Getting Ready to Depart from India!
I’ve learned so much from my previous air travel experiences. This time, for Flock 2025, I booked my flight tickets more efficiently, which helped me get a much better price.
I booked round-trip tickets with Indigo: from CJB (Coimbatore) to BLR (Bangalore) on June 3rd, and BLR to CJB on June 11th. It was also my first time traveling with check-in luggage, and I wasn’t sure how or where to drop it off or collect it once I arrived at the destination. Thankfully, it turned out to be a simple and straightforward process.
Travel Day 1: From India to Abu Dhabi
Here we go!
Since I had already flown domestically before, the first part of the journey didn’t feel very new,though I was incredibly excited to be attending Flock 2025 in person! After some time, I arrived in Bangalore and headed to Belt 9 to collect my luggage from the CJB–BLR flight.
However, I couldn’t find my bag on the conveyor belt, and I started to panic. Time was running out,I had to catch my next flight to Abu Dhabi, and I had no idea where to go for that either. After searching around anxiously, I finally found my bag near the public seating area, which was odd. I don’t know who placed it there!
Bag in hand, I began wandering the airport looking for the Abu Dhabi flight. I asked someone at an information desk, and they informed me that I needed to go to the International Terminal (T2), as I was currently in the Domestic Terminal. That was new to me,I always thought there was just one airport for both domestic and international flights!
By the time I figured this out, it was already 8:10 PM, and my next flight was at 9:55 PM. I quickly boarded the inter-terminal shuttle bus, which took me to T2. Once there, I showed my digital boarding pass, checked in my luggage, and got a physical boarding pass. I walked to Gate D2 and reached by 9:00 PM. Boarding had already started.
The aircraft interior was stunning, premium and elegant. There was soothing Arabic flute music playing in the background, which added to the atmosphere. I found my seat and was surprised to see a large screen with a wide range of movies. It was my first time experiencing such features. I was also given a small pillow, blanket, and headphones for comfort. Brings back nostalgia!
The food was okay,not amazing, but not bad either. It came with a main dish, side dish, dessert, and some bread and butter. After 4 hours, we finally landed in Abu Dhabi at 12:30 AM.
Travel Day 2: Abu Dhabi to Prague
After landing, I headed to the transfer area. Though it felt a bit like a maze, I eventually made it. I had to go through security again (just like in Bangalore). I waited at Gate C39 for the Prague flight, snacking on the bread and butter from the previous flight.
When boarding started, I realized I was flying with Etihad again,so the aircraft interior was the same as before. This time, I didn’t watch any movies because my headache persisted. The flight was 6 hours long and honestly felt too long. I was exhausted from sitting in one place and not getting proper sleep.
They served food again, and I picked chicken,it was quite good. But the cabin AC was too strong for me. Breathing felt harsh, my nose and lips were cold, and I had the urge to sneeze constantly.
Eventually, I dozed off for a couple of hours. When I woke up, it was early morning, and the sun still hadn’t risen, the flight’s cruising above 30k feet, there was so much cloud and so much bright even before the sun had risen. The experience was amazing (felt something I like being closer to heaven :P) and something I can’t forget easily. Around 30 minutes before landing, the captain made the final announcement. Even those last 30 minutes felt like forever. We finally landed in Václav Havel Airport, Prague, around 6:30 AM.
Looking out from the window, I saw lush green landscapes,it was beautiful and calming. While India also has green areas, Prague’s cool weather and greenery really matched my vibe.
Arrival in Prague
I followed the signs to baggage claim, but the queue was long. Initially, I thought I was in the wrong place and wandered around, only to return and find an even longer line. I confirmed with security that it was the right queue and waited around 70 minutes.
At the immigration counter, they checked my passport and fingerprints. It took about 8 minutes(I thought I would be sent back, phew!). After that, I collected my check-in bag without any trouble.
Day 1 in Prague
Waiting for my Uber at taxi point!
I stepped outside the airport building entrance, booked an Uber, and crossed the road to reach the pickup point. The driver arrived in about 5 minutes. As we drove through the city, I couldn’t stop admiring the scenery,lush greenery, modern architecture, and a peaceful vibe. It felt like a perfect harmony of nature and technology. I loved Prague already. What I mean is that, Prague has more greenery but what it very modern. It seemed like they found a way to co-exist with nature, rather than destroying it build a house or building. Most importantly, I would say the architecture of buildings was so beautifiul.
Reached the hotel and it looks amazing!
My plan was to just drop off my bags at the hotel and then visit Akashdeep at his hotel. Surprisingly, my room was already available, and I was able to check in immediately. The room was decent,although, to my surprise, it didn’t have a ceiling fan or any temperature control devices. But the cold weather explained it. Additionally, I was used to background noises in India (vehicle paassing, ceiling fan, people talking outside, and so many authentic village noise in South India), but Prague was so calm and silent for most of the time. And it’s something new for me and I liked it. Until…
Here Comes The Hard Part!
