The plan seemed straightforward enough: buy a cheap phone,
purchase a Prepaid Sim card to make calls/send texts to the UK for a fraction of
the price. Yes made sense really as we come backwards and forwards to India
regularly.
First get two Auto Rickshaws and get chief negotiator(dh) to agree a price. First "Auto" takes Nigel, Sue and Janet then disappears into the traffic, apparently knowing where the drop off point by the phone shop is. Second "Auto" with dh and I follows some distance behind. Second "Auto"arrives at destination, first "Auto" nowhere to be seen. We hover by road squinting into every "Auto" that flies by....nothing, no sign. Okay, we proceed with Plan B which is to buy the phone and Sim card, text Sue on Indian phone and find out where they are. Phone is bought, a cheap Nokia one (about £15).
We then discover that Sim needs to be bought from a shop on the next floor, so up we go (still no sigh of the others) Sim selling shop is spotted, in we go. Man at computer desk manages to hold conversation with us whilst rarely removing eyes from computer screen before him (epic fail, I think to myself, having recently done an exercise in "listening skills"....try not to make judgement....epic fail on my part...) Sim can be bought here but will take 2 days to activate....silence....I look pitiful. Man looks up, must note my expression and offers helpful advice: "if you go to the Vodaphone shop at Vasant Vihar, they can do this for you today." Decision made, hail another auto rickshaw, drive to aforementioned shopping area, find Vodaphone shop, in we go. Sim card sealed pouches are flashed before us, Two forms are produced, filled in, passport and visa details entered.home address, Delhi address. Passports are photocopied, the end is in sight....um no... "We need a passport sized photo to put on the form" she says. "you will need to go to a photo booth." "Okaaay, is there one nearby?" Apparently there is possibly one at a neighbouring shopping area, we will need another auto rickshaw..
We leave the shop undecided. For a few minutes...we walk in silence, suddenly it all seems one step too many....we decide to regroup at the hotel and meet up with the others who have ended up at a Bazaar and bought a few bits and pieces. Everyone seems cheerful enough, so we sample some of the Indian snacks they have bought and plan our evening meal out at "Punjabi by Nature" less than a minute from the Vodaphone shop.
The assistant seems genuinely disappointed at our decision not to proceed. We'll ask Freddie's advice when we see him! The best laid plans and all that!
First get two Auto Rickshaws and get chief negotiator(dh) to agree a price. First "Auto" takes Nigel, Sue and Janet then disappears into the traffic, apparently knowing where the drop off point by the phone shop is. Second "Auto" with dh and I follows some distance behind. Second "Auto"arrives at destination, first "Auto" nowhere to be seen. We hover by road squinting into every "Auto" that flies by....nothing, no sign. Okay, we proceed with Plan B which is to buy the phone and Sim card, text Sue on Indian phone and find out where they are. Phone is bought, a cheap Nokia one (about £15).
We then discover that Sim needs to be bought from a shop on the next floor, so up we go (still no sigh of the others) Sim selling shop is spotted, in we go. Man at computer desk manages to hold conversation with us whilst rarely removing eyes from computer screen before him (epic fail, I think to myself, having recently done an exercise in "listening skills"....try not to make judgement....epic fail on my part...) Sim can be bought here but will take 2 days to activate....silence....I look pitiful. Man looks up, must note my expression and offers helpful advice: "if you go to the Vodaphone shop at Vasant Vihar, they can do this for you today." Decision made, hail another auto rickshaw, drive to aforementioned shopping area, find Vodaphone shop, in we go. Sim card sealed pouches are flashed before us, Two forms are produced, filled in, passport and visa details entered.home address, Delhi address. Passports are photocopied, the end is in sight....um no... "We need a passport sized photo to put on the form" she says. "you will need to go to a photo booth." "Okaaay, is there one nearby?" Apparently there is possibly one at a neighbouring shopping area, we will need another auto rickshaw..
We leave the shop undecided. For a few minutes...we walk in silence, suddenly it all seems one step too many....we decide to regroup at the hotel and meet up with the others who have ended up at a Bazaar and bought a few bits and pieces. Everyone seems cheerful enough, so we sample some of the Indian snacks they have bought and plan our evening meal out at "Punjabi by Nature" less than a minute from the Vodaphone shop.
The assistant seems genuinely disappointed at our decision not to proceed. We'll ask Freddie's advice when we see him! The best laid plans and all that!
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