Northern India Journey - Day 6 Srinagar to New Delhi - 18/12/2010

With a long sleep, I felt better in the morning. We took the flight at about 1pm. We knew the efficiency of the Indian airport, so we took the car to the airport a bit early. But, we were still almost late. Not because they work slowly, but the security check was very complicated. Before we arrived the airport the military set up a road block, every tourist had to get off the car to do a security check. All of our luggage had to be scanned and we couldn't wear any jacket when going though the physical check. Think they worried there were any inaccuracy when scanning your body.

After arrived the entrance of the airport, they did the scanning process 1 more time before they let you in the airport! Inside the airport, we had to do the registration like what we did when the first day landed in Srinagar. Then we went ahead to the check-in counter. The airport was quiet small. The waiting zone was just next to the check-in area. Now, I had a problem when I got into the waiting area. As I had a small bag with me which hadn't checked-in, they didn't let me in just because I had some clothes inside! I had to go to the counter to do the check-in again!! Finally I could go inside, but I had only a little time before the flight left. The policy there was quite strange. I had to go outside to recognize my luggages before I went aboard. And I had to report my laptop and camera to the Customs.

The Himalayas range from the aeroplane.
(on the way back to New Delhi)

When we arrived the New Delhi airport, we thought we can book the next day train ticket to Agra there. (As the travel book said there was one.) But we couldn't found any counter at all. (I thought the book wasn't updated). But again something unlucky happened on me. I left my DC in the airport toilet!! And the staff didn't let me in as there was the luggage are and I left my air ticket in the flight. Fortunately, my travel mate got his one and help me to take it back. And then we took the prepaid taxi to the train station. Something we shouldn't do in New Delhi, we did! In the train station we ask a man to show us the foreigner ticket centre. He told us that we should only book the ticket outside, which was a lie. But we follow him! (I thought we were quite tried for the whole day (that was in evening)) We went to a local tour office, but the owner said train was full and if we book a car to Agra it costed 7000 Rupees for 2. Definitely we ignored him and went back to the train station. We followed the Indian people queue. When we reached the counter, we discovered that the counter couldn't book the advance ticket and we missed the office hour of the real tourist counter!! Shit. So we went to a local tour office inside the station to book a car to Agra. (We thought that may be more reliable than the one outside) But we still did much bargaining about the cost.

When everything was settled, we found a nice roof-top restaurant to take a dinner. But my stomach did work anyway. Poor me.