Missed Flight!

Kiran Prakash (r) explains how he missed going to Bangkok

Normal people usually miss the bus. Some also manage to miss the train. But how many would miss a plane – that too an international flight?
Well, Kiran Prakash holds this rare distinction, having successfully failed to board the aircraft that took the Bangkok group on their maiden overseas tour on the night of October 31 (see post). He turned up today at the Garden to explain how.
Kiran Prakash returned from Egypt the same day the 20-member group left for the Thai capital. By a strange coincidence, their timings overlapped. His flight landed at Mumbai airport around the same time the Bangkok flight took off.
In other words, while he was negotiating his way through Immigration and Customs, at another end of the airport, the Bangkok group was queuing up at a Departure gate!
“My flight from Egypt was horribly delayed,” Kiran Prakash said. “My original plan was to land in Mumbai in the afternoon, freshen up at home and return to the airport

With love from Pattaya: Do you recognise anybody?

in time to catch the flight to Bangkok. It was possible, were it not for the six-hour delay in take-off at Cairo airport.”
Terrible as this did sound, it was only natural of us to sympathize with Kiran Prakash – more so, as he had to forfeit the air fare and other costs paid in advance for the Bangkok trip. It is no doubt, a huge loss to him. But surprisingly he was quite cool about it and soon diverted our attention to how enjoyable, though hectic his Egypt trip had been.
He took out his mobile phone and showed us pictures and video recordings of Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Aswan and other historic places he and his wife had visited – of pyramids, ancient temple ruins, sculptures and artifacts… The highlight of the six-day trip was surely the Nile Cruise – an experience of a lifetime as we could gather.
Meanwhile, to remind him and the rest of us in the Garden of what we were missing, the Bangkok gang has sent in a lovely group photo (above left). From the look of it and what we are hearing from different sources, they too are having a jolly good time.

Bihari Milwani (from Pattaya):
It was destined that Kiran Prakash should miss the trip to Bangkok. He has to maintain the quorum for the exercises and hold fort for Big Laafin Garden No 4.

Kiran Prakash:
Even if destined, it was unfortunate that I could not join the group. You can imagine how painful it was for me to see the Bangkok Airways plane parked just next to mine when I was disembarking from my flight. I have traveled twice with this group -- to Kerala and to Rajasthan -- and had enjoyed a lot. The trips organised by our group are economical and relaxed. And we do not miss any worth-seeing place. We have lots of in-house entertainment as well. It was indeed unfortunate to miss this trip to Bangkok.

Dilip Babani:
Very nice photo. Enjoy the trip. Have beer, chicken, wine and dance. All are looking refreshed and happy.