Getting my visa

Getting my 6-month multi entry visa was an interesting experience. Being in a new country, even if it is pretty modern and not really understanding how the process worked and having to do it alone just wasn't something I was excited to do. I knew I could do it, I just didn't want to do it alone. But as it turned out, I didn't have to. While staying at the guest house, I met another guy (Brian) who needed to get one as well. There were several other people in the guest house who had gotten their visa's the day before, so they explained how it worked.

We had to bring a map with us because the majority of taxi drivers aren't familiar with where the embassy is. We needed a second map for on the way home so we could tell the taxi driver how to get to the guest house.

When you walk in the gate, the first building you enter looks like a shed. Inside you pay a small fee so the man behind the counter can organize your paper work and staple a passport size photo in the proper spot. Then he gives you a number and sends you back out the way you came to another room. This room has a bunch of chairs and to the left of the entrance is the processing center. The processing center is behind a sliding glass window, it looks a lot like a drive-up bank teller.

Here the man behind the counter tried to talk me into getting a 3-month visa instead of a 6-month visa. I guess everything is negotiable? After several times of telling him "no, I need a 6-month visa," he finally relented. I paid my money and then he explained there was an additional small fee for paying in US currency. I didn't have the correct change and so he "waived" it. I'm not really convinced this fee was required but either way I was thankful he waived it. After he took all my paper work, he told be to come back at 1pm. It was 9:45am. Since they are celebrating Ramadan, the office was closing at 2pm.

We had been advised not to leave incase the office decided to close earlier. My flight left the next day and I didn't want to mess up my first assignment. Without my visa I would not be allowed to enter the country. A lot of people were waiting, there had to be about 50 people in the waiting room. At 12:30p we noticed other people who had paid before us had gone up to the window, got their passport back and their visa. They never called names or anything, people just went back up to the window. In hind sight, we probably could have gone up earlier but .

The oddest part was what people did while they waited. I brought a book, which prior to this I thought was pretty much what people did. Well, some people brought their nail clippers and clipped their toes. I can honestly say I never thought to give myself a pedicure while waiting for something.

Keep Smiling!!