I’m traveling to India, but man has it been a hassle! (restriction, cost)

[WK91]

I travel a lot for my job. People in the US don’t understand how locked down the rest of the world still is, especially now that the US is basically back to normal.

Just this weekend, I was walking in a parking lot outside a mall to get to my bank.

I knew that they required masks, temperature checks, vaccine card, and an app on your phone that shows you are clear in order to go inside for this particular country (not India, but somewhat near there).

What I didn’t know is that masks are required outside too, regardless of vaccination status. So of course, I got dressed down by some lady in the parking lot. So I said sorry, didn’t realize masks were needed outside, too. No use letting her know that I think this whole Covid thing is complete BS and making the situation worse. I’m fully vaccinated, and yet I’m expected to wear a mask, outside no less, that I don’t believe does a damn bit of good anyway?

[MarisaMay]

Originally Posted by WK91

I travel a lot for my job. People in the US don’t understand how locked down the rest of the world still is, especially now that the US is basically back to normal.

Just this weekend, I was walking in a parking lot outside a mall to get to my bank.

I knew that they required masks, temperature checks, vaccine card, and an app on your phone that shows you are clear in order to go inside for this particular country (not India, but somewhat near there).

What I didn’t know is that masks are required outside too, regardless of vaccination status. So of course, I got dressed down by some lady in the parking lot. So I said sorry, didn’t realize masks were needed outside, too. No use letting her know that I think this whole Covid thing is complete BS and making the situation worse. I’m fully vaccinated, and yet I’m expected to wear a mask, outside no less, that I don’t believe does a damn bit of good anyway?

Well every country is trying to make their own way through this pandemic and visitors in a country need to accept their rules and response.

The US may be basically back to normal right now but you can hardly think that the response last year was enviable.

Being vaccinated, no matter the vaccine, does not give you 100% immunity and some vaccines give about 50%.

The American aircrew who brought the Delta strain into Australia three weeks ago may well have been vaccinated. Nobody is blaming them for what happened as it was the actions of their limo driver from the airport at fault. But as a result we have had about 14 million people, half our population, in lockdown. In my state we have people in ICU with Covid for the first time in months and we only hope our record of no deaths from community cases this year holds up.

[GoodHombre]

Why would you want to travel to a third world cesspool that doesn't even make the slightest efforts(like waiving visa) to attract tourists?

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by GoodHombre

Why would you want to travel to a third world cesspool that doesn't even make the slightest efforts(like waiving visa) to attract tourists?

Really? I don't understand wanting to go during a pandemic, but I absolutely see the appeal. I considered it recently, I just opted for Sri Lanka instead. So called "third world cesspools" are a good chunk of the most culturally and ecologically attractive countries in the world.

[jamary1]

India is a fantastic place to visit......in "good" times. During a pandemic? Nope. I've seen the hospital facilities there. I don't want to have to go to an Indian hospital.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

I didn’t get the feeling they wanted to make it easy to do any of this.

Perhaps you can pick somewhere else to go. India doesn't want travelers right now, apparently. Now is not the time to try and fulfill your travel dreams.

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by rational1

OP must have really really wanted to visit India. Me, I would have been looking for a different destination just after they asked for a credit card.

Yes, like Nigeria. I have at least ten million sitting in a bank there, or at least i am told by Magistrate William Sussex. I have to get there to transfer the amount to my old bank. Yep, the embassy feigns ignorance.

Ahh well, i do hope i can get that flight before the end of the year.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

I have not experienced anything remotely like this on any of my previous trips. This takes the cake as the most difficult traveling experience I have had in my life.

Let us know how your India trip goes. I imagine the experience will be far worse than the one you've had trying to get there.

I've been to about 100 countries worldwide, and India was the only one I left thinking: "I will never come back here".

It was great to see the Taj Mahal in person, but even it was in deplorable condition. The rest of the country was awful. The poverty is worthy of a horror flick.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Covid makes travel difficult and foreign travel for fun is just too risky. It would be awful to get out somewhere and not be able to get back home, which is something that can happen.


Then if you get there and museums and sites are closed? Restaurants closed? The things that you want to see are shut down?


There can be rapid shifts in policy and infection rates. What is today might not be the same tomorrow.


If you are fully vaccinated and feel safe, it is a good choice to see America and put off foreign vacations until the Covid situation settles down. The United States is way up there near the very highest vaccination rate and India is way down at the bottom. It's very possible to get new and stricter shut downs in India if there is an increase in their infection rate and not at all out of possibility to have it happen while you are there..

[MarisaMay]

[quote=WK91;61374146]I travel a lot for my job. People in the US don’t understand how locked down the rest of the world still is, especially now that the US is basically back to normal.



You have to remember that the US may have gotten the virus situation to a level that you can live with and feel confident to resume normal life. World meter tells me there were still 18,00O cases yesterday and 322 deaths.
Each country makes its own decision about what they are able to live with.

If you had been able somehow to get an exemption to come to my country as a tourist a month ago (which would not have been possible, but just for the argument) you would have enjoyed having everything open, masks not required except in perhaps hospitals and airports, you could have visited every museum in Sydney, gone to see Hamilton or Come from Away, enjoyed all but a normal life.

If you came two weeks later, you would find yourself in a light lockdown because we have a cluster of about 200 cases. It is our country and the leaders of our state are strongly supported by their decision try to eliminate every case that leaks from quarantine. So restaurants are closed, hopefully only for another week, we have to wear masks inside public venues, only exercise in groups of ten or less outside. My friend’s son’s wedding was supposed to be yesterday and it has now been cancelled for the third time. Fortunately, as a friend of ours died last week, funerals can continue pretty much as normal.

I know that in Italy, the provinces have agreed on a systemic approach to restrictions. If you go there, which I believe vaccinated Americans can, and the region goes back into Orange, based on agreed numbers, you would find yourself suddenly unable to do many things that you had planned.