Am sorry about the long while it took to get this letter coming. Perhaps I could attribute it to your jet-setting adventure loving spirit.
What is remarkable is not that you have travelled to 3 countries in your short time here in the outside world, but that each of those journeys has been marred by nail biting, last minute uncertainty. You really do like living on the edge. You must take after your grand father who has a similar reputation, but that you would start so early is something else..
Without going into mundane details and playing the blame game I shall try to list your list of near-misses:
- Your first holiday was to the Canary Islands for Jul (Christmas) with bestemor and tante S. We almost did not make our departure day as your passport was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances at a certain embassy. The same embassy finally gave you the wrong visa for your visit to India which had its own plethora of consequences. Anyway on the last day, at the last moment, the passport did arrive and we set off to Gatwick Airport. Little did we know what we had in store for us..
- Just as we were boarding the plane, there was a massive snow storm at Gatwick. We didnt think we were going anywhere excpet home, but 3 hours later, we did set off to +25 degrees celsius. Heaven! Gatwick then shut down for a good day or more but little did we care while lying on the beach in the Canary Islands..
- Our holiday to Bali from India was almost cancelled as you, not being an Indian citizen have certain restrictions to how many times you can enter India in a given amount of time. After hours and days of trying to figure out the process, we head off to Bali taking the very real risk that you and your dad might not be allowed back into India. I was happy to forego dad but was ready to fight tooth and nail for you, at immigration.
- In Bali, we found a nice travel agent who arranged the relevant permission from the Indian embassy in Jakarta. Just when we thought we were through the worse, it happened that the passports he couriered back to our hotel did not arrive in time. We had to change our flights! Hmmm another day in tropical paradise, could it get any worse?!
- Another few hours on the phone it transpired that we could pick up the passports from the cargo terminal of the airport even though the DHL office was closed. Instead of going to a Legong Dance performance at Ubud palace, dad spent 3.5 hours in a taxi to the airport to get the passports. Fun!
Also looking forward to more travels, more adventures, more near-misses. This is only the beginning. Cant wait Poppy!
Love,
Mommy
