A DECISION I WILL NEVER REGRET

I got a WhatsApp message from a priest on the church group about a trip to Western Europe somewhere at the beginning of the year 2023. So I decided to enquire about this trip. The message contained basic information about the locations that would be covered and the timeline, the dates, and the cost. And yes it was a 'Pilgrimage' Tour to Western Europe.

When one thinks 'Pilgrimage' the first thing that comes to mind is 'Religion'. So even though we had a lot of church visits and historical places covered in the itinerary, we also had some non-religious places too.

I should have started writing this during my travels, but it was so hectic that there was hardly time to sleep. The free time we got, believe it or not, was on the bus during the long drives from one country to another.

This trip was going to include a few places on my lifetime bucket list so I was excited that I was going to these places for the first and probably the last time ever. The cost was exorbitant for a regular Indian salaried person. Scepticism was also a big factor I had to deal with. Was this company any good and are they really what people have been talking about? But since this message came to us from a priest, I felt I should, at the very least, give them a chance and do some due diligence, maybe ask around. I messaged the number on the flyer and asked for a detailed itinerary and got it immediately. I figured that since the trip was in October, I had more than enough time to decide whether I could and should go on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

I just had to visit their office which I did within a week of receiving the detailed itinerary. The building was an old one in the city and the office was 'okay'. Not what I had expected. Meeting some of the staff there gave me a sense of relief in a way. I burdened one of them with my truckload of questions, which she very politely and professionally clarified. I imagine I had made my decision right there and even went so far as to make an advance payment to book my slot. Arranging for the remaining amount had to be worked out, but I had an idea of how that was going to be possible.

I had to submit some personal information to the office, which I did. My concern about a refund in case I was not able to make the trip was addressed and I was assured and explained the scenario when there would be a deduction.

Here is where I got thrown off a bit. I suddenly got a message in July saying I had an interview for my Schengen Visa in a couple of weeks. Now going for the interview was not a big deal, but going for the interview without a bank balance is as good as not going at all. So yes, I was upset and spoke to the lady who called me a bit harshly telling her that I needed time to arrange for a bank balance and that two weeks was not at all sufficient. I also asked why I was not given a timeline and why didn't anyone call me at least a month ahead of time with the progress. Of course, there was nothing she could do now and the ball was in my court. So I took out a gold loan. This meant instant cash.

The collection centre for the Schengen Visa was in the city, so I went in and submitted my application. Everything was already done by the agency. I had to just collect everything from the agency and submit it to the visa application centre. The submitted documents are then sent to the consulate, and the applicant's passport, with approval or rejection, is sent back to the applicant by Speed Post. I received my passport within a couple of weeks and all I had to do now was prepare to travel.

A few weeks closer to the travel date, the entire group was called in for a briefing. There were about 50 people in the group, however, not all of them attended the meeting. I was extremely happy to see a known priest appointed for this trip and a couple of known faces. The office had called me a few days in advance to inform me that I was going to be rooming with two other ladies. Although I was not too happy about it, I did not say anything. Going for a pilgrimage tour, I felt I should be a bit more accommodating, although deep down, I wished the situation was different. When we all met at the office, I finally met a lady who I was told would be my 'roomie' during the trip. I kept asking myself 'What about the other lady?' I later found out that the lady who was assigned as my 'roomie' questioned the agency regarding the occupancy numbers and insisted that she have just one roomie. I guess her questioning fulfilled my wish.

We were also briefed about a few 'need to know' things, some 'do's and don't's' which were important. They gave us our tickets in a little pouch, which also included an ID card, travel insurance, and a map of the route we would be taking from the time we landed. We were briefed about the climate and the clothing we should be carrying along, the approximate temperature in the countries we would be visiting, food, etc. Nothing ever prepares an Indian from the hotter parts of India for the kind of cold that would hit you if you are not used to it. I had to buy some winter wear myself because being from Goa, winter almost does not exist here anymore. Some were advised to carry snacks or pickles because of the bland food we were going to be eating.

I had one thing in mind during this time, Aerophobia. To most, it may seem lame, but flying gives me the jitters. As the day of travel gets closer, I start having these mini panic situations, which do not manifest in a way that is noticeable to people but it is all in my head. I am not able to eat or sleep, and the creepiest part of all is that Google or YouTube knows what I am panicking about and will throw some air crash news or videos and even, at times, an update on the MH370 disappearance in my feed. Maybe Google or my smartphone just listens to my conversations either through a call or me talking to someone or maybe even to myself. Knowing my obsession with MH370, I still cannot help but watch a new post from a different person's point of view.

