nonscam

2002:
Landed in Delhi, had a flight three hours later to Jaipur.
Made up my mind to go to Rishikesh.
Told an Indian guy in Delhi next day that I had missed that flight to Jaipur and now could throw away the flight ticket.
He said, he would arrange and bring me the money to my hotel within 48 hours, I should give him the ticket and my passport.
I didn`t know the guy, but gave him flightticket and passport. Off he went.
For two days I was very angry with myself, because I was shure I would not see the guy again.....but:
After two days he came to my hotel and brought me the money the ticket had cost and my passport. You can imagine how happy I was, gave him some money and he also was happy.
Incredible India
oldy

Let it be an Indian guy or an Austrian guy, you're stupid to handover your Passport to someone whom you don't know in a foreign country.

There is nothing like frigging 'Incredible India.' You're a nincompoop.

Parts of a ticket are refundable- a significant percentage, sometimes.

And yes, it is crazy to give your passport to a stranger- or even somebody you know a little bit.

I know its crazy. Only did it once in almost twenty years of travelling on all continents except Australia.
I love the story because I did a really stupid thing and everything turned fine. Sometimes we act to have everything under controll, but things end in a mess. Isn`t it?
And yes: sometimes you get part of the money refunded (I was more worried about the passport), but I got all.
Well: Incredible life.

Nice! With stupidity comes liberation. Glad to hear things turned out well. So, how did Rishikesh turn out?

Adiyogi

Recently stolen US passport cost me almost $500 USD to obtain an emergency replacement (embassy fees, phones calls and faxes, fees for copies of police reports, etc.). And took 3 days of begging to receive. And it's only good for 30 days, so you get to pay all the fees all over again for the replacement ($200) + in India you'd have to pay for a replacement visa! A US passport on the black market across the border can sell for anywhere between $5,000-10,000 USD.

If you read my posts, you know that I'm the eternal optimist ... Put me in a room full of horse sh-t and I start looking for the pony! But no one takes my passport ... unless it's at gunpoint (literally). I often stay at Oberoi and Taj hotels in India. I stand and watch while the desk clerk copies my passport ("No madam, I won't allow you to bring it to my room later.") It is never out of my sight. I've read a few posts where some of you relinquish your passports for a few days or weeks, for example, at ashrams. You have got to be kidding me?!

Please do not think that oldy's experience is remotely reasonable. With all due respect, it's the craziest thing I've ever heard! All you young travelers and newbeeies out there, heed the advice of another oldie - hang on to your passport!

All I can say is you were very lucky, and I think you have probably used up all the luck you were due in life.

Giving you passport to someone you do not know very well is crazy, I guess we can just put it down to the innocence off youth.

How was Rishikesh?
For me Rishikesh (and area around, e.q. Neelkanth and also further to the mountains) is one of the favorite places.
Two times in my life I went there (Gangotri/Gomukh) with major health problems, both times after only a few days up there + few weeks Rishikesh was healthy again. Miracle of GangaMa. Big blessing. And I was so weak that I went there (from Delhi to Gangotri)by Jeep+Driver. Strange way of pilgimage. But helped.
oldy

How come after all these stories, Oldy, you still wonder about where to keep your money in India?

"All I can say is you were very lucky, and I think you have probably used up all the luck you were due in life."
Yes, I was very lucky, but had thousand times more luck in my life. Otherwise I would post from the astral planes. Many people don`t even believe that they were not here (any more without "luck", better to say without the blessing of GOD, GURUS annd SAINTS). This blessing I think is everywhere, but strongest in India, BHARAT MATA, because India is still a holy country and has most holy persons in the world. Why? Because the diamonds you find in the diamondmine!


"Giving you passport to someone you do not know very well is crazy, I guess we can just put it down to the innocence off youth".

Yes, is totally crazy and behavior of an idiot (I wrote the story because is special), and I am sorry to say: no, nothing about innocence of youth. I was more than forty years old that time and a seasoned traveller.
Sometimes we all do things we would not do anytime before or after, don`t we?
Have wonderful journeys, all of you! oldy

Oh, right. You could have saved us all some effort by pointing out that's where you're coming from

So why even ask some questions if you're already gonna be knowing the answer, anyway?

Glad to hear oldy. These areas have many facets to them. One can approach these areas with completely disparate viewpoints and still leave satisfied.

Adiyogi

Answer 1: The times they are a changing. After 10 years not haven been in Bharat, I will go there soon for 6to 12 months.
Answer 2: Look that "money where leave" thread, please: the question is not even solved there by many indianexperts. I had not solved it either, so I wanted to get some more ideas about it.

Nice day, oldy

Misunderstanding, brother:
The answers to my question (I suppose you talk aboutmy question in the moneythread) helped me a lot. To sit at home, think about a problem without finding solution is not nice. To find out that there seems to be no solution (nobody has found) was comforting.
oldy

Dear machadinha!
As most travellers have that problem answers could also be helpful for other folks.
oldy

As my stupidity seems to find much resonation here, sometimes I will write about another stupidity, which I did in Kashi in the year 1980. That time I overdid the blessings too much, allmy money and my passport were stolen (it happened only once in my life).
oldy

The blind one will not see the light.