We woke up early this morning at 4:30am to catch our flight to head to New Delhi. Our flight was on time and they got the baggage out fast! I highly recommend Indigo Airlines for any domestic flights one may need while in India. The only hang up with them is the plane food. You can have water and a complimentary cookie, but if you have coffee or anything else there is a charge, but it is very affordable charge…it just shocked me when they said I had to pay for my coffee the first time I flew with them.
We had another gracious family agree to take us in during our stay in Delhi. Another big blessing! So Lyla and I arrived this morning again as strangers, and hopefully we will depart (like last time) as new found friends! This family has three children, very close in age to my children at home…ages 6,4,and 2.
It is fascinating to me to see how everyone makes their home and life here in India. Just like in America everyone decorates differently and has different tastes, while each home is definitely got India’s thumbprint on it…you can see the different family styles in each home. I am not even necessarily talking about just this trip to India, but even in previous trips I have been on… each home is unique and special. This home has touches of things I would see in American homes. My new friend is very gifted in art, and has painted scriptures on various walls, and a really pretty mural in the room Lyla and I are in. It is very homey and inviting. Of course, every home I have been in or stayed in has been very comfortable too…they’re all just different!
So we arrived at our new place this morning, but only long enough to greet each other; drop off luggage; and grab a quick cup of coffee. We then jumped back in a taxi to head to our first medical visit of two required by the US Embassy when applying for the passport. I am feeling so “in” with India right now. I guess I am getting more and more comfortable doing things on my own, which is good, because my new friends were not available to drive us around today and go with us to the appointment.
First my friend dropped us at the Chemist (like a pharmacy)right down the road and I picked up some baby wipes, and also found a store to add more minutes to my phone. Then I caught a rickshaw to head to the Max Med Center for Lyla’s appointment.
One thing I am definitely noticing about New Delhi is the traffic is miserable and horrible! There is heavy traffic in other towns and states too in India, but I have not been in any like this before… Super congested! We made it to our appointment, and arrive at a really nice facility. This is the place with a doctor in this area that is approved by the Embassy.
Just in case you might be a parent that will be making this very same trip to Max Med Center in the future, I thought I would give you a play by play here…
Like I said, the facility is very nice. When you first enter you are walking into a large waiting area. To your immediate right there is a little cafe, so if you missed breakfast or needed a snack there is something available there. The prices are a little high for India, but affordable by American standards. Straight in front of you is a help desk and to the left is all of the chairs for seating and some cubicles that say registration.
I stopped at the help desk, but you can just bypass that room altogether and walk through the room to an entrance way that is just left of the help desk. Take a right, and almost immediately there will be a set of steps to your left, and there are signs that say Immigration pointing down that clearly mark where one should go for this particular appointment. Once down the steps, the entrance to the Immigration Counter/Waiting room is almost right in front of you.
Enter the room and go directly to the right and on the other side of the room is the counter. (It’s a small room) At the counter they ask for 2 photo copies of the child’s passport front and back. I did not have any, and she made some for me, but to save time bring some if you can. I also had to give her three color passport photos of Lyla that were given to me by the orphanage. I believe she also requested to see my passport. Then I was instructed to pay 1880 rupees which is less than $36 USD. They did take a credit card, but I had to go back up the short flight of steps to the help desk I mentioned earlier to pay (no big deal) and then bring the receipts back down. Then I was given my papers and told to go back to the first floor (same floor as the help desk) and find the nurses station. So instead of going left back out into the main lobby go straight and to the right once up the stairs and head down a narrow hall. The nurses station is about half way down. Feel free to ask people along the way. Everyone is usually very helpful!
At the nurses station which is basically like a small lab in the middle of two halls with patient rooms off the side and a waiting area on the far end, I was quickly ushered in as I made my way there. There took Lyla’s weight and height, and then I was instructed to go back downstairs on the same floor as the Immigration area and find the doctor. I obviously looked a little confused… like how am I supposed to find the doctor on my own. So the nurse had someone escort me all the way to the room the doctor was in.
Dr. Bashaum is a very well spoken man, and it was very easy to communicate with him. We began by me showing him all of the medical records I had on Lyla. He was very interested in her heart procedure even asking what it costs. Indian crack me up how forward they are sometimes, but they just don’t keep things private like we do. Then he asked to see my letter from the Embassy. This was a print out of the email I received from the Embassy when I scheduled my Visa Interview with them. This is something you should do first, by the way. Make an educated guess as to when you might go, schedule your appointment online and print out your confirmation email. If for some reason you have to change your Visa Appointment. you can also do that online…no worries. But you want to allow for three days of the Medical test and reading to come back before you go. He also asked for a form that I did not have. It was called the DS181. It is from the Embassy saying it okay that your child does not have certain vaccinations. I have not heard of this form before, and don’t think I have heard previous families mention it. So, if your child has not had all of their vaccinations, which the doctor told me is pretty standard…have this form with you! I ended up having to go to the Embassy today to get this form. But, the doctor gave her a quick check and sent me back up the stairs to the nurses station for her TB stick test to be done. We waiting only a few minutes, this time the upstairs hallway and waiting area was super packed. (So go early to avoid crowds!) A nurse gave her a quick prick and that was it.
The doctor told me I need to come back Saturday exactly 48 hours later for the reading of her prick test. If it is clear then we go to the Embassy and do the Visa Interview on the next available day… which turns out to be Tuesday for us, because it is a Holiday on Monday… Columbus Day. He also told me I could bring that form on Saturday and if I could not get it, I was going to have to pay $100 for the vaccines not done.
Next, we had a man at the Med Center call a taxi for us. We headed to the Embassy. We passed the Leelah Palace, (a great hotel s friend stayed at when she was going through the process) it is very close to the embassy and about a 15 minute drive to the Med Center.
We arrive at the Embassy. It was not what I was expecting. I don’t know, for some reason I pictures a replica of the Capital Building in DC to be our embassy. 🙂 Nope it was an Indian building with the American Flag flying by it. But I had already heard Americans are treated extra special there, compared to nationals applying for travel visas. It was true…I was sent right up to the front, but there was not much of a line anyways. I went inside…it was like a little maze to get to where I needed to go, but clearly marked and people all along the way to help. I waited about 10 minutes and got some help in getting the form. I also asked if there was any way if I interviewed for the Visa Tuesday morning, if I could have it that afternoon. She said no guarantees, but they would try. I also asked about payment, because I wanted to know if I had to have the exact amount or could they give change. That is when she told me they could give change and they would also take a credit card. She said online they say it differently, but for adoptions they will take credit cards. I thought that was good to know.
We headed back home on a long drive to our friends, the traffic was so heavy it was a long trip. Lyla had a bit of a melt down, but it has been a long day for her! I felt like crying too! 🙂
We came back and played for a while, they have a great little “back yard” to play in. It is kind of like a terrace but on ground level. Next we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by my friend. Then it was time to get ready for bed! I am sure the both of us will sleep great tonight!
Please be in prayer that we can get the Visa in the same day on Tuesday. Wednesday is another holiday so it would be Thursday before we could get it and make our way home. I know it is just a couple of days, but I think I am getting ready to hit my limit. I am ready to see my kids and be home and have some regularity for Lyla. Thanks friends!

Thanks for sharing all these steps and extra tid bits. Filing away for our upcoming trip!