People are a bit sceptical when I tell them that I have flown all through my childhood. Most just do not get this phobia and are pretty chilled at the airports. I have always been scared during flights. My mother used to travel with me for a big part of my childhood and somehow I sensed some fear in her too, although she would never say it because I noticed how she would grab a hold of my hand during take off's.

We finally arrived at the airport on the day of our departure. We had a flight to Qatar by Qatar Airways, and believe it or not, despite my phobia, I was partially excited about this. You see, Qatar is my birthplace and I never went back there after my dad retired in 1991. I remember being so emotional the day I left the airport in 1991 and never thought I would see that place again. This was my first travel to Qatar and also my first time on their official airline.

After a short prayer at the airport, we began to board. According to the guide who was assigned to this trip, a couple of people did not make it through immigration because of an issue with their passports, which was sad to hear because I am sure like all of us, they too came prepared for the trip and had to go back, which was a downer for them for sure. From my side, I had months to prepare, even then, my room was chaos like a hurricane just went past my room.

I could easily see why Qatar Airways is talked about so much. Their level of customer service is on a different level compared to our local airlines. Our group occupied the seats at the back as allotted. I was too nervous after I found out I was assigned a window seat and gladly exchanged it. However, I noticed that no one wanted to part with their aisle seats, so I had to settle for a middle seat. That was an experience I did not want again for reasons I chose not to explain. All I can say is that the sheer arrogance of people, and selfish behaviour were beyond anything I could have imagined for individuals travelling for a pilgrimage tour and saying so many rosaries and prayers. Unbelievable!

I wanted to have an alcoholic beverage or a shot of something on the flight to calm my nerves and felt embarrassed to ask for one, especially since we were travelling with a priest, and I felt it would not look good. However, I braved that storm and survived that flight without one.

Landing and stepping on the Qatar soil was a moment I cannot describe. It was truly emotional for me. And yes, I had a few teary-eyed moments. This was a place I carried so many memories from. When I last saw that airport it was nothing but a departure room and arrival room with chairs, queues, conveyor belts, and buses for transportation to and from the departure and arrival areas. But now from what I saw, this was huge.... the size of multiple football fields with multiple buildings in different locations and multiple terminals and so many airplanes in that space. For bigger aircraft, there were terminals. For smaller aircraft they had buses transporting passengers to the arrival or transit zones. We drove around that huge airport space for what seemed like an eternity to finally arrive at our transit building. Surprisingly, there were no additional security checks at this airport, so all we had to do was pass the time because we had a good 4 to 5 hours to wile away. The airport was gorgeous.

Our group dispersed so fast and almost everyone had shopping on their mind. I was not too keen on spending any cash here so I wanted to just relax and read a book I carried with me. A couple of ladies with me wanted to have a snack and a coffee, so we dashed off to the food court. Unlike the old days, the place was completely transformed. Even the workforce seemed different. Back then I remember seeing only local Qatari's employed at airports, but this was nothing like I had ever seen in this place. Every nationality known to man would have been working at that airport. All I can say is kudos to Qatar, they have come a long way.

Most of us carried Euros, so buying anything would automatically mean you get the currency back in Qatari Riyals change. Since I do not eat during my travels except on flights, I refrained from eating anything.

The next leg of our journey was the flight to Rome which took about five hours. Long-haul flights, for me, are always torturous. I sit up awake, will not even budge to go to the loo and will only watch the screen in front of me and countdown the 'time to destination.' But this time I did not want to experience what I did earlier, so I sat in my assigned seat. A window seat at that!

Since it was daylight heading west, we were, for the most part, over land, mostly Eastern Europe and, before that, the Middle East. To keep myself occupied, I spent time comparing the land mass or water bodies down below to the screen I sat facing to see where we were on the map, experimenting with different views: the cockpit view, side windows view, and below wheels view.

Landing in Rome in the afternoon, I was engulfed by a feeling of relief. I muttered to myself, 'I am finally here!' and hoped that this was going to be a trip I would never forget. Whispering a small prayer in thanksgiving as I walked through the airport, I could hardly wait for what was in store for all of us next. I knew then that the decision to come on this trip was one I would never regret.

Follow my journey in the upcoming posts... I have added a few pics here.