Cellphone Charger Hock
Waking up in the morning, when I tried to plug in the 'electric plug' to charge my cellphone, the 'pin' of the 'charger' raised my hand. It was made according to Indian standard and could not enter the 'electric socket' of Italy. For this we need a 'connector' which accepts equipment of Indian standard from one side and 'Pin' made of Italian standard from the other side. Me and Vijay decided to get ready and try to buy 'Electric Connector' and SIM from the nearby market.
By then the other members will also be ready. So Vijay and I left the building at 9 in the morning and went to the nearby shops. By this time only a few shops were open. A woman was sweeping a shop. We were surprised to see an up-to-date Firangi woman sweeping. We told him our problem. She didn't know the English language yet she guessed what we wanted?
He gave us an electric connector for three euros but to buy the sim he asked us to cross the next street and go to a crossroads. Vijay and I went round the surrounding lanes but we could not find any 'cellphone sim' shop. We returned back to the 'Service Apartment'. By then Bhanu and Madhu had prepared breakfast and lunch for the afternoon.
We just missed
Vijay had booked the tickets for the Sistine Chapel Museum 'online' for today's day. Five tickets came for about 10 thousand Indian rupees. We could visit the museum on these tickets only from 12 noon to 3 pm. We were required to enter the museum up to 12:30 pm, after which the entry was closed for us.
According to a Google search, it was an hour's drive from our service apartment to the Sistine Chapel. So we decided to take the extra margin of one hour and go by bus which starts at 10 am. According to Google, we had to meet a bus at exactly 10 o'clock by crossing the road in front of our house. We left home at 10 o'clock. It took us about 5 minutes to lock the house and come out of the building. By then the bus had left.
First trip in Roman bus
The next bus was at ten thirty. We stood waiting for him. At that time it started raining. There was neither any shelter or shed at the bus stop nor nearby. We kept getting wet while standing on the side of the road. Exactly at 10.30 another bus came and we boarded it. There was no conductor in the bus.
I extended a ten euro note to the driver and asked him for a ticket. The bus driver could hardly understand what I wanted. He said- 'No ticket.' We were pleasantly surprised at how good the buses here are that provide free travel to foreign tourists. I also thought that today is Saturday, probably on Saturday and Sunday weekends there is no ticket in buses!
There was no one here to understand English, but the names of the bus-stops were coming written on the electronic panel in the bus. His language may have been Italian, but we were able to read him easily because he was written in Roman letters. We glanced at the same panel. I asked Vijay three or four times where we should land, he patiently replied - 'Ottaviano.'
I was finding it difficult to remember this word. I was surprised to see that places like Pisa and Venezia were also being displayed on the electronic panel. These are not only the big cities of Italy, but also the names of the neighborhoods of Rome. Names of many places 'Via' and 'Pizza' used to begin with the word and 'Della' in the middle of many place names The words were being written. We guessed that of these 'Via' Meaning of 'street' Is, 'Pizza' Meaning of 'Chowk' and 'Della' Meaning of 'Mohalla' is.
Later it was found that our guesses regarding Via and Pizza were correct but 'Della' meant 'of the' meaning 'of'. It can be understood like this- 'Via della Pizza' will mean 'Street of the square.'
Long Queues
We reached the bus stop called Ottaviano in about half an hour from where we had to get off and walk to the Sistine Chapel. There were more people in this area. Very few people could be seen in the area where we were staying. We headed towards the chapel, asking the people around. Within no time, we saw a long line of men and women from all over the country and abroad at one end of the road. We understood that this is our destination too. On approaching that row, it was found that it is not one but three rows and they are at least 700 meters long.
Bangladeshi Guide
There were also many 'tourist-guides' who used to show museums and chapels to the people for money. They had umbrellas, maps, tourist guide books, tickets, torches etc. in their hands. Those guides were intimidating the tourists that if they did not buy the ticket from the guide, then your whole day would be spent standing here and you would not be able to see the museum.
Fifty percent of these guides were from Italy and fifty percent were from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. We recognized them by their appearance. Guides from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan used to talk to us in Hindi. A guide said that if you have already taken the ticket then get it upgraded from us otherwise you will only be able to see half the museum. After that you will have to come back here and walk about two kilometers to the other side.
