Milan---Milan's Expo 2015 got off to a shaky start on Friday as the first visitors shuffled into a venue still resembling a building site in places and tempers frayed over opening day hiccups.
Declaring the six-month food-themed fest open, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi bullishly insisted Milan and Italy had defied the critics who had said they would never be ready in time.
"They said we would never do it but today the Expo is a reality," Renzi said, paying tribute to workers who have been labouring round the clock for weeks to ensure the opening went ahead.
But as authorities braced for a major May Day protest against the Expo, early-bird visitors arriving by underground train faced 90-minute waits in the Spring rain to get into the custom-built, 110-hectare site.
That was due to a combination of ticketing software problems and long queues for the airport-style security scanners.
Among those whose patience was tested in the queue to get in were a mother and son from New Delhi who were supposed to be inside opening a stall selling Indian crafts for their non-profit organisation.
They told AFP organisers had been unable to provide them with security passes in time due to "backlogging" in the processing of participants.
"I have been going to world exhibitions since Montreal in 1967 and I have never seen anything like this. We're quite angry," said the woman who did not want to be identified for fear that complaining publicly would only further delay their accreditation.
Unable to have any of their craft items delivered, her son was carrying as many as he could in two large sacks.
"We've paid 200,000 euros to have the stall for the six months and we are having to buy daily tickets for 39 euros each just to get in. It's ridiculous.
"We have seven people here that we have to house and feed. All our stuff is in store at the airport and that is starting to cost us money. If it is not sorted out soon we are going to lose our shirt."
AFP
