A Customs clearance event

Getting Globe cleared at Customs in Delhi did not go according to plan.

Earlier in the year ‘Here Be Dragons’ was shown at the Royal Geographical Society’s (with IBG) annual conference. After the screening a member of the audience commented ‘Migrants are in a state of distress, their bodies change when they cross the border. Globe’s surface, like a migrant has become distressed.’ Later that day I heard another person say ‘Borders follow you around and can easily shut you in as well as out’.

For a week we were to experience, to a small degree, what that might feel like.

We had arranged for Globe to arrive ten days in advance of our trip. As our own arrival in Delhi drew closer the DHL tracking page would simply declare ‘Clearance event’. As soon as we landed we visited the DHL depot in an attempt to negotiate Globe’s release. As we left empty handed and headed to Sonipat for the next three days Delhi’s infamous smog descended. We continued to make urgent calls and send emails trying desperately to prove Globe’s status as a temporary export.

After four days of intense lobbying, providing additional paperwork and another eleven hours spent at Customs arguing the case, we finally caught sight of Globe. Eventually, at 2am, the crate was fork lifted out of a DHL van and loaded into our transport.