Road from Hong Kong to Tammu
- Part 2 -

R.K. Shivachandra *

Obtaining Chinese visa at present is not that easy as it is in the case of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. One needs to produce a current bank passbook reflecting an honest balance of Rupees two lacs or above. It should also be backed up by one sponsorship letter from China.

The recently introduced Chinese Eastern Airways operated from Kolkata to Kunming made China closure to India. After arranging all the documents, we have applied for visa in the Chinese Consulate office at Salt Lake, Kolkata. The Consulate office was opened in the early part of 2009 with a view to accommodating the increasing number of Indian visitors to China.

It took two full days for the Chinese consulate to verify our documents. And, ultimately for the first time I saw Chinese visa sticker on my passport that portraits the world famed 'China wall' embossed. This made me feel as if I have alleviated to a higher rank. Already my passport had been decorated with visas duly stamped seals of south East Asian countries except for China. For wanderlust souls visa is all that counts.

There were four of us in our trip to China. Mr. Maibam Boudhajit, an entrepreneur, Oinam Oken another businessman who loved to visit the south East Asia and Mr. Thangjam Loken from Sekmai. Mr. Loken did opine a view that Sekmai should instead pronounce as Chiangmai that in the process of time the pronunciation had been corrupted from Chiangmai to Sekmai.

He believed that present inhabitants of Sekmai are a race originated from a small helmet near Chiangmai in Thailand and by the Mighty River of Mekong. He would tell us more on how his ancestors have landed to Pallel after a long winding walk on bare foot from Mekong River in Thailand.

We have applied for double entry visa for China in Kolkata for we had a plan to visit Myanmar from the border of China. If we plan to enter Myanmar by land route from a neighboring country than we should obtain the visa ahead for Myanmar visas cannot obtain at the border. Our itinerary was to participate in the Canton Trade fare at Guangzhou in China and proceed to Kunming than to the border of Myanmar.

On one fine morning of October 17th, 2008, we had boarded the Bimal Bangladeshi Airlines from Kolkata. For budget travelers Bimal Airlines always offers the cheapest rate in the competitive flight fare markets. I had flown by Bimal on two occasions on my visit to different destinations to south East Asia.

Even in the high season where tourists and sections of travelers have had booked the whole of the flights in the world, Bimal Airlines came to the rescue of travelers like us. The Airlines never seem to fly full even in the peak season. Anyway by all names flying remains to be the same experience.

For the vast skies does not pave special route for the luxury flight. If the Air crews in the Bimal could manage a readymade flash smile with a gesture of hospitality, the Airline was supposed to be okay if not the best. Most of the passengers who normally took flight from Kolkata to Dhaka made the aircraft more akin to a rickety bus somewhere near Howrah where we were compelled to rest our chins on somebody's shoulder. The oversized hand baggage and noisiness made it too bad experience.

In less than one hour we have landed at Dhaka. An aircraft bigger in size waited for us to fly to Hong Kong from Dhaka International Airport in about 4 hours non-stop flight. Lunch was served aboard. The air stewardess were not that friendly. The same cold face that we had encountered a while ago in the Kolkata Dhaka route remained unchanged.

Some passengers who appeared to be Bangladesh and Indian nationals teased them by using vulgarity term. When some female crew members retaliated spat a spat than they would burst to guffaws of laughter. The scene was so uncomfortable. And that may be the reasons why those aircrews bowed to wear a 'gloomy look' despite the ethics that guests on board are to be treated a kingsize.

After three hours flight the plane slowly descended towards Hong Kong. Small lagoons and ships came into full view from above. Aircraft in different shape and sizes were seen flying in a distance. After a long 4 hours nonstop flight with 35th thousands feet hight we have now descended slowly towards the island that produced world famous personality like Bruce lee.

The blue lagoons and sea was so welcoming that the moment we put our gaze on the vast sea it was obvious that we would be safe in her mouth even in the occurrence of unfortunate event. What a wild thought…………

By the time we touched Hong Kong International Airport, it was almost dark. The city's beauty had been hidden in the cover of darkness and thick mist around the city made the evening blurred. However the sprawling skyline of Hongkong couldn't be escaped from our view. As we approached the arrival terminal some smart Hong Kong Airport Police sprung out of the crowd and started scanning our passport and our return tickets to India.

Indian passport and our faces never go together. That is what the Hong Kong Police gazed us in suspicion. "Flat nose and half opened eyes with Indian passport" obviously appeared to be a cruel riddle to them. And that is what the bewildered cops wanted to discover from us.

As for me that was not a new experience. Way back in 1992, in one my trips to Seoul, South Korea I was detained about 15 minutes in the same Airport, in the same argument by the Hongkong Police. They insisted me to saying at least I was a Chinese descent that I vehemently opposed to it.

The Cathy-Pacific aircraft which I was supposed to board happened to be late by 15 minutes because of my detention. The seemingly unconvinced police cops released me ultimately with a smile on their face. They were seeking apology for the short time interrogation that I underwent however nothing could stop them from saying "Mr. Indian someone in your family linage must have been of Chinese descent…… your father, granny or grandfather". I bade goodbye to the face look alike cops without an answer for it was not the argument that mattered but I was soon to fly to Seoul.

Hong Kong is situated on China's south coast. Under the principle of "one country but two systems", Hong Kong can manage itself a typical economic and political systems different from mainland China. Hong Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centers, with a major capitalist service economy characterized by low taxation, free trade and minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism. The Hong Kong dollar is the 9th most traded currency in the world.

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–1842). Originally confined to Hong Kong Island, the colony's boundaries were extended in stages so as to include the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories by 1898. It was occupied by the Japanese during the Pacific War, after which the British resumed control until 1997, when China regained sovereignty. The Basic Law stipulates that Hong Kong shall enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign relations and military defence.

The passport verification came to an end. The cops advised us to take sea route to Guangzhou, China. They said it would be more economy for us. The Airport terminal and seaport seemed to have connected each other. We didn't have a chance to get out of the airport.

We had boarder subway train meant to be used in the Airport sections only than we were being brought to the dock from where we had to sell to Guangdong. In a few minutes time we did board a luxury Ferry. The Ferry was huge in size and well furnished with television set and other facilities equipped .The Hongkong to Guangzhou was hardly one hour sail. The fare was about $ 50 dollars and can be measured about Rs 2,500 in India Currency.

The short sea trip from Hong Kong to the coast of Guangdong ended up without much to see. By the time we board the ferry, darkness had already enveloped the blue sea. Except for some refreshing wind that touched us softly nothing was visible around. However the sky was too clear with twinkling stars above. Hustle and bustle of the City has now gone too far away.

The tide of the western sea always described to be of violent nature and that particular night turned out to be more. The big boat made an unusual rock and roll. We had a strong belief that Chinese ship would never capsize. The old belief came out to be true.

The big ferry anchored at the dock of Guangdong in about one hour sail. The Chinese immigration officials at the dock were friendly unlike the Hongkong Cops. Soon we get out of the port and hit the Chinese roads. The glittering city light of Guangdong kept us awake.

An inquisitiveness mind always peeps through the lane and by lanes of the prospering city.

to be continued....