“Do not go to the airport in the afternoon”, advice bandied about by locals. Unfortunately some of us do not heed the advice. The crowd in the pic is only half of what it was when we first started to wait. PVR schedules about twenty planes in hour between 2pm and 3pm. Don’t ask me why but they do. As a result the customs hall gets backed up very quickly. Add to that only a few agents on the desks and there is usually a wait of about 90 minutes. Adding to the uncomfortable wait – there are no benches, it is cold! The airport AC is wicked and very ‘blowy’.

But that is only half the problem! Next up after meeting the arrivees one has to get out of the place. Taxis are one of the ways. Efficient but expensive. The reason being the monopoly between the Federal regulators and the taxi companies. Cheap travellers will exit the arrivals, go outside, turn left and then climb the bridge to the other side of the road and get a ‘normal’ taxi for a reasonable rate.

But buying a taxi ticket is only half the problem; the taxi lineup is a long one but moves quickly. However there are very efficient taxi “handlers” who will move you out of the line to fit you into whatever size taxi you have purchased. Often filling the vans with others going to the same general area.

Anyway we survived the experience; good job we only do it once or twice every Winter.