Kathmandu

So, we have arrived at Kathmandu, and we're currently about to enjoy a meal in a restaurant a couple of steps away from the hotel. Unfortunately, the journey here was not entirely stress-free.

The first hiccup was India. More specifically, Delhi. If you haven't read about our visa woes, I suggest you do so. This will put you into the frame of mind for the seething frustrations we had with Indian bureaucracy today.

So firstly, we disembark the plane and make our way not to the transfer area as a normal, modern group of human beings, but instead pick up our baggage and proceed out and back around to Departures. Or at least, we try to.

Before we get to Departures, there is of course the obligatory armed Indian Army personnel to check our tickets before we even get to the check-in desk. A minor nuisance, made larger by the fact that the guard didn't accept flashing an e-ticket on an iPad. So we have to get it printed out, but only by going outside, taking a lift upstairs, then frantically trying to get into an entrance back into the airport WITHOUT an armed guard in front.

After having solved that debacle, we manage to check in and get to security. Only to find out that we haven't got tags for our hand luggage. And of course, the help desk couldn't be of help as they were of a different airline, so they point us to someone else, who then says they can't help and point us back to the help desk!! Needless to say, we were getting infuriated with the bone-idle laziness (as we were now in a VERY serious risk of missing our flight) until some nice security guard takes it upon himself to nip into a restricted area and re-appear not 20 seconds later wielding 3 luggage tags. How hard was that?!?

Rant over. I think India really isn't high on the 'bucket list' as my Dad puts it. If you want to make your country attractive to foreigners, please make the entry as smooth as possible; avoid all that bureaucracy!!

I'm glad that we're finally in Kathmandu. Let the real holiday begin!