Post Spam #3: India Prep

[talktooloose]

We're leaving for India in a month. We busted our humps getting the visa documents together (photos, forms, return mail envelopes) on the weekend. The ridiculous thing is that the consulate is a bike ride away but you're not allowed to drop off the forms in person. You have to use an $8.39 ExpressPost envelope.

Furthermore, you have to put a return $8.39 ExpressPost envelope inside. Both are elaborately filled in with "to" and "from" fields. Hey! We fucked one up and put the inside envelope on the outside! I sent my whole visa package to myself for $8.39!! Yaaaayyyyy!!

Meanwhile, we still don't know where we're going. The list of unmissable places is getting longer and we're currently considering buying a 15 day airpass for the country which would change our itinerary in many ways.

Comments

[toodamnloud.livejournal.com]

I've read that air travel in India is an exercise in madness. The flights are generally nine or ten hours late, if they happen. Most things I've read say that the train is the way to go. However, this is all third hand.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I've heard the same and we seem to be backing off the pass now and replacing it with 2 or 3 separate flights. Air India, the official national carrier, doesn't even have online booking and I only found their schedule (helpfully downloadable in Excel format) by accident.

There are some new discount airlines, notably Spice, that seem to have their shit together and are considerably cheaper.

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

15 day airpass? They have those things?

o_0

Wow, something that sort-of makes sense happens in the world!

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Yes, but what will the actual experience be like. We've read that Indian airports are chaos. You aren't told where baggage return is and when you do find it, there are six conveyor belts surrounded by crowds and no signing, so everyone is randomly running around trying to find their shit.

Ackk!

[lux-apollo.livejournal.com]

Well, that will be hell... Good luck.