Departure

Picked up at 1130 on Monday 3rd April. Chris, Becca and Aubrey were there to wave us goodbye. Aubrey tried to get ready at the same time I got ready to go. Neither Rob nor I had much sleep the night before as Aubrey had been crying a bit on and off.

The driver was very polite and courteous. Told us all that was going on and what we needed to know. He wasn’t too chatty which was just right. He explained that we would be picking up another couple on the way.

We came off the M5 just after Bridgewater and headed into a village called Stawell. We picked up Tony and Maxine.

We were delivered to Heathrow Terminal 3 nice and early. We queued for a while for bag drop but the queue for security wasn’t too long.

We decided to have a meal and so headed to Spuntino which didn’t seem to have too much of a queue. We ordered fish and chips. I noticed our fish and chips were under the hot plate for a while and the server who was supposed to get them was floating around and not paying that much attention. Someone did go and ask him about them and we eventually got them but they had been there for approaching 10mins. Mine was ok even so but Rob felt his was soggy.

We sat around for a bit and I felt like I had a cold coming on so I bought some extra cold tablets from boots.

As we were looking at the departures board our gate suddenly came up. Gate 16. At the gate our visa documentation was checked and we sat and waited playing spot the saga people.

We boarded and I got the window seat. Rob sat in the middle. The guy on the aisle seat was ever so nice and helpful during the flight. Rob and I got our special meals first and Rob didn’t have cutlery - so the bloke went and got some. Later he told us that he was flying to Goa where his wife was teaching. He had a connecting flight.

The flight was nicely uneventful. I didn’t get much sleep and so was really quite tired. We took off on time at 1940. It was 8hrs 30mins flying time and we landed ok.

We got through immigration ok. Not many people around. They take a photo of you and your fingerprints. Then we went and got the cases.

Rob got some money from the Thomas Cook shop. Later I suggested it might not have been that reputable given they had gone bust a while ago. He got 94 rupees to the pound.

As we exited there were two men with Saga signs. We were herded together. Then we were told we needed to wait for three more. It then transpired they had arrived on an earlier flight and were outside. Once you were outside you can’t get back in.

So we were all gathered together. One portly chap churlishly declared he was on a Titan holiday so of course he wouldn’t be looking for a saga sign.

Our guide introduced himself - shakeel. He introduced the driver and his companion and said they and the coach would be with us for a week. This got a number of us worried because we were looking forward to the train journeys.

It took a while to arrive at the hotel - The Suryaa. It had pretensions to be the Cinamon Grand but just doesn’t live up to that.

We all sat in the Lobby and it took quite a while for Shakeel to book the rooms. He had taken our passports to do it. We were not offered any arrival drinks and so had to buy tea from the cake counter. Rob and I had jasmine tea.

The porters all took the cases up and I suggested to Rob that we just say and waited. However because we were not there the cases came back down. We grabbed our cases and the porter came running and helped us up.

We were on what was referred to as 2nd floor but there were a number of other floors between that and ground floor.

I went to the spa and enjoyed the jacuzzi and sauna. It was a ladies only area which was delightful. I walked up for the swimming pool and enjoyed that too.

Rob and I headed up to the top floor to the roof restaurant and had the unlimited Dim Sum offer and some Perrier. After that we headed back to the room and had a snooze.

530pm was the briefing meeting. We all went to the bar downstairs and got a drink - but the meeting was in a room off the restaurant. Shakeel talked about how the following day would work and a few other things. He outed us as Drs saying it was a shame we weren’t medical drs.

I showed Aisling where the swimming pool was and Rob said he wanted to sit outside for a bit. We had a lovely chat with the couple from Bath. He was a swimming instructor now retired. We left them to it as the insects were biting quite a bit.

Evening meal was 730. This was a buffet type where you just went and helped yourself. The paneer was a bit fiery but the riata was cooling.

Then early bed. I wore ear plugs and took a sleeping pill.