We will take you from within to the other side. We did not listen to the guide people, but after some time seeing the long lines of tourists, we also started feeling that we too will be standing in the line all day. At the same time a guide asked us in Hindi- 'Will you take a guide? You don't have to stand in this line.'
I also asked in Hindi- 'Where are you from?'
He said- 'From Bangladesh.'
When we showed him our tickets, he said- 'You don't need to stand in line, you don't need a guide, you just go straight ahead, you will get entry immediately. You hurry or you will not be allowed to enter, your time is over.'
Fear of Indians in the minds of Pakistanis!
Later Vijay told that some of these people may be from Pakistan too but they will tell us that they are Bangladeshi because they know that no Indian tourist would like to take the services of a Pakistani guide. I found Vijay's point of view because the guide, who called himself Bangladeshi, had a mix of Urdu mixed Punjabi instead of Bengali language in Hindi.
Entry Pass
We moved forward rapidly. By the time we crossed the main door, it was 12.20. Standing here, I told all the family members that if they get separated from the inner crowd, we will meet at this main door. Take a close look at this place. We entered through the main gate and walked a little further that it was 12.25. Now only 5 minutes were left to get the entry pass from the electronic vending machine. Vijay dropped us in the hall inside the main gate and he went up the stairs.
Different Queues
In the hall where Vijay had left us in search of the vending machine, the doors of many rooms opened in front of which people were standing in queues. We couldn't understand what these queues are for. These queues may be of people who have come here without booking online and are now buying tickets from here.
We also kept on moving in the same direction in which victory had gone by climbing the stairs. As soon as we reached the top, we saw victory. With the help of the 'barcode' made on his 'booking letter', he took out the 'entry-pass' by showing the 'barcode' to the 'scanner' of the 'vending machine'.
I was very surprised to see all this that how did Vijay know where the vending machine would be located and where the barcode had to be displayed in it. How does he even know that the paper in his hand is not an 'entry-pass', only gives information about 'booking status' and has a 'barcode' with the help of 'entry-pass'? Will come out! This is too confusing for most of my generation to understand.
In the Museum
Now we could comfortably visit the museum for the next two and a half hours. It was a multi-storeyed huge building in which two museums are built together and each museum is built in several floors. Each floor also has several halls. It is called the largest museum in the world.
Thousands of people from hundreds of countries were roaming here in herds. In front of many tourist flocks, a lady or gent's guide was carrying a flag of a particular color on his shoulder. So that the members of that group see that flag and follow it. Had he not done so, surely the whole group would have mingled in the crowd and separated from each other in just two to three minutes. It was just like people in India carry peacock feathers on their shoulders while walking to the temple of Baba Ramdev or the descendants of Dhyanu Bhagat to the temple of Nagar Kot Devi.
After walking a little further, we had to face a huge crowd. Thousands of people, large groups, people from different countries of the world. Some walk on the left and some walk on the right side of the road. Everyone has different languages, different costumes, different habits. Different faces.
We saw the first room. Inscriptions, sculptures etc. of the country of Egypt were kept here. We took some photos and videos here and moved on to the other room. There was very little light in this room. Glass racks were placed in the room with lighting so that the spectators could see the content displayed.
Mummies brought from Egypt were also kept in a rack of this room. Some of the mummies were in the coffin and the coffee of some was kept with them. It had been only five minutes since we were seeing this room that I asked Madhu standing near me- 'Where is Dad?'
Madhu said- 'In the back room.'
At the same time I went to the back room and saw that father was not there. I went out to the other side of the room and saw that father was not there either. I returned to the room where I stood looking at Egyptian mummies, Dad was not even in that room. All four of us (Me, Madhu, Vijay and Bhanu) immediately started working to find the father. Dad was nowhere to be found.
About one and a half years ago, he had a blood clot in his right eye due to 'hemorrhage of the optical nerve', due to which he has lost his right eye, due to the appearance of cataract in the left eye, it is not visible even more clearly. Stayed. That must have been the reason why they could not see us as the room was dark and must have gone straight ahead. We went to all possible places and searched for Dad, but in which room or corridor he had reached. Going to another floor upstairs also saw, father was not even there and in such a short time he could not go higher than this.
