The official tourism board of India uses the catch phrase, 'Incredible India' in all its adverting. However, we who live here often refer to it simply as, 'Inconsistent India' because nothing is ever guaranteed here.
Today you find your favorite cereal in the market, tomorrow you don't. Today you need documents X, Y, Z to complete a transaction, tomorrow you also need A, B, & C. Today you can buy beef, tomorrow it's illegal in the entire state. The first answer to any query is always the reflexive, NO, but after some discussion and possibly a little bribe, you can get what you want if you give up your patience and time.
Knowing this and having a flight to catch this morning, I checked in online, booked an Uber taxi well in advance, and got to the domestic airport two and a half hours early for my flight. And then this happened:
Today you find your favorite cereal in the market, tomorrow you don't. Today you need documents X, Y, Z to complete a transaction, tomorrow you also need A, B, & C. Today you can buy beef, tomorrow it's illegal in the entire state. The first answer to any query is always the reflexive, NO, but after some discussion and possibly a little bribe, you can get what you want if you give up your patience and time.
Knowing this and having a flight to catch this morning, I checked in online, booked an Uber taxi well in advance, and got to the domestic airport two and a half hours early for my flight. And then this happened:
- The Uber arrived within 3 minutes
- With no traffic on the street, I arrived at the airport within 10 minutes
- Went through entry security quickly with only two people in line in front of me
- No one in line at the boarding card kiosk or the baggage drop, and was done in 5 minutes
Fastest airport experience ever in India! So now I have two hours to kill before my flight…sitting having a coffee with actual, functioning, free wifi!
Not holding my breath for this to ever happen again, but enjoying it while it does.
Inconsistent India, indeed!
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