Day 2 - Visa Troubles

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Walking For Visas

Okay so the last time I left you I was heading out or dinner last night, so let me start with that. I wandered around the Hutong (old Beijing alleyway) that the hostel is in and came across a guy selling Beijing Duck (Peking Duck) for 18 Yuan, about $2.70 AUD, for the whole duck. So, naturally, not one to miss an opportunity like cheap as Peking duck, I told him I would take one. He promptly cut it up and placed it into a plastic bag for me and I wandered back to the hostel munching on the most delicious, and cheap, Peking Duck I have ever had!

So, on to today. I had scheduled today as a visa day, trying to organise my visas for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and had jumped on the net last night, searching or their addresses in Beijing (as they often change from what I have read) so, I got up bright and early grabbing a couple of pieces of fried dough from a street vendor for breakfast, and what they completely lacked in nutrition they definitely made up for in taste! After that I grabbed a taxi and headed to the Kyrgyzstan embassy. Got there at 9.30am, informed that they opened at 9am, only to find that lo' and behold they have changed their opening hours to the afternoon, 3-6pm to be precise.

So, I then wandered around the Sunlitun Embassy area trying to find the Uzbekistan Embassy. I found the street which it was supposed to be on and walked up and down it about four times before I established that it wasn't on that street. I tried asking one of the many guards at the many embassy gates, and he spoke no English, surprise, surprise! But then I heard the voice of an American women asking me if I needed help! She pointed out that the street that I was looking for didn't run straight up and down but in fact was one of those streets that ran at right-angles and instead of continuing straight did a 90 degree right hand turn! Of course! So I eventually found the Uzbekistan Embassy, filled out the visa form only to realise that I had let my stupid passport photos at the hostel. I know, I'm very smart. So the nice Uzbek women informed me that it would probably be best to come back in the afternoon, at 3pm, with the photos! So, after all that disappointment I headed back to the hostel, to pick up my passport photos. And decide what the hell I was going to do now.

I ended up looking at the map supplied by the hostel and decided that I could make it to the Silk Market on foot. Here's a hot tip i you ever come to Beijing and you stay at the Far East International Youth Hostel, don't walk to the Silk Market. It was so far away I almost gave up. I walked for about 1.5 hours before I was almost there. However, I did stumble across Wanfujing and got to eat some scorpion skewers! They were nowhere near as bad as I was expecting! In fact, they tasted a lot like salted peanuts, crunchy and salty. Although, I did have to overcome the fact that two minutes before I was eating them off the skewer, they were squirming on the skewer, alive. Mmm tasty!

I eventually made it to the Silk 'Market', and I tell you what, they use the word market loosely, it was a freaking 6 story building! So much or a street market or some other form o market. Nevertheless, I wandered in and checked it out, and probably because of my mood after walking for so long but I was immediately displeased with it. The stall operators were quick to jump on you and in some cases even grab hold of you and not let go. Words were exchanged on this occasion.

But after, wandering around and having a look at the whole place, I settled in to the mood of the place and began to get the bargaining vibe. I was after a down jacket and that was it. So I began looking and found one that I liked and I asked the price, her price 1580 yuan which is about $240AUD, but that was a bargain as in the shops it retailed at 3000 yuan. How could I say no? Easy. I laughed at her, told her that it was a ridiculous price and began to walk away. She grabbed my arm, they liked doing that. She asked me what my price was and I said that she had to give me a reasonable price first, i was a student after all 😊 So she began to lower her price, and then she would ask me to which I replied that she was still being ridiculous. Not until she got to 980 yuan did I give her my price...20yuan. That went down well. So I started to walk o again, and once more she grabbed me and pulled me back to her stall. She dropped her price to 750, my price was 20. She dropped hers to 650, I stayed at 20. She dropped hers to 500 and said final, lowest price. So I raised mine to 50. She dropped hers to 450 and I stayed at 50. Down she came again to 400, I thought that we were getting somewhere and went up to 100. She came to 350 and I went to 200. She came to 300 and told me that was it, and I said my final was 200. She came to 250 and I thought, shit why not. So I ended up getting it for 250 yuan about $38AUD. I still walked away thinking that I was jibbed but happy in the knowledge that I got her down so much. By the time that was done it was 3pm, Visa time.

