Hyderabad to Chennai (Part 4)

We flew in over the water, it was so blue against the dusty orange of the land. I noticed from above that Chennai seems much greener overall than Hyderabad, and palm trees were prevalent.

I picked up my bags at the baggage claim and dialed the number for my driver, whose name I'd been given as Palani. Straight to voice mail. I dialed again. Voice mail.

So I texted to Saj, who has been my rock, coordinating everything and keeping me up to date and aware of the arrangements that have been made for me. (Thank you, Saj.)

While waiting to hear I continued to move forward, toward the doors and out to the bridge leading from Arrivals to the street. I was immediately surrounded by the humanity of Chennai.

Not that anyone was surrounding me, personally, but that there was so much humanity at the airport waiting for their loved ones and they were all pushing and crowding and hugging and yelling and waving, and I felt like I was the kid in that scene from Empire of the Sun when Jamie gets separated from his parents in the throng of people fleeing Shanghai, and the chaos and lack of my required personal space and being alone without my handlers for the first time in 10 days drives me close to hyperventilation.

And then my phone rang (thank you Raj), and it was Saj, who was able to reach the driver, Palani, who was waiting outside for me with a placard.

However, I learned that, as ours was an International (domestic) flight, I am waiting outside the International Terminal, while Palani is standing with his placard at the Domestic Terminal. So Saj arranged for Palani to come over to International, and pick me up. (Thank you, Saj.)