Glimpses from Cali, Colombia while covering UNCBD COP 16

Hi folks,

Am very happy to share glimpses of my visit to Cali, Colombia (in South America) the city that hosted UNCBD's 16th Conference of Parties in October 2024.

The send off at home on 4th October included rice flour noodles with coconut milk sauce and a generous flavouring of sweet spices ...

For me the best in flight entertainment is to watch flight maps...!

Flying maps is for me the greatest kick on board... it literally shows the miles I have travelled...

One of th details shown on flying maps

Sleep deprived Malini ... as one flies west the day stretches so long that night does not fall at all till one reaches the destination. The result is seen on my face here below.

On reaching Bogota I checked into a youth hostel for one night as I wanted to avoid a late evening flight connection to Cali. What if the connecting flight is delayed? At the time of booking tickets I did not know that I would be picked up at the airport in Cali, ...if I had known that I would have booked a connecting flight on the day I arrived in Bogota itself. All the same staying one night in Bogota was not too bad at all, despite the shock of not receiving my checked in suitcase on landing in Bogota. I managed with minimal clothing and minimal warm clothes till my suitcase arrived in Cali two days later. Lesson learnt: Keep a set of 5 undergarments, medicines and dry foods and some warm clothing in your cabin luggage just in case one's checked in luggage goes elsewhere and we don't get it on landing at destination... My food in Bogota for almost 24 hours included a platter of strawberries, 2 apricots and almost a whole litre of oat milk. Served me well. Felt good in the stomach and could sleep well that night.

The multi plug adaptor I purchased here before leaving is workable in many countries including in the US / Canada, Europe, China, Far East, India etc. This helped infinitely. Although we had expected internationally compatible plug points at the conference venue, this was not the case so when we had to use our laptops at the COP venue. We had to take the adaptors and make sure we pack it up securely before leaving...even to the toilet... essential accoutrement!

My staple breakfast at Hotel Champagnat where I stayed for more than 23 days in all. It included fruit platter, and a a roll. I also ate omelette a few days till I developed egg allergy. Later I settled with fruit platter and fruit yoghurt + a cup of coffee for breakfast.

My luggage made its way to Cali by the night of 12th October whereas it ought to have arrived with me in Cali by the afternoon of 11th October itself. As I arrived in Bogota on 11th October I was shocked to figure that my luggage had not even come to Colombia! Later I discovered that all Indians who travelled on KLM had their luggage misplaced and had not arrived with them in Cali.

My luggage had in it Fenugreek leaves flavoured flat bread meant to serve as food for me for atleast 10 days, but thanks to KLM I did not get it. Apart from the luggage misplacement however I was very pleased with KLM - most of all - because it does not require a transit visa to the Netherlands... a factor which cost me dearly for booking Lufthansa and then having to cancel it as the visa interview was slated for the end of October by when COP would nearly be at its last. I could not ask for compensation for delayed luggage delivery either because it was delivered to me within three days; the airline policy states that if the passenger does not get lost baggage within 21 days passengers are not entitled to compensation.

Here below you see cannon balls on the Cannon Ball Tree a tropical orchid which was a very pleasant encounter for me quite literally in Cali Colombia. Almost every third tree on the road side is a cannon ball tree.

Here is a close up of the Cannon ball tree orchid. In my native Mother Tongue - Kannada - it is referred to as Nagalinga Pushpa and its fragrance is almost seductive!

Here below is a close up of this bewitching beauty.

The cannon ball tree or Couroupita guianensis is endemic to tropical South America too, apparently which came as a very pleasant surprise to me. On Boulevards, side walks and parks these trees present a common sight, heartening the tree warden in me infinitely. It ... almost made me feel at home! Watch Canon Ball Tree to know more about this fragrant beutiful tropical orchid. It was when I was travelling to the COP 16 venue for media accreditation that I found this tree was and was soooo excited to see it! Turned out to be a good omen and a blessing I reckon.

The media accreditation card was done in a jiffy.

On returning I ordered native Colombian food. - a vegetarian meal which came with stuffed Arepas, rice, vegetable salad and vegetable soup... thinking it will be a full meal I ordered it, hoping to go adventurous in food!. The dumpling came filled with fish fillet! I obviously did not expect fillet as a filling. One bite into it I instantly knew this is not something I am used to. Unfortunately for the fish which died for no fault of it... had to be spat out as I am a very, very strict vegetarian. There was a complementary vegetable soup which I ate with rice and salad later.

