Just when I though I was done with visa trouble...
I'm spending the next two weeks in Ecuador with my parents. Before flying North, I had to catch a plane out of Santa Cruz. Leaving Bolivia turned out to be hell.
The same way the lithium departments don't communicate, neither do immigration offices (This lack of communication is a main point in my lithium report, which will make a lot more sense when you read it once it gets published). At the airport, customs refused to except the visa extension stamp I received in La Paz a couple weeks back. I repeatedly asked the airport customs officials why La Paz Immigration would put an extra stamp in my passport if it didn't mean anything or why both the immigration officer and his boss in La Paz both confirmed that I could buy plane tickets with a return trip with this extension. Before the overnight fight to Ecuador, I had to pay a hefty "overstaying my welcome" fine. Unlike informal land border crossings, since this is an official international airport, I couldn't just slip a few pesos under the table to have this all squared away.
Even worse than the fine was when the officers informed me that airport immigration wouldn't let me back into the country with my current visa. They insisted it is now void, although I'm convinced that if I entered by bus in La Paz, they would let me in hassle free. The overly confident customs agents said I couldn't just buy a new visa at the airport upon arrival, like they do for ALL land, river, and lake crossings. Needless to say, I was infuriated and walked on the plane huffing and puffing. Who knew that it would be harder to leave a country than it was to get into the next?
This is the second time I left Bolivia with a sour taste in my mouth. In a country with such a big tourism industry, I'm surprised that people at the borders repeatedly send the clear message: "Get out and stay out!"
After the visa mess, I finally arrived in Quito after an out of the way layover in Panama. The first blaring difference between Ecuador and Bolivia that I instantly noticed is that the taxis here are not stripped down for cheap resale value. Drivers seats are no longer replaced with lawn chairs like those of Santa Cruz. (I'm just realizing this now while writing, is it odd that taxis driving around using lawn chairs instead of car seats now seems normal to me?)
I'm also slightly weirded out that the Ecuadorian currency, the Sucre, was replaced by the dollar a few years back. It's really odd to pay with US bills once again, especially since people here use Pennies, Nickles, and Dimes way more frequently than we use them at home. I'm also uneasy about a country abandoning its own currency. I wonder what the effects of using a foreign currency is on a country without a central bank constantly calibrating the state of the economy. How is does this differ from countries that peg their pesos to the dollar? ...If only I studied economics I would know more about this subject...
I spent the entire first day of my journey in Ecuador in the Bolivian embassy and running around town printing off plane reservations, photo copying bank statements, credit cards, passports, and immunizations lists, getting a bank certified check (cash apparently is worse than checks), and calling friends back in Bolivia to vouch for me and write official letters saying that I have a place to sleep upon my return. Finally, after paying an absurdly unnecessary amount of extra cash to further fund Bolivian bureaucratic mazes, I obtained a new visa, which will hopefully get me back in the country in two weeks. Until then, it's off to the coast for paragliding lessons and a tour of the Galapagos!
Now, it's time to check into the hotel where I'll meet my Dad tonight. It's been six months since we last saw each other. Also, the hotel here will probably be slightly different from the hostel scene I'm used to...
The same way the lithium departments don't communicate, neither do immigration offices (This lack of communication is a main point in my lithium report, which will make a lot more sense when you read it once it gets published). At the airport, customs refused to except the visa extension stamp I received in La Paz a couple weeks back. I repeatedly asked the airport customs officials why La Paz Immigration would put an extra stamp in my passport if it didn't mean anything or why both the immigration officer and his boss in La Paz both confirmed that I could buy plane tickets with a return trip with this extension. Before the overnight fight to Ecuador, I had to pay a hefty "overstaying my welcome" fine. Unlike informal land border crossings, since this is an official international airport, I couldn't just slip a few pesos under the table to have this all squared away.
Even worse than the fine was when the officers informed me that airport immigration wouldn't let me back into the country with my current visa. They insisted it is now void, although I'm convinced that if I entered by bus in La Paz, they would let me in hassle free. The overly confident customs agents said I couldn't just buy a new visa at the airport upon arrival, like they do for ALL land, river, and lake crossings. Needless to say, I was infuriated and walked on the plane huffing and puffing. Who knew that it would be harder to leave a country than it was to get into the next?
This is the second time I left Bolivia with a sour taste in my mouth. In a country with such a big tourism industry, I'm surprised that people at the borders repeatedly send the clear message: "Get out and stay out!"
After the visa mess, I finally arrived in Quito after an out of the way layover in Panama. The first blaring difference between Ecuador and Bolivia that I instantly noticed is that the taxis here are not stripped down for cheap resale value. Drivers seats are no longer replaced with lawn chairs like those of Santa Cruz. (I'm just realizing this now while writing, is it odd that taxis driving around using lawn chairs instead of car seats now seems normal to me?)
I'm also slightly weirded out that the Ecuadorian currency, the Sucre, was replaced by the dollar a few years back. It's really odd to pay with US bills once again, especially since people here use Pennies, Nickles, and Dimes way more frequently than we use them at home. I'm also uneasy about a country abandoning its own currency. I wonder what the effects of using a foreign currency is on a country without a central bank constantly calibrating the state of the economy. How is does this differ from countries that peg their pesos to the dollar? ...If only I studied economics I would know more about this subject...
I spent the entire first day of my journey in Ecuador in the Bolivian embassy and running around town printing off plane reservations, photo copying bank statements, credit cards, passports, and immunizations lists, getting a bank certified check (cash apparently is worse than checks), and calling friends back in Bolivia to vouch for me and write official letters saying that I have a place to sleep upon my return. Finally, after paying an absurdly unnecessary amount of extra cash to further fund Bolivian bureaucratic mazes, I obtained a new visa, which will hopefully get me back in the country in two weeks. Until then, it's off to the coast for paragliding lessons and a tour of the Galapagos!
Now, it's time to check into the hotel where I'll meet my Dad tonight. It's been six months since we last saw each other. Also, the hotel here will probably be slightly different from the hostel scene I'm used to...
2 comments:
Greg,
Had dinner with your mom tonight and
she reminded me about your blog so
I just finished the visa episode.
¡qué increible! But why am I not surprised?
Give my best to your dad and enjoy
the next two weeks. They are SO looking forward to being with you.
Glenn Perrin
Greg,
I will ditto what Glenn said about how excited your parents are to have this visit/trip with you. I hope you and your Dad had a great time and that you meet up with your Mom and enjoy the snorkeling ahead. Be well.
Eileen
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