I got a taxi to the Kyrgyz Embassy and arrived about 3.30pm and joined a queue. I finally got into the office and the stuffing around began: I had to ill out the application form, no problems there, then I had to photocopy my passport and my Chinese Visa and this is how the conversation went:

Me: So where can I photocopy them?
Visa Inspector: I don't know.
Me: Well, I won't be able to photocopy them today and get it back to you today. So, i I photocopy it and bring it back to you on Friday (when they are next open) will I be able to get the Visa on the same day?
Inspector: No. It will take 3 business days, so if you bring it in on Friday it will be ready on Wednesday.
Me: Well, i really need the visa sooner than that, if I gave you more money can you do it in one day? Or can you photocopy it for me now?
Inspector: No, more money makes no difference. That isn't the job of the Visa Inspector, to fill out the form and photocopy the passports.
Me: I understand, but I really need to get it done sooner rather than later, and I don't know where I can photocopy the passport and Chinese Visa by today.
Inspector: Downstairs.
Me: What?
Inspector: You can photocopy downstairs.
Me: Why didn't you say that before?
Inspector: You didn't ask.
Me: Ok, right. We'll I’ll go photocopy this and come back.
Inspector: Ok.

I headed downstairs and finally found the photocopy place tucked away, got everything copied and headed back up and joined the queue again.

I get in the second time and realise that I don't have enough yuan to cover the cost, I only have USD. So he looks at my forms and my photocopies and I ask if I can pay in USD. This is what the conversation was:

Me: Can I pay in USD?
Inspector: Yes, oh yes, we like USD.
Me: Ok, so perhaps if I gave you more USD you might be able to speed up the Visa processing time?
Inspector: Ok, change the declaration date on the form from today to, say...the 18th of November.
Me: Ok.
Inspector: Ok, $165USD and you can have Visa by 6pm today.
Me: Really? Ok that’s fine.
Inspector: Good, good.

I handed over the money and headed to the nearest bar to semi-celebrate.

In the end, I managed to get my Kyrgyzstan Visa today. So, that gives me plenty of time to get my Uzbekistan Visa...although after today's efforts who knows how long it will take, but I take comfort in the thought that more money means less time.

Exhausted and drained after a long and tiring day, I got a taxi back to the hostel and headed to a restaurant near the hostel. It was a Muslim restaurant, seriously that's what it is called. And I ended up getting a few shasliks or 1yuan each, some naan, and a 600ml bottle of beer or 15 yuan total = $2.25AUD. Oh yeah, gotta love that exchange rate.

Now, I am about to head out to drink some beers with a crazy Mexican bloke named Rohellio (who knows how to spell it, but that’s what it sounds like) who has been traveling through China for 6 months, is going to Thailand, Fiji and India over Christmas and New Years before heading back to China or a few more months and then on to Germany, because that’s logical.

Again, no photos, but they are coming...soon...hopefully...maybe...

Well, that's the end of my exciting day, stay tuned or more crazy adventures!

Thanks again or the comments and messages, great to hear from you all.

P.S. Apologise I for the grammar bad and slpelnig mistakes.

Matt out.

END TRANSMISSION

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Comments

[MikeV]

money talks all languages
Hey - fun day and you are getting fit at the same time (all the walking) - cool! Yep, scorpions are right up there on the list of must eat foods -not! But must have been better that the snake in Vietnam, maybe? I have to ask, isnt $165US a bit on the expensive side for a visa? anyway you have that one and one to go. Apart from the Visa life seems to be quite 'cheap' which is great. Speak soon MikeV

[MattyV]

Expensive visas
Yeah, $165USD is a bit on the expensive side but the price or 3 day processing was $110USD anyway, so for same day service I didn't mind forking out an extra $55.