First international solo trip …. my first voyage to Europe… short yet full of lovely moments….it’s been nearly a decade that I first landed on the soil of Europe, still it seems to have happened yesterday! Whenever I needed any help during my travel “good samaritan” from nowhere appears but I never had expected that it could be possible at any foreign country. Since “that day” when I met Marco at Vienna airport no country seems “foreign” to me. I feel I belong to this whole world!
On November-December 2010 I was selected to visit one institute at Vienna. As I was in Coimbatore it was easier for me to apply for Schengen Visa. I did not have much time left. I was worried whether I would get my visa on time is not. But I got it quickly. I got travel insurance from ICICI bank (I did not have important things with me when I travelled. But travel insurance is mandatory). Praveen (my regular money changer at Coimbatore) gave me the best conversion rate for Euro. I got email on free flight ticket, accomodation and breakfast from the institute. I was very much excited. I had travelled alot before Vienna trip but never went alone to another country. So there were mixed feelings inside me. I boarded flight from Chennai. My destination was Brussels – HeadQuarter of European Union. My first ever flight to Europe!
On the flight I watched movies. I found few Indians in the flight. At Brussels I had another flight to catch for Vienna. I had to wait for more than 10 hours. I roamed around the airport for a while, then sat on a bench-chair. I saw one Indian lady trying to stop her three little children from running here and there. I saw passengers moving fast. I didn’t know what to do for so many hours. I was feeling sleepy. Then I heard two ladies talking in a language that I thought similar to the language of Tripura. I tried to understand what they were saying. Again I thought that’s my mothertongue. One lady looked similar to tripuri people (later I came to know she was from Chitagong – a Chakma). That’s impossible! I could not believe my ears. Finally I went to them and asked “are you from Tripura?”, I asked in bengali. “No we are from Bangladesh”, they replied. Then they told they were with Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh. PM was at VIP lounge. We spoke on various issues. Then one man in suit came and asked them to get ready for the flight. The ladies introduced me to him. I told my purpose of visit when asked. “I will tell my daughter about you – the girl travelling Europe alone”, he said. He asked about Tripura. He gave me his visiting card (I didn’t know who he was but later when I told my father about him he was very surprised and happy and asked “you met him? He is a big guy in Bangladesh administration”). When their flight time neared they bid good bye. I saw Bangladesh PM from my chair.
Checking was more strict at Brussels airport. From Brussels to Vienna flight was at night. I was worried. When I reached Vienna airport it was around 10pm. Cold winter night. I got train ticket from a machine operated counter (later found out it was expensive counter, cheaper one was little bit far). I had three small bags with me. With my ticket in hand I got down to catch the train climbing down many stairs at Wien Mitte. But to my surprise I found the station was empty…no train…nobody was there!
I watch horror movies (I scream alot when I watch out of fear yet I watch them). That time at the empty station on a chilly night I felt I entered inside a horror movie. I climbed up the stairs as fast as possible. I did not want to look back when I was climbing up. I was again back to the airport exit. I had only one option left that time – wait till morning. But I had engagement in the morning and I did not want to miss that.
I don’t know how it happened but good samaritan came to rescue me. Marco Capaso from Italy! He asked from where to get the train ticket. I showed the counter. But for some unknown reason the machine did not work. He asked me where I would go. I described my situation. Then we got down to the station. This time I was less afraid. The train came. There was one girl sitting opposite to us. Ticket was checked. Marco got his ticket from the ticket checking lady. He told about himself – a postdoc, came to visit his girlfriend. He told that it was better to continue postdoc when chance of getting job is less. Understanding that finding my hotel in this German speaking country by myself would be difficult Marco came forward to provide help which I did not understand at first. We got down at a station. I thought that station was his station too. But then he said he would have to take another train and he wanted to help me that’s why he got ticket for my station. It was Saturday night. Some young people were still on the road. Marco could speak German. But he did not get satisfactory reply when he asked them about my hotel location. Few people totally ignored as they were happy in their own way ☺ Then we met one gentleman in late 50s who came with us upto the hotel – Hotel Arkadenhof . I sincerely thanked them. Now when I think about Marco and that gentleman I feel if they were not there with me I probably would have spent the night at airport. I had never met Marco before but he did so much for me!
