08/04/08
Yesterday was somewhat eventful. After squeezing every last thing back into my rucksack I headed off for the airport. As my turn came to check in I started to feel rising panic as the man behind the counter thumbed his way through my passport, stopped, stared and tutted. "Madam, do you realise that you need an Indian visa to enable you to make your transfers?". I spluttered back at him that I had been informed that I didn't, but it was to no avail. One month ago I had contacted my organisation to ask about transit visas and was told that I didn't need one. I was hopping mad! I was left with two options, neither of which enabled me to catch my flights. I could either go and spend hours at the notoriously slow Indian embassy and then try and change my flights or book a completely new flight that avoided the visa problem altogether. I opted for the second and landed myself a flight via Bangkok with Thai airways (preferable to Jetlite or Jetshite as I've re-named them!).
So today was like ground hog day as I once again went to the airport. As an afterthought I realised that flying a day late meant my Nepalese visa had also expired. I told my sob story to the sympathetic immigration officer and dropped in that I was volunteering and he let me off. Thai airways was deluxe with free drinks, mini pillows and real orchids in the loo - not bad eh! They should, however, have censored their complimentary newspaper as the front page read, "High danger: Qatar Airways plane has both engines fail 6 km above the earth"! Not exactly relaxing reading so I turned over to, "Men soon to become redundant as scientists develop artificial sperm"..... god help us.... I gave up on world news and looked out of the window instead!
Bangkok airport is space age and immaculately clean. Huge stainless steel arcs form the roof and there are windows everywhere reflecting people scurrying around busy on their own adventures. I like people watching. I see business men/women with their smart suits and whirring wheelie suitcases, briskly clip clopping along and wonder what it must feel like to be so professional and poised. Even if I had the right attire I don't think I'd carry it off - I'd break a heel or a wheel would come off my suitcase and I'd end up head first down the escalator! There are lots of people like me, fresh from Nepal, clomping around in their walking boots.
I arrived at Colombo airport at midnight and finally made my way to the exit by 1am to find no sign of the person that should have been meeting me. When I did track him down he cheerfully tells me that there was a board with my name on (under his desk!) and he misread my arrival time as 2am. My taxi driver was lovely but not particularly well suited to the job as he had to stop three times to ask for directions and was crawling along the road so slowly that the police pulled us over for suspicious behaviour! I eventually made it to the hotel and never have been so glad to sink into bed.
1 comment:
Hi pip, Im glad your going to visit Sri-lanka as george and I loved it when we went for our honeymoon. It was a little strange going only 6 months after the tsunami, a few years back but everyone was so appreciative as visitors means money is coming into the country however it was shocking to hear the stories of visitors that their homes had been destroyes. we visited 1 family when a lady invited in to her home (little shack) just on the edge of the beach) where her and her children all liver and she aid how they had to be rebuilt. It was a ploy to get money out of us, with stories of her childrens lives and no jobs since the lack of tourism since the tsunami and needing uniforms for school, but it was a fascinating insite into their lives. The countryside is so beautiful especially around the tea plantations in the mid north and the sacred budhist temples in the cultural triangle are fascinating Id love to re-visit. Although there is some political unrest with the Tamil tigers, we thought it was a very peaceful country due to the mix of religion and cultures. I hope you get to visit these places and get some photos too, so I can admire in envy. much love and best wishes for your next adventues, liz xx
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