Getting all of the paperwork for a trip to India is quite a chore. Last week I hunted for flights from Seattle to Delhi. I thought I had found one on Delta Airlines. The flight left Seattle at a good time, had a relatively short layover in Paris, and landed in Delhi just after 10 pm. As I worked my way through the airline web site to purchase my ticket, I entered all of the requested information. For the last step in the ticketing process, I entered my credit card information and hit the "continue" button.To my surprise, instead of charging my credit card, the airline informed me that the cost of the ticket just increased by $400. My options were to continue and purchase the ticket with this new price or look for another flight. Not only did I look for another flight, I looked for another airline! I decided to fly over the Pacific Ocean with a stop in Tokyo (Narita) on All Nippon Airlines.
After purchasing the ticket for the flight, I turned my attention to getting a visa to enter India. I have always requested a 6 month visa, although longer term visas are available. Obtaining a visa is easier now compared to the first time I participated in the Science for Monks program. In the past, to pay for the visa, a cashiers check was required. This required a trip to the bank. Now, the fees can be paid online using a credit card.
The paperwork for the visa is the same: official visa application, copy of visa application, copy of driver's license, copy/proof of flight, passport, two color photographs. All of these materials were placed in a large manila envelope and mailed to San Francisco. I hope to get my passport with the visa back in about two weeks.with a stop in Paris
