Elsewhere
in this newsletter you will read an article about our now annual
visit to the Serbian Aikikai in Belgrade. As usual a fantastic time
was had by all but getting there was a different matter.
The journey started so well, we got up as usual at home and my wife
Judith ran me to Birmingham airport so that I could be in plenty of
time for my Swissair flight to Zurich; connecting to Belgrade.
Whilst I was sitting the departure lounge reading my newspaper over
breakfast I kept one eye on the departure screen, which, ominously,
wasn’t giving any information about my flight! Eventually the call
came for barding some 20 minutes after the scheduled departure time
so I dutifully picked up my bag and took my seat.
So we taxied onto the runway and stopped. Sat there for perhaps 10
minutes before we picked up speed and were finally off into the
great blue yonder. By this time we ‘re about an hour behind schedule
and the captain tells us that arrangements will be made for onward
travel at Zurich.
Just before we land at Zurich he comes onto the intercom again to
give us a list of gates that passengers should go to for their
onward flights. A list that didn’t include Belgrade! At the end of
his little speech almost as an aside he said, “Everybody else got to
the Swissair desk”.
So a few minutes after we’d landed I’m standing at the Swissair desk
waiting for information, and being diverted eventually via Munich
now with Lufthansa to arrive in Belgrade at 3.55 instead of 2.55. OK
so I need to phone Sasa to tell him the new plan. Switch on mobile
phone – can’t make calls. Only got enough change to make one
payphone call so in a flash of inspiration decide to phone home so
that 1) If Sasa tries to get me on the mobile but can’t he might try
there 2) Judith can phone my mobile company to sort out the problem.
Anyway sitting in Zurich airport is pretty boring, especially when
your connecting flight (now to Munich remember) is delayed!! But
there’s a 40-minute gap between landing and departure times at
Munich so no panic; especially as the Lufthansa guy assures me we’ll
make the connection.
Take-off from Zurich is about 35 minutes late but according to the
crew we’re still OK for our connection so I put my trust in German
efficiency and believe them.
My trust is misplaced. Land at Munich run to the gate which is
almost literally shut in my face; apparently I’m 30 seconds too late
and the gate can absolutely positively NOT be opened for me and the
Serbian guy who has been running behind me. In fact (and I quote
Lufthansa customer “service”) “You cannot expect us to delay a plane
just because YOU are late”
After a brief but heated discussion when we tried to decide who was
to blame for us being late at Munich (I personally think the delayed
Lufthansa flight had something to do with it) we were offered a
flight to Berlin with a connection to Belgrade. Oops no seats to
Berlin so we now have two options stay in Munich overnight or fly to
Zagreb and get to Belgrade by public transport or some other way. So
the Serbian guy turns to me and says, “Shall we hire a car”. Sounds
good to me and just as I agree my phone goes (its started working
again) and it’s Mark Vanes phoning to see where I am. So I explain
what’s happening and the new plan and say we expect to arrive in
Belgrade about 10.00 pm (ish).
Now its a sprint to the Zagreb plane which turns out to be a
propeller driven job, noisy bumpy and slow. So I’ve agreed to drive
300 kilometres with a guy I’ve just met and whose name I don’t know
(he did tell me but I didn’t hear it properly over the engine noise)
but there again so has he.
Zagreb airport (bit shabby but being refurbished) and I speak to
Mire to fill him in on the situation. Serbian guy then tells me that
his company are sending a car and driver to collect us (I’m thinking
about the expense so withdraw 3,000 Croation Krone; I found out
later that’s only £28 worth) and he will be here in about an hour.
He goes to check where his luggage is and comes back 10 minutes
later to say the cars outside!
So a few minutes later I’m sitting in the back of a black car (Opel
Vectra) with two men who I don’t know or understand looking forward
to a 3 – 4 hour journey; confidence is not increased when we stop on
the outskirts of Zagreb to ask somebody where the motorway is!
When we get sorted out away we go and as we’re travelling our ETA
Belgrade is coming down rapidly – I didn’t know Vectras were so
fast; it seems like we’re doing warp factor 9 with the down side
that we don’t appear to have any brakes: or at least the brakes only
start to work within about six inches of the vehicle in front. One
other complication was for about 40 kilometres of the journey the
opposite carriageway was closed. Not a problem for our driver who
simply pulled into the contraflow to over take; no matter what was
coming the other way!
Despite this I managed to arrive safely (if a little shaken) at
Belgrade albeit about 2 hours ahead of schedule to meet Sasa and
Mark Vanes. This meant I could join everyone for the evening meal
and really begin what was a fantastic weekend both on and off the
mat.
One other twist to that weekends travel happened on the return
journey when who should I meet at Zurich airport but Keith Hayward
coming back from his trip to Athens!
All in all an eventful weekend; can’t wait for the next one.
Author:
Philip Smith
Created: 12 May 2006
source:
Ren Shin Kan
Martial Arts Centre