This is the vegetable soup I refer to...

This blue berry juice came with the meal. In Colombia a fresh fruit juice is mandatory after every meal. This is heartening, to say the least.

Fruit platter with oat milk makes a very healthy breakfast indeed. Now even after coming back from Colombia I prefer fruit platter and fruit yoghurt for breakfast. Stomach feels very nice on eating so many probiotics early morning!

Here below is the glimpse of "Amazonias" the plenary room at the COP 16 venue.

This room could accommodate atleast 1200 people, and the AC was set proportionately. It froze me nevertheless! You notice the white bags tied to each each chair? In that bag was a Bosch manufactured bi lingual translator. One can choose any language into which you want to hear the speech in. While somewhat effective its bicameral nature meant on the left ear one could hear say Spanish or Mongolian. and in the right ear one could her translation in your preferred language. The volume control was nevertheless not so sensitised. One could not decrease the volume on one ear. At one point when I increased the volume it not just increased volume on the machine - meaning both languages, but also that of the live speech! Drove me crazy! Later I settled down with official press releases and webcast for reporting. But it is a measure of the effort that is poured into Common Property Resources that the UN tries ... to make it an enabling environment for diverse groups of participants. Million salutes of gratitude.

A vegetarian sandwich I mustered after a great chase!

Here below is the glimpse of an Indian Thali I managed to order from an Indian restaurant in Cali. One Indian bread, one cup of chikpea curry / known as Chole for us Indians), salad and rice.

Next day's breakfast included 2 bananas and a cup of oat milk (which is not seen in the picture below. These ripe plantains are native to Colombia and many South American countries and imports to Europe are sourced from Latin America.

Here below you see cut fruit, 1 Arepa, 1 slice of tomato, and 1 cup of oat milk...

Here below we get a glimpse of passion fruit juice on crushed ice. The whole fragrance and sweet taste of the beloved passion fruit is lost thanks to crushed ice... This is usually how it is served especially in fruit stalls in malls. I had gone to buy a warm clothing as I had nothing to serve me for a trek into the snow clad volcano in Andes Mountains...Much as I looked forward so much to indulging my taste buds on passion fruit fresh juice the crushed ice disappointed me so much ...one has to hold the cup in a holder or paper towels to insulate the hand from the cold ice... even the colour of the juice changed with the ice...

Then went to the parlour to fix my unruly hair .... next day SBI 5 was opening.

1st day's lunch box at COP 16 venue (seen below)... top left corner, is the remaining Hummous. Top right corner is the emptied salad corner! Bottom half you can see brown rice topped with Falafel, and salad on the right side. I thought I will be able to survive with this staple fare. But all the people I met said eating dry rice without a curry or a sauce to accompany it is hard...this is diversity indeed. In the West / Occident great emphasis is laid on proteins... whereas we vegetarians / Asians need lots of vitamins and minerals (from greens and vegetables / dairy) etc.

The beloved mango tree dripping with fruit in front of the main entrance to the COP 16 venue... it made me sentimental, emotional to see mangoes dripping from the tree at the venue.

I for one did not know that one can copy whatsapp numbers through QR Code!

Not exactly French cuisine but comfortable on the intestine and nearest to home food... boiled vegetables, oat milk and yoghurt for dinner.

In this picture below we see Dr. Manjeet Singh Saluja of WHO making a presentation on traditional medicines. Biodiversity is critical to Public Health he said.

Lunch from the Turkish food truck included Zafran rice, half slice of Pita bread, 4 Falafels, fresh vegetables, boiled American sweet corn and a glass of fresh fruit juice. The vegan ice cream I got as a treat from a Finnish WTO delegate (flavoured with passion fruit and chocolate and was a sugar free indulgence made with coconut milk)

A top view of the lunch box...

This was dinner ... boiled vegetables...

And a fruit platter for breakfast next day.

There is a 3 tiered security cordon before reaching the COP 16 venue. This one - the 1st rung by Colombian federal police is equipped with a canine squad. I wanted to cuddle the canine... and the friendly officer permitted me to touch the dog. Usually canine squad members are aggressive but this German shepherd allowed me to cuddle him, and he also kissed my hand with warm canine licks! I went tizzy with happiness. Oh how I missed my pet animals when I travel ...

He's cute aint he?

