Hi All,

We left the house at 5.00am this morning and drove the 120miles down to the Indian Embassy in Dublin.
Driving down to Dublin was fine.....but driving thru Dublin was a bloody nightmare!!!. Spent almost 3 hours trying to cross the city to get to the Indian Embassy.:curse:

We were starting to panic as we had visions of Queues of people circling the block waiting to get in.
Anyway we arrived at the embassy at approx 9.20am and there was only 3 people in front of us and nobody behind us.

We had all the documentation ready prior to going down and after they twigged a few things they gave us our fee receipts and that was it.
We provided them with a Special Delivery Self Addressed Envelope and they told us we should have the visas within a week. Heres Hoping!!

Anyway apart from the traffic the whole process was relatively painless and we spent the rest of the day in Dublin.
So the pressure appears to be off at this stage. Will let you know when we actually recieve the 'Silver Tickets' but so far so good.

No drama at all in Dublin and even when we where leaving there was only two people there!

Kind Regards,
Remy

:
as we say "Bloody luck of the Irish" 'noffi out when visa comes through the door. See you soon apart from more 'noffi what mixer do you take with it - must get some in

Mixer???.......Coke or White or Orange or ice or nothing!!!!


Remy

OK OK : sneaky: will just get extra 'noffi.

Hi all,

Borrowed this from India Mike...sure they wont mind!

The latest from HCI London,
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London High Commission restarts postal apps 5 Nov, targets same day for in person app
From the HCI website this morning, let's hope it fixes the probs:

The High Commission of India, London, has decided to restore receiving Indian visa applications through Royal Mail special delivery service w.e.f. November 05 2007.

Please allow minimum 10 working days for processing of postal applications excluding postal transit.

The general information for application by post is given below:

APPLICATION BY POST

No action will be taken on any communication received without the Sender's name & full postal address on the outside of the envelope. We accept no responsibility in case of loss/delay of documents.

1. Obtain latest visa application form and all other additional forms where applicable by downloading from our website or from Fax-Back No.: 0906 44 45 43 or from the High Commission of India by sending a stamped SAE.

2. All columns of the Application Form must be filled in Black Ink and BLOCK Letters

3. Processing of application forms will take a minimum of 10 working days and in some cases longer especially during September to February. Posting of application should be properly timed to ensure that visa would cover duration of stay in India, allowing time for processing and postal transit. Please note that the visa is valid from date of issue and not the date of travel. No refund or amendment will be made after the application is processed and visa is issued. Please check the latest visa fees and estimated processing time before posting your application form/passport/fee etc., to avoid delay or rejection of application due to submission of incorrect fee/documents.

4. Please send valid passport, correct visa fee, two recent passport size photos, a Special Delivery SAE with correct address and post code along with duly filled application form and additional forms / supporting documents where applicable. Send applications by Special Delivery only.

5. Please enclose correct visa fee by crossed Postal Order or Bank Draft only payable to The High Commission of India (no personal cheques or cash please). Under no circumstances, should cash be sent by post.

6. Applications, which are incomplete or not accompanied by correct fee/documents, will be returned without processing. The High Commission of India will not be responsible for any delay/loss caused as a consequence.

7. Applications should only be addressed to the First Secretary (Visa) of this High Commission to avoid delay.
Applications for Indian Visas can be made in one of the following ways:
1. Applying in person at the premises of the High Commission of India, London or the Consulates General of India, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

2. Applying by Royal Mail Special Delivery Postal Service.

3. Applying through authorised Travel Agents.
With regard to Applications in person, it is clarified that all applications are accepted at the Visa Counters in the High Commission of India, London on a first come first served basis from 0830-1200 hours every working day.

By 0900hrs, all applicants coming in person to the High Commission of India, London will be given a time-slot (usually the same day) for submitting and processing the application forms.

Our Objective is to provide same-day Visa service, provided the applicant reaches at the designated time-slot and the application/documentation is in order.

that's interesting 'cos I've just heard that a charter flight was cancelled yesterday due to insufficient passengers because of visa problems.
probly just a coincidence <g>.
AndyD in Goa 8-)#

Really!!!
OMG....they really shot themselves in the foot with the whole visa thing did'nt they?

Andy are you still in Goa? Whats the word on the street there?

Regards,
Remy

Hi, yes I'm still here (for a period uncertain <g>) -
everyone in business - taxis, shacks-to-be, restaurants &c. seems to know about the problems of getting visas, and the cancelled plane story seems to be common currency so even if it's urban myth it has done its job.
The stories about invalid addresses / foreigners gone awol / etc. seem like a smokescreen to cover a cockup cum orderly retreat to me - the most significant comment was that no financial irregularities had been found. The figures also suggest that the Goan investigation committee just got a list of Registrations involving foreigners and passed it pretty much unchecked to the DE who are now "walking around with their hands behind their backs whistling to the breeze".
On the new Registrations front I have heard from several sources that a big group of builders/ developers (locals) went to see the CM who promised "action within a few days" but obviously nothing will happen until after the bye-election.
Apart from that the beaches are exceptionally shitty this year, shack applications are yet to be issued, and numbers of shacks/ beds have been set at an unenforcable level with plenty of room for 'flexible negotiations'.

AndyD

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the update,

When you say the beaches are shitty this year ,is it because of the lack of shacks and facillities or do you also mean the sand is poor. Heard that Coco Beach has gone........is the Baga/Candolim belt still nice and sandy or has it diminished somewhat as well?

The OH will have a canary if the Beaches arn't intact and in their full glory.

Regards,
Remy

The beaches are covered with plastic bags, platic bottles, broken glass and all the other muck that was washed down by the monsoons - seems it doesn't go out to sea it is just washed up on the beaches. For some reason there are thousands of empty milk bags amongst it all.
AndyD 8-)#

Why don't you gather together all the tourists who are bored to clear up the beaches before we all arrive. :curse:

Hi Andy,

Thats a disgrace!
is nobody employed to clean up the mess?
what is the local government all about?
and there saying Goa is becoming a 'First World' state.....it has a bit to go me thinks!

Ah well, i trust your having a good time otherwise?

Regards,
Remy

Hi OM,

Where have you been hiding?
Are you going to the bash?


Regards,
Remy

The problem with Goa is there is no Stategic or forward planning,the gabbage problem tells us this How long have they been promising a plant for disposing of garbbage,which in my mind is a more serious problem,a health problem for Goans and tourists.The government just can't seem to generate any long term plans for the state.They know every year from the last week in October the tourist season starts and the beaches are an important attraction so why have they left it
p*ss ups and brewery comes to mind

All they are interested in is their Elections, switching parties, film festival and seeing how much they can make by corruption - this takes up all their time. No time for organizing collecting garbage or cleaning the roads, filling in potholes etc. Anyway they don't want tourists!!
Fill their own pockets first. :curse:

p:curse:ss up in brewery certainly comes to mind