy and throw ecosystem into chaos. This is why New Zealand has especially stringent customs laws, apart from the obvious things like illegal drugs and weapons, I was very surprised to see list of things what one is not allowed to bring in.

·        Food : Some packaged food is allowed if we declare it, but if we get fruit to eat in the plane journey,  we have to get rid of it upon arrival, this applies to meat and cheese, even if it was given as a meal on the flight

·        Honey and/or products containing honey : are a big no-no, so we have to check ingredients of any natural beauty products we take, if they contain honey, they’ll  surely be confiscated.

·        Tea and/or coffee: this includes teabags and actually when we are on a package tour we get all these as part of room service

·        Plants: I thought who’d bring plants on a plane? But I did see some forlorn plants and flowers lying in the bin in the airport when we arrived .

·        Anything that used to be a plant : like Wooden items and woven straw bags or hats,

·        Animals: hey  no animal is allowed! not even a stowaway rat

·        Anything that used to be an animal: including  items such as fur coats, feathers, bone souvenirs, things made with tortoise shell and traditional Chinese ‘medicines’.

·        Seeds : planting foreign seeds in New Zealand would be literally sowing the seeds of doom for one !

·        Equipment used on animals : like a horse brush with horsehair still on it.

·        Dirty shoes or camping gear : basically, any items one wants to bring that have been in contact with nature,  needs  to be cleaned first to make sure there aren’t any traces of soil, pollen, seeds.

Tip: Declare everything. Not sure about something or if in doubt, declare it. It’s far better to declare something than to not declare something , have it discovered and get a rather nasty fine!

 People failing to declare bio security risk goods even by accident are  fined an NZD $ 400 infringement fee. Anyone caught smuggling a prohibited or risk item could: be fined up to NZD$100,000,face up to 5 years in prison or be deported.

In fact I felt it was very nice to see the strict measures being taken to preserve the eco system in New Zealand, as it revealed their deep concern for the country

Items we don’t need to take :

·        No hair dryer –most places have it,

·        No sleeping bags allowed for fear of bed bugs

·        An umbrella :which we invariably include in our luggage is to be avoided because if we are outdoors in New Zealand and it starts raining, a waterproof jacket is going to serve us far better than an umbrella. New Zealand’s largest cities are in coastal areas where it tends to be too windy for umbrellas. So an umbrella is an item not to pack for New Zealand!

·        A cotton towel : better not take as they are extremely bulky, and impossible to dry when we are on the move (then they start to smell! ). Better take a fast-drying micro fibre travel towel instead,they take a fraction of the space in our bag and stand a better chance of drying off properly every day.

Medication : Biosecurity in New Zealand allows one to bring up to three-months’ worth of prescription medication into New Zealand. Any more than that we need a letter from our doctor written in English.

 Toiletries to pack in  carry-on luggage

All liquids, gels, aerosols and pastes must be in individual containers no larger than 100ml in volume. All containers must then be packed into a transparent re-sealable bag no larger than 1 litre ( 20cm x 20cm or 8 x 8 inches).

Travel-size toothpaste

Deodorant

Make-up (if preferred)

Wipes (to freshen up)

Any medication needed for  flight

Packing list for carry-on bag

Passport

Flight ticket

Visa + supporting evidence

Another form of ID (if one is planning to drive in New Zealand or get an  18  plus card, have  driving license and  International Driving Permit if required)

Cash in New Zealand dollars for first week in New Zealand

Credit card / debit card

Entertainment  like songs or movies – can be taken in a hard disc

Travel pillow

Spare set of clothes (in case check-in luggage is lost) which can happen

As New Zealand is  known for having “four seasons in a day”, whatever season we arrive in New Zealand, we better pack the following in the check in luggage

Waterproof/windproof jacket

Fast-dry pants/shorts

Thermal under-layers for top and bottom (wool or polypropylene)

Mid-layers (wool or polar-fleece)

Gloves and scarf/sunhat

Sunglasses

Hiking shoes or hiking boots

Wool socks

Mini first aid kit

It’s a good idea to make a mini first aid kit  just in case we get a small injury or sickness while on the road. Packing a few pain relief medicine, antiseptic cream, antihistamine tablets and anti-diarrhoea tablets is a safe move

Sunscreen (for both summer and winter)

Insect repellent –we found it very useful specially against tiny sand flies found in New Zealand

Razor

Glasses - spare set of reading glasses

Shampoo can be avoided unless one prefers only a particular  brand for their beautiful tresses

Feminine items

Make-up (if preferred)

Hairbrush/comb (if preferred)

New Zealand travel adapter most essential to charge all electronic goods

Multi-plug

Copies of  passport (can be physical or uploaded online)

Camera/laptop/tablet/phone

Electronic device chargers (extra batteries are a good idea) 

Baggage :

 As we travelled by Silk Airlines : each checked bag could not exceed 30 kg

Cabin baggage was upto 7 kgs with maximum dimensions of 115 cms

A trolley bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm), a briefcase (50 x 40 x 25 cm) or a garment  bag (thickness not exceeding 20 cm when folded) constituted one piece of cabin baggage.

 The following articles were allowed on board, free of charge, over and above the cabin baggage allowance:

Laptop/notebook.

Ladies' handbag.

Overcoat.

Reading material.

Small camera.

Infant carrying basket / infant food for consumption in flight.

Walking stick.

A pair of crutches, or other prosthetic device, provided the passenger is dependent upon them.

Now the most important part of the long journey was booking the seats as we had to sit for a long time in the flight

I started thinking should I ask for window or aisle seats?

Both kinds of seats have “pros” and “cons”.

