America: The vastness of natur…

Bangalore Airport. Clock strikes 2:00 in the morning of the Sunday on 28th Sep 2008. Boarding call for the Lufthansa flight LH 755 to Frankfurt (Germany). A Boeing 747 takes off at 2:30.

Amidst the awe and excitement of boarding one of the biggest aircrafts in the aviation history, the fact that the final destination is a country that has inspired and scandalised many over ages from the vague blinks of the past.

And then the clouds appear in the sky and the weather becomes amazingly pleasant like the cherished vicissitudes of fate.

Frankfurt International Airport. Touchdown at 8:00 in the morning (Germany time). The reflection of the Boeing on a blue-glass building confirms the fact that i have finally left my home for the land far far away !!!5 and a half hours halt at one of the world’s busiest airports in the world, until i catch my next flight to the USA. The journey from the arrival gate to the next terminal of departure lead me through a maze of escalators, long lobbys, monorail connecting the various terminals of this mammoth of an airport, and another security-check post.

Finally, a long lobby of the airport with innumerable gates and glass windows overlooking the awesome feat of all sorts of engineers, and airplanes landing and taking off from runways as far as you can see, filled with passengers from around the globe, vending machines, hot-dog and pretzel stands and duty free shops. No camera to capture those amazing sights for sore eyes…… No regrets nonetheless.

1:40 and the ‘All aboard’ call for the Lufthansa flight LH 426, fills the air. I board the Boeing and make myself comfortable eagerly waiting for the drinks to be served.

A nine hour flight to the US is about to come to an end. After another short round of drinks and snacks the air-hostesses distribute various forms required to be filled for the immigration check at the Philadelphia International Airport.

4:37 in the evening (US East Coast time), i move toward the baggage claim after the short and brisk immigration check. Welcome to the United States of America !!!

I grab a cab and as it runs down the freeway of the colossal infrastructure capital of the world, i sit back dazzled by the passing cars, of brands i could have dreamed to see only in an Auto expo, with ornate green fields, trees, over-bridges and 4-lane roads on both sides, that we are guided through by a vivacious voice on the GPS system. An exit onto a green beautiful country road towards West Chester leads us through a scene of old country houses, churches, market complexes and small house buildings. The very interpretation of what i saw: “Nature has adorned this place with abysmal fantasm and the residents of this magnificent garden of a country are nothing short of a group of premier meticulous craftsmen.”