The Indian Embassy in Madrid... Is this a taste of things to come?

Our visas at last!!

The Indian Embassy in Madrid... Is this is a taste of whats to come?One would think we were trying to get out of the country, not into it! Obtaining the necessary visa for India is a nightmare in itself, as the embassy is as chaotic as I imagine Delhi railway station to be!I had previously phoned them to find out how to get visas, only to be told that there were serious delays as they were refurbishing the embassy, funny as i cant see how that should affect things, and more so as they were supposedly doing the same thing last December when we initially thought about going!!

After two hours queuing outside to get in, with a numbered ticket in my hand, i had another hour and a half wait in a run-down waiting room with no air-con, paint peeling off the damp-ridden walls, and a crooked poster of the Indian Prime Minister on the wall, only to get a response that the visas 'should' be ready three weeks later, and to come back then. Of course, three weeks later, when it was time to go and pick them up (something i 'gentlemanly' left poor Patricia to do) they weren't of course ready.

Patricia's 4 hour wait to be attended was frustrating yet 'entertaining': people complaining because their passports were lost, others angry because their visas were’nt ready in time for their flights, etc, etc. Ours of course weren't ready, as was only could be expected, and she had to go back a couple of days later. But the important thing is that we have them and time to start packing! We're off in 7 hours!!