“Turkey 🇹🇷 ~Pakistan Embassy in Istanbul”

• October 19, 2020
• By Pen
• 6 Comments

“Round One”

We are calling this a practice run! Life is full of these!

While we did not come away from the Pakistan Embassy with our Visas today, we will not be deterred!

Firstly, we got a “bad apple” in a taxi driver, who drove in circles (like we wouldnt notice). After a few “words” he finally took us, directly to the Embassy for which we short paid him. Most of the time, taxi drivers are honest, but every country has a few. Ugh. It is so bad in some countries we get use to telling a driver “we live here and teach English” It actually works, so we will remember this the next taxi we need, because we are gun-shy again.

Secondly, we arrive at the Embassy, and had to turn over our cell phones to plain-clothed individual in an outdoor shack. THAT made me nervous, but we had no choice in the matter. Once the stranger took our phones and placed them in a “cubby hole,” we got to enter a small courtyard, where we contined the outdoor way of things, which has anti-COVID19 all over it. Daryl has to get a number for the que. Our number was 800, but they were only waiting on 4, upon our arrival. I did not see 796 people around, that’s for sure. We thought, wow, we should have packed a lunch! Come to find out, when the number 8 came up on the board, a few people started pointing at us. We figured out real quick, 8 really was the same as 800 in Turkey. 

Though I had been in touch with a live human at the Pakistan Embassy prior to our visit, so we could be prepared, and have in-hand all we needed for our appointment, this human fell short on a few items, like “payment” for the handling fees for the visa application process. The Payment was not a matter of trading cash at the window, for a receipt, noooo. Instead, we were given a piece of paper with everything written in Turkish, for the name of a bank and its address in Istanbul, where we must go, where we think we pay 60 Lira or the almost $8pp fee, and bring the receipt back to the Embassy. (The taxi will cost way more than the fee). There is only ONE bank branch, where payment can be made.  Payment can only be received between 12 and 2PM. The visa application window is only open until 2PM as well. I see two separate trips to the same  place in our future. Cha-Ching Cha-Ching 

In addition, we also need photocopies of our passports, and the invitation letter and state ID printed twice. We were given two visa application packets to fill out, as well.

We (thankfully) collected our cell phones, then got another cab and came back to our room. We felt a bit defeated, but we are not giving up. We shall complete our application packet, figure out a place to make photo copies, find the BANK to pay our fees, and get more emails printed of our invitation letter and verified state ID.

We will practice being patient, and enjoy warm snuggles with the kitty cat who likes us, and wait for all things to come together. Then, we will go back to the Embassy for round two!