I may or may not have mentioned earlier, but my passport recently went on a sabbatical in search of an Angolan residence/work visa.
I am not a big fan of having my passport out of my sight for a second let alone having it “somewhere” with “someone” (no one really knows or cares to tell me) for an undetermined period of time in some 3rd word country while getting approved for a visa. I was told it could be 10 days. I guess I had no choice. I made a copy of it, got the copy certified and sent the passport packing. That was 5 weeks ago. Not happy!
Last week I get a call for our admin people saying, and I quote: “Joking aside, when {Name} came back yesterday from {Client} with some of the passports, yours wasn’t included. What happened was, yours was amongst 2 others that had a mistake, therefore, had to be returned to {Government}. I am very sorry for the misunderstanding. I was certain he told me the other way around and that yours was the ‘good’ one.” Less happy!
It turns out I was issued the wrong type of visa and it was returned for the fix with the comment that it will probably take just as long as the original submission. That meant a return of my passport at the end of June. You see the problem? I leave here next week! My only hope then was to leave on the certified copy of my passport (which I have successfully used for internal travel) and arrive in SA on my South African passport. It was touch and go and I must admit I was more than just a little nervous!
Today however I got the great news. My prodigal passport has returned. It is in the grubby claws of a colleague traveler in Luanda who will be visiting tomorrow and will hand it over so I can have it in MY grubby claws! Hoox and Passport reunited. I am going to have to try my best to hold back my tears of joy when I see it again. “Welcome back my little thrashed passport. I have missed you SO much! I will never leave you with those nasty people ever again. *sniff sniff*”
I get to leave as scheduled and legally without an issue.
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