December 01, 2005
Two Months You Say
New Dehli, India
Total KM 9214
"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
—President George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
Watch the video of this amazing speech
October 28th, 2005 - I changed the authored on date so it will stay on the main page for longer
Today I visited the embassy for The Islamic Rebulic of Iran here in New Dehli. It was slated to open at 9:00 A.M. but the staff didn't start arriving at the massive compound until about 9:30 and I wasn't allowed in until almost 10:00. Inside the lavish visa section, and behind an inch of bullet-proof glass, the staff were playing hide-and-seek with me - they hid around the corner and I stood at the marble counter trying to get their attention in order to secure an application form. While collecting the application forms I began to ask questions concerning Iran and the tourist visa which I was applying for: how much would the visa cost?; how many photos do they need?; how long will it take to process?; why the fuck would a President make a comment so ludicrous as, oh, I don't know - "Israel should be wiped off the map!"- at a time when the country they represent needs all the friends it can get? Okay, I didn't think it wise to pose that last question so I refrained from asking it.
"I'd like to apply for a tourist visa, how long will it take to process?"
"It will take about two months."
"Excuse me? Why would it take that long?"
"Because your application must be sent to Tehran for approval by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Okay, good answer
I took the forms anyways, filled them out in duplicate, and waited for the visa official to return. I was hoping to explain my situation to him and hopefully he'd see what he could do speed things up. You know, play the part of some poor kid cycling halfway around the world who can't afford to wait around in India for two months just to secure a visa. When he returned I gave him my sob story, asking for his help to do whatever possible to speed things up. He didn't even flinch. I had to switch tactics, maybe he can't give me a two month tourist visa, but I knew that he DID have the power to issue a two week transit visa which I could (hopefully) extend once in Iran. He totally denied that he was able to issue any transit visa without my application being approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran. I didn't believe him, I am sure that I have read on the MFA website that visa staff at individual Iranian embassies around the world had the power to issue transit visa in a day or two. While remaing calm, I pressed the situation telling him that I knew he had the authority to issue me a transit visa. He steadfastly denied my accusations, then disappeared and I was left standing in the lobby staring up at some Iranian childrens show on the pair of new plasma televisions in the corners of the room.
What to do? What to do?
Try and bribe him with cigarettes? No, we're not in China anymore. Start crying? Maybe he can be rendered defensiveless from the tears of a foreigner....
What to do? What to do?
There's no way in hell I'm waiting around in India for another two months. My money is already dwindling down faster than I had planned, and holding off for two months means that I'd be cycling across Iran in the dead of winter, something that I'd rather not do.
I haven't been home to Canada in over 2 years, and even then I only spent 2 months there, I'm thinking that I may but this trip on hold for the time being and go and see my family and friends... I feel so committed to finishing this trip and I will, but just not this year.
Almost 10,000 km on a bicycle across 10 countries, I'm happy with that, I think I'll put this on hold and call it a year. I hope y'all don't hold it aginst me... How did you spend 2005?
Posted by tyler at 06:39 PM | 2 Comments