Yesterday we decided to walk over to immigration and begin our Cedula process. We wanted to do it last Thursday, after receiving our visas, but it was 3:30 pm, and the guard wouldn't let us through. We invited our friends to walk over with us so they could receive an update on their visa process since their documents were accepted one month prior to ours, and they still hadn't heard anything from immigration. I've blogged over and over again that every person's adventure here will be personal and different. From the day we arrived until this very day, I can only write about what has happened for Bo and me personally. Having our friends with us yesterday at immigration has proven this to be so true.
We arrived at immigration at 8:30 am, and I first told the security guard that my friends were here to check on the progress of their visas. He motioned for them to go to the back of the visa line outside that was being checked in by the immigration staff. At this point, Bo and I went to the back area of the immigration office where passports and cedulas are processed.
We waited approximately one-half hour before the woman who was to help those with cedulas arrived. The security guard ushered us to her office, and she asked for our passports and birth certificates. She seemed a bit tired, stressed, and disinterested, but my Spanish seemed to lighten the atmosphere, and she even smiled a couple times. We were asked to fill out two applications (one for each, since we were filing with me as Bo's dependent) called, "Datos Para La Cedulacion De Extranjero." Of course, it was all in Spanish, and we were required to answer in Spanish. I didn't take it for granted that I knew exactly what each line was requiring, so I would interrupt her and ask! She seemed very disinterested in her answers, but I made sure I was answering every line exactly as required and not crossing anything out or making any writing errors. I've learned from our past visa process that this is critical!
She would peck away with one long-fingernailed-ring-adorned finger every letter required on her end - and it seemed to take forever. At one point her computer system was not responding, and she immediately hollered at her co-worker across from her, "Are there a lot of people.....?" Whatever that meant? She tapped away trying to get into the system, and it would beep. I began to wonder, "Are we going to get through this process today?" Finally, her system was back and she began to ask me questions about where my parents were from, if their name was such-and-such, and so on. Of course, it was right there on my birth certificate, and Bo's, but I guess she was wanting to make sure she put in the correct information on her end. Who knows?????
Because I know these visa/cedula processes can be tricky, I was not going to assume that this sit-down time with our finger-pecking cedula processor was going to go smoothly. Well, it did! She did Bo's information first, had him go pay the $4 application fee at the "Banco" window, and then began on mine. She then had Bo go and pay the $4 application fee for mine next. No, it couldn't be done all at once - that would be too easy! After each application, she would have Bo and me check the information she finger-pecked in, and we were careful to make sure the passport number, name spelling, and all information required was accurate. Lo and behold, she spelled Bo's name wrong on mine, "Longoog instead of Longood." He tried to joke with her and tell her it wasn't "Longoog," but she wouldn't crack a smile. She just acted like it was no big deal, and began to finger-peck enter the application information ALL OVER AGAIN! (Yawn.....)
At last, the process finally came to an end. She gave us receipts for both application fees paid ($4 each) and made it a glaring point to let us know we are to report to the OFICINA DEL REGISTRO CIVIL in El Centro next Tuesday and how important it was for us to hold on to these receipts because they would be required when we went to the cedula office to turn in our documents for processing. I immediately grabbed both receipts and filed them away in my folder of "IMPORTANT PAPERS." GEESH! By now I'm exhausted, ready to bolt from the unhappy office of immigration and walk off all our anxiety and head home!
Before we leave, we thank her, shake her hand, and I ask her one last question, in Spanish of course, "Can you please do me a favor and tell us what documents we will need for our cedulas?" She quickly turns to her right and asks her co-worker in the booth next to her to answer my question in English. Bo and I leave her booth and pop into her co-worker's booth who is jabbering away at some attorney-like person who sounds like he's defending some important issue he is having with immigration. She interrupts him and he quiets down. I ask her in Spanish about the document requirements and what time the Oficina opens. She paints on a pretentious smile and answers in broken English, "I don't know. You have to go there." I ask her in Spanish, "Can you please tell us anything about the documents required?" She answers again in her broken English, "You have to go there," keeps her fake smile and then turns back to her attorney-like client as if done with us! I turn to Bo and say, "Let's go. She's done with us!" So we walked away.
On our way out of the immigration office, a couple we know who are out front waiting to be called to finally receive their pensioner visas begin to ask us about our cedula process. I explain to them a bit of what we just went through, but because they have an attorney working for them I advise them to turn to him since he's handling their entire process. It will be different for them and they already have competent help! We say our goodbyes and head outside to look for our friends. We find them and they do not look happy. Their news is not favorable!
Apparently, immigration claims they tried to get hold of our friends via both e-mail and phone a few weeks ago but with no success. Immigration claims the e-mail address they had on file was rejected and that our friends did not respond to immigration's phone attempts. Though their documents were approved and accepted 3 months ago at the front desk, they were now being rejected because of translation issues and spelling errors in their application letter. Of course, our friends were devastated. They were not expecting this and now have to begin some of their visa process all over again, which is not going to be a simple process and will prove to be costly. Had they not gone back to immigration to check on their long-due e-mail notification, they would still be waiting and not knowing that there was a definite problem. (It is a good thing to stay on top of your documents if some time has passed with no word.)
We walked back to El Centro together, Bo and I happy that the first step for our cedula process was accomplished, yet concerned for our friends who were quite solemn because of their unexpected news. We tried to encourage them, but by now they were too discouraged and overwhelmed. One of the things I love about my husband is that he's a possibility thinker. He may be one of the most impatient people on earth, but he never looks at situations as hopeless. With him, there's always a solution and always a way! We tried to encourage our friends, but this was not the day they would hear, "It will all work out - it always does." Maybe tomorrow!
The four of us headed for the "Oficina Del Registro Civil" in El Centro because Bo and I wanted to immediately find out what documents we needed and when their office opened for our next Tuesday cedula visit there. There was a long line of people standing and waiting inside when we arrived - not sure for what - but I bypassed it by asked the guard where we needed to go for our cedula information. He pointed to the back, and we conveniently found someone at a desk who immediately ushered me to sit and state my case. I asked him specific questions about the documents needed for Tuesday's cedula visit, and he quickly pulled out two application forms called, "Datos Para La Cedulacion De Extranjeros" and another form that listed the many documents required for a cedula. I explained that we already filled out the "Datos..." form, and he said, "Yes, but you have to fill these out AGAIN and have them notarized. You also have to ask the notary for a form called, "Declaracion Junomentada en Base el Formularia." The documents he told us that were required included our apostilled, translated and notarized birth certificates and marriage certificate, notarized copies of our passports and visas, the copies of our $4 cedula receipts, and the "Datos..." forms filled out and notarized, along with the "Declaracion.... form" from the notary office. So, we left the cedula oficina well-informed, also knowing that they open daily at 9 am Monday thru Friday.
We walked back to our apartment with our friends, and then we parted ways as they joylessly headed back to their apartment. We felt we had accomplished much in our day, yet our friends walked away heavy-hearted. They expressed they should have gone sooner to immigration to find out what the delay was about their documents, but at least now they knew what was going on.
Today, our next "cedula" step was to visit our knowledgeable and efficient
translator, have her look over all the required forms and documents and confirm to us
exactly what we would need for next week. We were at her office at 9:30 a.m., and she helped us fill out our application forms and pulled from our files all the required documents needed for our cedulas. She will now review and work on the translation of our documents. On Friday we will meet with her to visit the notary and complete this continuing process.
Next Tuesday we will appear bright and
early at 9 a.m. to submit our documents to the cedula "oficina." WE'RE ALMOST DONE!!!!
Showing posts with label Visa Process. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Visa Process. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
APPLYING FOR A VISA IN ECUADOR - OUR RESIDENCY VISA OUTCOME - HOW THIS ALL ENDED!
On April 26th, Friday, Bo received e-mail notification from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores that our documents were finalized and we were to report to the immigration office on Thursday, May 2nd at 12 noon. Because we had applied for an investment visa residency, we would have to first pick up our original CD certificate from the immigration office and take it to the Banco Central Del Ecuador and have it registered. We were then scheduled to return to immigration between 2 and 4 pm, and then they would finalize our visa stamps in our passports.
Of course, we hoped for the best but prepared for the worst. After all, this hasn't been the smoothest process for us, but what else could go wrong to delay what we have been so long waiting for? We grabbed our original passports, $640 cash ($320 each) for our final visa payment, and hopped a bus to immigration. At approximately 12:15 pm they called Bo's name, and we were at the front counter (like old times). This time, we were given our CD certificate and two other forms and told to take them down to El Banco Central and someone would help us there. I specifically asked, "Are there any other forms or information we need to provide to them or just these papers?" I was assured, "Just these papers!"
We were delayed getting to Banco Central because we were given wrong bus information by the "Securidad" guard, who assured me when I drilled down on him that he was Cuencano and knew the bus system. Well, we hopped the wrong bus and had to get off quite a distance from the bank, so we ended up walking the rest of the way. When we arrived there, we were told by the machine-gun-toting information man to go to the 2nd floor. There, we were intercepted by the one and only person who could have helped us - he was on his way to lunch with a co-worker. Had we arrived one minute later we would have missed him. Lunch time in Cuenca can run from 1 pm to 3 pm for some. Apparently, he knew we were coming, but because of our delay in getting there due to wrong bus information, he must have figured we weren't coming and decided to take his lunch break.
Once in his office, he asked me for a certain form. I questioned him, "What form?" He then showed me a form that was necessary to begin this process. NO! This can't be happening!! Inside I panicked, but I calmly said in Spanish, "Sir, I specifically asked the front desk person at immigration if I needed any other forms but these, and she assured me I didn't! I don't believe they know about this form!" He was silent for a moment, looked at me (probably seeing my distress - I wear my heart on my sleeve) and then replied, "No problem. Let me see your husband's passport. I can still do this." God's favor prevails again!! We sat quietly while he busily began his task of registering our CD certificate. This is to assure we don't withdraw that large sum of money prior to the year it is certified for (all a part of the investment visa residency requirements).