The K 9 officer too was pleased at his ward's performance and behavior.

At the KMGBF Pavilion we had a very creative output one day... representatives from Small Island States and Micronesia came out in colourful costumes and dramatised the stake holders' need for Biodiversity Loss. Stake holders included marine drammatis personnae like sharks, whales, starfish and land lubbers like human beings ... they brought home in a very creative and light hearted way (with serious undertones nevertheless) the dangers they face with sea level rise and impact of Climate Change on their lands, lives, livelihoods and food. It also brought home to us that their culture, language, traditions, food, cuisine, couture all face threats because of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise.

These security personnel gleefully posed with me in front of the mango tree and one officer even gave me a ripe mango with a lot of affection.

The food options we got at the COP venue left a lot to be desired unfortunately both for vegetarians and non vegetarians (from what I heard). In this picture below the police officer standing on my left was gracious enough to give me a ripe mango.

The officer who gave me the ripe mango the previous day came to pose with my beloved blue car, with his blue coat... all the richer

A modest lunch meant we were hungry again by 5.00p.m. Time to eat any junk food then.

You will not believe it ... these two slices of chocolate cake was lunch for me one day.

Steamed plantain and sautéed aubergines was dinner for me one night.

This is how press releases are distributed today. All encoded in QR Codes. We scan and take what is relevant to us. Never mind paper less environment ... it is al encoded ... or QR coded!

With Mr. Muralee Thumarkudy of UNCCD at the KMGBF Pavilion on 31.10.24.

Dr. Vishaish Uppal Director of WWF India at the launch of India's NBSAPs at the India Pavilion.

Diego Alexandro Castro was a very sensitive, empathetic UNV volunteer who attended on me very reliably, very diligently. This 24 year old and I had a great connection. I hope one day I will be able to give back to all the UNV volunteers who helped so much in Cali.

I was struggling with the NBSAPs in QR Code while reporting!

Conductor Wilson and I managed good coordination despite the language barrier.

David Ainsworth speaking at the KMGBF Pavilion on the penultimate day on 31.10.24.

Oh this leafy Pongamia pinnata tree on the road side made me ecstatic! Indian Birch tree is the Common English name for it in India. Small crown tree but with a vey thick leafy foliage it is known for the shade it gives. A proverb in my native tongue Kannada goes to say that the shade given by this tree is akin to the protection of a Mother's womb. To see this kind of a native tree in far away Colombia made me so nervously excited!

And then here comes the Hero of COP 16. Francisco Andres Jaramillo of PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation). It was he who was leading the paramedical team. His organisation skills, his affinity to be a peoples' person, his gregarious connect with all and sundry to keep the machines at COP 16 well oiled made me look forward to meeting him daily. On the first day I went to the venue for accreditation card my assigned car was not there and I had to go by Uber. Security clearance for Uber cars was an issue especially since I had been assigned a chauffeur driven car for my mobility. That day when the Uber had to make its way to pick me up on 14th October before the conference commenced, and Uber was finding it difficult to come to pick me up, Francisco Jaramillo, senior UNV staffer Juan Fernando, and staff from Mayor's office made it a point that I will be comfortable waiting for Uber. These gentlemen used their training to the T on a person who needed it and they did it with such a genuine beatific smile that the connection passed on to a different level. You can see his (Francisco's) angelic smile in this picture below. I had no qualms in telling him that he has done his Mother very proud of him!

Watch the two Instagram videos below and you will know what I mean!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBuc5EbtCDZ/?igsh=MWZ0bmxkbTRsejFzZw==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB4fuKLpcJk/?igsh=MTRuNzVtNHcwYnJzNw==

The pleasure of giving versus the one who is taking! You see it all here.

I for one truly enjoyed meeting so many people and connecting with them all. Made lots of contacts across the world, am very happy to say! Because Francisco's right leg was hidden behind the desk, so we decided to take some more selfies...

By 31st October lack of food for me started showing on my face ... But honest emotion is hard to hide! Na Francisco?

Here's Estefania a UN Volunteer who attended on me with an unparalleled smile. How much these UN Volunteers have to be appreciated cannot be expressed in mere words! Salute dear UNV heroes...

Ms. Michelle Morales of the Mayor's Office in Cali was instrumental in assigning me pick and drop to and from my hotel to COP 16 venue. Her attention to detail and personalised approach and her final adieu in this picture was so touching that my family was grateful to her! Michelle Moralles ... my beautiful angel...

