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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html
Showing posts with label Pond's India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pond's India. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Pieter's Outfit from Khazana at Taj Palace New Delhi Hotel

 On February 29 of 1991 we were at the Taj Palace New Delhi hotel after our two–week consulting work for Pond's India. This before flying to Indonesia where we worked and lived at the time.
With a guide from Pond's we did go to the State Emporia where we found a whale for Uncle Bo Whaley, and for us a sandalwood carving with balls inside. 
Also a bird painting on rice paper. 
Back at our hotel we found for Pieter a very nice fitting greenish cotton pair of trousers and a striped shirt.
This was on our patio in Wonosobo, Indonesia where Pieter put on the entire set.
Perfect fit!
Admiring our orchids that just hang on wood wool planks against the wall.
Happy times during our life in Indonesia!
The climate was so perfect for our hair...
We also found a perfect pure silk black tie at the Taj Palace New Delhi Khazana Shop.
India has so much!
It is real black, the shine of the silk made it look a bit different... 😉
Pieter wearing his Khazana trousers on his 69th Birthday in our front porch.
The same guy, same trousers only 31 years later... 
And yes, those comfy eco friendly Loints sandals are still alive as well!
Notice the Moonflower vine, to the left of Pieter's knee?
Home grown by Pieter from seeds and it is opening its very first flower!
They too are HUGE and bloom at night mainly; hence its name Moonflower — Ipomoea alba.
Photos taken around 9:00 so it was closing.
Pieter on the back step of our gazebo. The white gingerbread from Vintage Woodworks looks so nice after it got painted again.
From inside of gazebo facing the pond area.

Related link:
COME Cross the Tengger Sand Sea to Volcano Mount Bromo, Indonesia | previous post by me both wearing our Loints sandals
True Indigo Indigofera Tinctoria in Pieter's Favorite Color | previous post by me with Loints sandals
Blissful Relationship in the Tropics of Indonesia | previous post by me with Loints sandals
P.J.C. Vedder on Mushroom Cultivation during Technology Transfer Seminar part 2 | previous post where Pieter is wearing his Khazana trousers...

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Taj Mahal short Video

 Bonus after working as a consultant for Pond's India Ltd...

After lunch at the Sheraton Hotel in Agra, we now went to the Taj Mahal
So very impressive to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site with your own eyes.
Photo making was prohibited, we bought a book instead.
And this short video we got.
Pond's India had arranged a private tour guide, you will hear him in-between explaining things.
Very educative and we enjoyed it tremendously.
When viewed on YouTube, on your PC you find again the clickable markings written below the video.
Again, with my beloved The Bridge Saddlebag...
More info with some photos in my earlier post: My 5th Consulting Trip to India & Visit of Taj Mahal...

Related link to previous post by me:

My 5th Consulting Trip to India & Visit of Taj Mahal

Red Fort of Agra short Video

Lalitha Mahal and Maharaja Palace Mysore  2 minute video

Sister Diny's Rabbit LOVED my Saddlebag from The Bridge Italy 

Monday, November 23, 2020

My 3rd trip to India - Consulting and Harvesting Video

 On Friday morning, February 28, we had packed our suitcases after our consulting period. 

We went one last time to the Pond's India mushroom farm... with our luggage.

They wanted to video tape me, about harvesting and certain picking techniques.

Still treasure that tape, however it is not in good quality - lots of back noise!

When clicking on watch on YouTube and viewing it on your PC, you find below the clickable information about what I am talking.

02 28 1992 Pond's India Picking Techniques

Hoping that some mushroom growers still find this training video beneficial for paying close attention to Mushroom Quality Criteria. 

Most is in the hands of harvesters!

Like previous videos, this also can function as a kind of Technology Transfer Seminar...

We both received a silk embroidery work as a gift; identical pieces for Team Vedder.

You can see that in a previous post below.

We left our high tops with the poor souls that were working barefoot in the hot 50-70°C compost! 

