Bring your patience on away trips
AB de Villiers with a picture given by a fan for his engagement© Dirk Nannes
The flight to Chandigarh was standard enough. Like all flights in India, it had the guy who bypassed check-in and took all his worldly possessions with him as hand luggage. It’s strange to me, but no matter how full the overhead compartment, there always seems to be room on top of my laptop for a 23kg suitcase.
There was the guy who taps you on the shoulder while you are soundly sleeping, smiles and says “Can I have one snap?” Before you can get angry, he’s always nice enough to say, “Sorry to disturb you,” before he leaves happily.
Each flight has the guy who needs to get off the plane before it lands. He’s on his phone, two bags in hand and at the door before you’re off the runway, oblivious to everyone else who is patiently waiting to get off.
Finally, there’s also the guy who has no shame in holding up 60 people in the aisle to get “one snap” and a signature on a dirty napkin before getting off. What’s with people asking for “One shot” when they always mean, “One shot for me … and one for my friend”?
Still this is all part of the IPL experience, and there is something so very endearing about all these small interruptions to your day.
But no matter how good the planning and careful the preparation for an away trip, things never go smoothly. Or, at least, nothing ever goes how you’d expect it.
Arriving into Chandigarh, we were rushed to our waiting bus. It had been parked in a jungle for the last 10 or so years, breeding swarms of mosquitoes like none of us had ever seen. Throwing the windows down to avoid being bitten, we made our way to our temporary hotel for one night - the main IPL hotel was full until KKR played Kings XI and left town.
In other hotels and at home, my kids often play games jumping from bed to bed. This time, my four-year-old daughter was left with cuts, abrasions, minor concussion and a quick lesson in the discomforts of cheap, firm bedding. A 3am disturbance from the pack of dogs barking on the street, and the eventual 4am wake up due to the sun rising through the blinds, and many felt like we may as well have caught a bus to Chandigarh. An hour later, we were on the top floor of the hotel with beautiful views of the city and the Himalayas in the distance, coffee in hand, and all was well again.
But now we’ve moved hotels, it is game day, and we’re ready!
Such is the transient nature of the IPL - constantly moving, constantly gaining new experiences, constantly overcoming trivial day-to-day issues. If you’re impatient or uptight, these small things can trouble you, but if you just relax and take it as it comes, travel days always provide great entertainment and humour.
Tomorrow we move again to Jaipur, and after previously enjoying almost two weeks at home in Bangalore, the travelling RCB road-show begins.
Before I go for this week, my son Max wanted to make sure everyone knew that he was charged by an elephant while on a safari in Kabini (an absolute highlight for him and his sister). He was brave! He also wants to thank everyone in India for being so kind, and for showing him and his family such a fantastic time!
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