So I came to the lower floor and came straight out of the main building of the museum. There was another hall in front of me and on the left the way was leading to a lawn. I guessed that Dad might have gone to the lawn instead of the front hall.
There were also hundreds of people in the lawn who were eating and drinking. I tried a lot to find my father here too. The road ahead was going towards the Sistine Chapel. I entered the Sistine Chapel and looked deep inside. Dad was nowhere. Disappointed, I turned back and crossed the same lawn and came out of the main building of the museum. Here Vijay, Bhanu and Madhu are seen standing in a worried posture. Dad was nowhere!
We thought of seeking help from the security staff posted at the museum, but none of the people knew English. We wanted the museum staff to make an announcement, so maybe father would hear it and reach the announcement hall and we could contact him there but it was not possible. In the end we decided to exit the museum premises right away where thousands of people lined up to enter the museum premises and where we had decided that we would meet here.
I asked Vijay and Bhanu to stay in the waiting room at the exit so that if Dad passed through here, he would stop them there. Madhu and I came out of the museum complex, thousands of people still standing in queues. I asked an employee standing there about the color and face of my father's shirt and asked whether any Indian had come here and inquired something?
Fortunately he knew English but told that he had not come in contact with any such Indian.
Disappointed from there also Madhu and I again reached the waiting room at the exit gate where Vijay and Bhanu were sitting. By then, Vijay had spoken to his chief officer in the security office in the waiting room and sent a message to the security personnel posted in all parts of the museum and on all the floors, that if any Indian tourist inquires, he should be sent to the exit.
The security people did not have a 'public address system'. He could only talk with a 'walkie-talkie'. मुझे बहुत आश्चर्य हुआ, यदि कभी इस म्यूजियम में आग लग जाए या भूकम्प आ जाए तो म्यूजियम का प्रबंधन, पर्यटकों को सीधे संदेश नहीं दे पाएगा न उन्हें निकास-द्वारों की तरफ जाने के लिए गाइड कर सकेगा। वे अपने कर्मचारियों को वॉकी-टॉकी पर संदेश देंगे और वे कर्मचारी उन पर्यटकों को बाहर की तरफ जाने के लिए उनका मार्गदर्शन करेंगे!
जिस स्थान पर हर समय देश-विदेश के हजारों पर्यटक रहते हों, वहाँ की सुरक्षा व्यवस्था में इतनी भारी कमी! क्या किसी का ध्यान इस तरफ नहीं गया! जबकि पर्यटकों के बिछड़ जाने की समस्या तो लगभग प्रतिदिन ही उत्पन्न होती होगी।
अब हमने विजय और भानु को तो उसी सिक्योरिटी ऑफिस के निकट बैठे रहने के लिए कहा और मैंने तथा मधु ने एक बार फिर से उसी स्थान पर जाने का निर्णय लिया जहाँ से पिताजी अलग हुए थे तथा उसके बाद सिस्टीन चैपल के दूसरी तरफ निकल कर वहाँ बने निकास-द्वार तक जाने का निर्णय लिया, संभव है कि पिताजी वहाँ तक पहुँच गए हों। इस समय तक दीपा को अनुमान हो चुका था कि कुछ गंभीर बात हो गई है। उसने मुझसे पूछा- ‘बड़े बाबा कहाँ गए?’
मैंने उसे बताया- ‘बड़े बाबा भीड़ में हमसे अलग हो गए हैं, हम सब मिलकर उन्हें ढूंढ रहे हैं।’
इस समय तक मेरी चिंता चरम पर पहुँच चुकी थी। मुझे अपने आप पर हैरानी हो रही थी कि मैंने एक साथ कितनी सारी गलतियां कर डाली थीं! न तो पिताजी की जेब में इस समय कोई यूरो या डॉलर था, भारतीय मुद्रा वे लेकर नहीं आए थे। न कोई डेबिट या क्रेडिट कार्ड था जो इटली में कार्य कर सके। न उनके पास उस सर्विस अपार्टमेंट का पता था, जहाँ हम ठहरे हुए थे।
न उस स्थान का नाम उन्हें याद होगा, जिस इलाके में हम ठहरे हुए थे। न उनके पास कोई टेलिफोन नम्बर था जिसके माध्यम से वे हमसे सम्पर्क कर सकें। न पिताजी के पास मकान मालकिन का कोई टेलिफोन नम्बर था जिससे वे सम्पर्क कर सकें। न पीने का पानी था, न उनके पास खाने के लिए कोई बिस्किट आदि थे।
न उनके पास कोई दवाई थी, जबकि उन्हें डायबिटीज है। कुछ ही समय में उन्हें कुछ खाने की आवश्यकता होगी और यदि खाने को नहीं मिला तो पैसे के अभाव में वे खरीद कर भी कुछ नहीं खा पाएंगे। तब क्या होगा!
