I was up early and checked through my belongings. I took a shower and consumed some of the remaining fruits. I prepared coffee. Dr. Darith showed up at 6:30 and we shared impressions. He spoke about his tough challenges ahead. He is a man of patience and courage. I wished him luck and committed my support in his work. Mr. Kushal has been diligent. Given a chance, he could spend all his time with me. I was releasing him in the evening thinking that he would get rush hour income. But the supply is high and the economy is slow. Most of the drivers of the three wheeled vehicles were having vacant stares. Mr. Kushal is a cheerful man, but he may have his own hard time. We proceeded to the airport on the main highway. One passes through the big hotels where "tourists" come to spend inexpensive vacation. Hotels do provide yoga and health related classes as extra value. The "guides" mostly narrate how the monuments were discovered and were restored rather than how they were constructed. Nobody pays tribute to the artisans and the engineers who planned and constructed the massive stone structures. Siem Reap airport is a small place. It had sleepy counters that open an hour before the flight. I asked the clerk if my luggage could be routed to Yangon in Burma which was my next destination. The clerk asked if I had procured a visa for travel to Burma. My response that I could obtain the visa on arrival was not accepted by the clerk. Burma, currently called Myanmar, is closest to India, but not on the direct ocean route because of the currents. It has been influenced by Chinese from the north and has interaction with northeast India. Kalingans eventually settled in Burma and built temples. Likes its neighbors, Theravada Buddhism spread through the land. The British occupied the land and created jails in order to keep Indian freedom fighters in detention. Netaji Subhash Bose of India did organize his Liberation Army on the Burmese soil. The mineral-rich country is currently under civil strife and the military rule has been oppressive. I was invited by a Islamic member of the Burmese Parliament whom I had met in Boston through an inter-faith meeting. I thought to check with him from Bangkok if I should proceed. With the knowledge of strife and the restrictions on travel, I was getting skeptical of my prospective tour.
It was a short flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok. Clearing airport protocol and picking up my luggage, I went to the office of Bangkok Air to check on visa to Burma or a refund of the ticket. I was unsuccessful on both. I took the decision of returning back to India. I checked with the Malaysia Airlines if they could advance my flight to Mumbai. They did with an extra charge of fifty dollars and booked me on a flight that was leaving in an hour.
I wanted to alert my friend Jitendra Patnaik in Mumbai about the flight. But there was no time. I assumed that he would be available, otherwise I would look for my nephew's residence which is however not easy to reach. Jitendra was a year junior to me in college and studied Political Science. He succeeded in the competitive recruitment to the civil service in India as an officer in Income Tax. A diligent worker and a man of dignity and compassion, he rose to be the Chief Income Tax Commissioner of the Mumbai region. Mumbai being the financial capital of India, his tenure in office must have been eventful. He is currently retired and lives in the eastern section of the vast metro-city.
I succeeded in connecting to Jitendra from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Jitendra lives by himself after his wife passed away a few years ago. He loves company and people. His children live in the US. He visits me in the US. A childhood accident had disabled him on his left leg. He engages various attendants to assist him. We had a pleasant talk. I informed him that I might reach his house around midnight.
Kuala Lumpur airport acts as a gateway to the Far East. The massive structure is well appointed. Islam has taken strong root in Malaysia and there are prayer rooms specified at the airport. I thought people were less friendly than in Bangkok. The western multinational companies had major visibility throughout. The architecture was more concrete and iron than light and colors as in Thailand.
Mumbai is a better organized city than the other cities in India. The old Marathas rose against the Moghul rule. The call for India's freedom from the British rule came from the area. Mumbai is India's experiment with modernity but strongly champions the old values. Thanks to the British rule, Mumbai transportation system is second to none. The dignity and religiosity of people are worth noticing.
Arrival in Mumbai is however unlike the arrival in Delhi. Delhi has a more welcoming feeling than Mumbai. It possibly has to do with amount of resources spent in maintaining the facility. I completed the entry requirements and picked up my luggage. The Prepaid Taxi Service helps to hire dependable drivers for service. I could guide the driver to reach Jitendra's house. I reached a little before midnight. We had a friendly meeting. We had a long chat on the events before we slept.
