Visa Vi

(Ch)

When coming into Jordan they only give you a thirty day visa, which means you have to get it renewed at the police station sometime before that. Well, for us that time was Sunday (the work week starts here on Sunday - Friday and Saturday are the weekends). This we decided to do all by ourselves, since it should be easy.

It wasn't that easy. We took a cab there (it's how we get around the city, they're pretty cheap) that dropped us off at the main door. After we got inside, we asked around to find out where to get visas and were directed over to a counter. Of course there was a "line" that we had to wait in, which took a little bit of time (I say "line" because there aren't any lines in Jordan, just clusters of people - those who muscle in next after someone leaves is served next). When it was finally our turn, the guy said we were in the wrong building and directed around the back of the building.

Once there, we found a guy who was at least handling visas of some sort, of course had to wait in a short "line" there too. Unfortunately this guy didn't speak any English (ironic since most people in Jordan speak passable English - EXCEPT the guy who's helping foreigners get their visas) so he had to have someone else in line translate for us. The only question he really asked was, "Where do you live?" - which we didn't know the answer to. There aren't really addresses here in Jordan, so it's difficult to know. Since we know how to walk to our place from a major landmark, we always just direct taxis that direction. Anyway, we had to call our roommate who was at least able to give us the street we lived on.

Great. But they require that we give them a photocopy of our passport for their records... Unfortunately the nearest copier was down the street at some store people called a "library". Well, luckily for us some people helped us out and we followed a guy to the store (which sold cell phones, it wasn't a library). We did that, got back into the visa place and waited again.

Finally after some hesitation he stamped us our passports (in my mind as he was looking over stuff I was thinking, "JUST STAMP IT"). Sweet. He motioned us out of the building and that was that.

We hoped. We weren't sure that was all, so we called our friend and asked if someone else was supposed to happen after that - apparently a director is supposed to sign it. So, at our friend's direction we wander into a room where we see some guy get his passport signed - great. As we approach to get ours signed, the director takes 3 other guys there and leaves without a word.

So we sit down and wait - we have no idea how long he's going to be gone or where he went. Other poke their heads into the room looking for him and leave. A woman sat down who had and American passport so we started talking to her. Turns out she's from Seattle! So we had a nice conversation, she's originally from Jordan but went over there with her husband (for some reason we've met a lot of people from the Pacific Northwest while over here).

Anyway, he came back fairly quickly (thankfully only 10 minutes or so), though he was on the phone. While talking, he managed to sign and stamp all three of our passports and we got out of there.

Who-ho! Looks like we're good for another 1 and a 1/2 months!