8 October 2010

Well, this week was supposed to be the week my new passport arrived to Copiapo, but somehow things went a little awry and it just didn't make it. I know that it was in Santiago on Tuesday, because I got an email saying it was there, and would I like to pop in and pick it up? No, I wouldn't, thanks very much. I live 800km to the north of Santiago, so I can't just pop in and get it. I'd also been very specific with the man who interviewed me for the new passport, and we agreed that it would be sent in the registered mail immediately it arrived in Santiago. Obviously this did not happen.

So, it seems like it should be in the post on Wednesday. In my naïve little world, I expected that would mean it would arrive into Copiapo on Thursday (overnight delivery). I'd then be able to go through the process of getting all of the right insurances and papers for the motorbike to be able to ride it over the Andes and into Argentina for the coming long weekend (yep, another one – I love Chile!), returning on Monday through La Serena to the south. All it needed to come together was the one little blue booklet…

Having agreed with myself that this was how everything would turn out, it was a little disappointing to find that it hadn't turned up by Thursday afternoon. The security guys in the apartment would just shake their heads every time I walked in to the foyer to ask if it had arrived yet? No, nada. I finally managed to get through to the Embassy and discuss where and how they sent it, all of which questions seemed to surprise them. No, we just sent it in the normal mail (but registered), and if you ring back tomorrow, we'll try to find the tracking number for you. Great. Thanks for your further assistance.

Friday morning (today), I finally get through to the Embassy and they give me the tracking number. I've been trying to call you all morning, says the Embassy henchman. You'll find a heap of missed calls on your phone. Great, thanks for your efforts, I reply. I check my phones (both of them) – nothing. No missed calls… I try to locate the envelope with the tracking number, but it appears to be saying that it is in a clearing centre in Santiago. This seems very unlikely – it's been in the system for two days and still hasn't left Santiago? No chance. The postal system is more efficient than that! Lizette offers to take the number to the post office and check from there, but on her return, she has the same answer. Nope, it's in Santiago. Correos suggest that they will deliver it on Wednesday. Great. One week to send a letter from Santiago to Copiapo. It beggars belief. If it wasn't already a debacle, the whole "lost passport" thing is now officially a shemozzle. It'll arrive in Copiapo the day after my tourist visa expires. Perfect.

After a bunch of deep breaths, I decide to just give up. I can't fight it any more. The big sign that I wear, visible only to Chileans, which says "Yes please. Take advantage of my good nature. Go out of your way to annoy and frustrate me. In fact, I want you to screw me around. I insist on it!" must be written with big flashing neon lights. I have been frustrated, but now I'm beaten.

To make the best of the situation (make lemonade from lemons, as my mate Mikey says), I think I'll to work through the weekend and when the passport arrives, get the paperwork sorted out and just head off into the hills in the middle of next week and basically be a hermit for a few days. Maybe I can find a hill to sit on in the lotus position (if only my legs would bend that far) and watch the day go by?

By the end of the day, I don't love Chile quite so much.

Saludos,

Andrew