At last! He kindly handed us two stamped and signed documents that we were to return to immigration. He told us that we could get the form he required and bring it to him later. I asked, "Sir, is it necessary?" He looked at me, then he shrugged and said, "No. Don't worry. It's not necessary." Go figure!! We smiled, shook his hand and thanked him, and rushed out of there before he changed his mind. Yes, things change here from one moment to the next. When you get favor here, RUN WITH IT!!!!
We took a cab back to immigration (by now I was emotionally and physically tired), and returned there at 2 pm. Before approaching the security guard, I quickly glanced at the registered CD documents from the bank man and suddenly noticed that they had spelled Bo's last name wrong, as most people do. LONGWOOD not LONGOOD. Mr. El Banco Central CD Register Man had put in that deadly "W." Knowing how critical it is to have every name correct for the visa process, we looked at each other with dread. Would this mean having to go back to the bank and more visa delays? Bo calmly said, "Maybe they won't notice. Or maybe they will! We'll see what happens." What else could we do? NOTHING at this point. Again, I quietly prayed for God's favor.
So, we handed our bank registration documents to the "Securidad" guard, along with our passports, and we began our next wait. There were several ex-pats still in the waiting area chatting amongst themselves, sharing their stories about their attempts to get their visas. I listened awhile but finally ended up tuning most of it out, having already been through it and knowing that eventually most of them too would prevail and be in the same seat we were now sitting in - waiting for that final stamp in our passports. I refused to focus on that "wrong spelling" issue, and now my faith had kicked in.
At 3 pm they called Bo's name. We walked up front and were told by one of the front desk women to please go and pay our $320 each at the "Banco" window, then return to her with our payment receipts. She then added, "They are now getting your visa stamps in your passports." WooHoo! I was happy. Could this be it? Would we be walking away with our residency visas, at last? What could possibly go wrong now? Bo and I walked over to the "Banco" window and handed over our money. We got our receipts, walked back to the front desk and were waited on immediately. The immigration woman asked us to sign a form, and then she handed us our passports STAMPED WITH OUR RESIDENCY VISAS. YES! FINALLY!!! Apparently, the wrong spelling on the registered CD form was overlooked (or missed) and we now had our finalized visa passports!
We were told to go to the back and begin our Cedula process, but because it was now 3:30 pm, the security guard in the back closed that door on us. He said they closed at 4 pm, and they already had too many people already waiting for services (all three of them). I tried persuading him with my Spanish, but he would not crack a smile or show any emotion. He just said, "No. Come back tomorrow between 8:30 am and noon." So we turned around and left. Applying for our Cedulas can happen any day. We were just content to walk away with our visa stamped passports, knowing that we now can continue living here indefinitely.
As of today, May 2, 2013, we are able to leave Ecuador for up to 90 days per year (through May 2, 2014). We have to abide by this visa law for two years, and then we are free to come and go as we please. We plan to return to the USA to finalize some things there in the near future. For now, we are going to celebrate this day - always giving God all the glory for His continued favor and victories. We continue to live here in Cuenca one day at a time, ready for whatever changes present themselves to us. We've been here 5 months now, and we never know what's around the corner. Time will tell!
A FEW PHOTOS OF OUR BLOCK AND DAILY WALK TO OUR WONDERFUL MERCADO
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Our "calle" - one block from the mercado!
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A grain store along our block! |
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Delicious Squash pieces, ready for sales. |
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I have no idea what this vegetable is! Do you? |
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Cutting up huge and meaty squash. |
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This vendor is munching on her lunch, surrounded by her plethora of fresh vegetables. |
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Some vendors sit and wait while others are busy making their sales. |
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Avacados are huge, meaty, and sell for 20 to 25 cents each. |
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We shop almost daily, find wonderful vendors selling unique and fresh foods (this vendor is cutting Bacalau or Salted Cod Fish), and only have to walk one block to the open market. |
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
OBTAINING A VISA IN ECUADOR - VISA PROCESS IN CUENCA - PART 4 - OUR INVESTMENT VISA PROCESS Continues........
Okay, get some coffee or tea - this is going to be a LONG post:
The Ministerio de Relaciones (Immigration) office was recently closed for over a week due to computer upgrades and changes, and they finally reopened yesterday (Monday). During that time, we had all of our documents re-translated and notarized because we decided to take on the process ourselves and start over fresh - hoping for more competent translation help and knowing we would do a better job with our visa process than what we were getting from our hired not-so-helpful helper - and we were right!
We had our finalized documents by Thursday afternoon, and this weekend we began to question, "Should we go down to immigration on Monday, the day they reopen? It's going to be crazy crowded!" We finally decided to get this over with and just go for try #2. So, yesterday we rolled out of bed at 4:30 am, showered, had breakfast (last time we didn't eat and almost fainted standing at the counter for over two hours!), grabbed our document folder, and headed out the door by 5:30 am to hail a taxi. We were dropped off and sitting on the cold steps of the locked door to immigration by 5:45 am - ready to be first in line. Goal accomplished! We were in the dark indoor lobby by 6:30 am, took a seat and began our tiresome wait. By 7:30 am, the lobby was packed and buzzing with others who braved coming in on re-opening day.
To make a long story short (I'm trying!), we were denied acceptance AGAIN for the second time due to three small translation errors and the missing Certificado de Movemiento Migratorio form that they had run out of two weeks ago, which they were now bogus producing and handing out (for free - it's usually $5 each) at the Policia Nacional office two blocks away. It took from 9 am to 10:45 am for the non-smiling winky-blinky behind the counter to fine-tooth comb letter-by- letter, word-for-word our efficiently translated documents and yet so cleverly find those minor non-essential errors. Before getting ready to walk away an hour 45 minutes later, we both asked her (Bo in English and me in Spanish so she'd get it!) if we could be an "only check their corrections return" the next day so we wouldn't have to go through this long and grueling process again. She looked right at us winky-blinked a couple of times, and said in broken English, "It's fine. It will be okay." WRONG ANSWER! So, we both repeated again hoping she would understand us, "Can we JUST have our corrections checked when we return tomorrow......" She wasn't getting it. I finally began to gather our papers and said to Bo so she could hear us, "Come on Bo, she's done with us." SUDDENLY, she points to our folder and says, "Give me, please." I hand her the folder and she begins to enter our names and passport information in the computer, and then she begins to go through the documents one by one and entering information. It now looks to me like she's making notes of our visit and the specific errors to be corrected. She finally finishes, hands me the folder and says, "Okay." Nothing else! Not, "I just entered your information so that when you return tomorrow we can keep this simple and just review your corrections." So now I quietly ask her, "Did you just make note of our needed corrections in the computer?" She winky-blinks, smiles (barely) and replies, "Yes." I return the smile, we both say thank you to her, and Bo and I turn around and leave. Could she not have explained to me what she just did? There was absolutely no clear communication or practical responses from this blinking somber robot.
It was now Bo and Linda "make-it-happen quickly" time. We hurried over to the police station. Immediately upon entering, we were motioned by an intensely rude Sr. Policia to have a seat in the crowded TV blaring waiting area. No way. I wanted him to know why we were here. So, I walk over to him and ask, "Are the Movemiento forms in, because we are here for this reason." He scowls at me (and I mean scowls) and nods as if to say yes then says (again, every word is in Spanish), "The system is down." Now, to me, that means there is no way we are getting anything today because the system is down. Right? Apparently NOT! So I ask, "Can we get our forms today?" He repeats, "Yes, the system is down." I'm not hearing what I need to hear so I'm not backing off until I am clear. I now glare back at him and repeat, "Will you be giving us the forms if we wait?" He double-dare-glares at me and says, "Yes." Now I can sit down. The big 54" HD TV in the sitting area is LOUD and blaring an intense army action movie, and several Ecuadorians who are seated and waiting seem motionless and hypnotized. I begin to quietly laugh at this entire scene before me, but Bo doesn't think this is funny. He's not happy! Finally, Sr. "Rude" Policia calls us over to his desk and impatiently asks for our passports. He then says, "How many do you want?" How the heck should I know? Do I need one for both of us or one for each of us? So, I ask him. He repeats "How many?" I just stare at him for about 10 seconds, and he gets overly-impatient and repeats again, "How many?" Still staring I respond slowly, "I'm thinking! I'm also here so that you can help us. How many DO we need?" Now he senses my frustration with his rudeness, and he backs off (a smidgen) and asks, "What's it for?" I tell him it's for our Investment Visas. He says, "Two," and quickly begins to enter the info and finally prints two forms out, hands them to us and waves us out. We slowly leave, and now I'm not happy!! Uniformed rudeness pisses me off! I worked hard to let this upset go by the time we boarded our bus to El Centro.
I had called our translator earlier, and she was waiting and ready for us when we arrived to her office. She fixed the three errors in less than 15 minutes, and then we met at the notary to finalize the corrections. There was no charge (she took financial responsibility for her mistakes and gained more credibility with us for her efficiency and fairness). We thanked her, left, and walked back to our apartment, where I ended up sleeping the rest of the afternoon until 5 pm (waking up at 4:30 am is not in my retired living schedule). We were now prepared with our corrected documents and required forms to tackle a third exhausting visit to immigration, of course with no expectation that we would be accepted. Would it be Strike 3?
It's Tuesday today! We were up again at 4:30 am. We showered, made breakfast, grabbed our documents and backpacks and were outside by 5:30 am hailing a cab for immigration visit #3. Once again, we were sitting in the dark on the cold steps outside the closed immigration office doors - it seemed like another Groundhog Day! We would again be #1 in line. Who else in their right mind would get up this early and wait this long just to be #1? No one, obviously since we seemed to be the only ones there both days at this ridiculous hour - but it was well-worth it to us not to have to sit and wait all morning with all the other late stragglers. Bad enough having to be there two hours once they called us forward. By the time they opened the doors and we waited another hour inside, the lines once again became crazy long. We both were in good spirits this morning and we were beginning to feel like real pros at this. You can tell the Cuenca visa newbies because they walk in late and gasp when they first see the lines, then look confused and usually stand in the wrong line (there are lines for passports and one for visas). I would think that the line with the tall, fair light-skinned retirement-aged people would be quite revealing of which was the residency visa lines instead of the other lines with the Ecuadorian dressed and panama hat attired short dark-skinned people wanting passports, wouldn't you? Hey, but that's just me figuring it out. Or, I would ask someone instead of standing there with the "now what do I/we do" look on their faces, wouldn't you? But, I digress.....