After lunch we left for Coimbatore and later by train to Madras. See post below.


Related links:

My 3rd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me

Adventure in Madras India, now Chennai | previous post by me

{Silk and Wool Birds as Gift from Pond's India} | previous post by me showing the silk embroidered gifts

Techniques for Harvesting Quality Mushrooms  & Gratitude to Mushrooms Canada | previous post by me

modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting | post about our newest publication

Monday, September 14, 2020

Adventure in Madras India, now Chennai

Yes, we had now worked, high in the mountains of South India, for Pond's India in their mushroom plant. This was during our four weeks off, after living/working two months in Indonesia.
Our first day, February 21 of 1992, driving up to the plant, we had a driver that had to hold the door shut with one hand, while driving in the mountains. So we swapped taxis!
Pieter had fallen on February 24, with one foot inside the goody pit... the entire day being smelly from those anaerobic bacteria. We stayed in a guest bungalow and washed his jeans, socks and hightop shoes, and dried it in front of an electric stove.
On February 25, we bought our leather jackets, from their Leather Garment Factory.
On February 28, we go one final time to the mushroom farm and received a silk chain stitch embroidered wall hanging, each of us the very same. 
They also proceeded to make a professional video about my Techniques for Harvesting Quality Mushrooms. Today, September 15, just received the converted version on a memory stick and will post it some time later...
Both of us had left our hightop shoes at the Pond's mushroom farm, for those poor workers that have to work in the hot (50-70°C) compost with bare feet. That was far easier than having to clean them up for packing inside our luggage. 
We drive back to Coimbatore, and from there we board a night train to Madras (Chennai).
We have a 1st class sleeping coupe with air-conditioning. 
This time, I slept in the top bed...
February 29, after a ten hour shocking and rattling ride, we arrive in Madras and we slept well.
We got told that we should keep the sliding door of our cabin closed, but having to wash up in the bathroom early morning, of course we opened it.
How in the world could we know that before arriving at the Madras station, a giant of a guy had jumped on the riding train and entered it!!!
He stood there, and grabbed our two suitcases and placed them on his head... Those are mine!
Two people from Pond's met us at the railroad station, and after a fierce dispute with the giant, he ignored them and only hollered: 'I have to feed a family of seven!' He then was so brazen to carry our suitcases on his head, at a rapid pace down the stairs. We had a hard time to keep up with him!
Finally the two people from Pond's located their car and the giant put them down, he got paid and left.
What a zoo...
That guy would be the perfect player in David and Goliath!
This Image from Chennai Central, formerely Madras Central, was created by User:PlaneMad.
We both were wide awake now
~
They bring us to Hotel Chola Sheraton at Cathedral Road.
Now it is called the Welcomhotel Chennai.
After a fresh shower and breakfast, we got picked up by 10:30 AM for a meeting with the manager from Pond's India in Madras.
We visited their Leather Garments Factory and found a better size for our leather jackets, so we swapped them.
On March 1, we wake up at 4:00 AM and depart from this 5 Star Hotel for the airport and our flight to Singapore.
We place our suitcases in a locker and go by taxi to the our Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre
We walk to Centrepoint for some shopping.
March 2, we are early, and by taxi we go to the Alberts Centre for reparation of our Rado watches. 
From there we went to the airport and picked up our suitcases from the locker.
As usual, we shop around at the airport and always did stock up on reading material.
My eyes turned BIG however when I found the Malay version of Times magazine and our boss was mentioned on the cover... Not looking good financially!

To be continued...

Related link:
{Our DEEPER Reach In Bedroom Closet} | previous post showing the silk chain stitch twin embroidery


Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Pieter's Favorite Lambskin Leather Jacket Made New Again...

