Jamie here -

So if you ever need to mail something from India here are the steps you will need to take or at least these are the steps we took. Bare with me here, these steps get progressivly more entertaining. Enjoy and don’t forget to take notes.

Step 1 – Get directions from your hostel to the nearest post office.
Step 2 – Negotiate Rickshaw price that will get you to that post office realizing that your negotiated price still leaves you getting ripped off.
Step 3 – Get to post office to find out they only send envelope mail not packages.
Step 4 – Get directions to post office that does send packages and head in that direction.
Step 5 – Find out the directions you got weren’t very good and ask for more specific directions. Head that direction.
Step 6 – Find out that those directions were also terrible and ask for new diections. Follow those directions.
Step 7 – Realize that you aren’t anywhere near a post office and ask for new directions once again. Follow those directions.
Step 8 – Realize that all the directions you just got sent you in a large circle and you’ve just arrived back at the post office you started at.
Step 9 – Buy a map that shows all the major post offices within the city.
Step 10 – Choose the closest post office and hire a Rickshaw to take you there.
Step 11 – Arrive at new post office ready to send your goods but find out the post office doesn’t provide boxes or packaging for your goods.
Step 12 – Find out that there is a market a quarter mile away where you can buy boxes.
Step 13 – Walk to market and buy a box. Walk back to post office.
Step 14 – Arrive at post office ready to ship to find out that the box must be wrapped in white cloth. 
Step 15 – Find out that the post office doesn’t provide white cloth but that the market does.
Step 16 – Walk to market again. Buy white cloth. Walk back to post office.
Step 17 – Arrive back at post office ready to ship to find out that you can’t tape the white cloth. Instead the white cloth has to be sewn around the box.
Step 18 – Find out the post office doesn’t have a tailor that can sew the cloth around the box….BUT, guess where you can find a tailor?
Step 19 – You guessed it, you’re heading back to the market! However before you leave you ask if there is ANYTHING else you need at the market.
Step 20 – Arrive back at market and tell a boy you’ll give him 10 rupees if he guides you to a tailor.
Step 21 – Hire the tailor to sew the white cloth around the box. He’ll tell you it will take a half hour.
Step 22 – Get pestered by beggers and children while you wait for the tailor to sew the cloth around the box.
Step 23 – Pay the tailor and head back to post office.
Step 24 – Arrive at post office to find out that your package is now good to ship.
Step 25 – Ship the package.
Step 26 – Understand that these people weren’t messing with two westerners and that every package that leaves the post office does in fact have to have white cloth sewn around it due to a customs issue.
Step 27 – Hire a Rickshaw back to your hostel becuse you are tired and sweaty.
Step 28 – Realize that the total time elapsed since you arrived at the first post office is approx 6 1/2 hours.

Moral of the story is…. Don’t mail a package from India unless you have too!

Jamie

Share