Persona Non Grata

That would be me. As of today, I have been without a passport for 5 days.

I have also been without money, credit cards, exit permit, my outbound ticket for Cairo, camera, memory cards, my journal and a plethora of small things but needed things.

Yup. I've been robbed. While trying to stow away my backpack on the train heading out to Aurangabad. Needless to say, we never made it to the caves.

The downside of all that is apparent. Along with the tremendous hassle of all the things that one has to do to get some of those things replaced such as the passport and the ticket or cancelling the cards. Along with the heartbreak of losing all pictures that had, in a small way, captured bits and pieces of my trip to remind me and trigger my experiences, trials/tribulations, and joy. (Sorry all - there will be no picture-viewing parties when I get home!)

The upside of that is that I got to visit a U.S. Consulate General in another country. Pretty interesting. The one is Mumbai appears much smaller than the one we walked by in Chennai. Despite this, it seems to be more tightly guarded. As with the one in Chennai, there is a wall that surrounds the compound with spikes along the top. There are also more guards with big rifles. They do not let anyone pause in the immediate front of it nor in the area across the street. They will emphatically motion you to move on. They check for traces of explosives on anything going into the compound by swiping the items at random/specific places for chemical analysis as well as running a detailed visual scrutiny. To enter, you have to go through a series a guarded locked doors, revolving bars doors, bullet-proofed doors, electronic scanners all the while carrying an endorsed visitor invitation note. Throughout all of this there are video cameras watching your every move.

The whole process of trying to get a new passport was rather painless but that was because I had documentation of my original passport (thank you a thousand thank yous to B and Mo!!!). Hopefully, I will get it from the States by tomorrow (Friday). If not, then I'll have to wait through the weekend until Monday.

In the meantime, I have succeeded in getting the approval to get a ticket re-issued for my next leg of the trip - Egypt. The only problem is to work out when I can leave. This is because I also need to get approval for an exit permit from the Foreigner's Regional Registration Office.

So. If my passport comes in tomorrow and I am successful in running around like mad and having people at Etihad Airlines and FRRO work with me, I may be able to head out of India by Saturday. If not, my going-on won't happen until Tuesday.

The next question is - Do I go on or do I go home?

Do I travel on the mercy and kindness of generous friends and family through wired money? Do I visit two of the most visually stunning countries without a camera? Do I forego some of the things that I have planned because of this huge detour? Frankly, I'm not sure. Admittedly, much of the wind has been let out of my sails.

My travel companion, for a multitude of reasons of which I wholeheartedly agree with, has decided to not continue on with me to Egypt. I bid her good-bye last night. She will continue on with her travel plans that she had established after Egypt. I do wish her better travels and pleasure (as well as rest and recuperation) with her next destinations. And I thank her a thousand times for all her help and support through these past days. What an ending to India, huh, K??

So.