Some bloke said that even the greatest journey starts with a single step. What if all is planned and paid for but the firs step seem to be a Mission Impossible?
We bought the trip, that was easy! Burma or rather Myanmar, was our goal this time. The itenary looked promising: 3 days in Yangon, 4 days in Mandalay, 5 days in Bagan, 2 days on Inle Lake and 5 days in Ngapali.
Planes booked, hotels booked, visa application forms and fees SENT! Here we go! Bad omen to start the trip by committing a crime. You can´t send cash within Europe :). Easy peasy, just a formality to get the visa, right? After all, we´ve been to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Cambodia. Never any issues with visas.
With a big smile I went to collect the passports at the local supermarkets postal service point after just a few days. The time where we actually had a real post office is long gone. Now it´s a hole in a wall in a shaggy supermarket close to your local drug dealer and some guys selling roasted chickens 24/7.
Ripped open the thick envelope and the smile turned into a painful grimace. The passports came back but there were no visas! Nor the filled in visa applications or the photos we sent. We did get back the cash for visa fee. WTF! I run home to call the London Embassy. "Hi, I just received the passports but I can´t find the visa."
"Wait a moment. Is your name Tomasz?"
"Yes, my name is Tomasz..."
"Yes, no good. You writer. Government don´t like writers. We sent papers to Government. Loong time."
"Yes, but I work as a TECHICAL WRITER! NO NEWSPAPERS! Instructions for telephones!"
"AAAaaaaah, why you didn´t write?"
"I DID! I wrote technical writer!"
"Too late, no possible! You can get visa in Bagkok." CLICK.
Riiiight....
