Visas - India Part 1

So our trip to Chicago was a complete success. We obtained the two visas we needed for leg 1 of our journey - India and Egypt.

Each consulate was a completely different experience, which I think speaks to each of the different cultures and America's attitudes towards each culture.

The Indian Consulate was located in a large suite on the 11th floor of the NBC building in Chicago. It was quite a happening place, brimming with activity even before the official opening time of 9:30 am. Jesse and I strolled through the doors just past 9:30 and took a number to be waited on. The place was full of all different sorts of people - business travelers, tourists, students, expatriated families trying to get back home to visit their families, and philanthropists. We took number 92 and glanced at the board that told us what number was currently being served - 69... We knew there'd be a wait. I wondered how that many people grabbed a number in the 5 minutes that had elapsed since 9:30 (my answer would come later that day).

It was about an hour before we were waited on and we watched intently as the different types of people approached the counter, each one trying something different. Some were obviously prepared, others tried screaming at the man behind the counter, others seemed to not feel they needed to take a number and just approached the window between orderly customers. I can't say that all approaches yielded the same degrees of success.

Finally it was our turn to approach the window, which we did, all documents in hand. From start to finish it took us about 2 minutes to hand in our paperwork, passports, and pay our money (of course). We left with intentions to return at 3:30 to pick up our passports and (hopefully) visas.