Airport trip in my Bicycle - A drive down the memory lane

Morning when I thought of going for long rounds in my bicycle, the spot that came to my mind was the airport. When I was in high-school, I had many trips with my grandfather to this location in my cycle. Sometimes, we used to go in my Dad's Raleigh cycle too. It is approximately around 7 km from our home. Normally we used to go in the afternoon, post lunch, reach there around 3:30 PM, see an aeroplane (that's how it was pronounced in those days) that lands, wait until it takes-off again, and then we used to return. That's all.  No tea, coffee, water or snacks in-between. In those days we used to refer to that place as aerodrome.

After a long time, today I slept almost till 10:00 AM. As soon as I woke up, took bath, got ready, had breakfast and set out on my cycle for the trip. Started from home around 11:15 AM. On way thought that if I take photographs on the way, then I can make a good write-up on the trip. Luckily I had my phone, which I normally do not carry during my cycle rounds.


[Pic: Ibrahim Kadai, without the Ibrahim Kadai]

Went till Ibrahim kadai from our home and stopped there for a while. Saw the empty land there. There used to be a famous tea shop there in those days, that used to be always crowded. A small grocery shop also used to be there next to it, to its left.


[Pic: Armoury Gate]

From there took the diagonal road to C-type bus stop area, and from there went to Armoury gate. This place has changed a lot. Lot of shops on either side, with many people flocking back and forth. From there went to the F-Type elephant park. I had used this road for about 9 years to go my school, which was next to it. In my childhood upon hearing the word "elephant park", I assumed that elephants used to be there inside. But later got to know that it was small elephant statue inside the park, that gave its name. Its actually part of a fountain, and from its truck, that points upwards into the sky, water used to sprinkle. The park appears to be abandoned now.


[Pic: F-Type Elephant Park]


Once we cross the park, comes the famous "Railway Mixed High School - English Medium", where the "Mixed" stands for "co-education". Later on I was mocked several times, when I said that I studied in "Railway Mixed..." where many used to ask "What was mixed...". In fact nothing was mixed, as in those days, mixing was next to impossible. Later on while seeing the next generation mixing, I could only give a sigh of regret that I should have born after ten years :).


[Pic: Railway Mixed High School]



[Pic: Road from Railway School English Medium to Tamil Medium]

On the way saw the Railway School tamil medium, which had become Kendriya Vidyalaya now.


[Pic: Kendriya Vidyalaya]


[Pic: Kedi Billa Killadi Renga home]



[Pic: The same home in Kedi Billa Killadi Renga movie]

Then went on straight on the road towards the old church, saw the house where the movie "Kedi Billa Killadi Renga" was shot, and from there took the diagonal behind the church that takes to the malaiadivaaram road, and reached the malaiadivaaram temple. After Sai baba came inside that temple, the temple lost its old name and acquired the new Golden Sai baba temple, which became my favorite temple here in the recent days.


[Pic: Golden Sai Baba temple]

Then took the Ponmalaipatti main road, and headed towards the Pudukottai road. The road with Greenery on both sides, look very beautiful, as always.





[Pic: Ponmalaipatti main road, pudukottai road junction]

The Pudukottai road started appearing. Took a left turn and headed towards the Airport. Within ten minutes, the airport's runway started appearing. In those days, the main road used to be a concrete road. Now its a tar road. After a couple of minutes, reached the airport. Saw a big D-Mart Super Market in front of it. In those days, when I went with my grandfather, I just used to go inside the aerodrome in my cycle. Now I doubt, if I can ever go inside in my cycle. I was a bit hesitant to take a photo of the entry and the exit gates, as taking photo around these areas is prohibited. But as there was no sign board saying so, I managed to take photos of the entry and exit gates.





[Pic: Trichy Airport Road]





[Pic: Trichy Airport Wall]






[Pic: Entry and Exit gates]

In those days, we used to go inside, park our cycle, and wait for the aeroplane to arrive. By that time, a huge crowd used to gather. We will see the airplane alighting, passengers coming out of it, Then taking a turn, and after sometime taking off again. Then we will start back to home. Today, none of that happened. After many international trips, I no longer fancied airplanes, or looked at them at awe. In fact, I understood that it was the most boring of all other modes of transport.


[Pic: A view of Ponmalai from Airport Road]


[Pic: A view of Ponmalai from Old Church]

I returned by the same route. Somewhere, in between, I started feeling that my grandfather was also travelling with me, with the same smile that he used have in all those trips.

-SPGR.