यह सोच-सोचकर मेरे पैरों के नीचे से धरती सरकी जा रही थी। इस समय पिताजी के पास केवल उनका पासपोर्ट था।
मैं जानता था कि इस परिसर के कर्मचारी पिताजी को नहीं ढूंढ पाएंगे। हजारों लोगों की चलती हुई भीड़ और सैंकड़ों कक्षों तथा गलियारों में बंटी हुई भीड़ में से एक इण्डियन टूरिस्ट को ढूंढ निकालना उनके वश की बात नहीं थी। विशाल गलियारों, आहतों, छतों, जीनों को पार करते हुए हम एक बार फिर उसी लॉन में पहुँच गए जहाँ हम पहले भी कई बार पिताजी को ढूंढ चुके थे। अचानक मधु बोली- ‘ये रहे पिताजी!’ मधु के स्वर में हर्ष-मिश्रित उत्तेजना थी!
पिताजी लॉन के एक किनारे पर बैठे हुए, अपने पास से निकल रही भीड़ में से हमारे चेहरे ही तलाश रहे थे। मुझे अपने कानों पर विश्वास नहीं हुआ। मैंने आंखें फाड़-फाड़कर देखा, पिताजी सचमुच वहीं बैठे थे। इस स्थान पर मैं पहले भी कितनी ही बार उन्हें देख गया था। मेरा पूरा विश्वास है कि मैं अकेला होता तो इस समय भी पिताजी को नहीं देख पाता। इस विषय में मधु की दृष्टि अधिक स्थिर एवं तीक्ष्ण है।
मैंने उनसे कहा कि- ‘आपको यहाँ नहीं बैठना चाहिए था, अपितु उस एण्ट्री गेट पर पहुँचना चाहिए था जो स्थान हमने मिलने के लिए तय किया था।’
पिताजी ने कहा कि- ‘यही तो वह स्थान है, तुमने यहीं मिलने का तो तय किया था, इसलिए मैं यहाँ बैठा हुआ हूँ।’
पिताजी हजारों लोगों की भीड़, लम्बे गलियारों और एक के बाद एक करके आने वाले विशालाकाय द्वारों के कारण कन्फ्यूज हो गए थे और सही स्थान का स्मरण नहीं रख पाए थे। बाद में ज्ञात हुआ कि जिस समय मैंने एक हॉल में जाकर देखने की बजाय लॉन में जाकर देखने का निर्णय लिया था, मैं वहीं चूक गया, पिताजी उस समय उसी हॉल में थे जो मैंने यह सोचकर छोड़ दिया था कि पिताजी लॉन में गए होंगे न कि हॉल में! यदि मैं उस समय इस हॉल में चला गया होता तो पिताजी केवल पाँच मिनट में मिल गए होते, हमें दो घण्टे नहीं लगते!
