Welcome back to This is India! I always have funny/weird stories about India to share with friends or family when I talk to them. This is just meant to be an honest portrayal about my life in India through short anecdotes. I also share here what I’ve been up to online outside Hippie in Heels.
What I was up to other than here:
- Solo Female Travel: Talking India (and everywhere else) with Rachel Jones, an interview for Bren on the Road
Now for your story…
Another airport story coming at you from Mumbai! What can I say, weird shit is always happening at the airports here.
This one is short and sweet.
Security was on high alert at the Mumbai domestic airport for some reason. Usually I take through all kinds of things that should be examined and they aren’t, but this time they examined my camera, played around with my tablet, asked lots of questions about my external hard drive, and per usual during examination asked why I had a piercing in my belly button. They took Ben’s lighter when they found it (which is the protocol).
We head up to the food court and Ben goes off to the restroom. I’m typing away on my computer and smell smoke. I look behind me and there’s a passenger just smoking a cigarette, in an airport, security watching on. No big deal- after all that security and searching. Everyone loves smoking in India, but this was new.
This is India!
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My partner keeps talking about India and wanting to go there. How do you find it Rachel? Anything you recommend? :)
I love India. I’ve been here since Oct 2012- living in Goa!
Never seen this one, you were lucky
Ha! That’s too funny that they always ask why you have a belly button piercing!!
Haha yes :) one time a woman doing a massage left the room and came back with her 2 friends to show them lol.. I was shocked
Figures.
You are such a lucky girl!! That never happened to me :)!
I can certainly relate to that. Yesterday I went through Chennai ariport and they were pulling my hand luggage aside rummaging away. They then said to me “You have a lighter?” To which I said no, I don’t smoke.
They continued on rummaging away determined to find it. Re-scanned then gave up. Commotion over.
Yes a fair few Indians smoke but I think it is more prevalent in China.
As for breaking the rules, well I think both are quite open about it and these security inconsistencies.
On a positive note though the new airport terminals in India are a massive step forward from what they were! Only 2-3 years ago they were death defying holes; now they are state of the art, 21st century beacons of air travel. Long overdue and well done India.
Yes I love the new international airport in Bombay! it’s great although still had some issues with signs not working while I was there the last 2 times.
I’m not surprised Rachel. I love India, but “rules” can be so inconsistent and borders on the “it depends” situation but the belly-button reference is a hilarious one. As for smoking? When I went to Delhi, I asked for a non-smoking room as I don’t smoke, what did I get? A room full of ashtrays and a huge sign saying “NO SMOKING” LOL!
P.S. I haven’t seen your posts on my wordpress feeder for a while could you check your end as I love reading your posts….!
hahah too funny about the room with ashtrays & a no smoking sign! I e-mailed you about that wordpress feed- I’m not sure what’s going on there or where to look to fix it!
Pretty strange, there has been a glitch in my contact form so I’ll just subscribe with you on your blog. I’ve been trying to put blogs subscribe to all together on my feed, but no worries. Here I cooooooome!
Ok, great!! :)