They finally herd the people in by 8:45 am, after taking each individual's passport, one by one, writing the name and passport number on their clipboards in the order of arrivals (early birds deserve to be #1). At 9 am we hear someone call "Longood." It was "Winky-Blinky" again. This was a good sign. We were getting the same person who had entered our information in the computer yesterday and who clearly knew our case. We walked up there prepared. Last night, I had also decided to write a letter in Spanish pleading our case. I asked whoever would be looking at our documents today to please look at the attached translation pages that were circled with errors and to check them against the new translations now being presented with corrections. I also asked to please consider that this was our third visit and could they kindly help us become approved for our visas today. I signed it, "With Gratitude..." This was on top of the pile, and Winky-Blinky begins to read it as she shuffles our papers.
To make another LOOOOONG and boring process short (honest, I'm trying), this woman seemed to have gotten it. She only checked the documents I had attached with the circled errors she had found, and she went through our folder without redoing the letter-for-letter, word-for-word two-hour recheck system. Now our victory seemed just around the corner. She finally looked up, blinked and asked me politely if I would go and buy another folder outside in the lobby (where they have a copier and supply place conveniently accessible). You have to present your documents in a folder, and this one was showing some wear after so many visits back and forth shoved inside Bo's backpack. I knew at that moment (Bo too) that we had passed the long-due inspection. I brought back the 50 cent folder and she began to sort and punch holes in our stack of documents, carefully putting them into the perfect new folder. She then sent Bo to the back to pay our $60 ($30 each) for the visa processing fees. When she was done with her folder feat, she explained to us that we would be notified in two months by phone and/or e-mail when we were to return for our visas (and to pay the $320 x2 fee), and that we are not able to leave the country until we have our residency visas. We gathered our remaining papers, and Winky-Blinky finally cracked a sweet smile, I gently squeezed her hand and thanked her. Bo also thanked her, and we walked away smiling - YES! We immediately headed to the back area to let Mr. Passport Extension Giver (who made me cry last time) know that we did not need to keep the March 4th, 11 am appointment for our 90-day Visa Extension stamp which we had applied for, and I was more than relieved to know I did not have to return to this unhappy office on my birthday, or any time soon!
So, we don't have to report a Strike #3 to our Cuenca friends, or to our blog readers. We are victoriously happy, relieved, and a big weight is lifted. I must say, having gone through this process now, we can look back and see what we would not have done, and we can also say that it could have been a less expensive and a fairly simple process. Here is why and how:
1 - We hired a very incompetent facilitator. Because we arrived here exhausted from two long months of moving and purging preparations, we thought it would be best to have a helper who could take care of things for us. We trusted our facilitator to completely handle our visa process. This was NOT the case. Inefficiency, and wrong information caused many delays, and had we known what we do now we could have saved ourselves a lot of time, stress and money by doing this ourselves.
2 - We were misinformed as to the best bank to open an account for our investment visa CD. Today, we have three bank accounts here (not by choice). Had we known that we could have first gone to JEP Cooperativa, a recognized bank by immigration for our investment CD, and opened an account easily in less than 2 hours (with a much higher interest rate), we wouldn't have wasted time opening an account at Coopera nor a month at Banco Pichincha jumping through their ridiculous hoops, thus delaying our visa process and causing one of our document to expire by ONE DAY (more time, stress and money).
3 - We now know that applying for a residency visa is not a difficult process. It's only having gone through the misinformation (now we have accurate information), the delays (now we know that we should have opened a bank account first thing upon arrival - and at JEP), the expired document (that was only because of the facilitator's failure to keep us apprised of timing and the bank account fiasco, not because we came with old documents), having had our documents translated inefficiently and not signed properly (again, our facilitator's choice and lack of knowing the change in immigration requirements - all translated pages MUST be signed by the translator, not just the back page), filling out the immigration application in English when it should be in Spanish only (Geesh! Another facilitator failure), and on and on and on (too many things to list - but you get my drift).
4 - We know that if you want to be first in line (trust me, it's worth it), ya gotta get up EARLY and suffer. We are glad we got there before 6 am, and being first in line made the process easier for us - quickly in and finally out, while fifty or more faces sitting and waiting to be called stare back at you when you walk away to leave. Long waits!
5 - We know that eventually the application process will be accepted! We had to return three times, and the third time was our victory! I believe it would have been only two times, had we not gone the first time with the not-so-helpful helper, with so many errors occurring all the way around. As we think back, eliminating that hired help experience would have saved us having to start all over and also over $800 in extra expenses and aggravation. I cannot stress enough that if we could do this all over again, we would not have hired ANYONE, but would have gotten accurate information by someone well-informed, reliable and competent who just went through the process and knows the current requirements (like us!!!). We would have interviewed them thoroughly asking the right questions, discerning if we were getting the right answers, and we could have sailed through this without the added expenses and disappointments.
Again, everything you are reading is my (our) personal journey and experience. What worked (or didn't work) for us may not be what works or doesn't work for you. What I do know is that this is what was real for us, and this is how we had to go through it to learn every lesson we were supposed to - especially patience and a complete trust in God's perfect will for the outcome. I heard today that a couple who applied for their visa and were accepted had to start all over because immigration LOST ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS! Should this happen to us, I would take that as a divine sign that the door has closed, and we'd be heading home for the states - really! All this to say what?
1. If you're coming here to start the visa process, be accurately informed. There are a lot of well-meaning people who want to help, but well-meaning is different than well-informed. Ask the right questions several different ways until you are SURE you have the updated and correct information. Go to the source!
2. Be careful who you hire! After experiencing incompetent as well as competent help, know that there is COMPETENT help. Make sure you check it out thoroughly before leaping. (Don't trust every ex-pat recommendation!)
3. DO NOT release any of your original documents to ANYONE you hire. They can work from a copy. We did not know this, which is why we had to tread lightly until we had all our documents back in hand, before unhooking from incompetency and starting all over and doing things on our own. We've heard horror stories of ex-pats who had to pay large sums to get their documents back from a hire-gone-wrong facilitator.
4. If your documents are pretty straight-forward, know that you can accomplish this process yourselves. We didn't have any complicated name changes, out-of-country birth certificates, etc. Our application process could have been quite simple.
5. Get your certified apostilled documents very close to the time you are ready to leave for Ecuador. They are time-sensitive and you never know what will delay your visa process here. It is expensive and sometimes difficult to get new documents if the ones you bring in expire (trust me!). Our documents were acquired within weeks before we left Oregon, and one still expired because of hired incompetency - Grrrrrrr!!!
6. Make sure you know the exact documents you need to bring for your particular situation and the type of visa you are applying for. Get a current update on what immigration is requiring, not what every "I think" nor "this is what I needed" answer you get says. Go to the source. CALL IMMIGRATION. Be clear on the answers your hearing!!! (See number 1 above)
7. Get your documents translated and notarized here. Having them translated to Spanish and notarized here is not a difficult process, nor expensive if you find someone trustworthy, fair and competent (we did, finally!). If there are errors, you then have that person right here to go back to who can make corrections, sign and re-notarize the corrected pages expediently.
***Again, this is not a difficult process if you do your homework and come prepared!****
This is to thank everyone who supported us when we were struggling and needed friends to make us laugh, when we felt hopeless and needed encouragement, when we were clueless and needed help, when we lost faith and needed prayers (thank you, thank you), and when we were frustrated and venting and just needed someone to listen to us. In the short time here, we've made friends with a few couples and Ecuadorian friends who have truly been there for us. This alone has made it all worthwhile.
Here we remain for the next two months waiting for our final visa call, then it's Cedula application time. To be continued.........
The Ministerio de Relaciones (Immigration) office was recently closed for over a week due to computer upgrades and changes, and they finally reopened yesterday (Monday). During that time, we had all of our documents re-translated and notarized because we decided to take on the process ourselves and start over fresh - hoping for more competent translation help and knowing we would do a better job with our visa process than what we were getting from our hired not-so-helpful helper - and we were right!
We had our finalized documents by Thursday afternoon, and this weekend we began to question, "Should we go down to immigration on Monday, the day they reopen? It's going to be crazy crowded!" We finally decided to get this over with and just go for try #2. So, yesterday we rolled out of bed at 4:30 am, showered, had breakfast (last time we didn't eat and almost fainted standing at the counter for over two hours!), grabbed our document folder, and headed out the door by 5:30 am to hail a taxi. We were dropped off and sitting on the cold steps of the locked door to immigration by 5:45 am - ready to be first in line. Goal accomplished! We were in the dark indoor lobby by 6:30 am, took a seat and began our tiresome wait. By 7:30 am, the lobby was packed and buzzing with others who braved coming in on re-opening day.
To make a long story short (I'm trying!), we were denied acceptance AGAIN for the second time due to three small translation errors and the missing Certificado de Movemiento Migratorio form that they had run out of two weeks ago, which they were now bogus producing and handing out (for free - it's usually $5 each) at the Policia Nacional office two blocks away. It took from 9 am to 10:45 am for the non-smiling winky-blinky behind the counter to fine-tooth comb letter-by- letter, word-for-word our efficiently translated documents and yet so cleverly find those minor non-essential errors. Before getting ready to walk away an hour 45 minutes later, we both asked her (Bo in English and me in Spanish so she'd get it!) if we could be an "only check their corrections return" the next day so we wouldn't have to go through this long and grueling process again. She looked right at us winky-blinked a couple of times, and said in broken English, "It's fine. It will be okay." WRONG ANSWER! So, we both repeated again hoping she would understand us, "Can we JUST have our corrections checked when we return tomorrow......" She wasn't getting it. I finally began to gather our papers and said to Bo so she could hear us, "Come on Bo, she's done with us." SUDDENLY, she points to our folder and says, "Give me, please." I hand her the folder and she begins to enter our names and passport information in the computer, and then she begins to go through the documents one by one and entering information. It now looks to me like she's making notes of our visit and the specific errors to be corrected. She finally finishes, hands me the folder and says, "Okay." Nothing else! Not, "I just entered your information so that when you return tomorrow we can keep this simple and just review your corrections." So now I quietly ask her, "Did you just make note of our needed corrections in the computer?" She winky-blinks, smiles (barely) and replies, "Yes." I return the smile, we both say thank you to her, and Bo and I turn around and leave. Could she not have explained to me what she just did? There was absolutely no clear communication or practical responses from this blinking somber robot.
