INDIA. Oh, the thoughts, images and feelings that emerge in my mind just when I hear the word! A country that while known for taking no mercy on its citizens or visitors, is revered and adored by so many who are fortunate enough to experience what she has to offer. With what everyone says/warns about India I was of course a bit nervous about my first encounters in this intense, crazy, unforgivably hot country and goodness gracious, was I right to be so :) I've heard for years that everyone who travels to India forms a love-hate relationship with the country. And Vasae and I were lucky enough to get started with the hate part of the love affair first :)
Once we got off our bus in the border town, we headed to the Nepalese Tourism office to get our departure stamps and bid adieu to Nepal. In all the hustle and bustle, we accidentally missed the office and casually moseyed across the border and into India. At the immigration office we were quickly redirected back to Nepal to first leave one country before entering the next. In the Nepalese office we were greeted by your typical old Nepalese man- a tiny, wrinkled, white-toothed splendor of a human being who told us we weren't allowed to leave Nepal and that we had stay and enjoy it forever. Then he gave Vasae a book of Psalms as a parting gift. Once back in the Indian immigration office, the energy immediately changed. We were evaluated by a panel of old Indian men (who we learned very quickly are not like old Nepalese men) that basically tried to first deny me and then Vasae entry into India. My guy tried to make up some kind of problem with my visa- a problem that was easily and immediately overturned once I presented him with plane tickets and paperwork to disprove his point (phew!) Then he and another surly fellow tried to find fault with the extra pages I had added to my passport before leaving the US. Finally he stamped the damn thing and gave me my passport back. Vasae was not so lucky...
Long, ridiculous story short, the evil old fart who checked Vasae's passport made up some law that her multiple entry visa was no longer a multiple entry visa. He insisted that the only option was to return to Kathmandu, go to the embassy to maybe get the problem sorted out and come back to try again. After talking/ Vasae kinda yelling for awhile to get around this jerk's made-up law we decided to take a new course and get serious. About 1,000 Nepalese rupees ($15ish) serious. We finally asked what it was going to take to just stamp the passport and let us into India. He made up some "what it would cost" fee and told us that would do. It was way much more than either of us had so we then we resorted to begging and pleading. It was quite the performance :) I don't think I've ever begged so much in my life- I had the waterworks ready but luckily he folded (after literally taking every coin we had on us and asking if we had any American money). He put the money in his shirt (literally pocketed it) and sent us on our way.
Annnd welcome to India! We're hopeful that India will start showing the love any minute now :)
Having such little time in such a large country, we decided we would only try to conquer the Northern parts of India the best we can. Our general plan is a whistle-stop tour where we anticipate sleeping on many overnight trains as we have lots of ground to cover. For any of you folks you are nerdy like me and absolutely love maps, here is the basic itinerary for you to check out if you so please: Gorakphur, Amritsar, Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bundi, Khajahuro, Varanasi, Bodhgaya, and Kolkata from where we fly to Bangkok... and here we go!
Once we got off our bus in the border town, we headed to the Nepalese Tourism office to get our departure stamps and bid adieu to Nepal. In all the hustle and bustle, we accidentally missed the office and casually moseyed across the border and into India. At the immigration office we were quickly redirected back to Nepal to first leave one country before entering the next. In the Nepalese office we were greeted by your typical old Nepalese man- a tiny, wrinkled, white-toothed splendor of a human being who told us we weren't allowed to leave Nepal and that we had stay and enjoy it forever. Then he gave Vasae a book of Psalms as a parting gift. Once back in the Indian immigration office, the energy immediately changed. We were evaluated by a panel of old Indian men (who we learned very quickly are not like old Nepalese men) that basically tried to first deny me and then Vasae entry into India. My guy tried to make up some kind of problem with my visa- a problem that was easily and immediately overturned once I presented him with plane tickets and paperwork to disprove his point (phew!) Then he and another surly fellow tried to find fault with the extra pages I had added to my passport before leaving the US. Finally he stamped the damn thing and gave me my passport back. Vasae was not so lucky...
Long, ridiculous story short, the evil old fart who checked Vasae's passport made up some law that her multiple entry visa was no longer a multiple entry visa. He insisted that the only option was to return to Kathmandu, go to the embassy to maybe get the problem sorted out and come back to try again. After talking/ Vasae kinda yelling for awhile to get around this jerk's made-up law we decided to take a new course and get serious. About 1,000 Nepalese rupees ($15ish) serious. We finally asked what it was going to take to just stamp the passport and let us into India. He made up some "what it would cost" fee and told us that would do. It was way much more than either of us had so we then we resorted to begging and pleading. It was quite the performance :) I don't think I've ever begged so much in my life- I had the waterworks ready but luckily he folded (after literally taking every coin we had on us and asking if we had any American money). He put the money in his shirt (literally pocketed it) and sent us on our way.
Annnd welcome to India! We're hopeful that India will start showing the love any minute now :)
Having such little time in such a large country, we decided we would only try to conquer the Northern parts of India the best we can. Our general plan is a whistle-stop tour where we anticipate sleeping on many overnight trains as we have lots of ground to cover. For any of you folks you are nerdy like me and absolutely love maps, here is the basic itinerary for you to check out if you so please: Gorakphur, Amritsar, Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bundi, Khajahuro, Varanasi, Bodhgaya, and Kolkata from where we fly to Bangkok... and here we go!
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