18.5.11 – Time to go home (Calicut, Kerala, India)

Calicut Planetarium

18.5.11 – Time to go home (Calicut, Kerala, India)

Planetarium Gardens

Our plane is not until 9pm, so we have time to visit Calicut’s Planetarium.  This is only half a kilometre from the hotel, and Reception suggest we walk, or take a motor rickshaw.  But we are wimps, and don’t want to leave our air conditioning behind, especially as we don’t know if there is any at the Planetarium, and we might need to take Molly back to the car quick to cool her down.  Taxi drivers here are very happy to wait, and so he drove us for about 5 minutes and then waited an hour and a half, to drive us for 5 minutes back again. 

Inside the Planetarium

Molly at Planetarium

The Planetarium proved to be more of an outside science park – palm trees, grass, aviaries, with buildings around it. In the garden were numerous exhibits the children could experiment with – a hanging xylophone which delighted Molly, balls that rolled up and down tracks of painted metal, large red dishes that enabled you to hear the person at the other one, far away across the grass.  A group of Muslim school children – boys, with the round white crocheted hats we have become familiar with - were on a school trip.  They came with us to the 3D film, and screamed with delight as snakes and monsters shot out of the screen apparently right towards their faces. 

We had meant to go on to the beach on leaving the Planetarium, but Bincy and Subhash phoned and arranged to meet us at the hotel for lunch, so we rushed back. 

Lunch together

Lunch was a happy affair, much focused on talking about Australia, as Bincy has been accepted by the University of South Australia in Adelaide to complete her PhD, and leaves in July.  Strangely, she is moving to the area where Bill spent his childhood, and of which he has fond memories.

And then it’s into the taxis, off for our last swerving, twisting ride to the airport.  We’ve got quite used to the traffic now – even though you overtake around blind corners, and in the face of on-coming lorries, someone always good-naturedly gives way and you get to your destination surprisingly intact.

Molly waits for her plane

And so starts the long pull home – leave hotel at 4pm, flight at 9pm, 4 hours to Dubai, 8 hours waiting in the airport there, seven hours to Glasgow.  Hard for the adults, a real trial for little Molly, which she copes with cheerfully in the main.  Calicut Airport proves to be a tour-de-force for beaurocrasy.  Our passports and tickets are checked to get in the airport door, then again to get into departures, then our luggage goes through security and we are checked again, then to the check in desk – more checks, then immigration (why? We aren’t immigrating anywhere! We’re trying to go home!) The customs, then hand baggage check, and of course I get searched, both me and my luggage.  At last into the departure lounge, Bill declaring that his passport has been checked no less than eight times.  Once in, the lounge is actually very nice – air conditioned, spacious, with plenty of chromium seating, a large carving occupying the whole of one wall, and immense fish tank full of fish sized to match, a little playroom for kids. 

The flight uneventfully takes us to Dubai, where Calum carries Molly, still sleeping, through security and into the courtesy buggy supplied by Emirates.  After some minor protest from her, I sing her to sleep again and so we settle down for the long, long wait.

And so we come home.  The air at Glasgow Airport is fresh and cool, like a long drink of cold water on a hot day.  India was wonderful.  Scotland is beautiful, its trees green and covered in white blossom.  Home is special. 

And as we reflect on India, the images come back vivid to our minds – the brilliance of the colours, the anxiety of the culture shock, the energy of the people, the rush of the traffic, the intensity of the activity, the beauty of the mountains, the peace of the Backwaters, the warmth of the family, the joy of the wedding – so much crammed into so short a time.  It all started nearly two years ago with an unexpected email from a girl in India, looking for somewhere to stay in a far away, very different country.  We are grateful that God brought us together, led us into this adventure, joined us as one family across the miles.  The challenge now is to keep in contact over a much greater distance, but we will, not least because Molly loves her Auntie Bincy and her Uncle Subhash.

Bincy and Subhash