Feeling quite proud for having tackled this task!
Pieter's favorite soft and supple lambskin jacket that he got from Pond's India from their upscale Leather Garments Factory.
Pieter patting a Wallaby in Healesville Sanctuary, Australia on September 27, 1992
Probably the photo with the most NEW lambskin jacket... as he got it in February of 1992.
This is taken at The Spa at Norwich Inn on April 20, 1997 when we did consulting work and stayed at one of their Villas.
This is taken on February 9, 2002 when we were on the bus to Beatle Mania!
Over the years, the upper part in the back got faded and also on one shoulder...
With black leather dye I did touch it up... from LeatherNu click it
For quite some days I had to wait for finally being able to make a photo with good light!
This got taken on January 5.
The back side... this photo is not lightened or whatever.
Perfect for wearing end of January together with Pieter's wool Fedora hat...
Yes, we both have one, mine got ordered here in the USA.
Wearing it with my black Escada jeans and scarf with my rib cord newsboy cap...


Related posts:
Visiting Healesville Sanctuary in VIC, Australia | previous post by me
Darling Harbour Cruise in Sydney for Surprise Birthday Party | previous post by me

Monday, January 14, 2019

My 6th Consulting Trip to India with Husband Pieter

On November 01, 1995 we boarded for Amsterdam, from Atlanta.
Again, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines gave us a Royal Wing upgrade to business class and we slept the entire night.
We went to hotel Ibis for some rest and a shower.
Friday, November 3, we left after a delicious Dutch breakfast (the bread we miss so much...) we went back to the airport and departed at 10:40 to Bombay (Mumbai).
Again we got an upgrade to business class! We landed at 23:30 and because we only had carry-on luggage we were quick outside and met with our person.
Saturday, November 4, around 12:00 our JetAir plane brought us to Coimbatore and we met with our Pond's man and by 18:00 we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Ooty.
November 5, As usual we started working on Sunday, and quick we both were back into that routine.
On Friday, November 10, we both were married 12 years and my youngest sister Gerd remarried that day. We had a nice dinner at the Savoy hotel in Ooty with the Pond's staff.
Both of us LOVE Indian food!
And we LOVE each other - a Blissful Relationship.
To the right is another colleague from the USA...
This truly was a candle light dinner!
Such a lovely Friday evening...
On Saturday, November 11, it was our final day at the mushroom farm.
Time moved so fast and things are headed into the right direction!
We both got a beautiful wood inlay with horse and a large brass plate with a peacock.
Treasures that are forever with us inside our home - fond memories!
On Sunday, November 12, we went via the mushroom farm to Coimbatore and flew to Bombay (Mumbai) and on to Delhi to our hotel.
Monday, November 13, we flew around 1:00 with KLM to Amsterdam and arrived on Tuesday, November 14, at 6:00 and we still enjoyed an upgrade into business class, which yielded us 6 Delft blue houses.
We did call my Parents, took a shower and after some shopping we departed for Atlanta and arrived around 13:00 back in the USA.

Thanks for your visit and comment!


Related links:
My 5th Consulting Trip to India & Visit of Taj Mahal | previous post by me
Pieter Hands Check to Rotary Club Ketti Valley, India | previous post by me
My 4th Consulting Trip to India after HUGE Landslide | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India | previous post by me
My 3rd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Consulting for Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project | previous post by me
My 2nd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Brindavan Gardens Mysore with Luxury Heritage Hotel | previous post by me

