Flight to Delhi

2nd October 2010

Having been warned by the rest of the trekking group that clearing security at the airport takes ages we arrived with three hours to spare. They really weren't wrong about security. Upon arrival at the airport having just stepped in the terminal we had to put our bags through an x-ray machine and get a thorough patting down (ladies behind a curtain of course). Check in was as normal, then off to security. This is a complex process of many layers; first you take you basket and put all the usual stuff in (wallet, all metal, shoes) and load that with your bag into another x-ray scanner, then you are invited to walk through a rapi-scanner, you are then patted down more carefully. Following collection of your bag from the x-ray machine you then take your bag over to a table and have the entire contents manually inspected! What you ask was the point in the x-ray of the bag??? Following this your boarding pass is stamped and you proceed through to the waiting lounge. Before you may get on the bus to cross the apron to the aircraft you are subjected to another pat down. Still not happy by this stage, before you are allowed to climb the stairs to the aircraft you must once again open your bag for an inspection and enjoy one last pat down – for good measure! The most ludicrous set of security procedures I have yet to come across.

The flight passed without incident and we were very impressed with Jetlite. (Lucky as we are flying with them from Goa to Deli in Nov.)

As arranged, we were met at the airport by the ‘boy’ from the hotel we were booked in with. Only snag, we were now staying at another hotel in another part of town because the one we had booked was full – although this was the first we were told of it. It later transpired that the new hotel was in Karol Bagh, about 10 doors down from the guest house we had stayed in during our last stint in Delhi! Who would’ve thought it. The bonus was at least here we knew our way around.