When I last wrote, my surroundings were quite different. I was residing in the mountains of Southern India in the middle of paradise. Let me describe that a little more if you have not read my last blog. Setting: a 140 year old Stone-built duplex style dwelling in a garden that was several acres large surrounded by tropical foliage. Wild rose bushes, Aloe Vera plants and huge hydrangea bushes were everywhere. The garden was often visited by wild bison, wild pigs and wild dogs. Dirt pathways wound through a magical garden that offered me the most stress-free environment that I have ever known. Days and nights were split almost exactly with 12 hours light and 12 hours dark give-or-take 30 minutes or so. My neighbour and landlord lived next door and completed the magical picture that I called home for just over 2 months. Covid19 had just set in and the country was going into lockdown behind me. Once I was settled in, there was no way home that was easily available. My return trip tickets would soon be cancelled and all I would be able to do would be to wait and see how the pandemic of 2020 would play out.

That is where my last blog ended. My 2-month stay was actually enhanced by the lockdowns as what was once an over-crowded and always busy tourist hotspot for India turned suddenly quiet. No more honking horns, no more partying tourists, just the sounds of nature. For the time that I was there during the pandemic, I can easily describe my stay as “Heaven”.

How can anyone leave heaven?

As beautiful as Kodaikanal was, my heart longed for home in Calgary where my children and grandson were. Being away from them with no available plans to return was my only stress point. Daily I would tune in to the news and watch for ways to return home. It wasn’t until about a month in that the airlines actually cancelled my return flights. From the beginning it looked inevitable, but once that happened, I began to feel a little panicky. It was then that I connected with the Canadian Consulate up in Delhi. Just having them know that I was there gave me great peace of mind. They were sending out weekly and sometimes daily updates on how they were helping stranded Canadians find their way back home.

Initially, the ways that were provided by the consulate to return to Canada were financially impossible for me as they were charging twice the price of my original ticket to fly me back to Canada which of course was a 1-way trip. I could not make that work. I would have to wait. All their options were departing out of Northern India. I was not in Northern India. The closest airport to me was in Madurai in the most southern state of Tamil Nadu.

So I watched and waited for something that would work for me.

The “heads-up” notices from the consulate warned that Canadians should be ready to pack up and leave for home on very short notice. I am anything but a short-notice type of person. I need time to process and adjust my thinking and expectations so I braced myself for a sudden solution to appear that would change my life in a matter of hours.

That email came with the news of a flight to Canada via Air France through Paris departing out of Bangalore. The only way to book a seat on that flight was to book directly to a Canadian airport that they would be flying to, and then book a Domestic flight to Calgary from there. That’s when my adventure to get home began. I was going to Montreal through Paris! Seriously exciting! I’ve never been to either of those places. The price for the ticket had fallen within my budgeted amount so I was able to purchase a ticket that would return me to Canada that would get me home only 1 week later than my initial ticket.

Catches

My flight was to leave out of Bangalore which was an 8 to 10 hour drive from where I was staying. (Added expense to my journey). Landing in Montreal left me with the need to book a separate flight itinerary to Calgary. (Added expense to my journey).

All ended well for me, and it left me with an amazing experience to share about what it was like to travel internationally at a time when the whole world was shutting down.

Read on . . .

Road trip! Who in Kodai would I want to do an extended trip with to get me to Bangalore? I’ve introduced you to my favorite taxi driver – Solomon – in a former blog. My choice was easy. He drove a very nice vehicle that had air conditioning and would safely get me to my destination. But before even leaving town, I needed the help of the Consulate. All my trip details had to be provided in a government issued document to allow me to travel to the next state, Karnataka, to get to the Bangalore airport. I needed my passport (of course) and proof of the reason for travelling. It took Solomon and myself a couple days to gather up all the documents that would be required on our trip. I owe a huge thank you to the consulate as they were available to me every step of the way to help me acquire all necessary paperwork to get home. Go Canada! I love my country even more now than ever.

After the long journey to Bangalore, we arrived at the international airport to an eerie scene. The airport there is huge but the only other people around were those who were also booked on the Air France flight to Paris. Access to the terminal was limited to 3 hours prior to departure. All the tourist kiosks were closed except for 1 or 2. Thank goodness that one of those sold coffee. It made my wait much more tolerable after the long road trip. The Canadian consulate had arranged for a waiting area in a nearby hotel lobby. That was an amazing offer, but my own sense of urgency lead me straight to the airport to wait.

Flight to Paris

The plane was full. I do not recall even 1 empty seat. It was loud as there were many families traveling with small children. But no matter. It was an uneventful flight – the only kind you ever want!

I relished my time at the airport in Paris. Never having been there, I wanted to call everyone I knew just so I could hear myself tell them “I just landed in Paris”. It turned out to be another eerie airport scenario with virtually no one else around except for those who had just gotten off my flight from Bangalore. Next stop: Montreal Canada!

Landing in Montreal

Besides the fact that the airport in Montreal was almost completely deserted, it was another place I could talk about having been there now. I left French-speaking Paris to arrive in French-speaking Montreal. I don’t speak French. However the sound of the language romanced my heart and I tried to recall as much French as I could remember from my days in elementary school French class. My fear of testing my memory was validated when I greeted an airport worker with a very authentic sounding “Bonjour”. She just assumed that I spoke more than that one word and continued to converse in French. Busted! I was immediately over my head as I had no clue what she was saying. I remember grinning sheepishly as I confessed that I spoke only English. I loved the scenario that played out in my imagination picturing me in an extensive bonding style conversation in a language other than English. But back to reality, she smiled and switched immediately and seamlessly to words that I could understand.

My Domestic Flights

it was 2 very long flights that finally returned me to Canadian soil. I had not been able to get a decent rest in the last 36 hours. My flight to Calgary through Toronto did not depart until the following morning after landing in Montreal. I had booked a hotel for the night that provided free airport shuttle and catered to travelers who were passing through. The hotel in Montreal was a welcome stop that gave me the chance to get a decent sleep before 2 more very short flights to home. All this stays in my memory because of the lack of people. It was so abnormal to be in these international destinations only to be part of a very small crowd of travelers.

Home

Calgary in Spring. It is a wonderful time of the year for every Calgarian as the long grip of winter looses its hold on life, finally allowing spring to emerge. It’s like Narnia when Christmas finally comes and the ice begins to melt. Trees begin to grow again and the birds all seem to come back. I was home. My son Kenton was at the airport to greet me. I only realized how much I love it here when it looked like my return was in jeopardy. I did leave a heavenly setting behind, but heaven has taken on a new form for me now every time I am able to spend a few moments with my children.

Christmas is approaching quickly and spring seems like a long way off. But cold and snow are not enough to separate family. Not like living 12,000 kilometers away on the other side of the world. Negative temperatures throw up temporary obstacles, but somehow I find them easier to deal with than I have in the past. Covid19 is also a factor, but as the pandemic has worsened since I returned in May, I am even more thankful to be back with family.

I am overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude towards the Canadian Consulate in Delhi as I recall my journey. They were so helpful and encouraging throughout every step of the way for me. They were understanding an seemed to bend over backwards to make sure that I could find my way back home to Calgary. They connected with me through phone calls, texts and emails regularly to let me know that they were there for me should I encounter any issues along the way.

A Heart Divided

Prior to the experience of my 2020 Journey to India, i was not sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. This whole issue has brought peace to my heart as I quickly approach my retirement years. It was all amazing for me, but now I finally feel settled. I have landed where I want to be. Kodaikanal will forever have a special place in my heart but I am a mother and now a recent Grandmother. It’s time for me to settle down and invest in the most amazing part of my life, my family.