For the first leg of our trip we drove to Belfast International and caught a Ryan Air flight to Gatwick. Temperature in Ballycastle was 9C but freezing (0C) when we finally arrived at Matthew and Sonia’s place in Croydon. For tea we took advantage of some 2 for 1’s at Pizza Express.
Next day, the 19th, we walked to South Croydon and took the train to Victoria and then tube to Heathrow Terminal 4. We managed to hit London when there were no tube or rail strikes!
The first stage of our flight was by Etihad Airbus 380 to Abu Dhabi. This was a very comfortable aircraft and certainly very big. Service was excellent.
We arrived in Abu Dhabi about 1am local time. The airport was heaving as if everyone only travels at night.
The second stage of our flight was by Etihad Airbus 321 Kochi in Kerala. This flight was full and not as comfortable as the first. We arrived at about 9:30 local time.
Xavier, Aigel and his mum were there to meet us. We went for breakfast at a local hotel before a 3 hour drive to Changanacherry. This was the most entertaining and invigorating part of the trip so far. The roads were teaming with traffic but it somehow kept moving. Everybody drives by the rules but not the rules of the road! Anyway it seems to work as cars have remarkably few bumps showing on them. However it is most dangerous to be a pedestrian on these roads. It looks virtually impossible to cross a road.
Xavier’s home is a very comfortable modern house which he has built himself over the years. We are already into the Indian food and I think that the main problem will be eating too much. We have had a great welcome with relations appearing as soon as we arrived at the house.
For the rest of the day we tried to keep awake. Yvonne explored the plants and trees and did some work on her journal.
(Photos to follow when I can get them uploaded)