This is the beloved Blue Car assigned to me by the Mayor's Office staff led by Ms. Michelle Morales with Alvarro Arana assigned as official chauffeur

Malini with my beloved blue car... a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life fondly...

I am with Manuela in this picture below, another generous, gentle UN Volunteer.

And with another UN Volunteer who was a coordinator of UN Volunteers.

Meet Alvarro Ramirez Arana who was my assigned chauffeur for the beloved Blue Car during the COP 16. After the COP he was also my tour conductor for the trip that included Filandia, Selante, Manisales and Nevada Del Ruiz Volcano. Let's call it the volcano holiday for short...His wife and son were also part of the tour and he very graciously said "you start your life from tomorrow as part of my family" How gracious!

Alvaro is seen here loading my luggage as we start our journey for the post COP holiday.

Seen below is an excited Malini, seconds before the holiday starts...

This is Mrs. Alexa Álvaro Arana... posing in front of the Hotel Champagnat before leaving for the volcano holiday.

To be able to see a mango tree Mangifera indica and a Gulmohar tree / Dalbergia regia in far away Colombia is a rich reward trust me when I say this!

We decided to stop at a Mall, to buy supplies like Quinoa Salads, and fruits, yoghurts etc oat milk, etc for the volcano holiday. Glimpses of the Mall are below.

We made our own salad...

End result: My lunch was potato wedges, steamed plantain pockets, salad bowl, fruit bowl and a hot chocolate. I opted out o Quinoa because in Colombia apparently they do not soak or cook the quinoa. It is poured directly into the salad bowl. I felt I am not used to that.

View of the restaurant terrace inside the Mall. A cake shop ...

Glimpses of the Mall...

Town Square Qimbaya

Mother Mary's Church in Town Square in Qimbaya on the way to Filandia.

Filandia is like any town in the Western Ghats or in Uttarakhand. Steep terrain, mountainous landscape, cold winds, submontane ecosystem... and this agro meteorology influences culture, costume, customs, cuisine, cotour language and thinking. Small town mentality but a trusting generous in-calculative mind of the common man on the street is refreshing indeed.

The colourful patterns of wall painting and grills are very much part of Hill country culture.

Finally after winding down the hill roads we arrive in the accommodation booked by Alvarro. This peacock throne made of cane instantly caught my eye. But the rooms were a little inaccessible so the reception staff reccommended us to nearby Finca San Miguel barely 200 metres away.

Once we arrived in Finca San Miguel the St Bernard gave us a very hearty welcome as a bonus!

The property had three dogs, and two cats... sending me into a complete tizzy. Boy had I missed my pet animals!

Finca San Miguel (Latitude: 75.67830311 Longitude: 4.63996339)Location: Via Montenegro-Vereda La Cauchera, 634001 Filandia,

Colombia, Via Montenegro-Vereda La Cauchera,

Colombia 634001

is a beautiful property ... very tastefully landscaped with rock garden, fountains, water fall, cactus, and many garden plants... leaving the garden with very thick foliage and hosting loads of birds, croaking frogs, and other Creatures made by the Lord Above. A very beautiful experience we had... Garden was illuminated exciting us infinitely...

Here too my dinner was cold salad...

Finally this cat befriended me...

He came and sat on my lap, not seeking my love but a buttered toast!

He was a bit curious about my senseless love though!, the cat I mean...

Papaya slices for breakfast arranged in a floral pattern.

Arepas being baked for breakfast for us... areapas are a staple in Colombia. Breakfast options in Colombia include Arepas, fruit platter, toast with avocado and other stuffings, Colombian Black Coffee and fresh fruit juice of multiple fresh fruits. Egg omelettes (called egg tortillas are also made with salt pepper tomatoes, spring onions and any other sauteed vegetable on might request as a stuffing.

Here below we see an arepa, a slice of vegetable omelette, a slice of fresh cottage cheese, two pieces of Papaya dressed with white sesame seeds, and a cup of fruit yoghurt.

Brown sugar - called Panella in South America - we call it Jaggery is used to flavour Hot Chocolate...

The cat followed me to my room and was very curious about the smell of my pet cats on my luggage...

It could not smell enough of Puffy my pet cat on my rucksack.