Thursday, January 10, 2019

My 5th Consulting Trip to India & Visit of Taj Mahal

On Wednesday, July 27, of 1994 we both flew again to India for consulting service together. This was Pieter's 8th trip to India meanwhile.
On KLM Royal Dutch Airlines we sat in preferred seating, the old business class.
We landed in Amsterdam on Thursday, July 28, at 8:00 and went to hotel Ibis.
On Friday, July 29, we did rise early at 5:30 and rode the Ibis bus to the airport.
Our Royal Wing card did yield us again a business seat on our way to Bombay (Mumbai).
On Saturday night, July 30, we were at our The Leela Hotel, Mumbai by 1:00 and went to bed.
By 11:00 we went back to the airport for our flight to Coimbatore. From there the usual climb up into the mountains, by car and it was beautiful and green.
We reached our guest house in Ooty by 17:30, it was rainy and windy!
This time we came prepared with a piece of thick plastic in our suitcase to cover those metal slats to keep the cold wind out.
It sure made it a lot more pleasant!
On Sunday, July 31, we went to the mushroom farm by 8:00 and were back home by 19:00. 
It was such inclement weather and here we were with compost hands, eating our sandwich near the electric heater!
On Monday, August 1, we again went together to the farm. This time I asked a favor for stitching my black leather jacket that had come loose when carrying the heavy square box with glass and sculpture gift from Pond's, inside my Samsonite bag. It would be sent to Madras (Chennai) to the leather garment factory where Pieter had purchased a lambs leather jacket for him and for my brother Martin plus a suede leather for me.
We had dinner at the home of one of the staff members.
We continued working every day and on Thursday, August 4, a special courier from Madras did bring back my meticulously stitched leather jacket! What a joy.
Friday, August 5, was our final day at work and we got again honored with a farewell ceremony in which we, as usual received each a gift. A twin gift since we both worked for them. This time it were solid silver Diyas in which the Hindus pour fragrant oil and use 5 cotton wicks to light it.
On Saturday, August 6, we did drive by car early morning with a staff member to Mysore and visited the Palace, where we have been before. Then we traveled to Bangalore and stayed at the Sheraton hotel in Bangalore.
On Sunday, August 7, we flew to Delhi, and stayed at hotel Kanishka (Ashok), sounds almost Russian...
Strange enough, there were lots of Russians staying!
We had a relaxing day.
Monday, August 8, at 4:15 I shampooed my hair, nearly cold water... By 5:30 we left with 2 beautiful sisters as our guides. They were the daughters of some of Pond's employees and we were going to Agra, some 225 km south of Delhi.

There still was no 6-lane Yamuna Expressway at the time and on the road we saw elephants with  HUGE balloons of fabric, that got filled with fresh harvested cotton. Large black camels pulling a cart and with the shaves pointed up.
Black camels are larger than the Arab camels and in the dessert state of Rajasthan, there are a lot of them.
In an article of the Daily Mail: From Delhi to Jaipur and back in a VW Polo? You'll need a blindfold for that! I did find some similar chaos to show you how that looked like.
The writer also mentions: Everyone points their vehicle/camel/elephant in the direction they wish to go, keeps a hand on the horn, and advances as fast as they can, avoiding the pedestrians, chickens, monkeys, goats and cows, who persistently cross the road kamikaze-style, despite the roaring traffic.
~
Yes, we saw goats, stray dogs that were either pregnant or nursing pups. The ever present holy cows and buffalos, adding horses and donkeys used by people as load animal.
You just did weave with your car all the way through. Those cows know that wonderfully well, they usually dream or lie in the median, a raised area between the lanes. The average speed was not high with all the roaming cattle! Occasionally on an open stretch you reached one hundred km/hr. It was pleasant to keep the windows closed and the air conditioning on in the car, thus keeping the odor of manure from all those beasts at bay. Oh yes, there were also roaming pigs, kind of wild boars, at least they looked a lot like that. Plenty of manure and to top it off,  the necessary mud from the wet monsoon! Unseen, you can not imagine what a mess and chaos there was!!!
Taj Mahal a UNESCO World Heritage site click on pink hyperlink to read more.
BUT we made it to Agra and we enjoyed the marvel of the Taj Mahal.
It is entirely built in white Indian marble, which is a lot harder than the Italian marble.
As a matter of fact it is the mausoleum of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who had it built for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
She was a Persian Princess who died when giving birth to their 14th child.
View our: Taj Mahal short Video ←click link.