It was now Bo and Linda "make-it-happen quickly" time. We hurried over to the police station. Immediately upon entering, we were motioned by an intensely rude Sr. Policia to have a seat in the crowded TV blaring waiting area. No way. I wanted him to know why we were here. So, I walk over to him and ask, "Are the Movemiento forms in, because we are here for this reason." He scowls at me (and I mean scowls) and nods as if to say yes then says (again, every word is in Spanish), "The system is down." Now, to me, that means there is no way we are getting anything today because the system is down. Right? Apparently NOT! So I ask, "Can we get our forms today?" He repeats, "Yes, the system is down." I'm not hearing what I need to hear so I'm not backing off until I am clear. I now glare back at him and repeat, "Will you be giving us the forms if we wait?" He double-dare-glares at me and says, "Yes." Now I can sit down. The big 54" HD TV in the sitting area is LOUD and blaring an intense army action movie, and several Ecuadorians who are seated and waiting seem motionless and hypnotized. I begin to quietly laugh at this entire scene before me, but Bo doesn't think this is funny. He's not happy! Finally, Sr. "Rude" Policia calls us over to his desk and impatiently asks for our passports. He then says, "How many do you want?" How the heck should I know? Do I need one for both of us or one for each of us? So, I ask him. He repeats "How many?" I just stare at him for about 10 seconds, and he gets overly-impatient and repeats again, "How many?" Still staring I respond slowly, "I'm thinking! I'm also here so that you can help us. How many DO we need?" Now he senses my frustration with his rudeness, and he backs off (a smidgen) and asks, "What's it for?" I tell him it's for our Investment Visas. He says, "Two," and quickly begins to enter the info and finally prints two forms out, hands them to us and waves us out. We slowly leave, and now I'm not happy!! Uniformed rudeness pisses me off! I worked hard to let this upset go by the time we boarded our bus to El Centro.
I had called our translator earlier, and she was waiting and ready for us when we arrived to her office. She fixed the three errors in less than 15 minutes, and then we met at the notary to finalize the corrections. There was no charge (she took financial responsibility for her mistakes and gained more credibility with us for her efficiency and fairness). We thanked her, left, and walked back to our apartment, where I ended up sleeping the rest of the afternoon until 5 pm (waking up at 4:30 am is not in my retired living schedule). We were now prepared with our corrected documents and required forms to tackle a third exhausting visit to immigration, of course with no expectation that we would be accepted. Would it be Strike 3?
It's Tuesday today! We were up again at 4:30 am. We showered, made breakfast, grabbed our documents and backpacks and were outside by 5:30 am hailing a cab for immigration visit #3. Once again, we were sitting in the dark on the cold steps outside the closed immigration office doors - it seemed like another Groundhog Day! We would again be #1 in line. Who else in their right mind would get up this early and wait this long just to be #1? No one, obviously since we seemed to be the only ones there both days at this ridiculous hour - but it was well-worth it to us not to have to sit and wait all morning with all the other late stragglers. Bad enough having to be there two hours once they called us forward. By the time they opened the doors and we waited another hour inside, the lines once again became crazy long. We both were in good spirits this morning and we were beginning to feel like real pros at this. You can tell the Cuenca visa newbies because they walk in late and gasp when they first see the lines, then look confused and usually stand in the wrong line (there are lines for passports and one for visas). I would think that the line with the tall, fair light-skinned retirement-aged people would be quite revealing of which was the residency visa lines instead of the other lines with the Ecuadorian dressed and panama hat attired short dark-skinned people wanting passports, wouldn't you? Hey, but that's just me figuring it out. Or, I would ask someone instead of standing there with the "now what do I/we do" look on their faces, wouldn't you? But, I digress.....
They finally herd the people in by 8:45 am, after taking each individual's passport, one by one, writing the name and passport number on their clipboards in the order of arrivals (early birds deserve to be #1). At 9 am we hear someone call "Longood." It was "Winky-Blinky" again. This was a good sign. We were getting the same person who had entered our information in the computer yesterday and who clearly knew our case. We walked up there prepared. Last night, I had also decided to write a letter in Spanish pleading our case. I asked whoever would be looking at our documents today to please look at the attached translation pages that were circled with errors and to check them against the new translations now being presented with corrections. I also asked to please consider that this was our third visit and could they kindly help us become approved for our visas today. I signed it, "With Gratitude..." This was on top of the pile, and Winky-Blinky begins to read it as she shuffles our papers.
To make another LOOOOONG and boring process short (honest, I'm trying), this woman seemed to have gotten it. She only checked the documents I had attached with the circled errors she had found, and she went through our folder without redoing the letter-for-letter, word-for-word two-hour recheck system. Now our victory seemed just around the corner. She finally looked up, blinked and asked me politely if I would go and buy another folder outside in the lobby (where they have a copier and supply place conveniently accessible). You have to present your documents in a folder, and this one was showing some wear after so many visits back and forth shoved inside Bo's backpack. I knew at that moment (Bo too) that we had passed the long-due inspection. I brought back the 50 cent folder and she began to sort and punch holes in our stack of documents, carefully putting them into the perfect new folder. She then sent Bo to the back to pay our $60 ($30 each) for the visa processing fees. When she was done with her folder feat, she explained to us that we would be notified in two months by phone and/or e-mail when we were to return for our visas (and to pay the $320 x2 fee), and that we are not able to leave the country until we have our residency visas. We gathered our remaining papers, and Winky-Blinky finally cracked a sweet smile, I gently squeezed her hand and thanked her. Bo also thanked her, and we walked away smiling - YES! We immediately headed to the back area to let Mr. Passport Extension Giver (who made me cry last time) know that we did not need to keep the March 4th, 11 am appointment for our 90-day Visa Extension stamp which we had applied for, and I was more than relieved to know I did not have to return to this unhappy office on my birthday, or any time soon!
So, we don't have to report a Strike #3 to our Cuenca friends, or to our blog readers. We are victoriously happy, relieved, and a big weight is lifted. I must say, having gone through this process now, we can look back and see what we would not have done, and we can also say that it could have been a less expensive and a fairly simple process. Here is why and how:
1 - We hired a very incompetent facilitator. Because we arrived here exhausted from two long months of moving and purging preparations, we thought it would be best to have a helper who could take care of things for us. We trusted our facilitator to completely handle our visa process. This was NOT the case. Inefficiency, and wrong information caused many delays, and had we known what we do now we could have saved ourselves a lot of time, stress and money by doing this ourselves.
2 - We were misinformed as to the best bank to open an account for our investment visa CD. Today, we have three bank accounts here (not by choice). Had we known that we could have first gone to JEP Cooperativa, a recognized bank by immigration for our investment CD, and opened an account easily in less than 2 hours (with a much higher interest rate), we wouldn't have wasted time opening an account at Coopera nor a month at Banco Pichincha jumping through their ridiculous hoops, thus delaying our visa process and causing one of our document to expire by ONE DAY (more time, stress and money).
3 - We now know that applying for a residency visa is not a difficult process. It's only having gone through the misinformation (now we have accurate information), the delays (now we know that we should have opened a bank account first thing upon arrival - and at JEP), the expired document (that was only because of the facilitator's failure to keep us apprised of timing and the bank account fiasco, not because we came with old documents), having had our documents translated inefficiently and not signed properly (again, our facilitator's choice and lack of knowing the change in immigration requirements - all translated pages MUST be signed by the translator, not just the back page), filling out the immigration application in English when it should be in Spanish only (Geesh! Another facilitator failure), and on and on and on (too many things to list - but you get my drift).
4 - We know that if you want to be first in line (trust me, it's worth it), ya gotta get up EARLY and suffer. We are glad we got there before 6 am, and being first in line made the process easier for us - quickly in and finally out, while fifty or more faces sitting and waiting to be called stare back at you when you walk away to leave. Long waits!
5 - We know that eventually the application process will be accepted! We had to return three times, and the third time was our victory! I believe it would have been only two times, had we not gone the first time with the not-so-helpful helper, with so many errors occurring all the way around. As we think back, eliminating that hired help experience would have saved us having to start all over and also over $800 in extra expenses and aggravation. I cannot stress enough that if we could do this all over again, we would not have hired ANYONE, but would have gotten accurate information by someone well-informed, reliable and competent who just went through the process and knows the current requirements (like us!!!). We would have interviewed them thoroughly asking the right questions, discerning if we were getting the right answers, and we could have sailed through this without the added expenses and disappointments.
Again, everything you are reading is my (our) personal journey and experience. What worked (or didn't work) for us may not be what works or doesn't work for you. What I do know is that this is what was real for us, and this is how we had to go through it to learn every lesson we were supposed to - especially patience and a complete trust in God's perfect will for the outcome. I heard today that a couple who applied for their visa and were accepted had to start all over because immigration LOST ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS! Should this happen to us, I would take that as a divine sign that the door has closed, and we'd be heading home for the states - really! All this to say what?
1. If you're coming here to start the visa process, be accurately informed. There are a lot of well-meaning people who want to help, but well-meaning is different than well-informed. Ask the right questions several different ways until you are SURE you have the updated and correct information. Go to the source!
2. Be careful who you hire! After experiencing incompetent as well as competent help, know that there is COMPETENT help. Make sure you check it out thoroughly before leaping. (Don't trust every ex-pat recommendation!)