It was time to pack and leave... Finca San Miguel is a resort where one has to stay for a whil to soak in the experience. Orchids, flowering plants, vines, garden lights, landscapes, Water falls private sit out, a bandstand, a bon fire with a Hammock ... one needs to stay here a few days to soak in the experience. Just a one night stop over does not do justice to the place....so beautiful it is...

My smile here below should tell you how happy I was yet sad I was but sad to leave ...

A final picture before leaving with the family of Alvaro and with their pet dogs the St. Bernard... and the black Golden Retriever.

After leaving Finca San Miguel we headed to Selante where we stopped for lunch. Lunch for me was a vegetable soup.

Alvarro and his family had lunch which included rice, shrimp, a vegetable stew, salad and a slice of chicken, beef or fish ... among them. Steamed plantain chops are also part of their staple food.

A bowl of red kidney bean soup made its way...

Town Square Filandia where Alvaro gifted to me a warm woolen blanket with a hoody as a memento...you will see the woolen blanket in photos during our visit to the volcano 17531 feet above MSL further down in this photo blog. Pet dogs are very popular and are pampered rotten by Colombians...

Post lunch the drive through thick wet evergreen forests to Cocora ... land of the world's largest Palms is an interesting stop too. We had the good fortune of sighting a soaring Condor here.

First sight of the world's tallest palms in Cocora...

Ah Kakao! I found it very difficult to get a cuppa hot chocolate while in Cali... Indulged in it often during the volcano holiday! Maybe because all the cocoa beans are exported?

The drive from Selante to Manisales although not too far was ardent and strenuous as we had to travel through hill country. Tired we reached Manisales 2000 Metres above Mean Sea Level by 9.00p.m. Then poor Alvaro had to order a large pizza half was vegetarian for me and the other half with some kind of meat options. All of us got two slices each for a late night dinner and here's a selfie by me in the bare bones AIRBNB we stayed in, in cold Manisales.

Fresh strawberries and a cup of fruit yoghurt plus a mug of Black Colombian Coffee made our breakfast.

Nest morning we packed up from the AIRBNB on a bright sunny day we get a crisp view of Manisales town ...

As we lost our way out of Manisales courtesy lost internet connection, we nevertheless met a man harnessing 20 dogs for his morning walk in Manisales.

The iron grills in Colombia are a creative delight to watch. What initially started as protection from drug lords and criminal has developed into a fine creative display of cast iron grills and railings all over Colombia. Here is a grill to protect vehicles on the road from the steep valley. In the valley below are modern gated communities in sight of the Volcano - Nevada del Ruiz. In the far horizon we see snow capped mountains. There in the midst of the snow clad mountains is Nevada Del Ruiz.

Back on 13th November 1985 the volcano erupted violently killing 23000 people ... despite early warning from Global Volcanism Programme of the USGS / Smithsonian Institutions. But neither did the Colombian or the UN have a disaster mitigation plan back in 1985. The Armero tragedy was a watershed moment in Colombia's history. Today ofcourse evacuation routes, and a disaster mitigation plan are all in place but am saying all this because look at this gated community here right in the path of a potential mud flow. Omayra Sanchez became the ... picture of tragedy... Despite its deadly nature volcanoes claim fewer lives than earthquakes ... all the same this gated community maybe housing rich people but Mother Nature makes no discretion...

Just out of Manisales we get a view of the Snow covered Nevada Del Ruiz volcano. If on a sunny day there is so much fresh snow we are blessed we thought. Its another 2000 Metres to climb through the woods... Pine forests hereon...

Now my heart was racing ...

More pictures of the creative grills...

Then we stopped for breakfast although I was content with the strawberry breakfast I had consumed in Manisales... Alvarro and his family had arepas, Omelette / Tortillas, puffed rice with poached eggs hot chocolate and fruit.

Here is a glacial lagoon ... its a natural receptacle for glacial melt.

The drive up off the main road to the volcano takes us through different ecosystems including grassy blanks tundra ecosystem so close to the Equator! All kinds of grasses are seen here. Then it becomes shrubs, then cold desert, then a volcanic lunar landscape ... Simply amazing.

The high Andes Mountains was so cold that mist shrouds the landscape. Visibility is low.

Then we finally get to the Volcanological station. A view point for shutterbugs a bleak ecosystem, wet soggy soil a tea stall and a registration centre ... Ambient temperature is 3 degrees Centigrade at 1245 noon. Koka tea helps clear the nose and throat. This blue blankt and aqua green woollen cap were gifted to me by Alvarro and his wife Alexa.