It is indeed one of World's Wonders!
Beautifully situated on the banks of the Yamuna River lies the Taj Mahal←click it. Watch→: Taj Mahal (UNESCO/NHK) video with lots of info. At the time we were there, it was prohibited to make any photos! You even had to pay for having your camera placed inside a locker...

We did purchase the book from Taj Mahal & The Glory of Mughal Agra by J.S. Lall,
also some video we have from it, as seen from the Agra Red Fort, across the river.
On Amazon there is the same book available with different cover photo: Taj Mahal and the Glory of Mughal Agra
From the White Indian marble we purchased the above picture frame at the Taj Mahal.
Agra Red Fort see more photos via link.
This is an enormous complex of palaces.
We enjoyed our private English guide and learned a lot! Great architecture from the early 17th Century.
The road back in our Ambassador car was again an adventure. One should not be surprised to see suddenly we were moving as a ghost rider, on the wrong side of the road, because it seemed temporarily less congested there. It was a newly opened 4 lane highway divided by a concrete median. At certain spots the concrete quality seemed rather poor, so openings appeared and drivers were  too eager for switching over to drive against the traffic...
Our Guardian Angels had again a very busy day!!!
Lunch we ate at the Sheraton Hotel in Agra.
We were home before it got quite dark as we did not trust the mini lights of the Ambassador car and others and many without any lights!
On Tuesday August 9, we had a quiet morning till 11:00 when the wife of our usual Delhi guide who for 5 years always picked us up, came to take us shopping. At 14:00 we had a meeting with the General Manager from Madras, who just happened to be in Delhi. We had a good conversation with him and it helped that both of us worked for the same company.
Again we went with the same wife as guide into New Delhi, to the Lotus Temple which we this time could video tape. Also the estate from the president; Rashtrapati Bhawan (built in 1931) and the government buildings and India Gate.
We just could run to the car before a downpour!
We let her drop us off at the airport by 20:30 so nobody needed to look after us anymore...
We were early and after checkin with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines we observed something we'd never ever seen.
Russians with huge burlap bales, on which they walked and laid down...
When we asked our KLM agent, she said this was a daily drama with Ukraine Air to Kiev.
They can not even take it all home... they buy huge amounts of fabric rolls, let the Indians sew for a dollar a piece children- and teenage clothing and they stash that all in these burlap bags. In Russia they have a shortage and due to the lower wages in India they purchase it there.
How we would have loved to capture that but at Delhi airport photography or filming was prohibited.
We found in one of the stores, beautiful boxes, cut out in a kind of lacework, made from camel bone!
Never seen them before. They came from the dessert state of Rajasthan. What are those people artists!
Wednesday, August 10, we started boarding at 0:15... but when we were on the runway at 0:50 the captain stopped! The temperature indicator of one of four engines did not work.
They had to replace that and it would take 1.5 hour. We parked on an apron and the captain announced that the food had to be served meanwhile.
We had an upgrade on our Royal Wing card and got seated in the upper deck in business class.
By 8:00 the captain said we had to return to the gate... they couldn't find the problem.
We disembarked and went to the waiting room.
First they called all business class passengers + all passengers traveling to the UK.
So we were lucky since we had our upgrades!
We had to turn in our boarding passes for new ones on Air Canada for flying with them to London.
Then we had to walk to where the plane parked, for identifying our luggage on the pavement, so they could load it into the Air Canada plane.
We flew to London in 8 hours and 45 minutes, departure at 8:30 instead of 0:50...
We had left a note in Delhi for contacting our friends who would pick us up, as we parked our car with them. They got informed!
In London we got awaited by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and after we retrieved our luggage they brought us by bus to the other terminal of Heathrow Airport.
Then we had to run for passport check and straight into the KLM plane that was waiting for us.
To Amsterdam with 106 stranded passengers from Delhi.
By 17:15 we were in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
KLM did bring us to the Golden Tulip, Barbizon hotel (now Barbizon Palace) in Amsterdam.
Also a voucher for dinner and breakfast included.
Thursday, August 11, we went by shuttle back to the airport in Amsterdam and we flew with Delta to Atlanta, USA.
Plane was full and lots of smokers, so bad that the captain had to request to refrain from smoking for at least 15 minutes to refresh the air. How blessed we are now with non-smoking flights!

