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Visa processing

(Evening coffee - Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.)
I was able to get my visa renewed today. This process is an ordeal in its own right. What an exercise in peeking in on the bureaucratic culture - or lack thereof - of this part of the world. As with last trip my initial entry allowed for a 10 day visit to the Republic of Iraq - Kurdistan Region. Last trip I ran out of time. On that trip, although once I found the quiet office in Dohuk, they only gave me four extra days. It was also during Ramadan and government offices were closed more than usual.

Now for this trip, while passing through Sulaymaniyah, it was marginal chaos at the passport offices. Yet, they have given me a one month visa extension. I hope I can take their word. I can not read what they put in my passport. Nothing is written in English in this part of the region. Remember too, the two regional political wings just recently merged their bureaucracies. I am not sure that they still can read each others' visa stamps. Last time, the East region could not seem to be able too understand what the West region had put in my passport. This time I will have the opposite to look forward too on the way back across the country.

I met a couple Canadians, a Brit, and a South Aftrican at the foreign visa office. No Americans were passing though that I could tell. That is simular to last trip.

Now the fingers-and-toes-check shows up. Last time I was checked out by a doctor at the border when I entered Iraq. This time it seems the docs have caught up to me at visa renewal time. Endevoring to always kill two birds with one stone, I see it as an excuse to visit the university hospital by visa process default. For eight Bucks, I apparently passed the exam and got a brief peek at a hospital.

My new-found-friend accompanied me through the arduous visa process. With out him it would have been an even tougher bureaucratic night mare. Yet, he even got confused where to go at times. As with our visit to the university, at each building we went to through during the visa process, he had to check in his weapon and I had to check in my knife. "Of course."

Bob Keith
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

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