How to miss a plane in 10 minutes

For all those who've been waiting. Here's a chapter from 'Unforgettable Memories of India':

It all started well and as planned. Get up early, breakfast at 7.30am, check out, some minor problems with the credit card reader, no biggie...

The car that was supposed to bring us back to Bangalore (5-6hr drive) was loaded and ready to leave at 8am as planned. Plane at Bangalore airport scheduled for 4.30pm, so we had a good 7,5 hrs to get there on time.

1st incident (planned):
A stop at Belur Temple, about 45 min down the road. Unplanned was that we would bump into a wedding party, which was a welcome surprise, but in hindsight maybe responsible for us leaving a tad bit later than anticipated.
visual: Iluka runs after a red balloon and eats a dripping mango ice-cream.

2nd incident (unplanned)
The AC of our car wasn't working. This didn't really bother us much, but the driver seemed concerned enough to insist on organizing a replacement car. The aircon, it seemed wasn't the only problem. It was the mysterious blinking red light on the dashboard that worried the driver. "Sir, I'm not sure, sir."
visual: Paley family sits by the roadside on their suitcase waiting for new car

3rd incident (definitely unplanned, but probably our fault)
Just as we got going again, Iluka started to whine and complain about belly ache. My maternal alarm bells indicated refrozen mango ice-cream. And sure enough soon after we had the mess...
visual: Frantic search for diapers at the bottom of our bags as child had just sucessfully graduated from potty-training.

4th incident (planned, but shorter)
We knew we were slightly behind schedule, but French and Indian stomachs needed to be fed, so we stopped at the 'Shark Restaurant', a wannabe fancy roadside stall for a quick chai, some roti and dhal.
visual: Mother tried to coax screaming 2-year-old past greasy sari-clad lady into public squat toilet. Exists 3 seconds later with no success, dumps yet another mango-ice-cream diaper into makeshift cardboard bin. Happy flies.

5th incident (unplanned)
Despite diapers, Iluka insists on stopping for a pee (sorry to all non-parents for these seemingly unintereesting details). We oblige. Well done. Back in the car. Hattttatatattattat...hattatat. Engine dead. We start to feel pings of concern regarding our flight to Delhi. We don't really have time to spare anymore. The driver is on the phone and keeps on trying to start the car without success.
visual: Remote countryside. Birds chirping. Matthieu chats up a boy on a bicycle and considers continuing on a public bus.

incidents 6 - 8 (the 10-minute rule)
Eventually, through the help of mobile phones and a Toyota savvy friend of the driver, he gets the car going again.

Matthieu: "How much longer to the airport?"

Driver: "Oh, you are very lucky. It is very near. Just 10 minutes from here. I take a short-cut."
visual: Remote countryside. Birds chirping.

30 minutes later:
Matthieu: "So, where is the airport?"

Driver: "Oh, sir, we are very close. Next road on the right. Just 10 minutes."
visual: village in the countryside. Extended discussions in Kanada (local language) between driver and villagers. Several men participate, all pointing in different directions....

15 minutes later (3.40pm):
Driver: "Sir, now we enter main airport road."
visual: larger highway, thickening traffic, airport tower looming in the distance

10 minutes later (3.50):
We arrive at the airport, divide in 2 teams (Team A: load and luggage / Team B: child and camera) and sprint to the domestic departures hall.

incident 9 (the unforseen)
We get stopped by a security guard who checks our tickets and passports: "You must pay airport tax."
"Ok, sure, just tell us where, we are very late."
"Oh, you must go outside to the counter."
visual: Matthieu and Mareile push politely, yet determined through the crowd, squeeze in front of the line, sending sympathy inducing smiles, nodding applogetically, pointing at the child in their arms.

incidents 10 - 12 (the determining factors)
...and also those that never happened. Of the three railway crossings we passed on the way, none were closed! And we know sure well, that the stewardesses of Indian Airlines would not have let us on board would we have been another 10 minutes late!
visual: Matthieu and Mareile smile, sit back in their seats and look out into the clouds. Delhi, here we come!