Day #1 - What no Visa??

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There are only really 3 things you need when you go to a foreign country - everything else is literally just baggage. Those 3 things are:

Passport......Check

Money.........Check

Visa............What do you mean I need a Visa to get into India? Can’t I get one at the airport? No? Oh Dear.

Whilst in a late afternoon conference call business meeting yesterday (6 hours before flying out of the UK), which I was chairing, my colleagues wished me well for my travels, and one asked me how I had faired getting a Visa for India ahead of my departure, as he was having a nightmare arranging one for an upcoming trip. I confidently informed him you could get a Visa at the airport no problem. After a brief pause on the line, 3 of my fellow colleagues informed me this was not possible, and you had to do it normally weeks ahead of departure - and given one of them has family in India, it occurred to me rapidly they knew what they were talking about and I didn’t.

A cold chill swept over me, as it dawned on me the realisation that I was not going to be able to get into India and then take my onward flight to Kathmandu the next day and the whole trekking to Mount Everest trip planned over the last 12 months wouldn’t even get me any closer to the "roof of the world" than Heathrow Airport. Oh dear, oh dear.

At this point, my brain divided into 2 - one half starting and managing the meeting, whilst the other half was busy inwardly screaming obscenities at how stupid I had been to get my facts so very wrong. I barely have any recollection of the meeting even now - I just hope my colleagues didn’t notice too much.

The following 2 hours were then spent working my way out of this self inflicted mess. With the help of my lovely wife on the end of the telephone I managed to get a new flight travelling yesterday with Gulf Air to Kathmandu landing tonight at 1955 - with a 5 hour layover in Bahrain. The flights to India and from India to Nepal were cancelled, as were the India hotels, India tour company driver and car - all previously booked for a post Nepal 4 day Golden Triangle tour. Sorry India...you will just have to wait a little longer..

My wife, being truly helpful, booked me a hotel room in Kathmandu for this evening as I am now arriving a day earlier. She searched the internet high and low to find me the perfect hotel - it is called "The Swanker" and given what it rhymes with, probably very apt. Deliberately done?....of course.

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