Tuesday, 12th November 2019 – Agra to Kathmandu

2nd of 4 posts added on 14/11/19. For continuity from previous postings, start with 11th November 2019.

Getting out of India is one thing. Getting into Nepal is another.

Given the state of Indian roads and the traffic around Delhi, we decided to leave ourselves plenty of time to get from Agra to Delhi airport.

It’s only just over 200 kilometres but you never know so we set off at 5.30am to give ourselves plenty of time for a 12.50 take-off. Good job we did.

The drive up was fine but before could even get in to the terminal we had to queue.

You’re not allowed in unless you have a valid ticket and proof of identification. The signs and the soldiers with big guns make it very clear that you’ll be ‘severely punished’ if you are caught inside without a ticket.

There was a lengthy queue as the check-in people were doing their jobs with one hand behind their backs for fun. This was followed by security who were very ‘thorough’ in their frisking.

As we started walking to the boarding gate a very nice man in a complimentary electric buggy pulled up and asked where we were going. We told him. He told us it was a 1.5 kilometre walk and to hop in. We hopped in. He was right about the distance.

Well worth a bungalow.

Into Nepal

We’d tried to sort out a visa for Nepal before we came but all the information said just get one at the airport. The information was right but let’s say there is room for improvement in the process.

For the benefit of fellow travellers:

• You join the queue for people with no visas,
• That turns out to be the queue to get the visa – but only if you have the right paperwork.
• You get sent to find a disembarkation card to complete.
• You find the last two forms and fill them in.
• A fellow traveller rumours that you need to enter information into a kiosk machine so you queue for that.
• When you get to the machine, you enter the same information as on the disembarkation card.
• The machine tries to take your picture and crashes.
• You queue for another machine.
•  You go through the same process and it eventually, begrudgingly, gives you slip of paper that says you’ve entered your information.
• You join a queue to pay for your visa. They don’t take cards so you scramble for cash.
• The man takes your money and begrudgingly gives you a receipt but still no visa.
• To get that, you join your original queue – this time with your disembarkation form, your kiosk machine receipt, your payment receipt, your passport, your boarding card and your first born child.
• And guess what you get – a piece of paper that they stick in your passport.

Welcome to Nepal

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