End of another India adventure...

Thanks for your visit and comment!


Related links:
Pieter Hands Check to Rotary Club Ketti Valley, India | previous post by me
My 4th Consulting Trip to India after HUGE Landslide | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India | previous post by me
My 3rd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Consulting for Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project | previous post by me
My 2nd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Brindavan Gardens Mysore with Luxury Heritage Hotel | previous post by me

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

My 4th Consulting Trip to India after HUGE Landslide

On Wednesday, January 5, 1994, we start our consulting trip to India aboard KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and with our Royal Wing Card, we both enjoyed once again an upgrade into Business Class.
Around noon on Thursday, we landed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and after calling my Parents, we headed to hotel Ibis for some rest and a shower. 
We departed for Bombay (Mumbai) India on Friday, around 10:30 and arrived on Saturday, January 8, by 1:00 at hotel Centaur Airport, the very same hotel Pieter stayed at during his DANGEROUS solo trip (see link below post).
We did rise early as we had a flight at 8:00 to Coimbatore.
From Coimbatore, the road by car up into the mountains and instead of the usual 2.5 hours it would take us today 3.5 hours because of a detour.
On September 30, 1993, the deadliest earthquake in Maharashtra, Mumbai, presumably caused an underground long tear, so the mountains shifted.
From a distance we got to see this bare mountain side, it makes one skip a breath... 
Mother Nature's POWER.
There was another 'cloud burst' on 11th November 1993 in the upper reach of Marappalam of Coonoor Taluk, about 18 huts situated below the road and washing away Coonoor MTP ghat Road for about 1.5 km. The road traffic was suspended for more than a fort night. Twelve persons lost their live and 15 persons missing. It is said that 21 passengers were washed away with two buses. An important highway, sheared stretched of rail road for about 300m.
To the right, the landslide damage is still visible...
We both have seen the rail road, the one that we traveled once to work that stretch, was sticking up  in the air like matches! See below post about My 1st Trip to India...
Like a giant hand had stripped the entire mountain side bare, removing everything in its path...

~

We did arrive finally at our guest house in Ooty, Pieter was as carsick as one can get from the longer road up into the mountains.
That was on Saturday, January 09.
This guest house's shower was a rather puritan experience!
No window, but a hole in the wall, that was only provided with metal slats, which did not close...
We had a small electric heater, to turn in any case not completely blue from cold, from shower to bedroom.
This also helped us with getting into our clothes fast; just like a couple of drilled soldiers!
Keep in mind - this is HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS!
Lovely mountains... but rather cold and windy during the night!
On Sunday, January 10, we did drive through the mountains to the mushroom farm to start our work period together as consultants.
We always enjoyed our beautiful surroundings in the Queen of Hills
Mother nature can be rough at times but when the sun shines down, it looks awesome...
People in the mountains for sure are not wealthy...
This is how they live close to that mushroom farm.
Two donkeys on the side of the road...
Yes, India is a vast country and one of many contrasts!
Looking down on the mushroom farm, visible through the trees.
And here the mushroom farm is in full view...
Of course it is hard to capture it in one shot!
We did work intensely for one week and on Friday, January 14, we left from the farm, after a meeting with the entire staff, on our way to Coimbatore.
This time we could travel via the normal route as of 14:00 o'clock that day, they had opened a Bailey Bridge, put in place by the military, to be used for light vehicles.
There was a sign: One Vehicle at a Time but we saw another vehicle coming our way!
It looked terribly scary! In Indonesia we saw more often a land slide but never such a devastation as here!
The two of us are never afraid, but we both know for certain that there is really such a thing as a Guardian Angel!!!
A miracle often, that we once again got out unscathed.
Also good to see up close such destruction from a natural disaster!
This teaches us once more very clearly, that there is still someone who is many times more powerful than we, small measly ants on this little globe.