Everything was going smoothly,until I tried to pay for public transportation using my card and the transaction was declined. Then, Uber wouldn’t let me book another cab until I paid the previous fare,which also failed.
That’s when panic set in. I couldn’t make payments, and I didn’t have any Czech currency. I called my father, who rushed to the bank, but they said everything seemed fine. I tried changing settings in my mobile banking app (IOB), but nothing worked. (I can’t wait to close the back account, when I get back to India)
Feeling hopeless, I wandered around the area and found a nearby gas station store. I tried my card there,and it worked! That gave me some hope. But, I bought a burger to eat and that was a bad decision. I thought it was CHICKEN BURGER, but it’s actually a HAM BURGER. Realizing that made me puke!! Let’s not go into details, and it was horrible.
Then I eventually started walking 2KM to get to a nearby ATM and I was able to successfully withdrew 1500 CZK (~₹6800).
Even though I had cash, I felt bad (sort of negative vibe), like maybe coming here was a mistake. I messaged Akashdeep and told him I couldn’t make it to his hotel.
A Ray of Light
Just when I thought I was done for, Akashdeep messaged me, asked for my hotel address, and booked an Uber for me himself. I was overwhelmed with gratitude because everything had seemed to be going horribly, and realizing I had people who were supporting me felt reassuring. When I arrived at his hotel, something amazing happened.
Meeting My Mentor
As I entered the hotel lobby, I saw someone familiar standing near the reception. I pulled out my phone to message him, but before I could, he looked at me and smiled. It was my mentor! Tomáš Hrčka He recognized me and gave me a warm hug.
Meeting him in person for the first time was an unforgettable moment. He has been a huge help during my Fellowship with Fedora Project. Akash also joined us shortly after, and we all headed to the rooms.
Chilling with Akashdeep
I spent some time in Akash’s room, watching him prepare for his upcoming talks, he had been accepted for four sessions at Flock, which was seriously impressive. I was learning just by observing him. I also told him about the problem I was having with my debit card. He tried helping me fix the issue, but nothing worked. I don’t think anything could have solved it, because the card was working in a few places, but not everywhere. I suspect the main reason is that my card isn’t being detected consistently, it works in some places but not others (indicating that it might not be suitable for international usage)
Then it was time to head to the event venue. On our way down, we met Greg Sutcliffe in the lobby and had a short chat. Then we eventually reached the venue, Vienna House Andel, looked premium and well-equipped. Akash showed me around and introduced me to some familiar faces from DevConf India 2025 in Pune.
The “Toothpaste” Adventure
Akash asked if I had essentials like a toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. I didn’t bring any, assuming the hotel would provide them(like every hotel did in India), but they didn’t, except for some tiny soap and shampoo packets.
So, we headed to a nearby TESCO supermarket. The funny part? We each took a big basket just to buy a toothbrush and toothpaste. 😂 While exploring the store, I also grabbed some chocolates.
At the checkout, they had a unique scanning system: you had to scan the product and place it on the other side before scanning the next item. If not, it wouldn’t proceed. It took us some time (with help from the staff), and when I tried paying again,my card failed. Once again, Akash came to the rescue and paid for me 🙌🏼. The whole thing turned into a hilarious mini-drama.
Also, when coming out of the supermarket, you had to scan the bill at the gate, otherwise you couldn’t pass through. The staff member watching us just waved her hand, signaling us to go. It was funny because we had taken an entire basket just to buy a toothpaste and a toothbrush, and now we were causing a scene while leaving with just a couple of items and holding up the line. It was hilarious!
Real Adventure Begins
Later that evening, we met more amazing folks: Michael Konecny, Patrik Polakovic, Aurelien Bompard, Fabian Arrotin, Samyak Jain, Lenka Segura, Kevin Fenzi, David Kirwan, Stephen Gallagher, and many others.
Chilling after a long walk up the hill.
Eventually, Tomáš Hrčka joined us.
Then we set off on a real adventure. Tomáš Hrčka, Michael Konecny, Akashdeep, Patrik Polakovic, and I went hiking to a mountain-like area outside the city. It was green, peaceful, and full of fresh air. We walked around 14 km that day! Going uphill wasn’t too hard, but the descent was painful. I literally felt the heat generating inside the my shoe with all the walking.
Old Hanoi, Vietnamese Restaurant
End of Day 0 in Prague!
I eventually reached my hotel. While sitting in the back of the cab, I felt a sense of nostalgia, like when I used to watch Hollywood movies as a kid. The night had a different vibe, something you don’t really experience in India. That night, I felt it, the neon lights, people walking along the road, some even jogging, the warm orange-yellow glow of the streetlights, all of it together created such an amazing atmosphere.
It was an amazing first day in Prague, even though I’ve faced some major problem it ended well that day!