Just a quick update on my plans for the Gorilla Trek and my dubious guide, Francis. So, last week, he emailed me and said he has received my Western Union money and will send me a copy of my permit. Knowing that these things take time, and even more time that expected in a non-Western country, I was patient. I have dealt with foreign bureaucracy before and it is not pretty so I said nothing for the weekend. Uganda is 10 hours ahead so if I email in the day, Francis is unlikely to get it until the next day and then I will get his response the day after that. But I said nothing on Monday or Tuesday. Patient. La Di Da. Then on Wednesday morning I checked my email and someone had sent me an itinerary for a flight to Uganda. hmmm?
Just a few issues with the ticket:
First, who booked it? It is in my name, but I sure as heck didn't book it or pay for it.
Second, it is for November 13, three days before I want to go. This issue has sub-issues, I will let you imagine those.
Third, this is my favourite, the flight literally goes to four countries. Uganda is right beside Kenya. But the flight as booked starts in Mombasa, Kenya, stops in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, change planes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then finally arrives in Entebbe, Uganda. Umm, even if I was drunk and had been dropped on my head as a baby, I would not book this horrible flight.
Fourth, the flight gets into Uganda at one o'clock in the morning,
Fifth, I have no idea how much I will be expected to pay for this flight.
And sixth, and most alarming, it is one way! Melissa assures me this is because I am likely betrothed to Francis (my permit money was my own bride price) so no need to come back.
Plus, no permit attached! But, still being cross-culturally understanding, and thinking that my flight was a good sign, I waited another day before I send a gently worded 'What the hell is going on, Francis' email. I was pretty much ready to write off my $400. That I was ok with and half expected it anyway. But what I hadn't figured on was the time delay. Each day that I patiently waited for Francis to not rob me, I was losing a day toward booking an alternate trek. And, as I have mentioned, there are limited permits. Still calm, not freaking out, I emailed Francis and suggested that the zig-zag Air Ethiopia flight was not going to work for me. And that I would book my own flight once I had confirmation that my permit was bought.
Francis, so solicitous, said he hadn't sent it because he was worried about 'hacking' and he wanted to protect my permit. Lovely. But, in the grand scheme of things, I calculated that the risk of that is considerably lower than me arriving in Uganda in the middle of the night to no pick up and no permit. So I insisted (still gently) that I would brave the hackers and please send me my permit.
Amazingly, today he sent me a scan of the permit, paid in full with my receipt showing my name and the number that matches the permit. Granted, he bought it today, but let's not quibble. I'm also not 100% sure that this will get me into the correct park on the correct days, but I have faith (just not devout faith, more like agnostic faith)
I might still be in for a White-Masai type marriage but hopefully not until after I see the gorillas.
Just a few issues with the ticket:
First, who booked it? It is in my name, but I sure as heck didn't book it or pay for it.
Second, it is for November 13, three days before I want to go. This issue has sub-issues, I will let you imagine those.
Third, this is my favourite, the flight literally goes to four countries. Uganda is right beside Kenya. But the flight as booked starts in Mombasa, Kenya, stops in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, change planes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then finally arrives in Entebbe, Uganda. Umm, even if I was drunk and had been dropped on my head as a baby, I would not book this horrible flight.
Fourth, the flight gets into Uganda at one o'clock in the morning,
Fifth, I have no idea how much I will be expected to pay for this flight.
And sixth, and most alarming, it is one way! Melissa assures me this is because I am likely betrothed to Francis (my permit money was my own bride price) so no need to come back.
Plus, no permit attached! But, still being cross-culturally understanding, and thinking that my flight was a good sign, I waited another day before I send a gently worded 'What the hell is going on, Francis' email. I was pretty much ready to write off my $400. That I was ok with and half expected it anyway. But what I hadn't figured on was the time delay. Each day that I patiently waited for Francis to not rob me, I was losing a day toward booking an alternate trek. And, as I have mentioned, there are limited permits. Still calm, not freaking out, I emailed Francis and suggested that the zig-zag Air Ethiopia flight was not going to work for me. And that I would book my own flight once I had confirmation that my permit was bought.
Francis, so solicitous, said he hadn't sent it because he was worried about 'hacking' and he wanted to protect my permit. Lovely. But, in the grand scheme of things, I calculated that the risk of that is considerably lower than me arriving in Uganda in the middle of the night to no pick up and no permit. So I insisted (still gently) that I would brave the hackers and please send me my permit.
Amazingly, today he sent me a scan of the permit, paid in full with my receipt showing my name and the number that matches the permit. Granted, he bought it today, but let's not quibble. I'm also not 100% sure that this will get me into the correct park on the correct days, but I have faith (just not devout faith, more like agnostic faith)
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| This is what my card looks like. Obviously this isn't my real card because you might try to hack it. |
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| If you think I am a crazy white tourist, I have nothing on this lunatic. |
Love it !
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