My life is never boring 😴. Trust me for keeping it on a roller coaster just like Walter Mitty. I had seen the movie when it released.
With June month packed already with travel, we had very limited time in May for Holiday. End of April I booked the tickets for 20th May. But then I also had another country visa application pending for my daughter. Having sufficient time in hand I pushed for a visa submission on 3rd May. Going by even the lengthiest process, it should arrive back home by 15th May. That’s what I thought. But there’s a twist.
My sleepless nights began from 14th May, with stress level rising when I realised on the embassy’s website that passport was mailed to my bhubaneswar add only on 16th May evening. My agent used the add in passport as add for delivery too. Luckily its my trading partner’s home. I informed him as he was supposed to travel to hyderabad and asked him to wait till passport arrives. 18th being Saturday was the last date we could expect as there would be no delivery on sunday and Monday early morning was our flight. My heart ❤️ was ticking like a bomb. By 18th, 3 pm with no news/update I enquired about cancelling the flight but then my friend suggested to atleast wait till 7pm.
4 pm my partner’s wife calls up saying passport recieved. Now the hustle began to get it in hyderabad. The problem was:
- My partner had left for Joda for urgent work
- Last bus from bhubaneswar to hyderabad had left at 3.30pm
- His relative working with an airlines was on holiday 😐
I was ready to fly to and fro just to collect the passport even at the cost of 40000 return flight but then he asked me to give him some time to think.
We contemplated options and vizag route sounded better. The passport was sent by travel agent to vizag where our staff picked it up in the morning. With limited time in limited time in vizag and time for our flight we thought of all possible options, even the late night flight from vizag to hyd but then came the train to my rescue. He suggested it be sent by train at 2.30pm which reaches hyderabad midnight. How delayed can a train be. I may just have to be awake all night.
Finally the train arrived sharp on time at 11.25pm. Everything looks great now, we will be onboard for our flight next morning.
Universe had a laugh, not so easy.
I missed my 2 alarms only to wake up one hour late. In shock, we got ready in exactly 5 mins and booked a cab. We got in time. Relieved I smiled only to lose it in few minutes.
As we reached the airlines counter for check-in, we are asked to show our visa. My eyes wide opened with WHAT as the question. I have travelled to this country before and it was visa on arrival so I never bothered to check. My heart sank so did my daughter’s. I calmed my mind and looked for a solution. We quickly found out about online application where they could grant visa in 4 to 24 hrs. (That’s a huge time risk, but did we have any other option?
With a layover in delhi for 5 hrs we could still get in time before immigration. A risk worth taking. A 64 USD visa cost us 374 USD. Money didn’t matter at this time.
Based on our application we were allowed to board from HYD with no guarantee in Delhi. Finally we decided that if we don’t get the visa, we’ll stay in Delhi with my cousin and neices and have a holiday irrespective.
While my heart was still racing for th outcome of our 400 USD investment I composed myself and finished all my work commitments. For 13.50 flight, at 11.00 am we walk up to the airline counter explaining the problem to the sweet lady.
She: Mamm we’ll have to wiat for the visa to give your boarding pass
Me: By any chance can you check if your flight is delayed. Usually you are
She (smiling checked her computer): Sorry mamm it’s on time. But I’ll let you do priority Check in even if your visa come by 12.50 so hang in here.
Me: Yeah. I have no option. Any possibility you can get the flight delayed?
she (smiled): No Mamm
As informed by visa agency I keep an eye on my mails refreshing every second 11.45 – I see an email with our visas attached. Overly Excited we go back to the counter and get our boarding passes. As we reach our boarding gate settling oursleves for a little peace, there’s announcemnt of boarding gate change. Again we run in opposition direction.
For all the stress of the month we are rewarded with an empty seat next to us. after a refreshment drink in flight and lap of my 13yr old – I m set to take some rest.
But wait adventure has just begun. Our hotel manager has warned us to be careful of any sighting of tigers and stay calm as we are very close to Nairobi National Park 😀.
That’s me living life of Walter Mitty.
PenCraftedBySushiila 