3. DO NOT release any of your original documents to ANYONE you hire. They can work from a copy. We did not know this, which is why we had to tread lightly until we had all our documents back in hand, before unhooking from incompetency and starting all over and doing things on our own. We've heard horror stories of ex-pats who had to pay large sums to get their documents back from a hire-gone-wrong facilitator.
4. If your documents are pretty straight-forward, know that you can accomplish this process yourselves. We didn't have any complicated name changes, out-of-country birth certificates, etc. Our application process could have been quite simple.
5. Get your certified apostilled documents very close to the time you are ready to leave for Ecuador. They are time-sensitive and you never know what will delay your visa process here. It is expensive and sometimes difficult to get new documents if the ones you bring in expire (trust me!). Our documents were acquired within weeks before we left Oregon, and one still expired because of hired incompetency - Grrrrrrr!!!
6. Make sure you know the exact documents you need to bring for your particular situation and the type of visa you are applying for. Get a current update on what immigration is requiring, not what every "I think" nor "this is what I needed" answer you get says. Go to the source. CALL IMMIGRATION. Be clear on the answers your hearing!!! (See number 1 above)
7. Get your documents translated and notarized here. Having them translated to Spanish and notarized here is not a difficult process, nor expensive if you find someone trustworthy, fair and competent (we did, finally!). If there are errors, you then have that person right here to go back to who can make corrections, sign and re-notarize the corrected pages expediently.
***Again, this is not a difficult process if you do your homework and come prepared!****
This is to thank everyone who supported us when we were struggling and needed friends to make us laugh, when we felt hopeless and needed encouragement, when we were clueless and needed help, when we lost faith and needed prayers (thank you, thank you), and when we were frustrated and venting and just needed someone to listen to us. In the short time here, we've made friends with a few couples and Ecuadorian friends who have truly been there for us. This alone has made it all worthwhile.
Here we remain for the next two months waiting for our final visa call, then it's Cedula application time. To be continued.........
Transportation in Cuenca
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Parada de autobus at Calle Large across from the 10 de Augusto market. Many Ecuadorians rely on bus transportation to and from where they are commuting to. We're usually the only gringos on the buses we've been riding. Most gringos take a cab. I LOVE the bus rides for 25 cents one way and being amidst the Ecuadorians. We're getting more familiar with our city and bus routes too! |
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Even at 5:30 in the morning, it's easy to hail a taxi in Cuenca. As you can see in this photo, Cuenca is not lacking for cabs. It costs me $1.50 to $2 for a taxi, depending on the distance in the city. Talking to other ex-pat friends, they are paying $2.50 to $3. I like my taxi fares better!!! |
Thursday, February 14, 2013
OBTAINING A VISA IN ECUADOR - VISA PROCESS IN CUENCA - PART 3 - APPLYING FOR A 12-X PASSPORT EXTENSION
Our friend met us last night in the POURING rain (it was like a typical Willamette Valley, Oregon RAINY day) to give us copies of the application we needed to go and apply the next day for a 90-day Tourist 12-X extension (which costs only $30 each vs. $230 plus $30 for the two of us for a 12-1X) This article states that it is rare to be able to get the 12-X extension. http://www.gogo-gringo.com/blog/ecuador-12-ix-visa-information-updated-may-2012
Well, today, we woke up fairly early, yet not as early as the day we arrived to immigration at 6:30 a.m. so we would be first to present our documents for our residency visa, and ended up third, and it still took six hours. We hopped the bus, hoping to get there at a reasonable time to get in and out. WRONG! First of all, we hopped the wrong bus, and we ended up on the longest 25 cent ride all the way to the opposite end of town. We laughed all the way realizing we were going the wrong way, and by the time this bus powered up some deathly narrow winding roads to the end of the line where lots of buses were parked and bus drivers taking their breaks, we were on top of a hill looking down over the city, far far away from the immigration office. I asked Sr. Bus Driver what bus would get us back to immigration, and he said, "just take one of these buses out and it will get you there!" of course, we've learned not to believe anything we're told here until it pans out to be true.
So, we reluctantly boarded one of the same buses ready to leave from the break area, and we white-knuckled it back down the narrow winding streets until we were eventually in familiar territory, and this bus did finally stop in front of the immigration office. We were now over an hour longer than expected to our destination due to our unplanned and unexpected bus joy ride, which would have been perfectly fine and actually fun any other day, but not this day of dreaded and expected waiting and more waiting.
That's just what we did - WAIT! From 10:15 am to almost noon, we waited. There were so many people sitting ahead of us, and it looked like it would take all day. I was able to make our presence familiar by kindly asking the security guard in Spanish two different times for clarification as to their confusing procedure and for an understanding as to how we would know when our turn would come since there was no number system or rhyme nor reason as to how they were calling names. He assured me that he would know exactly when our turn was (yea, right!). Well, he finally did look directly at us and motioned us forward, almost two hours later. I was actually grateful since I had convinced myself it was going to be late afternoon before they got to us today, or not at all!
We were called into a back office, and a nice gentleman who spoke very little English motioned for us to sit and immediately let us know his English was "limitado." He lit up when I told him I could communicate in Spanish, so we connected, somewhat. He asked to see our passports, and as he acted interested in them, I spoke in Spanish saying, "Can I please share with you some history?" He invited me to continue. I began to tell him that we had arrived the week prior to submit our documents for our residency visa but without the absolutely required Movemiento Migratorio form since the entire country was out (not our fault), and that because of translation errors (not our fault) and not having that required form, they had denied us and now required a new marriage certificate which they claimed was expired by ONE DAY! He appeared surprised and questioned me, "By one day they denied your document?" I continued to describe to him the ordeal we had to go through to obtain another apostilled license from Oregon and the unexpected expense of another $170. I also told him that now we had limited time because our passports would expired here on March 4th.
He suddenly picks up the phone, calls over one of his associates, and when she appears he begins to relay my documents story and questions her. He asks her why our marriage certificate was denied because of one day. She ignores his question (of course) and proceeds to tell him that we still have time to get our translations corrected and get back to the office the following week and that we do not need to apply for the passport extension because they are now accepting visa applications WITHOUT the Movemiento Migratorio form. Gee, another new change since we were last in only a week ago!!! Well, he tries to convince us that we have time just like his sidekick said, and he now appears to be done with us. Well, Bo's not buying it!! (Bo understand some Spanish and is now concerned that while Sr. Passport Extension Giver may say this now, someone else may say something contrary in the future.) So, I begin to share Bo's concerns, and suddenly, the senior tells me okay, he can proceed and give us an extension but we cannot apply for the 12-X for $30 each, we have to apply for the 12-1X $230 plus $30 visa extensions because of how our passports are stamped.
Immediately, I begin to sink. I'm suddenly feeling very shaky and NOT HAPPY! When I'm not happy, I sometimes cry. Well, I suddenly feel the floodgate of tears begin to open. I'm thinking, "Don't! Not here! Not a good thing, Linda... Get a grip!" but, I'm toast. I'm done. I decide I cannot speak another Spanish begging sentence. No more trying. I'm suddenly defeated! We don't have $230 with us (we don't walk around with large amounts of cash, and everything here is cash!). We don't have the application letter we just presented filled out for a 12-1X. We don't want to dish out another $260 dollars that is so unnecessary because it wasn't our fault they ran out of their bloody forms, and it wasn't our fault that our marriage license expired (another "relocation not-so-helper" story), and it wasn't our fault that all of our documents were denied because they changed the rules again and now required that every page had to be signed by the translator, not just the last page, amongst other errors that our "relocation not-so-helper" should have proofed and caught and been updated on - and on and on. We're both willing to take responsibility when we're the cause of things going south or even part of the cause, but now I'm ready to explode in every emotion I've been holding in, AND I DO! - tears are welling up and begin to trickle ... GOD HELP ME...... I'M GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. Sr. Passport Extension Giver is looking right at me and is suddenly leaning forward as if to want to help me calm down. I try to talk, but I have to stop. He patiently waits. I finally get out, "Senior, I'm frustrated and struggling here with this process......"
I begin to slowly speak between my blurry eyes and quivering lip, "Senior, Please! My husband has concerns. We cannot be sure that our marriage certificate will even arrive with the mail the way it is here. We cannot be sure we will have our translations done and ready and even approved again. We cannot be sure we will be accepted the second time in, nor if we can even make it in before two weeks. We are cutting it close. And we don't have $230 with us." Now, Sr. Passport Extension Giver looks truly concerned and calmly tells me, "It's okay. Don't worry." He repeats a Spanish saying, "There is no problem in life we cannot solve unless we are dead." I smile between blurred eyes. He immediately says, "I am going to help you. I am going to give you the 12-X and charge you only $60. Come in with your corrected documents as soon as you can and apply for your visa. If you are accepted before March 3rd, come and see me and I will go ahead and cancel your passport extension stamp appointment which I've scheduled for March 4th at 11 a.m." (Wait! That's my birthday - like I want to go to the immigration office on MY BIRTHDAY - NOT!) Even though he didn't say he'd return our $60 but only that he'd cancel the extension process, we knew we had suddenly received FAVOR! We were both grateful for the sudden turn of events and to be given more time should anything cause more visa approval delays. A big "time" weight off our shoulders.
Within 30 minutes we had completed the forms to have our passport 12-X extension application processed, had our passport photos taken, had paid our $60, and I had gained control of my teary emotions. Men get angry and women cry (yeah, yeah, I know some women wouldn't shed a tear - well I ain't one of 'em). Bo and I walked out of there, his inner anger calmed and my outer tears dried, and we hugged and let out sighs of gratitude. What a draining process this has been. We both felt relieved that we now have until end of May to continue the visa process, of course we're hoping we will have our documents accepted a lot sooner than that.
We returned home and received notice that our marriage certificates have arrived at the DHL Cuenca office, and they will be delivering them tomorrow. We hope to have our document translations corrected in the next week, and onward we march to our next immigration visa attempt, a bit more informed and a bit more seasoned.
