21 Mumbai - Colombo

4. Feb 2007

After 2 nights in Mumbai, I had an early rise, and had breakfast as room service ordered for 7am. But the Indian peril had caught up with me, and I simply had to leave the breakfast untouched. I was sick in my stomach! After a couple of pills and a lie down for half an hour, I went to the airport.
 
Under other circumstances I would have postponed the flight, but as any changes in this country are apparently not allowed, I went on. It was going to be a long trip. Another attempt, the day before, to get permission to land in Bangalore, had been turned down.
 

By the time I had fuel on board, I was feeling ok. I lined up behind 2 big Boeings.
When it was my turn, I took off and headed south. The route I had requested along the coast was not granted – I was taken inland until past Goa. I guess it had to do with the military zones in that area?
 

I had requested Fl. 90 but was taken to FL 100 and requested to stand by for further climb. But my request to stay at this level was accepted.
 

After taking another pill against the ailment, I tempted eating an apple – I had only eaten half of it, when I started to feel very uncomfortable, and I quickly donned the oxygen gear for additional oxygen.
That helped immediately and the rest of the leg went ok. I was passed from one area controller to the next, and frequency change was only approved, when I confirmed, that I was in contact with the next station.
 

Leaving the coast of southern India also got me away from that layer of smog covering India up to about 8000 feet. On the approach to Colombo I was taken in over the VOR as nr. 3 for landing, but having the runway in sight, I was allowed in first, from a left base to runway 04.
 After a simple taxi instruction – first left 2. right – a marshal was signalling me to my parking spot.
 

A ramp manager, a very friendly guy, was on the spot straight away.. Took me to the terminal, and in 5 minutes I was though the formalities – that was the time it took to walk the distance from the airside to the arrival hall!  After initially showing him the General Declaration I had with me from Mumbai, I was waived right though – I did not even have to show my passport. Amazing!
 

20 minutes later, I was at the hotel on the beach in Negombo. By the time I got to my  room, I had had it, and went straight into bed to sleep the next 11 hours.