On the way from India to New Zealand, we transited through Bangkok for a day. Previously, we had cancelled a 10-day visit to Thailand in order to spend time on the southeastern coast of India volunteering for tsunami relief work. We had about 12 hours in Bangkok, so I got a visa on arrival and we took a taxi into the city to see my cousin Nidhi, her husband Dinkar and their son Bhaskar. It was great to see them! We had a very enjoyable lunch at a Thai restaurant nearby named Sukothai - the cold lychee juice was excellent and very appropriate for the hot temperature outside.
At about 2pm, we headed back to the airport and went to check-in for the flight to Auckland..... alas, we ran into a completely unanticipated roadblock there - apparently, our flight was transiting through Sydney for 45 minutes and, as an Indian citizen, I required a "transit visa" for the 45-minute stay in Sydney!... completely maddening... After all the trouble we've gone through to get visas (16 visas for me and 5 for Smruti, not counting the enormous sums of money that each visa has required), this one finally put a stop to our journey... Apparently, as of last year, the Australians have put in this rule for citizens of all countries that want to migrate in hordes to Australia (NOT!).
Anyway, so we unchecked ourselves from the flight, changed our flight to the next day's flight and went back to Bangkok. I downloaded the transit visa form, filled it out and waited.. Next morning, I took a motorbike-taxi to the Australian embassy. After crossing the moat (yes, the Australian embassy fortress has a moat to repel the numerous and highly regarded warrior knights of Thailand) and being relieved of my backpack, mobile phone and book, I crossed over into Australian sovereign territory. There, I waited for two hours, then filled out another additional form with details of my past 10 years of work experience plus all details about my education and family location/education. After that, I waited another two hours and then was granted a transit visa because, as the clerk there said, her supervisor had made an exception to the rule (I didn't bother to ask what rule... as I was too incensed to wait for the answer). This experience made me think that Australia feels in Asia as America does in the world.... AFRAID! Unfortunately, as long as people from poorer countries want to keep emigrating to these countries and there is the threat of terrorism, this won't change.
The good thing was that we got to spend more time with Nidhi didi and her family, including a visit to another great Italian restaurant called Govinda run by Hare Krishna devotees.. go figure.. anyway, it was very good food. Unfortunately, that evening, I lost two successive chess matches to 10-year old Bhaskar which has done wonders for my ego... I nominate Bhaskar for the next grandmaster of chess.
-Dev
Please give me th details of world tour.
For 25 days from India.
With details of tour expences.
Thanking You.
Posted by: Kiran | Tuesday, November 01, 2005 at 01:20 AM