Visa Run

Google calls it "the infamous Hong Kong visa run", guess that's what I'm on.

There are even websites that walk you through the whole process including which way to face when looking for the office, what not to say if you ask for directions, and even have pictures of the office.

I think, however, that Sarah's company (thanks Marsha) will be sorting out my mess.

Someone said to me that I shouldn't be mad about that whole PH detention thing- and next time be sure my docs are in order when I travel....which I guess is true. However, I see that as an issue between China and I, and that doesn't mean PH has to lock me up....they don't even require a visa!?

Not to beat a dead horse here but here is how I see it;

Option A

I screw up an china kicks me back to PH. Fine.

PH then gives me a bunch of crap. Asks me why I blew it....doesn't understand my answer, yells at me for coming back, makes me go through a bunch of red tape, then lets me book a flight home. Once I book a flight home they let me sit in the airport like anyone else who is there to fly somewhere. Maybe restrict me to only the boarding area.....maybe even make me sit at the specific gate. Then I go.

Option B (the PH way)

-Someone is waiting for me at the airplane door, asks to see my passport, then won't give it back.

-That person takes me to immigration office.

- The immigration officer takes me to the back room and interrogates me. Asks me who I like better, the Chinese or the Filipino, and who has treated me better so far. Then says that the Chinese really screwed up by not letting me in.....and explains why PH is better than CN.

-The immigration officer then casually tells me ill have to wait "for a moment over there" and waives for the security guards to come get me. Last I ever see of him.

-The person who escorted me to immigration and who has my passport tells me she can book me a flight to Hong Kong, and gives me her phone number. After an hour when I call her she comes back, tells me that I have to have to give her cash to go get the flight from the ticket counter.

-I don't have cash, and ask to be let out of the room to get some at the ATM I can see in the hallway. No. Then she leaves, with my passport, with no word of what's what.

-I call her after an hour, with 4% phone battery, and she tells me she's off work and someone else will come see me.

-Enter the next guy, forever later. He tells me that in order to leave my cell, I have to have a booked flight. I tell him that I can't make calls because my phone is dead and ill need the ATM. He tells me that I can't give him cash to book flight anyway (negating the bribe/ money shake down scenario). Then he said he'll look for an iPhone charger.

-He comes back an hour later and pretends we never had the conversation about the phone charger, and that I have to have a flight out in order to leave. Then he leaves.

-By the sheer grace of God a dude from Vancouver sees me locked up and asks if I'm being treated ok. I tell him ok- but need a phone charger bad....he happens to have one and throws it to me through the door (security guards asleep).

-Now I call Sarah, and can get online. Together we book flights out. Long story short, we booked probably 10 flights. Some to US, some to Shanghai, some to Hong Kong.

-Donkey homeboy comes back and explains, one by one why each wont work. Sometimes he would say "ok, this will work" then come back and pretends he didn't know what I was talking about when I asked if the flight will work. This all takes place over an hour or two or three.

-DHB finally tells me a flight will work and leaves. A couple hours burn away and he comes back and says nah.

-I arrived in Manila at 4am, enter embassy agent at 2pm.

-Donkey homeboy's story/attitude changes in a heartbeat. Everything is worked out, flight is good, and ill be released soon.

-Embassy agent leaves at about 2:15 assuming Ill be released in 5 minutes.

-3pm rolls around and I'm still stuck in the room. Homeboy never came back, and I have no idea what's what. Call embassy guy, and insist that security calls homeboy back.

-DHB comes back and says all is good, I will be out in 5 minutes. Flight to Hong Kong is fine.

-4pm and nothing....then finally he comes back and says I can't go to Hong Kong unless I have another flight booked to anywhere in the world.

-Fine, I book a flight to US from HK.

-He says I have to have a printed ticket. Seriously, he said that. His ghetto office didn't even have a printer, 2 hours till departure, I'm locked down, and he looks at me and says "actually you have to have a printed ticket"....I laughed out loud at that one, started to yell, and called the embassy agent again.

-DHB changes his story again and gives me an email address I can forward my itinerary to to prove I have a second flight.

-Somehow, they let that all pass. Just happened to be an hour before the flight leaves....and in retrospect, was the EXACT flight the very first girl mentioned would be the one I "should take".

-I get released and am escorted by about 10 "security" people to the boarding area.

You tell me? Did it have to go that way? I don't think so.

Here is the final kicker....I haven't told Sarah about this one yet even. The security guards wouldn't let me out, and would only let donkey homeboy in....except- there were a few guys walking around in airline shirts, and they were clearly gay. Now, nothing against that at all....but the security guards would let them come in, circle the room, and walk out. I don't know what that was- but seems unnecessary for a government agency to allow and/or do.

Last other thing, there was another guy in my cell- from South Africa. First thing he told me was that they have been telling him he's "good to go" for 4 days! I pretty much ignored that guy and his scenario cause I wasn't gonna be there for 4 days.

Anyway, that's my story- you be the judge. I won't blog about it ever again, I'm over it now. Just sayin'.....it didn't have to go that way.