Window seats: no one will be climbing past us to get in and out of their seat. , can sleep without being bothered by anyone and can always rest a pillow against the side of the plane. For long routes, they are ideal since we will be able to sleep ,however, we have to climb over other passengers to get to the toilet and the curvature of the fuselage might make very tall-bodied people feel claustrophobic.

Aisle seats: if we are tall bodied and like to stretch our legs during a flight, an aisle seat can be a good choice, stretching the legs also is very essential to avoid D.V.T which is Deep Vein Thrombosis, on a long distance flight we once had a male passenger forever walking and obstructing the air hostesses as he was advised to walk during  long flights by his doctor ,his wife’s gentle admonitions had no effect on him till he tripped over a small toddler and its angry father put an end to his walking .The aisle seats are easy to get out of if we are in a rush to get off the plane or to go to the toilets.

 However, the people in adjacent seats might bother us if they want to get up and down and we might get knocked about by passing people or trolleys.

  In general, middle seats are to be avoided. The persons in the adjacent seats might bother us if they want to get up and down and we have to climb over the person in the aisle to get in and out..

Seats at the back of the plane and near toilets/galleys generally are avoided as noise and smell can be unpleasant!  seats close to the galley are also noisy and so it is crucial to reserve seat as early as possible.

We also booked our meals prior to travelling as we wanted to avoid any unpleasant surprises ,our option was a Hindu Non-Vegetarian Meal (HNML) This meal is non-vegetarian and contains meat (lamb, poultry), fish, and/or dairy products. It is a non-vegetarian meal suitable for those who do not consume beef, veal, pork, smoked and raw fish. Typically cooked spicy or curried, its preparation and cooking style may vary and we found that we were served first as very few people order these meals

This post has intentionally quite a  long content meant for first time travellers and absent minded professors like me for whom every trip is a new one

GOOGLING AWAY TO GLORY! -NEW ZEALAND JOURNEY

BLOG POST 3
We finally decided to go to New Zealand and having received the travel itinerary from my travel agent I started to search for things to see, take, buy and to eat. There was so much information on net that my head started spinning.

 New Zealand is known in Maori as Aorearoa meaning “long white cloud “it geographically comprises of North and South Islands with around 600 smaller islands. It is 1,500 kms  east of Australia across  Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kms south of Pacific Island interestingly  and fortunately due to its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.

During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplifts of land and volcanic eruptions.

Between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians were the first to come to New Zealand and they developed a distinctive Maori culture. In 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of Britain and Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire and in 1907 it became a dominion

Majority of New Zealander’s population of 4.7 million is of European descent, indigenous Maori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders.New Zealand ‘s culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are English, Maori and New Zealand sign language,

New Zealand is a developed country and ranks highly in health, education, economic freedom and quality of life. Nationally, legislative authority is vested in an elected,unicameral parliament, while executive political power is exercised by Cabinet, led by  Prime Minister, who is Jacinda Ardern. Queen Elizabeth II is the country’s head of state and is represented by a governor general, currently Dame Patsy Reddy,the term Reddy set me wondering as it is commonly used in South India and I looked up, her mother is Ms Kay Reddy.

New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

We had decided to cover the entire country in one go as, my friend Dr Shashi in Auckland had suggested,the economical side of mine kept cautioning me,that I will not be able to go again and again to same country so finish it off in one trip, saves money and trouble of flying long hours.

Now I had the job of looking up how much money to take, to start with, oh God! the country’s currency NZ dollar was 48 Rs, almost 50 Rs, now middle class brains act funny at the very mention of money, at least mine started multiplying everything of New Zealand into 50 Rs.  I calculated the cost of lunches we had to buy,luckily the breakfasts and dinners were included in the tour expenses, prepared an excel sheet with my new found knowledge of online course.

My husband wanted us to take as less luggage as possible,though we were allowed 30 kgs each as check in luggage and 7 kg maximum as hand luggage,

I somehow hate lugging around any luggage,love to go travelling around with only a dainty hand bag and a good book to read, which for me has been a distant dream till now because during travels my poor hand bag stretches and stretches and becomes a repository for all our items till its seams bulge and the bag squeals out at me saying it is going to burst.

Next on my list was the weather clothes as we fondly call them,whenever we note that weather in places we are visiting is going to be cold as per the weather cautious prediction, we tend to fill our suitcases with all our woollens which we never seem to wear during the trip except carrying them on the shoulders or arms and once I conveniently managed to forget my newly purchased Pashmina shawl in a restaurant abroad.

Before the trip to Europe we were told that it was the hottest summer as it truly proved itself throughout the trip but when we landed up in Switzerland it turned very cold and in Lucerne it started raining and poor me, my teeth chattering with cold went up the mount Titlis armed with only one umbrella and my husband’s smouldering temper as I had ignored all his advices to include woollen wear in the luggage.I tried to remind him that rest of the Europe was so hot that half the people were dressed or un dressed as per their heat resistance but he refused to listen to reason.

So now I decided to officially include very few dresses and managed to smuggle in some more whenever my husband was not looking because I could not imagine repeating dresses to specialty dinners mentioned in the itinerary, no way! cosmetics and medicines made the rest of the luggage along with some of my books. I have the habit of reading and leaving them back for any more book worms like me ,except sometimes few people who fall in love with the beautiful Indian damsels on the covers ask me whether they should be reading the book from back page to first one

Next on the list was the hotels where we were going to stay, I did a lot of reading of all hotel reviews and descriptions of places we were going to and prepared a folder and put it into a pen drive along with a copy of print outs. My material started to enormously increase, when we travel abroad due to the weight restrictions, every gram counts so, I finally decided to take only the pen drive.