So, as I was writing before. I was elated about getting the approval for the visa (5 minutes of hysteria isn't that bad right?) but that didn't mean that we actual had the visa and the passport. When you get approved, you leave your passport at the embassy and they print out a high quality "sticker" that takes up an entire page of the passport. When they making it they give it to DHL to send back to the owner. This can take 1-7 days.
Well we had our appt on Monday. They said we should have it at the DHL closest to us on Thurs and of course our flight left on Friday am to WashDC. I knew it would be tight, but I always believed it could happen. The real issue is that the embassy was closed on Wed for some reason (do they need a reason). So that meant one less workday.
Anyway, Thurs came and midmorning Richard called DHL to see if they had it. They checked and said..."no, we don't have it and no more are coming today." Bam! So, I was like...well that it...it's not happening and sorta gave up. We had an appointment with a doula in Miraflores midday. So we went to that and we arrived early and were walking around and came across a TACA agency (the airline we were flying). So we went to find out what options we had about changing our flights. More bad news. Minimum of $250 fee each plus cost difference of the ticket and we didn't even know which day to change it for because we didn't have any idea when we'd actually get the passport back. What to do.
I decided to go to the DHL agency near where we were staying anyway and see what we could find out. The answer was nothing. They knew nothing and had no other info. Great. I decided to get on the embassy website and see where I could call to get an answer. I found that they were taking calls from 3-4pm and it was about 3:15 at that point. So we were calling and calling and no one answered. I was so frustrated. What great service from my govt. So this lit a fire under me and I started figuring out how to get this solved. Thank God!
I remember that I still had a few minutes left on a PIN from when I made Richard's appointment and they have to answer because you pay them $12 for 8 minutes! So we went back to the apt to find the info and call to see what I could find out. It was after 4pm at this time. I got someone finally and she was willing to help me. I was actually in shock. I expected that they would say sorry...we don't know anything. I told her we were traveling the next day and wanted to know where it was. She put me on hold and went to investigate. She came back and said, "we don't have the passport. you need to call DHL." okay....the good thing is this meant that it had been processed, but......where was it? So she gave me a number to call of the DHL office at the embassy. We called them of course and.........they didn't have it either. Of course.
However, they said that the last batch of the day was coming at 5pm and to call back. More waiting. Poor Richard. By this time I was wound up, pestering him to call. He wanted to give them time....come on! So, we called back after 20 minutes. They said they had arrived but had to be sorted....more waiting...call back in another 15 minutes....more pestering. So finally at 5:42ish he calls. He's on a first name basis with the lady by now. She says, yes we have it, when do you want it? NOW!!! Great except that they close at 6pm. of course.
So we ran out of the apt. to get a taxi. Lima is a city of 8.5 million people. The taxis are crazy but it is also rush hour and it's on a good day 25 minutes. So, I knew there was no way we could arrive in time, but we were going to try. I was again pestering Richard to call and let them know we were close but we'd be late. He didn't want to call until we arrived outside which was amazingly about 12 mintues after 6. He called and she was still there! The embassy was closed, but she said to go to the gate. There were guards outside. So we go to the big metal gate where people exit the embassy and the lady rushes out. She's leaving but says someone will help us. Thankfully we were prepared and had a copy of his ID with us in the backpack all day just in case. So a guy comes to the gate and through the bars Richard signs some doc and they hand over the passport.....victory!
It was crazy. So now the trip is back on! Praise God. What a riduculous stressful week. So, we celebrated by having icecream at...McDonald's across the street. (I needed the bathroom.) and figured out everything we needed to do to leave the next day. I always say, never give up.....keep trying.....and thank goodness for this tenaciousness. It was worth all the stress! So worth it.
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