Woo

All the buses lined up to await our arrival in Chennai, India.   "Incredible India!  The Mantra to Woo Tourist!"  I have heard the phrase Incredible! India before... Woo the Tourist?  Well, OK, I am ready, woo me.

If you are game, I will take you on my journey to visit India this week.  We followed the flat coast of India as we headed for the port city of Chennai, the largest city in Southern India, once a small fishing village, now the home of over 4 million people.   Opening my balcony door the first thing I noticed was the intense heat, the humidity and the awful smell in the air.  The next thing I noticed was garbage piled everywhere and the litter.  The port area was filthy.

First things first.  We are given two forms and a duplicate copy of our passport.  Please fill in all the information including your passport number, list everything you are bringing ashore including the make/model number and cost of your camera.  David wanted to know if we should declare the umbrella.  We are told to collect our original passport in the theater, have the duplicate, and all forms in hand for a face to face meeting.  We have been through this drill before.

When the Immigration officers board we are called by deck,  proceed to the theater.  Everyone on the ship must comply to be cleared.  All during the process we would get announcements.  The process changed a few times.... at whim so it seemed... we listened attentively...and complied.   We were further divided into two separate lines, those ending the cruise and those going on tour. Bright stage lights from above fixed on those being scrutinized.  Under the light the convicts confess.... I am called.  Line up here... passport opened,  time for me to be looked at ..... sweat forms on my brow.

Stamp on  my passport....

Stamp on a customs form....

Stamp on another customs form....
STAMP on my duplicate passport.....

RIP!!! a piece of one of the forms to be kept by the official...

I am done. Whew, I passed inspection.

Next!

Two hours later, the ship was cleared.  We were now allowed to go out on tours.  We were bus 1, of course.  BUS 1 please exit.  As we exit we file by the second Immigration table, manned by 2 officials, papers and passports in hand.  Passports are once again checked, Another STAMP! A hand off to the pal sitting next to him.. One form kept, All others given back and we are allowed to take 4 steps to the NEXT official.

This guy has the easy job- he collects the remaining piece of paper that was ripped and stamped in the theater. He is going to hold on to this until we leave Chennai. This will assure we depart with the ship and do not stay in town, hide out, or stay in Chennai illegally.  I took his picture too.   We gave our ships card to the exit crew who swiped us out.  We were finally on our way! Woo Hoo! Away we go!  India at last!

You thought that was the end of it? Ha! Think again.  No one is allowed to walk in the dock area. You can go out only to go to a bus.  We obeyed. We walked to our bus, bus pass in hand.  Once on our bus we headed for the port gate.  Again we were stopped at the manned gate, detained for 30 minutes.  We had no where to go, guards with guns calling the shots.  Two guards came on board.  Passports!  Once again we had to take out our passports while we were matched.  This time they checked off our name against a list of names from the ship. 

We were asked what our Serial Number is.  David and I looked at each other and said "What?"  No clue.  We learned our serial number is 101.  Don't know where that came from but it is.  I wrote it down.  We later learned some buses were emptied and people were asked to get off in the blazing sun and form a single line.  As they went through passports and checked against their list, each person was allowed to re board.  Our guide said this is about bureaucracy and power and the people hate it but have to comply.  If you talk, ask questions or offer any resistance, the guys in uniform can delay you for hours.  Bribery works.



What you want to avoid- Hey You! With the Camera!

 

After the tour.... and you thought that was the end of Immigration?  when we got to the port gate, two guards once again boarded.  By now I think they were tired.  He looked like he wanted to check us individually.  I looked out my window and pretended no one was there. He simply counted us and let us pass. When the bus pulled up to the ship instead of going through the gate we originally came out of we were instructed to go inside of a terminal .  The women were told to form a line on one side and the men on the other. Women had a modesty shield to hide in while this was done. We all were hand patted and wanded.  My camera battery threw the wand's buzzer off on one side of my body and my toilet paper on the other.    I was given a pass anyway.

Guys with walkers were not exempt. They were patted down and wanded too. We then put bags through an x-ray machine while we walked through a metal dectator.  As I stepped foot on the ship, I was shaking my head in disbelief at all they put us through. The word Woo has taken on a whole new meaning for me today. Were we woo'd?

I just learned that when we LEAVE, tomorrow morning,  we have to do a face to face again, passports in hand, 9AM.   The first time in 26 years our cruise director has ever seen this done.....I hope no one has jumped ship.