PAPER COUNTS:
When I enrolled in the Development Studies 310 Internship I was offered a volunteer position in India. I eagerly awaited my departure and was anxious to get started on my adventure. I decided to book my trip through a travel agent because this was going to be my first trip on my own and I wanted to make sure that things were done properly. When I went to meet with the travel agent we make the bookings and I was told that I would be able to have my Visa documents processed once I arrived in India; and I trusted in the professionalism of the representatives at the travel agency.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to ensure that before you begin your travels you make sure to look into any kind of documentation that you need. Every country has different rules for foreign admission and in most places they are not lenient and will not go that extra step to help you out should you forget to have something, so make sure that you have looked into what you need for your travels. Do not trust solely on the advise of a travel agent, make sure you are looking into things on your own. An important website to visit prior to your travels is the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website which can be accessed at : http://www.international.gc.ca/international/index.aspx
I am not trying to discourage you from using a travel agent, because there are some positives that can come from booking a major trip such as yours may be through a travel agent. I only want to caution you and inform you that even though you are booking through a travel agent, not everything is taken care of for you; ask questions, get information, and look up things on your own.
I received my immunization, purchased my personal materials for my trip, did some fundraising, bought medical supplies and mosquito nets to bring and give to the community in which I was to be staying, and I was off to India before I knew it. When I arrived in India I was held for about four hours in a little room not being told what was going on, my passport was taken from me and I was refused access to a phone. I was then shipped back to Canada without being told why. I later found out that this was because I had not received a visa document prior to my trip.
Another unfortunate occurrence was when I found out that had I been of another gender, I would most likely be telling you this story from the perspective of someone who volunteered for a few months in India. This unfortunate incident really opened my eyes to many things such as naivety, culture barriers, and human right violations. This story is not meant to scare you, although I can tell you that I was very scared when I was in the airport in India, but is meant to allow you to understand the importance of proper procedures prior to your travels. It’s ok to ask for help, but make sure that you take initiative, and be very assertive when doing so.
There is happy ending to my story, I was refunded all my money from the travel agency and was given a formal apology from the company. They admitted to their incompetent actions and admitted to me that they made a mistake in telling me about the processing of the visa documents. They took full responsibility of the mishap, and I got a nice cheque back. Unfortunately, this took a bulk of the summer to achieve and thus I was not able to get a visa and head back to India, but I have maintained a connection with the family that I was to have been staying with and I have been offered an open invitation to go back to India.