I share this story of our visa journey not to discourage anyone, but to share our personal experience so that those who go through the application process swimmingly will be grateful and glory in their successful experience. For those who encounter some roadblocks, don't be discouraged. Many others have also, but in the end they too have prevailed. This is what gives us the determination to continue. It will be the end victory that will make it all worth it.
Thank you prayer warriors for continuing to remember us. May you continue to see His perfect answers as you read the updates.
Well, today, we woke up fairly early, yet not as early as the day we arrived to immigration at 6:30 a.m. so we would be first to present our documents for our residency visa, and ended up third, and it still took six hours. We hopped the bus, hoping to get there at a reasonable time to get in and out. WRONG! First of all, we hopped the wrong bus, and we ended up on the longest 25 cent ride all the way to the opposite end of town. We laughed all the way realizing we were going the wrong way, and by the time this bus powered up some deathly narrow winding roads to the end of the line where lots of buses were parked and bus drivers taking their breaks, we were on top of a hill looking down over the city, far far away from the immigration office. I asked Sr. Bus Driver what bus would get us back to immigration, and he said, "just take one of these buses out and it will get you there!" of course, we've learned not to believe anything we're told here until it pans out to be true.
So, we reluctantly boarded one of the same buses ready to leave from the break area, and we white-knuckled it back down the narrow winding streets until we were eventually in familiar territory, and this bus did finally stop in front of the immigration office. We were now over an hour longer than expected to our destination due to our unplanned and unexpected bus joy ride, which would have been perfectly fine and actually fun any other day, but not this day of dreaded and expected waiting and more waiting.
That's just what we did - WAIT! From 10:15 am to almost noon, we waited. There were so many people sitting ahead of us, and it looked like it would take all day. I was able to make our presence familiar by kindly asking the security guard in Spanish two different times for clarification as to their confusing procedure and for an understanding as to how we would know when our turn would come since there was no number system or rhyme nor reason as to how they were calling names. He assured me that he would know exactly when our turn was (yea, right!). Well, he finally did look directly at us and motioned us forward, almost two hours later. I was actually grateful since I had convinced myself it was going to be late afternoon before they got to us today, or not at all!
We were called into a back office, and a nice gentleman who spoke very little English motioned for us to sit and immediately let us know his English was "limitado." He lit up when I told him I could communicate in Spanish, so we connected, somewhat. He asked to see our passports, and as he acted interested in them, I spoke in Spanish saying, "Can I please share with you some history?" He invited me to continue. I began to tell him that we had arrived the week prior to submit our documents for our residency visa but without the absolutely required Movemiento Migratorio form since the entire country was out (not our fault), and that because of translation errors (not our fault) and not having that required form, they had denied us and now required a new marriage certificate which they claimed was expired by ONE DAY! He appeared surprised and questioned me, "By one day they denied your document?" I continued to describe to him the ordeal we had to go through to obtain another apostilled license from Oregon and the unexpected expense of another $170. I also told him that now we had limited time because our passports would expired here on March 4th.
He suddenly picks up the phone, calls over one of his associates, and when she appears he begins to relay my documents story and questions her. He asks her why our marriage certificate was denied because of one day. She ignores his question (of course) and proceeds to tell him that we still have time to get our translations corrected and get back to the office the following week and that we do not need to apply for the passport extension because they are now accepting visa applications WITHOUT the Movemiento Migratorio form. Gee, another new change since we were last in only a week ago!!! Well, he tries to convince us that we have time just like his sidekick said, and he now appears to be done with us. Well, Bo's not buying it!! (Bo understand some Spanish and is now concerned that while Sr. Passport Extension Giver may say this now, someone else may say something contrary in the future.) So, I begin to share Bo's concerns, and suddenly, the senior tells me okay, he can proceed and give us an extension but we cannot apply for the 12-X for $30 each, we have to apply for the 12-1X $230 plus $30 visa extensions because of how our passports are stamped.
Immediately, I begin to sink. I'm suddenly feeling very shaky and NOT HAPPY! When I'm not happy, I sometimes cry. Well, I suddenly feel the floodgate of tears begin to open. I'm thinking, "Don't! Not here! Not a good thing, Linda... Get a grip!" but, I'm toast. I'm done. I decide I cannot speak another Spanish begging sentence. No more trying. I'm suddenly defeated! We don't have $230 with us (we don't walk around with large amounts of cash, and everything here is cash!). We don't have the application letter we just presented filled out for a 12-1X. We don't want to dish out another $260 dollars that is so unnecessary because it wasn't our fault they ran out of their bloody forms, and it wasn't our fault that our marriage license expired (another "relocation not-so-helper" story), and it wasn't our fault that all of our documents were denied because they changed the rules again and now required that every page had to be signed by the translator, not just the last page, amongst other errors that our "relocation not-so-helper" should have proofed and caught and been updated on - and on and on. We're both willing to take responsibility when we're the cause of things going south or even part of the cause, but now I'm ready to explode in every emotion I've been holding in, AND I DO! - tears are welling up and begin to trickle ... GOD HELP ME...... I'M GETTING OUT OF CONTROL. Sr. Passport Extension Giver is looking right at me and is suddenly leaning forward as if to want to help me calm down. I try to talk, but I have to stop. He patiently waits. I finally get out, "Senior, I'm frustrated and struggling here with this process......"
I begin to slowly speak between my blurry eyes and quivering lip, "Senior, Please! My husband has concerns. We cannot be sure that our marriage certificate will even arrive with the mail the way it is here. We cannot be sure we will have our translations done and ready and even approved again. We cannot be sure we will be accepted the second time in, nor if we can even make it in before two weeks. We are cutting it close. And we don't have $230 with us." Now, Sr. Passport Extension Giver looks truly concerned and calmly tells me, "It's okay. Don't worry." He repeats a Spanish saying, "There is no problem in life we cannot solve unless we are dead." I smile between blurred eyes. He immediately says, "I am going to help you. I am going to give you the 12-X and charge you only $60. Come in with your corrected documents as soon as you can and apply for your visa. If you are accepted before March 3rd, come and see me and I will go ahead and cancel your passport extension stamp appointment which I've scheduled for March 4th at 11 a.m." (Wait! That's my birthday - like I want to go to the immigration office on MY BIRTHDAY - NOT!) Even though he didn't say he'd return our $60 but only that he'd cancel the extension process, we knew we had suddenly received FAVOR! We were both grateful for the sudden turn of events and to be given more time should anything cause more visa approval delays. A big "time" weight off our shoulders.
Within 30 minutes we had completed the forms to have our passport 12-X extension application processed, had our passport photos taken, had paid our $60, and I had gained control of my teary emotions. Men get angry and women cry (yeah, yeah, I know some women wouldn't shed a tear - well I ain't one of 'em). Bo and I walked out of there, his inner anger calmed and my outer tears dried, and we hugged and let out sighs of gratitude. What a draining process this has been. We both felt relieved that we now have until end of May to continue the visa process, of course we're hoping we will have our documents accepted a lot sooner than that.
We returned home and received notice that our marriage certificates have arrived at the DHL Cuenca office, and they will be delivering them tomorrow. We hope to have our document translations corrected in the next week, and onward we march to our next immigration visa attempt, a bit more informed and a bit more seasoned.
I share this story of our visa journey not to discourage anyone, but to share our personal experience so that those who go through the application process swimmingly will be grateful and glory in their successful experience. For those who encounter some roadblocks, don't be discouraged. Many others have also, but in the end they too have prevailed. This is what gives us the determination to continue. It will be the end victory that will make it all worth it.
Thank you prayer warriors for continuing to remember us. May you continue to see His perfect answers as you read the updates.
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Historic Downtown Cuenca |
Friday, February 8, 2013
VISA PROCESS IN CUENCA - PART 2 - VISA VENTING - And Thank You God For Sending Us Help and Hope!
I was so discouraged yesterday. After six plus hours at the immigration office trying to obtain our residency visas, we walked away and headed home both mentally and physically exhausted and overwhelmed with the task ahead if we wanted to continue this grueling residency visa process. Some of our documents were rejected due to specific "picky" translation errors, every translated page must now be signed by the translator and they were not, and our residency application was incorrect (it must be filled out in Spanish only). I could have lived with all of these rejections because they could have been corrected in a few days. However, because Cuenca had run out of an absolutely required form called Movimiento Migratorio, immigration would not accept our visit as an initial submission of documents until we had that filled out form - which, by the way, we are told is going to take two weeks or more before they will be available. In Ecuador, that could be two or three months! Then, to top this "gone south" visa episode, our marriage license was now 91 days from the apostilled date stamped, and it has to be no more than 90 days once the documents are considered submitted. SO, FOR ONE DAY (can you hear me SCREAMING), and because of their RIGID inflexibility to make any exception in our favor, we were told that we had to reacquire a current marriage license from Oregon.
This is no small task since we are over 3,500 miles away, living in a snail-mail country, and the clock is ticking because our tourist visit will expire in the next 3 weeks. Oh, and the reason we are applying so late for our residency is because it took the entire month of January to open an account at Banco Pichincha and have our investment money wired there from our Oregon bank (another LONG story). There were so many hoops we had to jump through just to open the Pichincha account, and also with all the holidays in Ecuador and so many fiesta days of closed businesses, the time clock just flew.
Once our money for our investment CD finally arrived to Banco Pichincha end of January, Bo and I heard that JEP Bank paid a much better rate on CD's (9.5%). So, we immediately walked over there beginning of February, and in less than 2 hours, we opened an account! The staff there was so helpful and made opening an account an absolute breeze. Banco Pichincha was not a pleasant experience after continued delays and about six back and forth visits there trying to scramble and gather all the documents and letters they required, and their interest rate is not even great! So, immediately after opening our JEP account, we hurried over to Banco P, withdrew our money, and returned to deposit it to our JEP account. Immediately, a CD was issued and we were given the proper documentation to submit to immigration for our investment visa. Had we known this in the beginning, had our hired relocation helper told us about JEP and the ease of opening an account there, we would not be in the "marriage certificate now expired because of ONE DAY" situation. But, I digress.......
