2 Novice Indians: 5 days in the car

On the 9^th of June we started our journey to Hatyai the border of Thailand. Though there were some problems on the way we reached there safely at 6.30 am on 10^th of June. After taking breakfast at the border we went by a car with the driver of Visa Run agency named Len to the Songkhla Consulate General of Malaysia at Songkhla, 2 hours away from the border.

With lot of expectations we ended into the consulate office but we met a lot of troubles there. We had no enough papers to get Malaysian visa. We were lacking the reservation hotel ticket in Malaysia. Anyway thanks to God Fr. Joseph was able to arrange everything from Phuket. All  the plans were suddenly changed. We decided to fly to Kuala Lumpur instead of going by car to Penang. We got the fly ticket and reservation ticket of hotel by fax thus we were able to get the Malaysian visa on 11^th of June.

On 12^th of June, we went to Hat Yai airport to go to Kuala Lumpur. We thought all the problem were solved by getting Malaysian visa but when we reached for check-in again another problem came in, we should minimum of 20,000 Baht each in our hands if we want to enter into Malaysia. Again we contacted Fr. Joseph. He had a friend a Salesian priest there in Hat Yai. So from his school a teacher came with money. Thus we were able to fly to Kuala Lumpur. Len the driver was waiting there for us. We went with him to Kuala Lumpur to Penang by car around 430 kilometers. We stayed in the hotel that night then on the nest day that is 13^th of June we went to the Consulate General of Thailand in Penang. There we had another problem. With the documents we had in our hands we cannot apply ED visa for Thailand from there. The office had told us to fly back to India and apply from there. We had no other choice; we came back to Penang from Hat Yai on the same date.  From the Songkhla border, we got the Visa at the arrival for 14 days. From Hat Yai to Trang we went by van. At Trang we were fetched by Fr. Peter. We went to our school and stayed there overnight. At last on 14^th of June, we reached at our home – novitiate safe and sound but without fulfilling the intention of our travelling.

This 5 days of traveling was good experience for us. We learned many things from this journey. First and foremost, we learned to trust in God and wait for His time. Hope things will be cleared.