So in late April after a week in India I arrived in domestic arrivals at Mumbai from Hyderabad. It was 21h30, my flight wasn't until 01h45. How WOULD I pass the time?
Fortunately Mumbai airport had that covered for me. As I entered domestic arrivals I saw the transfer queue to international departures.
I asked information desk how long the queue would take. He told me 30 minutes. Being India I doubled it and added some. I left the queue to join another queue to get a bus ticket to transfer.. I asked about the tickets for the transfer bus. I showed my ongoing boarding ticket and passport and was given a bus ticket. The sign above information said it was currently transferring ticket numbers 1000 to 2000. I was handed ticket number 12000.
I then rejoined the original transfer bus queue. After 80 minutes a soldier checked my passport and boarding card. She showed scant regard for my bus ticket and I entered a small room where my bags and I were X-rayed. Finally, the entire queue was dependent on my boarding card details entered by hand into a ledger and I got on a coach.
The coach then meandered through cargo planes before exiting the airport complex, joining the traffic jam and finally depositing me unceremoniously landslide at the international departures.
Welcome to India.
Fortunately Mumbai airport had that covered for me. As I entered domestic arrivals I saw the transfer queue to international departures.
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| Mumbai, the Hub of India |
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| The queue. Note the "Hub of India" poster top right. The queue snaked round to the right for as much again as is currently shown |
I asked information desk how long the queue would take. He told me 30 minutes. Being India I doubled it and added some. I left the queue to join another queue to get a bus ticket to transfer.. I asked about the tickets for the transfer bus. I showed my ongoing boarding ticket and passport and was given a bus ticket. The sign above information said it was currently transferring ticket numbers 1000 to 2000. I was handed ticket number 12000.
I then rejoined the original transfer bus queue. After 80 minutes a soldier checked my passport and boarding card. She showed scant regard for my bus ticket and I entered a small room where my bags and I were X-rayed. Finally, the entire queue was dependent on my boarding card details entered by hand into a ledger and I got on a coach.
The coach then meandered through cargo planes before exiting the airport complex, joining the traffic jam and finally depositing me unceremoniously landslide at the international departures.
Welcome to India.
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