Visa Run in Islamabad

 

Content:

 

- Our mission in the capital

- We pulled the tooth of the Stan-Countries

- Tajikistan

- Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

 

Our mission in the capital:

 

- 5 visas stamped in our passports

- Bring Fridolin into shape

- Souvenir Shopping

 

In this order we will plan our two weeks in Islamabad. As a first priority, we will need to get the visa, because I know from experience the bureaucratic hurdles are almost insurmountable, depending on the mission.

 

Together with Lukas family and Mark, we steer towards the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad. Heavily guarded, this can be entered only in a shuttle bus. We are, as always, far too late and reach the Chinese embassy just 10 minutes before the official closing time. Sameena, the wife of Luka, goes in front of the waiting queue because a women does not stand in a queue in Pakistan. Luka must not leave his wife alone, of course, and also sneaks into the embassy and takes his two new sons Roman and Mark with him. :) So we have been finally successful with our visa application and can pick up the visa the next morning. Hooray!

 

We pulled the tooth of the Stan-Countries

 

My visa experience with the Stan's (Kyrgyz-Stan, Tajiki-Stan, etc.) are anything but rosy, but we try our luck on the same day as we were able to pick up our fresh China visa. By taxi, it goes into the sector F10 where the Kyrgyz Embassy is located.

 

The embassy is also equal to the house of the ambassador and is beautifully situated on a residential area with a nice neighborhood. Not many visitors does visit this embassy we figure out, because we are directly received by the Ambassador and led into a room furnished with sofas. We complete our visa application and in the meanwhile we are entertained by the friendly ambassador with the Kyrgyz history. Wow, but even more amazing is that we can pick up our visas in four hours! Fantastic.

 

Tajikistan

 

And on it goes ... the Tajik embassy is located only one sector further. Again, the ambassador itself picks me out of the group and orders me in his office. "Pa Russki?" ... "No, I do not speak Russian," I answer in English. An interpreter will be called and I will be asked about our intentions. The Ambassador shows genuine joy that I enjoyed his first visit to his country so well that I would like to come back with friends and promised me that he stamps our visas right away in our passports? EI EI EI, what's going on here? Is this guy serious?? I explain to the interpreter that our visas are in the Kyrgyz-Embassy and whether it would be possible to come again this afternoon to get the visa?!

 

I ask the ambassador about the visa costs? A long face on the ambassadors face appears. "How much does it cost for the Kyrgyz visa?", I Answer: "50 US Dollars I think" and lower the correct price of 55 US Dollar to 50 USD. ". "Hmm, ok, that's our price" is the response of the Tajik ambassador.

 

*Tuut Tuuut Tuut* My brain tells me: "You stupid idiot... you had better say 20 US Dollar"

 

Anyway, in one day we have managed to get 3 visas, this is an absolute world record. And in particular, the Stan-Countrys which are normally ultra-complicated. Here in Islamabad, the Ambassadors are obviously glad when they get some work to do. :) We are looking forward to the next!

 

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

 

Are not as comfortable as their neighbors, but we have no difficulty. The Uzbek visa, we get in seven and the Kazakh after 5 days waiting time.

 

We acchive the unthinkable and collect five visas in less than two weeks. YIIIHAAAA.