We arrived in Coimbatore and traveled again, like the previous consulting trip together, by train to Madras (Chennai). This stretch of some 600 km we managed in 10 hours, in a first class sleeping compartment. Two rows of bunk beds for 4 people. Both of us slept at the top.
One staff member was with us and another unknown businessman.

We arrived around 5:00 and were being dropped off at a chic Sheraton Hotel (far more luxurious in India than here in the USA!).
After a shower and change of clothes, we had our usual wrap-up meeting with the general manager from Pond's India, at their main office in Chennai.
It took quite some effort and even courage for always being straight forward, but still righteous, to give our opinion about things and people. This was required of our job, being consultants...
We always felt relieved, when starting the return journey.
With our luggage packed up again, we left around 14:30 to the airport of Madras.
Flying to Delhi, first class; thus they found us worthy of that!
We met again with our contact person whom we had not seen in two years, because of our non-stop direct flight to Bombay (Mumbai) but on Saturday, there was no Bombay/Amsterdam flight.
In completing the Royal Treatment, they brought us for one night to the Taj Palace Inter Continental Hotel...
Again, such a stark contrast with so many poor people in that country, such luxury for only two people!
We got up at 4:30 on Sunday, January 16 and started our flight back on Royal Dutch Airlines.
Again we got an upgrade to Business Class, due to our Royal Wing card and flew to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and on to Detroit, MI before going to Atlanta, GA.
Back in the USA...

Thanks for your visit and comment!


Related links:
Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India | previous post by me
My 3rd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Consulting for Pond's (India) Limited Mushroom Project | previous post by me
My 2nd trip to India - Consulting Together with Husband Pieter | previous post by me
Brindavan Gardens Mysore with Luxury Heritage Hotel | previous post by me

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Husband Pieter's DANGEROUS Trip back from India

Well, DANGEROUS it would be, even more than that...

On Monday, November 30 of 1992, I did drop Pieter off at the Atlanta airport for his solo flight to India, due to specific problems in which I could not consult.
So he flew on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam, The Netherlands and on Tuesday he stayed at the Ibis hotel.
On Wednesday, December 01, Pieter flew non-stop to Bombay, now Mumbai, on this new flight.
He was seated in seat 9B, just behind Royal Class - our Courtesy Card always yielded good seats and often an upgrade!
Pieter also had booked the flight for Dad in March, with 10% senior discount for fl 1,074.00.
He arrived around 23:30 in Bombay and had to wait rather long before his red-white-blue banded suitcase appeared on the luggage carousel.
They did drop him off at the luxury hotel Centaur, Airport in Bombay, India.
Formerly known as Centaur Airport Hotel it is now renamed Hotel Sahara Star Mumbai, India click link.
What a luxury!
But on the way from International Airport to the hotel, Pieter did for the 1st time see Asia's most densely populated slum area...
India has such STARK CONTRASTS!
INDIA, the SLUMS of MUMBAI (BOMBAY) seen around the AIRPORT and after take-off, incredible views! Just click the link for a video...
At the time it were 2,000,000 people living in shanties on 1.5 square mile.
We all cannot realize enough how fortunate we  are for enjoying such preferential treatment in this world!
~
It has changed our lives forever... and we both have great difficulty each year when the Holiday Shopping Frenzy starts... All about $$$ and WANT!
And click here: Death-trap toilets: the hidden dangers of Mumbai's poorest slums.
On December 2, Pieter woke up early due to time difference and he did travel that day by plane to Coimbatore and than on by car into the mountains to Ooty.
With such a direct, non-stop flight to Mumbai, travel was a lot more relaxed!
That was Thursday...
Sunday, December 6, Pieter went very peaceful to a Catholic Church in Ooty.
But in the north of India this would turn into a Barbaric Sunday... with the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.
  Rioting also had spread to Bombay, as published in our Dutch/US bi-weekly paper The Windmill

By Thursday, December 10, the Indian Government halted ALL traffic! 
Plants and offices had to close...
They were trying to calm the whole nation down! So far hundreds of dead from the clashes between Hindus and Muslims.