हमने पिताजी को पीने का पानी दिया, खाने के लिए बिस्किट दिए और पिताजी को अपने साथ लेकर उस म्यूजियम के निकासद्वार की तरफ बढ़े जहाँ हमने विजय एवं भानु को छोड़ा था। म्यूजियम के विशाल गलियारे, छतें, बारामदे और जीने पीछे छूटते जा रहे थे, मैं उनकी ओर ललचाई हुई दृष्टि से देख रहा था, हम तुम्हें देखने के लिए आए थे किंतु बिना देखे ही जा रहे हैं।
जो कुछ भी हमने देखा था, उसे देखा हुआ नहीं माना जा सकता था! इस समय तक हम इतने थक चुके थे कि हम दुबारा म्यूजियम में जाने की हिम्मत नहीं जुटा सकते थे। वैसे भी हमारी मानसिकता इस समय उस इंसान के जैसी हो रही थी जिसका खोया हुआ खजाना लाख प्रयास के बाद वापस मिल गया हो और अब वह उसे दुबारा नहीं गंवाना चाहता हो! वैसे भी टिकट पर अंकित समय अब तक समाप्त हो गया था। हम परमात्मा का धन्यवाद देकर, विया ग्रिगोरिया की तरफ जाने वाली बस पकड़ने के लिए बस स्टैण्ड की तरफ बढ़ गए।
भारतीयों का भाषा ज्ञान
हम भारत में रहते हुए यह सोचते हैं कि भारतीयों के अतिरिक्त पूरी दुनिया अंग्रेजी जानती है किंतु इटली में आकर अनुभव हुआ कि भारतीय जितनी अंग्रेजी जानते हैं, इटली के लोग तो उनके सामने अनपढ़ जैसे हैं। वे केवल एक ही भाषा जानते हैं, जो उनकी माँ बोलती है, केवल इटैलियन। मेरा अनुमान था कि अधिकतर यूरोपियन अपने देश की भाषा के साथ-साथ अंग्रेजी और आसपास के अन्य यूरोपीय देश की भाषा भी जानते होंगे, किंतु शायद यह स्थिति बहुत कम लोगों के साथ है।
भारत के देहाती कम से कम दो और भारतीय शहरी कम से कम तीन भाषाएं जानते हैं जिनमें से एक वहाँ की क्षेत्रीय भाषा, दूसरी हिन्दी और तीसरी अंग्रेजी होती ही है। करोड़ों भारतीय अपना प्रांत छोड़कर किसी दूसरे प्रांत में जा बसते हैं, इस कारण वे दूसरे प्रांतों की भाषा भी सीख ही जाते हैं। भाषा की समस्या हमें इण्डोनेशिया में भी आई थी, अधिकतर लोग केवल जावाई भाषा बोल पाते थे, वहाँ के शहरी क्षेत्रों में भी बहुत कम लोग अंग्रेजी समझ सकते थे।
खरीददारी
हम बस पकड़कर सर्विस अपार्टमेंट में लौट आए। थोड़ी देर विश्राम करके मैं और विजय बाजार गए ताकि शाम के लिए सब्जी, दूध, सैलफोन की सिम आदि खरीद कर ला सकें तथा करंसी एक्सचेंज करवाई जा सके। मैंने और विजय ने बाजार में सबसे पहले सैलफोन में सिम डलवाईं। बाजार में हमें 500 डॉलर के बदले में 410 यूरो मिले, जबकि पिछली रात को एयरपोर्ट पर हमें केवल 358 डॉलर मिले थे। एयरपोर्ट पर दो सिम के लिए 5000 रुपए मांगे जा रहे थे जबकि बाजार में हमें वही सिम लगभग 3000 रुपए में मिल गईं।
सबकी जेब में 100-100 यूरो
बाजार से लौटकर मैंने सबको 100-100 यूरो दिए। भारत में हर समय इतना रुपया (8000 रुपए) लेकर कौन चलता है किंतु यहाँ इन रुपयों में अधिक कुछ नहीं आने वाला था। फिर भी यह एक समय के नाश्ते, पानी की बोतल तथा घर लौटने तक के लिए टैक्सी किराए के लिए पर्याप्त थे। विजय ने सर्विस अपार्टमेंट का पता, मकान मालकिन का नाम, उसके टेलिफोन नम्बर और हमारे सैलफोन नम्बर पर्चियों पर लिखकर दिए ताकि सभी सदस्य अपने-अपने बैग में रखें।
यहाँ हमने एक गलती और की जिसका अनुमान हमें भारत लौटने के बाद ही हुआ। हमें दीपा के कोट की जेब में भी सर्विस अपार्टमेंट का पता और हमारे सैलफोन नम्बर लिखकर रखने थे किंतु यह बात हमारे मस्तिष्क में तब आई ही नहीं। हालांकि यह एक तसल्ली-दायक बात थी कि दीपा स्वयं ही भीड़ देखकर अपनी माँ की गोद में चढ़ जाती थी या विजय के कंधों पर लद लेती थी।