Illegal Alien in La Paz Part Deux

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So carrying on from my Passport and visa drama from yesterday.

I didn’t want to spark any curosity by being late or early so at 4pm sharp I walked back into the Immigration building armed to the teeth with eveyrhting I thought might help secure the release of my passport. I had my original tickets, showing exit date, photocopies of those and a big old spanish english dictionary.

From my visit yesterday I had visited window 9 three times, window 12 twice, and window 10 once. Today I had to visit window 8. Glancing in window 8´s direction I noticed that the 1 to 7 swamp from yesterday had swelled and taken in 8, 9 and 10. There were huge queue everywhere and not a lot of forward movement on any of them.

Settling in for a long wait I started scanning the crowds and windows for any signs of movement or progress. Very quickly, thankfully, I realized that what I thought were queues for windows 8, 9 and 10 were in fact just the swamp of 1 to 7 breaking its banks and flooding the lowlands. In typical Bolivian fashion, queues and order were disregarded for a more liberal form of waiting. No one was in front of 8 so I grabbed my chance and parked myself in front.

So this is what it all came down to. I was hoping against all hope that the blanks from yesterday were not going to get me in trouble or cause further delays. I hand the lady my receipt. She goes to a filing cabinet to get my folder. It comes out, looking pretty much the same. She gets out my passport and hands it to me with a piece of paper which I sign and give back.

I’m standing there…. Waiting…. She’s looking at me…. Confused…. I’m looking back…. Also confused…. She tells me I can go…..

WHAT THE!

I don’t want to argue, but what the? The blanks. The massive blanks, what about the blanks. Actually who cares, I’m out of there. The whole thing took 5 minutes and I’m legal again for another 30 days. Yesterday it was 2 hours, today it was 5 minutes. Yesterday it was 3 windows, six times, today it was 1 window once. These crazy Bolivians. I guess the folder sat in the filing cabinet the prerequisite amount of time and gathered the prerequisite amount of dust, thus allowing me to have it back.

Anyway, a bit anti climatic, but I’m happy and even happier about being home in 9 days. Bring it on.

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Comments

[Nutter]

I guess we were all hoping for more dramas. Well good work i guess.