I am in Delhi -- got the VISA

I decided to take train route.. and My town RAjkot is not well connected with Delhi by train.. so I have to come to Ahmedabad [nearest place where i can get train or flight to delhi it is 4 hrs drive away] ... i took a bus to Ahmedabad and evening 5:45 pm train to Delhi which reach delhi next day morning..

my friend Bhavesh promised me to drop me off to railway station.. :) so he came to pick me up where bus dropped me .. we went to his house to get freshen up and then he came to drop me to railway station..

(Bhavesh in the pict :)

This time i has reservation in IInd class sleeper so i had better seat and confirmed birth to enjoy comfortable journey..

so here i go...... bumping on train whole night... finally i am in delhi .. no idea where to stay? cant think of costly accommodation!!! the first thing came in mind as Gujju was to go to "gujarati samaj" in delhi... where we can get gujarati food and a reasonable stay..

i guess it was a stupid decision of going there as it is far from railway station and very very far from Embassy area... so unthoughtful decision to go there... further stupidity was ... i never confirmed where there i a place to stay??? huh!!

so i reached.. contacted on counter.. the manager regretfully said sorry man we have no vacant room!!! the people who are going to "amarnath yatra" [The holy most ;sacred journey for hindus to climb mountain 4 days to worship "lord shiva" ..] have occupied whole "samaj"... not even dormatry is empty... so that was the first hurdle for me to cleared up... i wanted to stay for 6 nights.... the manager looked at me strangely and denied simply ... I requested him to allow me to take shower ..... he was nice enough to permit me for that..

Now choice left for accommodation.... so i decided to go to embassy and apply for VISA first and to think about accommodation later on..

so here i go.... with a BIG bag like an idiot i am at the Embassy door step.. guard stopped me.. i said i wanna apply for VISA.. he called some one from inside the guy came and told me to leave all my luggage outside.. i had a bag and a small waist pouch ... i asked guard to keep the bag under his hut .. he dinned... i had no choice... but to tie my bag with one of the electric pole near embassy gate and request guard to keen an eye on it!!! huh... what a pity!!

i went in the guy on windonw could find the "fax" .. i handed him over my passport and VISA form.. everything finished in 45 min of time.. i ma relieved.. the guy on counter asked me to come and collect my VISA on 4th June..

I came out with a victorious smile... my bag was "safe"... i was laughing on my unplanned venture..

i decided to go to central delhi and find accommodation near central railway station as it is central, cheaper and local food is easily available.. markets are close by..

i found a nice palce to say "surya palace hotel" 5-7 min walk from railway station "pahadganj" area.

i drained off.. took a nice hot shower again .. went out for late lunch came back and slept liek a log..... very relexed...

evening was allocated for connought place [a central market].. .. went around small bookshops... souvenir shops... came back around 7:00 PM and had a nice dinner at local "dhaba" [road side restaurant] .... took a nice sleep..

again the whole day . .. nothing to do except going around the market.. ... just passed leisure time hanging around..... meeting few friends....

here the day came for collection of VISA.. I got ready.. reached the embassy on time.. Got my VISA by 3:30 PM .... i was the most happy person on the earth.. immediately came back to hotel.. went to internet cafe.. wrote mail to my bosses that i am done and coming..

this was a BIG step forward..

I was relaxed as my flight was on 7th june 7:00 am. I had few more days to go around and meet people..

i met Dr. Pooja, Mr. Chaddha and having had two nice evenings with each of them.

i was on 9th cloud.....

.......

I have to travel to Rajkot from Pune

I have been offered a job with US based NGO to work for their School and Clinic Construction Program in Afghanistan.

I was working with RedR [India] When i got the job offer it was month of MAy'2004. I was asked to resume my duties on 7th June 2004.I was jumping with joy.

The first task for me to reach to my place Rajkot ASAP as i need to collect my documents and go to Delhi to apply for VISA.

The travel from pune to rajkot is diffilcult, i had to catch a bus to mumbai then a train to rajkot.

getting train to rajkot is the biggest task in month of june [school vacation time], one cannot think of getting any ticket up on arrival.. i did dare to .. i went to mumbai central queued up in loong line and the only ticket i got was "general ticket"..

travelling in general class in Indian train is the biggest adventure one can ever have... one need cool mind, greatest patient and very very accommodative nature.... i am not sure i have all these.. but any way the important thing was to reach rajkot..

I got in to first train.... i was very very lucky to have atleast a small sitting place on wooden planked [un-cushioned bench] i knew after 12 hrs of journey what wd be the shape of my bums!!! well millions of my brother and sister travel by general class so why not to enjoy? this is one of rare instances i have to travel..

so i squeezed myself in the corner as people came in we are 5 ppl sitting in the seat of 3 :) well and the temperature was above 40 degree... we all were sweating... the train was still in platform.. i was lucky enough to be in the seat close to window.. enjoyed some breeze and some interesting activities on platform... i love watching people on railway platform and more enjoyable thing is their talk.. .. i like analysing , categorizing people .... how they behave in public, how they see the problem, how they are come to the solution and all.....

a big push and train started... the compartment i was in looked specious as surprisingly not many people came in lately.. most of us having sitting place and some of them have specious standing place... heyyy in general class you cannot expect to have space to stand on your both the feet!!! unless you are lucky.. and you know what having seat in general class is... nothing less then owning a merc!!! luxury :)

i was ok and thought sitting for 12 hrs wont be a prob. i wd see if i can find a place to stratch my legs and have a small sleep.. and see my luck... one of the guy had to get down at some place and he offered me a complete birth.... i was like in 9th cloud.... i slept till down and woke up with a sweet loud voice of "tea boy" [chaiwala]..

i was already in my province just 5 more hrs to go....:)

finally reachd my home town.. a nice small [1.5 million people] city Rajkot.

the next task for me is to wait for some docs from Afghanistan.. my recruiter the person in context was Mr. Ali Rajpoot [Finance Director] , Mr. Mal Ralston [Program Director] and Mr. Kevin [Dy. Prog. Director] ...

i got intimation from Ali on 29th may that he already got approval from external ministry and fax has been sent to Embassy of Afghanistan in Delhi so i just need to go there with a number and my passport I got a mail from Kevin that i just have to come down to Kabul and contract and all other formalities will take place there..

I was happy, i packed up all my luggages and started my journey to Delhi to get VISA and then to depart to Kabul straight from there.....

I conveyed a date to Mal, Ali , Kevin that i will be there on 7th june as i may need whole week to get VISA....

they confirned my arrival and kevin promised to send some one on airport with pla-card!!

---

Afghanistan visa

--> I have to travel to Rajkot from Pune
--> I am in Delhi ---got the VISA

--> I am refused to board the aircraft
--> Back to Ahmedabad and on the way to Kabul!!!
--> The first day in Kabul!