Well, as I mentioned in my last post we were hoping that our visa nightmare would end on Monday. We got up at 6:00 Monday morning and headed to the consulate for a fourth time. The traffic is usually pretty heavy at that time of the day but we managed to get to St. George Street by 7:00. So we had two hours to kill before the consulate opened at 9:00.
We went to Tim Horton’s for a leisurely breakfast, drove around for a little while and when we parked across from the consulate at about 8:15, people were already starting to line up. We got to the wicket and the lady passed Paul his revised visa which means he doesn’t have to worry about getting an extension or not being allowed to stay in China. We checked the visa to be sure it was the right one and were out the door at 9:10 – a far cry from last Monday when we stood in line for two and a half hours.
So finally we’re both approved to go to China !!
Now that we have the required documentation the excitement we were feeling is starting to return and hopefully the rest of the journey will go smoother than this part.
Everything will be just great from here on. The cultural shock and the language will be the two most challenging things to deal with, I am sure, but you are together on this adventure and that will make it all a “piece of cake”. Take care and can’t wait for your next post.
Lois
Hi
I finally found your blog and can’t wait to read about your adventures .