However I can't renew too early as my extension would expire and obviously I can't let my initial visa expire that would be bad - build in weekends and strange working hours for Immigration Offices ( for example Mon Wed and Fri 9am - 11am) and my window of opportunity is small - but my sights are set on Baracoa - its a small town and I have 4 days to renew it - easy...
Day 1 - I arrive in Baracoa at lunchtime - spot of lunch then a leisurely stroll to the bank - oh yes I forgot to mention you need special stamps to get your visa renewed - they don't sell them at the Immigration Office though - that would be too easy - you need to go to the bank! I get the stamps - I consult my Lonely Planet - the Immigration office is listed and its not far - I stroll down - its open - always a bonus - I wave my passport enthusiastically and say Visa - a shake of the head - No! This is not the Immigration office its the Ministry of the Interior - thanks for nothing Lonely Planet! But the chica tells me where the office is - its far - a 20 minute walk - did I mention the heat? Its hot!
| The stuff I need to renew my visa... |
I walk to the place she mentions - no big office saying Immigration - I ask someone and he points to the other side of the street - I cross - still I can't see it - I ask someone else - they point - I go where they point - still I can't see it - I ask someone else - they point to a door about 6 feet away - unmarked - its open - I enter - there is no one there! I wait - still no one - then I see a sign - All Visa Renewals are being processed at our other office - with a street name but unhelpfully no number! I leave and make my way to the other office - much asking and pointing later I am back on the other side of town - quite near the Ministry of the Interior actually - again I need to get within 6 feet before I know I'm there - obviously its unmarked however its open - I see a sign above a room saying Immigration Tue & Thu 9- 1 and 2-4 - its a Tuesday 3pm I have hit paydirt There is someone in the office - I get out my passport and wave it more enthusiastically than last time - Visa? Again the head shake No! Porque? I ask - La muchacha este enferme - The girl is ill - all Visa Renewals are being processed at our other office and she points to where I have just come from Ay Carumba!!
| This is the immigration office - note lack of sign! |
| The other immigration office - also unmarked!! |
So I trek back into the center no asking or pointing required - I know the way! I get to the office still no one there - but I can hear voices from upstairs - I call up - Hola - eventually a guy appears - I ask Visa? He replies with a shake of his head "No! - regresa manana" - come back tomorrow - I don't have my visa but there's hope!
Day 2 - I have breakfast and head down to the office - the officer is there - he looks serious - he is called Noedis Matos -my nemesis - I get out my passport - I am not waving it anymore - just holding it - Visa? Without looking up he shakes his head 'No! La muchacha este enferme" Come back on Monday - my visa expires on Sunday - I explain how the other office told me to come here and that this office was handling renewals - this time he looks up narrows his eyes and tells me to come back on Monday It appears I have a problem - what to do? I'm not going to be defeated so I head back to my casa and enlist the help of the owner We head down to the office and initially appear to be getting nowhere - looks like I may need to head to a bigger city to get the Visa - just when things are looking bleak Noedis suddenly cracks - come back tomorrow at 8 o'clock en punto - on the dot (this makes me suspicious - nothing in Cuba is ever on the dot) - we will process the visa extension - really? - until that piece of paper is in my hand I'm not getting excited and I still don't have my visa but there's hope!
Day 3 - being British I am there en punto being Cuban of course he is not - at 8.25 he pulls up in his Min of Immigration Lada (what a loser) and opens up He sits down at his desk and get his pens out and arranges them - he then does this with various other bits of stationery - he then gets out his phone and puts music on - he then goes and gets a coffee - this I understand - the day should start with a coffee and Cuban coffee is good At 8.40 he beckons me - I produce my documents - he examines them minutely - he gets out a form - its a long one - everything is written down - he attaches my special stamps to the form with a paperclip - even though I can see a space for them to be stuck on - I know his game but say nothing - he gets out a sticker with the word Prorroga on it - extension ! He turns the sticker over but its not one of those with the split in the middle - no surprise there - it must be peeled from the corner - the first corner is not good - his nails are thick and manual dexterity is not Noedis' forte - a second corner is tried - again failure - this is getting surreal - I am so close to this visa I can smell it but if he tries and fails with the third corner I am going to burst out laughing - I am biting my lip and pinching my legs - but Noedis thankfully knows his limitations and seeks out the chica who makes the coffee and who has long nails The visa gets stuck - scribbled on and the stamp comes out - bang - he stamps it in that Latin macho fashion and I am done Gracias I say Adios he replies - his first words that morning. I put the passport in my bag and leave - the Cuban Visa Crisis is over - I hope!
| My visa!!! |