Pieter got instructed to remain inside the hotel, people from Pond's India staff, came to him, walking for still getting some work done and problems solved.
It was a scary situation!
Pieter was unable to call with the USA... So he was forced to try via The Netherlands to leave a message for me with my Parents.
The female switchboard operator tried time and time again, finally she got through! Only to hear my Dad hang up on her, as he thought it was a wrong connection.
She tried again and Pieter could take over, so Dad recognized his voice and Pieter than explained him about the dangerous situation he was in.

Dad in turn called me in Dublin, Georgia/USA with the message that Pieter was stuck in the South of India and couldn't travel and that it looked rather dangerous...
Finally, Pieter managed to get through with a call to the USA and informed me that on Friday morning by 5:00 A.M. (which would be still Thursday evening here in the USA, 18:30 the staff would try to move him out to Coimbatore, even though driving a car was still prohibited! 
But he desperately needed to leave the country!
The airlines in India were all on strike and also the trains...
The evening of December 10, 1992, I had to go to a Ladies Night from Pieter's Rotary Club.
I'd handed the Rotary Club's President a note, requesting prayers for Pieter, who would be on the road at that time, trying to get out of India, somehow!
Pieter was in danger... and they sure did pray for him!
When I came home that night, I had a hard time to go to bed.
Next day on Friday, December 11, for keeping my sanity, I did drive all the way to the Atlanta Antique Show... and then I stayed up.  Read all the magazines I had to still read, writing letters and stayed up with burning eyes till 2:30 on Saturday...
Calling once again with my Parents, but they had not heard anything yet... so I went to bed exhausted.
Then Mom called at 4:15 on Saturday, December 12, to tell me that Pieter had arrived at the railway station in Horst/Sevenum, The Netherlands and Dad was on his way to pick him up.
Pieter made it out of India SAFE!
By 5:15 Pieter called me and told me his incredible story.
Brother Martin gained a beautiful black lambskin jacket that Pieter had bought for him from Pond's Leather Garment Factory, just like his one from an earlier trip in February 1991. For only Fl. 200.00 quite a bargain!
~
Pieter had gotten the instruction to NOT talk at all, while they were driving the 2.5 hours down to the city of Coimbatore.
The driver, a courageous staffer from Pond's, would handle all the talking!
They got stopped by military a dozen times but each time they let them go on...
Also they passed through a rather dangerous area, where quite some turmoil was going on.
So they reached Coimbatore  airport, but of course no flights and no trains either.
In such a situation it proves valuable for working under the umbrella of a big and good company such as Pond's, a subsidiary of Unilever. They have power in such a case!
Via the grape vine they learned that a high ranking military guy had to fly from Coimbatore to Bombay in a usual 2.5 hour lasting flight.
It took a lot of money for getting Pieter, together with some more stranded business people working for Unilever (from Great Britain and the US) on the same flight with that military guy!
It was a small plane and they'd bribed a pilote for flying from the military airport to Bombay.
But all was not clear yet, due to the domestic airport being completely shut down, they now needed approval for landing at the international airport!
With numerous phone calls, that got cleared as well.
When Pieter landed in Bombay, it made him instantly feel almost home because soon he would be under the wings of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and he would really be leaving!
Instead of the usual combi-jumbo for half freight/half passengers, used for this stretch, KLM had sent a full passenger plane because so many people got stranded in India during these riots.
What a grateful feeling for getting out SAFE!


The death toll had risen to 1,400...



On December 14, I could finally pick up my flying Dutchman at the Atlanta Airport!



END of a dangerous journey...





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