That time when we licked cola off our bodies...

Going to Norway seems like going back home, even though I have been there only once and never quite managed to explore the country much. But after more than a week of hectic travels, first to Copenhagen and later to UK, I am finally going to a city where I can unpack my suitcase and actually stretch my legs.

Boarding my flight to Stavanger, Norway

And the busy terminal at Heathrow before that...

My first visit to Stavanger was odd. Even though I spent more than a month there, I barely explored it much, and this time that will certainly change. Even as I will work during the days, I will use each evening to explore a new part of the city each day and try and make some good pictures too. And yes, talk to some locals as well :)

These thoughts cross my mind even as I sit right next to a beautiful Scandinavian woman who is also resolutely silent! I unintentionally looked at her book, and saw her reading through published medical papers. I want to tell her that this is also what I do often at work, but I let her stay focused on work.

Look at that sky!

Something more fun is happening anyway in the aisle. Just a while back our air hostess opened a bottle of cola and splashed us all around her with its contents. As we licked our hands and faces with our tongue, I couldn't lick much as my hands are so hairy and hair is never tasty (even when soaked in cola, you can take my word for it), we promised ourselves not to drink anything that came out of that bottle (which was obviously only cola). As a sign of protest I took orange juice (or OJ as they used to call it in American sitcoms when I was younger), while others took more potent forms of alcohol to forget the regrettable incident. Life moves on.

How about food? Well, it was next to nothing and did nothing to my empty and growling stomach. Maybe I should have offered to lick some of that cola off some of my co-passengers, sugar can do wonders to your spirit. But it's disgusting and despicable to even think about it, not to mention actually writing it down. But then thoughts are thoughts and I am a shameless blogger who writes his heart out :p

By the way (or btw if this was a long message and not a blog post) I am quite thankful that Stavanger is located south of Norway, which means I don't have to travel much. Having spent the past few days in the world's biggest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, the last thing on my mind was more commute. Yes it's fun to cross seas and oceans in the cradle of luxury, but sometimes it's just good not to move.

My last picture after my first ever cruise

Many of my colleagues are coming over to the airport to pick me up, and that makes me think of myself as someone rather special, which unfortunately I am not. But getting picked up at the airport is nice nevertheless. I look forward to food and sleep, and my room for the next few weeks. No matter what, I am sure I will like it, especially the bed.

And I also met some of my other generous friends in London just before boarding the flight. The meeting was short, but we made promises to meet once again. Well, some promises are meant to be broken while others are not. But then you don't usually know in advance how each promise fares in future. So Vaibhav (or majoor or bowbow as we called him in Nirma) and Savan (the brainiest of us all!!!), maybe I will see you again in London. Maybe soon, maybe never :)

With Savan and Vaibhav

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This is part of my series 'Boring Travel Tales', where I will recount all the mundane things that happen when I am moving cities, countries and continents. Some of these could be inspiring, while others could be depressing as I have simply no control over who happens on these exciting (or not) trips :)


Read some of the other stories below:
How I missed eating the 'BEST' cake of the world at Lagkagehuset!
He sang by the window, while his son Snored...