Laos Rider

Part 4 - The Visa

OK, so what about the Visa (capital 'V'), the reason we went to Laos in the first place? Well, Tuesday morning we woke up early, walked across the street and got in line outside the Thai embassy around 7:00 am. We were probably about 50th in line, and it was interesting seeing the businesses that had sprouted up specifically catering to visa applicants. We came prepared with pictures, and our guesthouse owner gave us some application forms as we were walking out the door, so we were pretty much set. But picture taking and developing, forms, help filling out forms, people to wait in line for you, snacks...all available for all those waiting in line watching the sun come up. We were probably about 50th in line, but with people cutting and sliding in right when the doors opened at 8:30, we ended up being 115 and 116th in line. They gave us little plastic cards with our numbers on them as we walked in, and we grabbed a seat. They called up about ten people at a time and after about an hour they got to us. We walked up, turned in our passport, our application forms, two pictures and copies of everything. Got a receipt and were out of there by 9:30 to head back to sleep. It was really a very well run process.

Well, for as well run as the morning handing-in process was, the afternoon picking-up process was just the opposite. We had to wait till the following day to come pick up our passports. They opened the gate at 1, so we figured we would head over there around noon to get in line. We were much closer to the front than we had been in the morning, probably about 20th in line. However, it was also the middle of the day and we were standing in the sun in 105 degree weather, so it was much more miserable. When the gates finally opened, instead of an orderly line and numbered cards like the previous morning, there was a mad rush to get in, mostly from people who had just strolled up. When you have been standing in line in the hot sun for an hour and three German dudes stroll right up and butt in front of you, I will admit there was some anger that started to rise. And when we all moved en mass towards the building where we needed to get inside to pick them up, and we are bunched on the steps to get inside, and people are pushing from behind despite the fact there was nowhere to go, and the guy who worked there just kept screaming at us to form two lines when no one was moving, and I estimated that I was probably 150th in line...well, thats when I sought help. I pulled out my ipod, turned on Jim Gaffigan and let the dulcet sounds of Hooooot Pocket calm me down.

Anyways, I'm slowing inching up to the front of the line. It gets to the person two ahead of me, and as he gets his passport back, he eagerly flips it open to see if he got the double entry visa. I can see from the disappointed look that flashes on his face that he was denied. Like we talked about in the first Laos post, the double entry visa means I have 6 months in Thailand instead of just 3. It means I can wait 180 days till I have to do this again, instead of just 90. It will cut my expenses and my necessary traveling and overnight bus rides in half. No one really understands why some people get a double entry and some only get a single. It is merely up to the whims of the Embassy staff on that particular day. Some people advise going on certain days, or certain times of the month, or writing certain things on your application...but no one is really sure. So after an hour in the blazing head, another hour fuming over all the people who cut in front of me and the people elbowing me from behind, I step up to the window, hand the lady my receipt and wait patiently as she searches for my passport. She finally spots it, hands it back without acknowledging my smile or thanks, and I step away from the window. I frantically page through looking for my visa...my eyes find it and track quickly across to the correct box...'Number of Entries'....2!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Success! All the anger and annoyance of the last three hours vanishes in a puff of happiness. I find Julia, see that she got the double entry as well, and we happily begin the journey home. Until next time Laos...

(Though on 2nd though, maybe I'll try Hanoi...I mean how many people can say they spent a weekend in Vietnam? :) )

TPWWLT - Frank Sinatra - 'My Way'

PS - Stayed at my place for another month. It's good though, everyone around here knows me by now so I don't even have to order when I go to certain places, I just show up! But you can still send me stuff if you would like. I would, as they say, not be mad.