We start driving up to the Caldera with an accompanying guide from the Volcano station. At this point we were 4400 Metres above MSL. We stop to see fresh pumic fall from the previous day. The guide points out to us that snow from the last night has started melting after Sunrise today. Straight ahead is a seismic fault that has created a Lava Tunnel. Gravel and fine sand are interspersed by fine pieces of glass that spout from the volcano so one has to be very careful while walking around. From here another kilometre or so we are close to the Caldera rim. As we drive up we encounter fumeroles... we criss cross mudflows and small ivulets created today by the Sunshine and glacial melt...On the left we see polluted snow deposit.

Mist, fog, fumaroles, stalled winds, but chilly weather ... a volcano is a live Climate Change Lab. Human beings ae so fascinated by volcanoes...

This wall ahead of us is part of the Caldera rim ... but we drive around it and we see a far lower wall... of the rim.

Not a blade of grass can be seen anywhere here. But it spawns so much biodiversity - volcanoes ... another reason its a live lab!

Do note that the official guide vehicle carries a stretcher in the event of an emergency.

This volcanic landscape ceaselessly fascinates you!

Here in the picture below you will see pumice stons in the near ground and far away you see smoke...

More smoke from lava on the horizon

I did not risk trekking up to the Caldera rim given my left leg does not even get a signal from my brain, ... so I stayed back in the parking lot some 200 metres away from the Caldera rim... I most certainly did not want glass shards on my feet / weaker foot. Those who went to the rim did not see lava boiling in the Caldera either because of the mist / cloud / smoke so I did not miss much. But the whole experience made me richer in my Soul... Once they all retu=rned to the parking lot we made our way back ...reported that we are all safe at the Volcano station and dashd towards Manisales for a late lunch / early supper . Supper was brown rice with a good portion of salad some potato wfges with mayo and garlic, and a hot chocolate.

The return journey from Manisales to Cali was scenic indeed but as dusk fell, we got to see a rainbow not sure if this was eastern or western frontier / horizon but a brilliant rainbow blessed us ...

From a distance we can see clearly the volcano mouth / caldera rim.

On returning to Cali it was a quiet night of rest after long journeys in a small city car...

Here's a toasted Arepa with vegetable curry for dinner on 6th November.

On 7th November I could see and feel exhaustion in me.

On 8th November I took off from Cali As I touched down in Bogota my cousin asked e t share sights and sounds from the airport so took a few snaps...

That Colombians love and spoil their pet dogs comes out again in the shots below. The dogs are vested, booted, belted and scented for a short flight somewhere! Smart lucky pet dog!

But the cat was making a huge fuss poor thing.

After a 7 hour break in Bogota I finally boarded the KLM flight Bogota Cartagena, Amsterdam to Delhi. Then I had to take another flight from Delhi to Bangalore. By the time I came to Bangalore my eyes were watering and I simply could not keep my eyes open in the cab - on the ride home. The Boeing Dreamliner 787 almost looks like a discotheque.

This QR code gives one Wi-Fi access on the plane. No Wi-Fi did not work on the return flight... The cabin steward gave me another cad for QR code access to W-Fi that also did not work, so it was best to sleep...

Preparing for a very short night as we cross the Atlantic Ocean to reach Amsterdam. Oh Boy! Was I in a hurry to get back to India!

Here below is the glimpse of the Asian vegetarian meal I had pre booked on the KLM flight. It comprised of hot Basmati rice with Rajma curry (red kidney bone curry), Laapsy with chilled beetroot and fresh soft panneer dots; fruit salad, raw vegetable salad with olive oil red raisins with fennel sseds, Biscooti pudding and ginger ale.

Then after change of aircraft in Amsterdam the countdown is heart stopping. Watching flight maps was very exciting and I started sharing the stills with folks back home on my Broadcast group. It is for the likes of us Whatsapp addicts that airlines offer unlimited Whatsapp usage through their free Wi-Fi connections! But well journalists need to be connected.

Significantly KLM avoided flying over Middle East both on my onward and return journeys. Look here we fly north of Turkey on the South shore of the Black Sea Georgia, Ajerbaijan,over the Caspian Sea Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and enter India. Landed in Delhi punkt on time. As you can imagine my parents were very anxious and had told me to call themon lnding in Delhi even if it is midnight, and call I did.