Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:19:54 -0700 (PDT)
Getting the cuban run-around

Well, since I am staying here in cuba for 35 days, and it explicitly states on the back of my tourist visa that it is valid for 30 days, and can be renewed for another 30 days, I figured I should obey the law here, and actually renew the visa.

Here is the process for those of you who think Canadian buerocracy is bad.

1) Buy stamps that you need for your visa extension before you go to the immigration office. Luckily, I knew this part, however most people spend a morning waiting in line at the immigration office (which is only open until noon). Then they get to the front, and are told that they need stamps for their visa, and they have to go across the city to a particular bank to buy the stamps. They then can come back the next day (but not wednesdays, because the office is closed), and wait in line all morning to get their visa extended.

... So yesterday, I spent the afternoon getting the run-around on where I could actually buy the stamps for the visa. I was on my way to the bank that I thought had the stamps, and I ran into another student who was just leaving, who told me that the didn't have the stamps there. So we went to another place that they told us to go to, and we were re-directed no less than five times to different locations, before being directed back to the first bank that I was going to go to. I went and talked to the security guard, and he told me "yea, just wait in this line here to buy stamps for the immigration office" ... I guess the other students spanish was so bad that whomever he asked about the stamps didn't know what he was talking about.

Then today, I went to the immigration office with my stamps to extend my visa, and there were some other canadians there waiting, and we started talking, and they didn't have their stamps (because no one knows about this). So, one of them stayed behind, and the other two went across town to buy the stamps with the plan of returning before the office closed. Anyway, I got to the front of the line, and the lady there tells me that "oh ... candadians are given 90 days to stay without renewing" ... So, I told the other canadian that were there that they probably didn't need to extend their visas, I sold my stamps to some british guy in the office (because he didn't have any either) and I just left. What a waste of time ... but that is what the system here is like.

Did I mention that people here drive with one hand on the wheel, and the other on the horn.

Other than that not much new.