By the time we realized we needed to jump on things or our documents would be expiring, we ran into the "sorry, but we have no more Movimiento Migratorio forms for two more weeks, at least" dead end! Our relocation helper told us to go to immigration anyway and maybe they would make an exception. NOT! We spent the rest of the afternoon back at our apartment - I took a long nap and Bo went out for a long walk. We later were invited to our neighbors for dinner, and they gave us all their sympathy since they, too, had recently gone through their own four different immigration denials from hell! Today, they had finally passed the "picky" visa ordeal and had been accepted! So, we celebrated them, and they let us whine as we dined with them, completely sympathetic to our situation.
Every morning is a new day - and we can either rejoice in it or keep sinking. I woke up very sad and weary, and so I prayed and asked God to give us wisdom and to help us. I later received an e-mail from some friends here, and I wrote them back and shared our ordeal. Immediately, we were invited over to process things and find resolution. We found out from them that we could apply for a 90 day tourist visa extension (12-X) for $30 each, and this would give us peace of mind and lots more time to continue our visa process. We jumped on a bus this afternoon (really, you have to jump on or they ride away and drag you along) and headed to our rescuers. What encouragers! Within a couple hours, our friends had helped us download the proper forms, fill them out, printed them for us, wrote us the appropriate extension application letter, and told me all I had to do to before going down to immigration's passport section next week and applying for extensions. We would not have known this without our friends (since they are going through a similar visa rejection ordeal and time crunch). We only knew about the $230 visa extensions (which we did not want to have to spend that much money on). They've truly paid it forward to us, and I can't wait to do the same one day.
We visited for a few hours and laughed a lot, and then Bo and I jumped another bus home (I LOVE the buses here for 25 cents, and they drop us off a block or two from home). Once home, we checked our e-mails, and Bo's brother wrote back (whom we had e-mailed last night asking if he would go to Portland and obtain certified copies of our marriage license and then take them to Salem and have them apostilled). He told us the task was done and our documents were on the way today DHL Express and will arrive in Cuenca on the 15th (that's EXPRESS). it is costing us $170 - but that's a lot less than if we had to fly back to Oregon! We still may have time to submit our documents before our 90 day passports expire on March 4th, but I don't think we want to chance things for only another $60 for the visa extensions and 90 more days each.
So, here I sit, hopeful again, and all because of the help we received today from our Cuenca friends and Oregon brother. We still have a lot ahead of us to accomplish. Translation of documents must be corrected, and when the apostilled marriage licenses (I got two copies just to play it safe) arrive, they must be translated and notarized. We have to make another trip to immigration once the Movimiento Migratorio forms are in, and the process will begin all over again (yikes!).
When I think of the positives about being here, I smile. In spite of "suddenlies" and discouragements, which will always be a part of our days and life, it's the people we surround ourselves with who can be that voice of encouragement, that rah-rah-rah team, that wisdom and help we need when we wouldn't know what to do. These are the friends who help us climb out of the pit of despair. Today, we were reminded that we are not alone. Even as new as we are in Cuenca, we already have people here who have shown themselves to be there for us!
Thank you neighbor friends, for dinner last night and for listening and caring.
Thank you friends, for letting us know the next step to take and for helping us accomplish this and encouraging us today.
Thank you brother Dave, for being there for us when we so needed you miles and miles away and getting our task accomplished so quickly.
Thank you God, for always giving Bo and me hope by sending us help and words of wisdom and encouragement, and for picking us up when we feel like we're sinking.
This is no small task since we are over 3,500 miles away, living in a snail-mail country, and the clock is ticking because our tourist visit will expire in the next 3 weeks. Oh, and the reason we are applying so late for our residency is because it took the entire month of January to open an account at Banco Pichincha and have our investment money wired there from our Oregon bank (another LONG story). There were so many hoops we had to jump through just to open the Pichincha account, and also with all the holidays in Ecuador and so many fiesta days of closed businesses, the time clock just flew.
Once our money for our investment CD finally arrived to Banco Pichincha end of January, Bo and I heard that JEP Bank paid a much better rate on CD's (9.5%). So, we immediately walked over there beginning of February, and in less than 2 hours, we opened an account! The staff there was so helpful and made opening an account an absolute breeze. Banco Pichincha was not a pleasant experience after continued delays and about six back and forth visits there trying to scramble and gather all the documents and letters they required, and their interest rate is not even great! So, immediately after opening our JEP account, we hurried over to Banco P, withdrew our money, and returned to deposit it to our JEP account. Immediately, a CD was issued and we were given the proper documentation to submit to immigration for our investment visa. Had we known this in the beginning, had our hired relocation helper told us about JEP and the ease of opening an account there, we would not be in the "marriage certificate now expired because of ONE DAY" situation. But, I digress.......
By the time we realized we needed to jump on things or our documents would be expiring, we ran into the "sorry, but we have no more Movimiento Migratorio forms for two more weeks, at least" dead end! Our relocation helper told us to go to immigration anyway and maybe they would make an exception. NOT! We spent the rest of the afternoon back at our apartment - I took a long nap and Bo went out for a long walk. We later were invited to our neighbors for dinner, and they gave us all their sympathy since they, too, had recently gone through their own four different immigration denials from hell! Today, they had finally passed the "picky" visa ordeal and had been accepted! So, we celebrated them, and they let us whine as we dined with them, completely sympathetic to our situation.
Every morning is a new day - and we can either rejoice in it or keep sinking. I woke up very sad and weary, and so I prayed and asked God to give us wisdom and to help us. I later received an e-mail from some friends here, and I wrote them back and shared our ordeal. Immediately, we were invited over to process things and find resolution. We found out from them that we could apply for a 90 day tourist visa extension (12-X) for $30 each, and this would give us peace of mind and lots more time to continue our visa process. We jumped on a bus this afternoon (really, you have to jump on or they ride away and drag you along) and headed to our rescuers. What encouragers! Within a couple hours, our friends had helped us download the proper forms, fill them out, printed them for us, wrote us the appropriate extension application letter, and told me all I had to do to before going down to immigration's passport section next week and applying for extensions. We would not have known this without our friends (since they are going through a similar visa rejection ordeal and time crunch). We only knew about the $230 visa extensions (which we did not want to have to spend that much money on). They've truly paid it forward to us, and I can't wait to do the same one day.
We visited for a few hours and laughed a lot, and then Bo and I jumped another bus home (I LOVE the buses here for 25 cents, and they drop us off a block or two from home). Once home, we checked our e-mails, and Bo's brother wrote back (whom we had e-mailed last night asking if he would go to Portland and obtain certified copies of our marriage license and then take them to Salem and have them apostilled). He told us the task was done and our documents were on the way today DHL Express and will arrive in Cuenca on the 15th (that's EXPRESS). it is costing us $170 - but that's a lot less than if we had to fly back to Oregon! We still may have time to submit our documents before our 90 day passports expire on March 4th, but I don't think we want to chance things for only another $60 for the visa extensions and 90 more days each.
So, here I sit, hopeful again, and all because of the help we received today from our Cuenca friends and Oregon brother. We still have a lot ahead of us to accomplish. Translation of documents must be corrected, and when the apostilled marriage licenses (I got two copies just to play it safe) arrive, they must be translated and notarized. We have to make another trip to immigration once the Movimiento Migratorio forms are in, and the process will begin all over again (yikes!).
When I think of the positives about being here, I smile. In spite of "suddenlies" and discouragements, which will always be a part of our days and life, it's the people we surround ourselves with who can be that voice of encouragement, that rah-rah-rah team, that wisdom and help we need when we wouldn't know what to do. These are the friends who help us climb out of the pit of despair. Today, we were reminded that we are not alone. Even as new as we are in Cuenca, we already have people here who have shown themselves to be there for us!
Thank you neighbor friends, for dinner last night and for listening and caring.
Thank you brother Dave, for being there for us when we so needed you miles and miles away and getting our task accomplished so quickly.
Thank you God, for always giving Bo and me hope by sending us help and words of wisdom and encouragement, and for picking us up when we feel like we're sinking.
Yes, today's turned out to be another wonderful day in Cuenca!!!
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| Calle Larga - Blue Skies in Cuenca!!! Not a day's gone by since being here that I don't walk around in sandals and a t-shirt. |
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| Parque De Calderon - Flowers bloom year round in Cuenca!! How I love sitting in this park surrounded by the beauty and watching the people walking by! |
Thursday, January 24, 2013
VISA PROCESS IN CUENCA - PART 1 OF OUR VISA ORDEAL! A day of dust turns to diamonds.....
We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto!
We have been in the process of getting our investment visa since the day we arrived here seven weeks ago. We landed with all the necessary documents apostilled. All we had to do (we thought) was to get the documents translated into Spanish and notarized here in Ecuador, open a bank account to transfer the necessary funds to get a CD as security for the investment visa and submit the paperwork to Immigration for the necessary approval and badda-boom badda-bing, we get our visa!Things began swimmingly as all our documents were in order and the solicitor who was helping us got them translated and notarized in the first week. Now all we had to do was open a bank account so we could deposit the money and get the CD. In America, this is a 15 minute interaction that gets you a cheap pen, a free cup of coffee and a handful of dusty candy. Not so in Cuenca!
The second week, our solicitor took us to what is the equivalent of a Credit Union called Coopera to open an account so we could begin the process of transferring some money from Oregon to Ecuador. All the discussion and all paperwork were in Spanish, so I am not sure what I signed, but thus far my Oregon bank account and my first born are still intact. After this roughly 1 ½ hour ordeal, we were introduced to the bank president. He was educated in the US and spoke perfect English, so I was feelin’ good. When I asked him how long it would take to get the money down here and into a CD so I could get my investment visa going, he informed me that Immigration does not nor has ever recognized their CD’s as an authorized investment for this purpose and they were working on it (whatever that means!!!). BOOM! Two hours wasted and we’re no closer to getting a CD account. (Strike One!!!!)
