Sunday, February 26, 2006

Wonders Never Cease


I am now the proud owner of tourist visas for the countries of Ghana and Togo. Not a big deal in the scope of things, but consider this: I obtained both visas by mail in exactly 2 weeks time. Not impressed?

Keep in mind that each application must include my passport and a return envelope, meaning that I can only have one visa being processed at a time. I mailed Ghana first, and received it back in 6 days. I had figured that Ghana would be faster, so I mailed it first to get it out of the way. The day I received my Ghanaian visa, I immediately mailed my Togo application. I wasn't holding my breath, figuring it would take much, much longer. 8 days later I had it back.

Now don't get me wrong, I am very pleased with the fast response. I just expected more hassle and difficulty with the whole process. I expected a call from the Togolese embassy a week before I left requesting extensive financial records and a reassurance that I wouldn't be staying and setting up a DVD bootlegging operation. Instead, it went smoothly. It's great, but the whole process just seemed so un-African...

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