The Adventures of the Little Indian Girl

We got our Brazilian visa done and had Argentinian still to get. As per their website, they require every applicant to come and apply in person and go through an interview process and other list of documents to bring. So, hubby and I awoke this morning to a cold and dreary looking morning accompanied with the lightest of snowflakes falling with a mix of rain! I have a light flu lingering. But since we have only a short time before our departure, today would have been the last day for us to apply.

Preamble - I had called the Argentinian embassy a week ago to ask a couple of questions. Everytime I called the call went to voicemail. I doubted that anyone would actually call back. So, I just would hang up and call again. After the fourth try I had gotten through. Again day before yesterday I had another question, but didn't have that luck for the whole afternoon (when we are supposed to call)!! So, yeah.... I expected long waits and disorganised process. But no big deal. This was normal for us.

Current - So, we got to the embassy a bit later than we had planned to. We thought to get their early to get the token number, etc. like I had done for the Brazilian visa - it helped a great deal! But we ended up getting there at 9:15am. And the place we went to on the address given was actually the Ambassador's residence. Someone there kindly directed us to the building next door. So we went and we had to ring up in an intercom to enter the building. By now there were two other parties also in line trying. I saw the intercom number that we had to dial up and that connected to the ever famous phone that I was trying to call and got through once in ten tries. So, yeah, I doubt anyone would pick up any time soon. There was a Spanish speaking couple and a Japanese couple amongst us trying. All three of us parties were frustrated as we were shivering out in the cold rain (the rain was so light, it didn't need an umbrella but was not meant for us to stand in it).

Anyhow, I requested N to mention our dilemma to someone at the residence. Maybe they can help. So, he brought help - a not so happy employee who looked frustrated to be have been disturbed and had to come out in the cold. He got us in and gave the staff in the consulate a nice scolding. The employee there then took out his irritation on us applicants. He did though inquire patiently what each of us were there for and kindly asked each one of us to take a seat.

So we did. The Japanese couple looked quite impatient. We were chuckling away. We figured this is still not bad. In certain cases in India, they would have asked us to go to a hundred different places. The first time I applied for the US Visa, I had a wait time for 2.5 hours! Well, the husband left the building. Maybe he had parked the car where he wasn't supposed to. We don't know. The wife was so impatient. As we were waiting we asked her when she had submitted to get an idea of when we would get our passports back. It was 5 business days as mentioned by the staff the one time I was able to get through. She also shared that she had to go pay the visa fee at this particular bank down the street. I guess Monday was not a pleasant day for them cause it was a big snow day for D.C. brrrr... Anyway, I didn't have the heart to tell her that for Indians (to get a tourist visa) it was free! yay!

Anyhow, she couldn't wait anymore (it was just 15 minutes into the wait then!!) and left! ah well. The guy who had asked us to take a seat left. Maybe his shift of fifteen minutes ended and another staff member came down. Obviously they would now have no idea as to the sequence of those who came.  So, someone who came after us got served. No big deal, as that guy was just picking up his passport. I could feel the Japanese lady cursing away somewhere in D.C. Anyhow, here goes the dialogue:

Me: My husband and I are here to apply for a tourist visa to Argentina.
him: Why are you heading to Argentina
Me: Oh we will be going to the Iguazu Falls from the Brazil side and then would like to see the Argentina side too.
him: oh Niagara Falls? (I think this was his lame attempt at a joke or he really thought we were idiots; a smile on his face would help clarify but he just looked blankly)
Me (who couldn't figure that out): No, Iguazu Falls..maybe I am mispronouncing it (I knew that the Brasilians and Argentinians pronounced the place and spelled it differently.
Him: ah Iguazu falls. yes. and looks back at me blankly
Me: umm.. so where would I apply for the visa? 
Him: ah, let me call the right person for you (and he goes to make some phone call). You can now go upstairs to the first floor and look for Rosalia.
Me (thinking): Couldn't you have told me that half an hour ago?? (to him): that's great. Thank you!

We headed up the stairs and there she was Rosalia waiting for us! She took us into the Embassy library and asked us our purpose of our trip, took the various documents that were so nicely (really they were) listed on the website. Of course, the form we had filled out was the incorrect one. So, we filled out the same information on a differently formatted form while she did other things in a different room. I went up and submitted both our forms and again the magic words emit from her mouth "please take a seat."

So, sitting back in the library, hubby and I chat. 20 minutes pass by and I am thinking she has forgotten about us. Somewhere in the corner of my mind a thought that maybe she is processing the visa then and there came up. But I brushed that aside as that has never happened before! We weren't really sure what else they would require from us. Another ten minutes go by and she comes back with our passports saying, "here you go! Your passports!"

We both in unison go, "You mean the visas are done?" and looked ever so puzzled. She smiled and said yes and wished us a wonderful trip to the falls! But poor thing. She doesn't know that being Indians, with Indian passports we never had it this easy. We have had always to endure long lines, a ton of forms, lots of questions, days of waiting. And even in countries where we don't need a visa, we still had to endure long lines, lots of questions (sis and I had a tough time to enter Nepal when our school trip went there! All 18 of our classmates/friends finished processing immigration and sis and I were still under questioning!)! So, we were both standing in utter disbelief that the Japanese couple had to wait five days while we got it right there and then at the sole cost of the metro fare! whoa! Argentina should really advertise in India more! Come see the beauty of Argentina - no lines at the embassy! Did I mention, we like Argentina already?! :D