I think there are places in Asia that are just as beautiful and full of culture without having to endure a constant poo smell that permeates your skin and sticks in your nose.
I'm only lucky if they actually give me a visa. :grin: If they do, my plan is to travel from Kerala in south India to Skardu, Pakistan (crossing the border by foot in Punjab...I still have a valid Pakistani visa in my old passport )
Plus, traveling for work blows. No matter how cool or interesting the place may be, you're working 99% of the time.
I just called Travisa in Chicago, and they informed me that the Indian Consulate in Chicago decided a month ago to return all passports that require clearance from Delhi. The application is still pending, but the Consulate in Chicago didn't want to be responsible for holding on to applicants' passports for months.
Sorry to hear about your problems getting to India. I've never been but would love to go sometime. My dad is a Chinese national, more precisely a Hong Kong SAR citizen. Given India has had some problems with the PRC does anyone know if that would cause some problems with getting a visa?
It shouldn't take them longer than a few days to process your visa. As far as I'm aware, the only US citizens that have problems getting an Indian visa are those of Pakistani origin (even 3rd generation Pakistani-Americans who have never even been to Pakistan).
Thanks, ATW! I'm going to the visa center tomorrow to get the visa stamped in my passport. I'm still not sure about the length of the visa (they wouldn't tell me over the phone since they are only the visa outsourcing company, not the actual Consulate). Hopefully it's the 5-year visa I applied for, and not an abbreviated visa that expires 3 months from tomorrow. It's funny, because I just emailed an old college friend three weeks ago who now lives in Calcutta - his uncle is a member of the Indian Parliament. He forwarded my application info on to his uncle, who apparently forwarded it on to the appropriate party in Delhi. Sometimes cutting corners is the only way to deal with bureaucracy. Oh well, it worked. :grin:
Wow. That was fast if it took only 3 months. And good for you, cutting corners (esp. bribes) is a tradition in South Asia. It's the only way I ever make money in Pakistan.
