Past immigration, through the duty-free (which will try to seduce you with perfume and whisky — resist, you’ll find cheaper later), you’ll arrive at a hall filled with baggage carousels. And people. A great many people, all crowding the belt like seagulls around a chip.
This is where you begin your first exercise in what will become the defining skill of your India visit: patience.
Unless you’re in business class, bags can take anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes to appear, and the crowd around the belt will leave approximately as much personal space as a sardine tin. Nobody means any harm; it’s just that the concept of “stand back and let the belt come to you” has not yet achieved cultural penetration.
Deep breaths. Music. people-watching is excellent here — few airports on earth offer a better show at 3 a.m.
Got your bags? Splendid. We’re almost out.
Almost.