Outside of the (not) bank our solicitor told us that this must be a new regulation because in the past a Coopera CD was recognized as legitimate collateral for an investment visa. (Um, mixed messages here??) Now that it was apparent that this institution was not going to be able to help us with a CD, we queried our solicitor as to what bank would be best. Without any hesitation she said Banco Pichincha and gave us the name of a banker that would help us breeze through the process. Weary and frustrated from the day’s events we galumphed home and buried our sorrows in a plate of pasta.
We arose the next morning from the ashes of the previous day’s disappointment with a renewed sense of purpose. Steeled with strong black coffee and the American “can do” attitude, we marched off to Banco Pichincha to set up our new account. When we arrived at the bank, we were informed that the person to whom we had been referred was not in and may not be back for hours but the other individual who did the same thing could help us. We obliged and entered her burrow.
After going through the preliminaries she assured us that we had picked the right bank and she could open the account for us. All we needed were two pieces of ID and a form from Immigration and we’d be set to go. Needless to say, we weren’t terribly happy since no one had told us about this government form that we needed. As is the case in the US, when dealing with the government bureaucrats things can only go south from here. And they did!!!
The Immigration office was on the other side of town about two miles away. Just far enough to warrant a taxi ride. Darn! More time and expense. So off we went, Linda trying to keep my spirits up with pithy aphorisms like, “Remember, this is Ecuador not the US.” We arrived at Immigration just in time for the customary Ecuadorian LONG lunch break. We were informed by a rather dolorous-looking guard that the person who would service us was out for lunch and would return in an hour. Resigned to the fact that yet another day was shot, we went in search of the perfect “almuerzo" ourselves.
We returned from our lunch just as some of the pencil-pushers were re-inhabiting their cubbyholes. One particularly officious-looking desk jockey ogled us coolly and then quickly averted her eyes, fearing no doubt that a longer stare might incite us to actually engage her in conversation. For the next half-hour she roamed the lobby, doing nothing in particular as far as the untrained eye could define, when suddenly with a great flourish, she whirled on her heels and aimed straight for us. “This is it,” I thought. “Here she comes to help us.”
But, alas, she was either rehearsing the newest step in the civil servant shuffle or suffering from the incipient manifestations of St Vitus’s Dance as she executed an haute ecole that would make a Lipizzaner green with envy on into a vacant cubicle not two feet from us where she plunked herself down and ceremoniously began a phone conversation. Since her nickering was in Spanish, I was uncertain as to what she was saying, but I did manage to hear the phrase “los dados (to dice)..... papa.” I wasn’t clear as to whether she said el papa (the Pope) or la papa (the potato), so she was either instructing someone on how to prepare her favorite potato recipe or she was going to chop the Pope into little pieces.
Finally, nearly an hour after her arrival from her long lunch break, she inquired of the woebegone security guard, who had helped us several hours earlier, as to what our needs were. He gave her the Cliff’s Notes on our concerns and she beckoned us hither. After much quacking with her cohort in the next compartment over, it was determined that the paperwork we needed could only be secured if we had (of all things) a visa. We tried to explain that we needed this form so that we could open a bank account so that we could GET a visa. This nattering nabob of negativity was not the least bit moved by the Catch 22 in which we found ourselves and refused to budge on this point. Her parting words of wisdom were “Find another bank that doesn’t require this form.” (Strike Two!!!!!)
At this point, none of my loving wife’s words of comfort could soothe the savage beast within me. I decided that it was best for all involved (including our Ecuadorian Ambassador who would have to clean up this international embarrassment if I tarried any longer) that I retreat, regroup and retool. We called our solicitor and informed her of the quandary in which we found ourselves. She assured us that she could get things handled and asked that we meet her next week at the Banco Pichincha branch just a few blocks from Immigration.
The following week (we are now in the second week of trying to open a simple bank account) we trudged a mile and half walk to meet our solicitor at a another branch office of Banco Pichincha. After roughly an hour of waiting, discussing, waiting again, discussing again, it was determined that only our solicitor’s contact at the first branch at which we started this whole process could handle opening our account. So off we went!! Another cab ride back to the branch office that was only six blocks from our house and another hour wait, and we finally got in to see our contact. After much bantering back and forth between our solicitor and her contact it was determined that we did indeed need the form from Immigration, but because she had sent so many people to the bank to open accounts there they would temporarily waive this requirement until we actually got our visa (by putting a piece of paper in our bank account file stating the form was missing!). At that point we could go to Immigration, produce our visa, get the form and deliver it back to the bank and they would insert it into our file.
We took the paperwork with us realizing that we still had the laborious process of filling them out later. Still needed were two notarized color copies of our passport, a second color ID (not notarized), a utility bill from the address at which we lived and a letter of recommendation from someone who had an account at the bank. We left the bank, got copies made and walked eight blocks to get them notarized (More $$). Another hour passed and finally we had our notarized papers. Now all that was left was to fill out the forms, get a utility bill and secure a letter of recommendation.
Neither of these were small things. We were in a country where we do not know anyone and living in an apartment where we paid no utilities, hence no utility bill. The next few days we asked the few people we did know about getting a letter of recommendation, but none of them had an account with Banco Pichincha. We emailed our solicitor and asked if she could help. One hour later an email showed up informing us that she had asked around and no one could help us. We advertised on the local expat website, GringoTree, stating specifically our situation to see if anyone would help us with a letter of recommendation. We did get some positive helpful responses and also lots of free advice. “Use a different bank” “Pay a lawyer”. “Get a different kind of visa”. Blah, blah, blah.
We also implored our solicitor to help us with this since afterall, we were paying her to help us get our visas and time was a-wastin’. Miraculously she was able to pluck someone out of the woodwork who was willing to oblige, and she told us to meet her at the bank the following day at which time she would produce the letter. (Mind you we are now in our third week of trying to open this account.)
The next day we met with her, got our letter of recommendation and took it along with all the other papers to see our contact at the bank, overjoyed that we were finally going to open our account after three weeks. Joy turned to sorrow when we realized that we had to get our Oregon wiring documents notarized. So off we went to try to accomplish yet another step required by the bank.
Well, we realized no one in Cuenca would notarize our wiring documents because they were in English. As fate would have it, our solicitor happened to be at the notary office we were at helping some other clients. We asked her if she would get the notarization papers translated into Spanish so we could get both the English and Spanish versions notarized. She seemed reluctant but said she would get it handled. Two days later and more money spent, we got the papers back. In the meantime, our banker told us we could write a check and that way we would not need the wiring papers notarized. We wrote the check, whereupon we were informed all we had to do was show him our current bank account statement and then he could get the account approved. Another delay!!! Who carries a current bank statement with them? Might this be a piece of information that we could have been informed was going to be necessary when writing a check. In America don’t they just wait for the check to clear? (Nearly strike three!!!)
We had to go home, access our Oregon bank account, copy the statement and burn it onto a hard drive to take to get printed. The print shop could not open it (don't ask me why), so no copies. Finally, I just sent it off via email to our bank contact with a note that I would be down in one hour to answer any questions and pick up my receipt. Another hour wait in the office to see him and finally the account was opened! We are now waiting for the check to clear so we can set up the CD (approximately another eight business days). Start to finish, we are looking at almost seven weeks to set up a bank account and get money into it. We’re not in Kansas anymore Toto!!! Will keep you posted.
Some days are diamonds and some days are dust (literally)!
The ordeal at the bank left me disliking Ecuador and everyone in it. It seemed like every blast on the tinny horns of those smoke belching puny cars bypassed my ears and went right into my soul. On the way home from the bank as we passed what generously could be called a feed store, the proprietress was cleaning out a cage full of dried chicken guano that had turned to dust and managed to blow it right in our faces. I was ready to pack my bags and get the first flight back to the States at this point.Linda was able to calm me down and we decided that it was best to simply head home and relax. which we did for the lion’s share of the day. All day long we kept hearing music and loudspeakers blaring away, but did not give much thought to the loci of this “ruido”. Having been cooped up much of the day, we decide after dinner that it might be a good idea to go for an evening walk. As we slowly strolled through Parque Calderon near our apartment we noticed an ever- increasing swarm of people gathering along the sides of the streets. Additionally, a number of streets were cordoned off. We figured that it was yet another of the multitudinous parades that Cuenca has and decided that we should belly up to the curb and see what this one would have to offer.
In the distance we could hear the same music and loudspeaker we had been hearing all day. Suddenly a stream of cars honking their horns appeared filled with jubilant votaries of one of the political parties of Ecuador. Flags were waving, cars were honking, young adults were squealing and police on motorcycles with sirens blaring were clearing both sides of the street. There truly was magic in the air! A large truck, the kind they tote vegetables on, appeared and lo and behold standing atop of it surrounded by a bevy of jubilarians was Raphael Correa, El Presidente de Ecuador. Not five feet from us was El Hefe himself! Apparently he had heard about my troubles with the bank and he had come to Cuenca to personally expedite the process. NOT!!!
Both Linda and I were amazed at the lack of security surrounding him and the incredible accessibility the people had to him. No secret service, no sweep of the area, no security of any kind really. Just the leader of Ecuador surrounded by the people who elected him. We lingered for awhile amidst the President's cheering fans as he delivered his promises to the devoted crowd through the blaring loudspeaker, and after he passed by and the excitement was over we headed home.
As we neared the entrance of our apartment we decided that we would go get an ice cream. Our friend Senor Diaz was closing up his little shoe shine shop, ready to crawl into his kiosk home for the evening, so we stopped and chatted briefly with him. We told him we were on our way to get an “helado” and asked if he would like one. "Seguro," he replied. What kind we asked? “Whatever you bring me will be fine and appreciated,” was his sweet reply.
When we returned we spent a lovely time chatting with Senor Diaz and lapping our ice creams. As we turned to leave he thanked us and then asked if we could do him a favor. He wanted to know if we would give him two dollars so he could go visit his wife who has been ill and confined to a care facility. His inquiry was so sweet and loving. We pressed the money into his palm with the words “Que Dios te bendigo” (that God would bless you). We said our adieus and parted for the evening. What had started out as a day of dust (literally) ended as one of diamonds.
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