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| Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 KLIA2, Malaysia |
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| Welcome to Cochin International Airport Kerala, India |
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| Chennai International Airport Tamil Nadu, India |
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| Bandaranaike International Airport Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Day 1 Thursday Nov 14 2024 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Kochi, Kerala, India) - no major sight seeing on Day 1 & 2; encountered visa issue on my arrival in Kochi International Airport & to right the wrong (no point crying over split milk), both of us decided to fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka & stayed for 4 nights pending the approval of my India e-visa to re-enter Kochi & resume our travel to Southern India after our return from Colombo !
1) Departing by RapidKL LRT train ride (15.30) from SS15, Subang Jaya (my home place) > KL Sentral (40 mins); KL Sentral by Airport Coach (Rm12 for Senior, departing 16.30, takes approx 1hr) > Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2)
2) Arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) at 18.00 (3 hours before the flight departure) & proceed to Air Asia check-in counter, advised by airline check-in counter my annual Indian visa was issued based on my old passport, due to an oversight by me, I did not bring my old passport with me, so I had to ring & send an SOS to my elder son for help to bring my old passport from home to KLIA2 - a rush rush affair for me & my son on Day 1 ! In the ensuing hours, it would appear that it never rains but it pours over my Indian visa issue ! I really need some chilli padi & tonnes of courage to face the days ahead ! Indeed, cyclone Fengal was hitting the shores of Mahabalipuram, Puri & Chennai at the time of our visit to Southern India - no easy meat to move around the various touristy places !
3) Awaiting for my elder son to hand over my old passport at the front entrance of the KLIA2 Departure Hall Complex, lady luck was with me & I got my old passport from my son just in time for me to present my old & new passports for Air Asia check-in counter to issue me a boarding pass !
4) Air Asia Flight check-in & on board the Air Asia departing KLIA 21.05 ETA Kochi 22.40 (Malaysia is 2.5hr ahead of India)
5) Arriving in Kochi International Airport, Kerala - immigration clearance, luggage collection etc. During the immigration clearance, I was advised that my annual visa (validity from Nov 17 2023 > Nov 15 2024) was due to expire on the very day of my 1st day arrival in Kochi hence I have only 24 hours in Kochi & had to exit India & returned home or to a third country & re-enter after a new visa has been approved & issued. So I have to sort out this mess with the limited time I have in Kochi as soon as we checked into the hotel to apply online for a new India e-visa & booked our flight flying off from Kochi to Colombo, Sri Lanka (the most economic & viable option) !
Day 2 Friday Nov 15 2024 (Day 1 - Colombo) - spent the wee hours of the morning applying for a new e-visa online & booking our air tickets; had a 3-4 hours of sleep in the homestay & woke up early & bought our Sim Cards from a shop nearby our hotel.
1) Hotel Accommodation (Kochi, Kerala): my one night stay in Bastian Homestay, originally booked for 3 nights but due to the expiry of my India visa on this very day, we had to cut short our stay & leave Kochi for Colombo, Sri Lanka today pending the approval of my new online India visa application (which may take 3 days) !
2) Breakfast in Bastian Homestay, Kochi, Kerala - continental breakfast (Rs150 = Rm8.10 = US$3.20) comprising of toasted breads with butter & jam, omelette, sliced pineapple & bananas + Hot Tea. A great start !
3) Chirattappalam Bus Stop, Kochi, Kerala - the nearest bus stop, a 200m walk from Bastian Homestay.
4) Morning walk to nearby shops to "scout' around for a shop selling India sim card.
5) Bought India sim cards in this shop nearby our hotel - paid Rs600 = Rm32 for a Airtel sim card (30 days).
6) Hotel check-out & a private cab ride (RS1700 = Rm92) from our hotel to Kochi International Airport for our Indigo flight (departing 14.45) to Chennai International Airport (transit, departing 18.35) > Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (arriving 19.55) to begin our 5 days 4 nights stay in Colombo, Sri Lanka !
7) Arriving in Chennai Domestic Airport & International Transfer > Colombo, Sri Lanka
8) International Departure / Duty Free Shops at Chennai International Airport
9) Art Mural (publicity) of major Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu at the Chennai International Airport.
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| Subramanya Swamy Temple Thiruchendur, Madurai, Tamil Nadu |
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| Brihadeeswara Temple Gangaikonda Cholapuram,Tamil Nadu |
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| Brihadeeswara Temple Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu |
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| Thillai Natarajar Temple Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu |
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| Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu |
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| Andal Temple, Srivilliputhur Tamil Nadu |
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| Adi Kumbeswarar Temple Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu |
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| Airavatesvara Temple, Kumbakonam Tamil Nadu |
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| Meenakshi Amman Temple Madurai, Tamil Nadu |
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| Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram Tamil Nadu |
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| Kapaleeshwar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai |
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| Arunachaleswarar Temple Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu |
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| Kailasanadhar Temple Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu |
10) On board the Indigo flight departing Chennai 14.48 > Colombo, Sri Lanka
11) Arriving (19.55) in Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo, Sri Lanka, bought a Sri Lankan sim card (1400SLR) & hailed a Uber (4,500SLR + 400SLR Toll) at the airport > Hotel Saveira in suburban Colombo.
12) Hotel Accommodation (Colombo, Sri Lanka): my 4 nights stay in Hotel Saveira Colombo, Sri Lanka, room tariff Rm142 (US$32.30) twin sharing. KM, welcome back to Colombo, a lapse of 11 years since my last visit in Jan 2013 !
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