Hotel Arkadenhof was a small but nice one. I shared my room with an Indian student from Australia. Next few days were spent at BOKU. There I met with five other Indian students (who came from various parts of the world). I remember one guy from Egypt who studied in China and could speak Chinese fluently. There was a girl from Poland (one of my favorite places – favorite for my love and respect for Madame Marie Curie).
On the last day of BOKU one local guy Valentine Fredrick from Austria willingly came forward to be our guide for Vienna city your.
Valentine – our friend+guide for Vienna
The city was covered with snow. He showed us Art Museum (Vienna Museum of Natural History), Science Museum.
Went to a restaurant. Very funny but I want to mention here that i came across for the first time a restroom made of glass inside which you have to switch on a red light to make the things invisible from outside! I hadn’t seen such thing even during my stay in the USA.
December is the month of joy. Christmas was very near. Vienna city was fully decorated with lights. We went to Christmas market.
Christmas Market
After coming back to hotel I went to the kitchen to get drinking water. One man said something. I could not understand. He repeated few more times. I thought he spoke in German. I told this to my roommate Bhumika. She said that man was Indian. I went to meet that man. This time I understood clearly what he said. It was in Hindi! Now this incident makes me smile thinking that when I do not expect to meet someone who would speak in a language that I understand and I do encounter such situation the language that I understand becomes an alien! Rohit, Bhumika, Ashish, Prasad and I had chat till late night. I had the flight to catch at 6am. Others had their flights later. I asked the hotel staff to arrange a car for me to the airport. I could not sleep that night. I sat outside my room and was remembering every moment since my Day One of Vienna.
My cab arrived at the hotel early in the morning. I bid good bye to the hotel staff who was at the reception counter. After arriving at the airport the driver asked to pay higher than what the hotel staff told me to pay. I paid pre-decided fare.
At airport I saw crowd thronged each and every corner. I suspected some negative issues. I waited at the counter from where I had to get boarding pass. I heard one lady from Africa saying “it is her third day in the airport. Her flights had been cancelled earlier due to heavy snowfall!” Then I heard similar thing happening to one dutch man. I was in shock! I did not know that flights were being cancelled due to snowfall. While roaming in Vienna I did see the city being covered with snow. But flight cancellation! OMG!
I did not have money with me to buy flight ticket for my second flight if the first one gets cancelled. And then I had to catch a train. The counter was closed. I was waiting for some one to appear in the counter. I badly wanted to let the airport authority know my situation.
Then one lady appeared at around 7.30am. I told her everything and requested to check other options for me. She was a kind lady. She managed to send me to another flight to Frankfort. From Frankfort to Chennai I had to catch another flight. I was given a “waiting ticket” (first come first serve) for my second flight. I was happy now as I could see a positive ray of hope and I did not mind route/flight change. I rushed to the scheduled gate. The flight was again delayed. I was in deep stress that time thinking that further delay will make me miss the second flight.
Finally the flight started to move. I wished it to fly in the highest possible speed. I could do nothing but wait and pray. Right after getting down from the flight at Frankfort airport I started to look for my Gate. It was a very big airport. I had three bags with me. I followed the directions. For the first time in my life I ran on the moving walkway with my belongings. How I did I don’t know but holding a “waiting flight ticket” and knowing that one second delay in reaching to the boarding pass counter will cost me heavily I ran with all my energy!
Finally I reached the counter and took deep breath. Hurray! I succeeded! The man smiled and congratulated me. I got the flight ticket. At the gate I saw so many people. May be they had undergone same situation just before me.
This trip will always be my favorite trip. It was full of excitement, happiness, uncertainty, meeting wonderful-helpful people. After coming back to India I found newspapers writing about snowfall in Europe – “record snowfall in Europe in December 2010”!
I sincerely love you Vienna!
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