It looks like I'll be back in the LOS from Dec 22 - Jan 11 (much longer than my 5 day stay last trip).  After all that went into booking this trip I'll need the holiday.  :-)  As I had to be out in India on business in December anyway I thought a trip to the LOS would be a great way to end the year.  So I book the flights, hotels, etc.  Only problem is my India visa expired in Oct and I need a new one.  No problem since the last one only took a week.  I'll fly out to London, drop off my passport on Monday and pick it up Friday.  Well . . . not so fast.  The Indian embassy in London is backed up by about 7000 visa applications and the first date they could give me an appointment for was two weeks ahead.  Oh, and the waiting time is now 3 - 4 weeks after your appointment to get your visa.  That option gone, I straddle my dual options of booking my own flight to BKK from London at some astronomical fare or sending my passport off to another Indian consulate with less of a backlog.  Luckily a little begging and pleading paid off and the Indian embassy in Madrid was able to save my holiday.   Passport is now back in my hands with a shiny new visa and I can quit worrying about the possibility of paying £2000 for a flight or scrambling to find something to do in Europe.  :-)I'm planning on joining the Aom Fancy Dress Party on the 22nd but was somewhat aghast at the lack of TF events going on over the holiday season.  :-)  Not a single NYE event?  Shocking and disturbing.  I guess I'll have to make my own fun :-)  I met a lot of great TF folks on the last trip and I hope I'll run into some of you again this round.  Would love to meet some new people as well so if anybody is up for a pint (or two) while I'm out, let me know.