En route to Hawaii via Mainland U.S.A. -Update Day 2

The taxi dropped me off at Nedumbassery International in 45 minutes from home via the new Kolani - Vengaloor bye pass, this new road saves 15 minutes of journey time.
It is 2AM  -the busiest at this airport. About 8 middle east flights with connection to USA  and Europe via. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait ,Muscat, Bahrain, depart within a space of 3 hours from Kochi, before sunrise.

As the aircraft is flying  only couple of hundred miles slower than the rotation of the earth,  one can be in the US the same day he  leaves Kochi. My Etihad flight  will leave Kochi at 4:25 AM  on February 13 and but will let me off  in New York at 4 :20 PM,  of the same day after flying for 24 hours, which includes a 3 hour transit stop in Abu Dhabi.

 The golden elephant that welcomes visitors at Duty Free Shops 

at  terminal 3 of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

 

 

 Like, the nearby Dubai Airport - Adu Dubai  has a gleaming terminal building. full of glitzy duty free shops and cafeterias. But it is slightly more expensive. A breakfast of Chicken Panini, Ceasr Salad and Cappuccino Coffee, would set you back by AED 60. [Rs. 900 ]

At the Gate 30, of Terminal 3,  I wait on the front row of the glass front  lounge, observing the numerous hectic activities that happens on the ground - watching the aircraft that will fly me to New York.

 

 A shot of the seat monitor, showing the route we will take in this 14 hour non stop flight to New York.

Taking off at 10 AM local time, the aircraft would cross the Persian Sea to enter Iranian airspace. Passing Shiraz and Tehran to thr right will enter Russia and then fly by the south of Moscow and St. Peter's burg to enter the Scandanavian airspace over Helsinki and Stockhom and over the North Sea to the Island of Iceland in mid Atlantic.

  Passing Reykjavik to the north, and then over to the southern tip of Greenland , 

it  arch down  into Canadian air space.

Flying south, over Labrador and Goose Bay to enter America and finally land at John F Kennedy Airport in New York. 13 hours 50 minutes.

My son pick me up the airport, The temperature is 4 degree celsius.

As we reach  my sister's home about an hour's drive  away, it is below freezing  and begins to snow.

The first leg of this tour is over.
A hot bath and a good  meal is all what  I need..

DAY 2

View from my window early in the morning. I woke up before any one else, as my biological clock is still tuned to Indian time.
 Looking out of my window to see if the new paper has been delivered, the entire place is covered by snow that fell in the night. I slide up the window to take this pic. on my mobile, a blast of cold wind greets me.

 

Winter clothes and boots, will take 5 minutes to put on - one over the other,  

It will only take less than 30 seconds to go out and collect the paper, if willing to brave the cold.

I make a dash and back.
Coming from tropical heat and going out into snow without acclimatisation may not be advisable.

 

For me, my sisters house in Congers, New York  is the Tharavad outside India.  She is my only sibling and  naturally fond of me.  As it happens,  my Amma is also in USA now. So instead of going to my son’s apartment in Norwalk, Connecticut,  on arrival we drive to her house, So the family reunion makes it all the more sweeter.

My mother now  80 years old bought  an I- pad a few weeks ago and went online in Facebook.

Most people wouldn’t believe it that she was using it on her own. Of course  initially she did get help from her grandchildren, but as others realized that she was using the I pad, Amma's cousins and sisters were amazed.

Here she is on her I pad in my sister’s house.             

 My son, sister and mother

Today evening we will go to Norwalk and in the morning to New Jersey airport for the trip.

  Day 3
As it is difficult to post while constantly on the move I may be away for a while.