(^32) Yangon
The following day, I looked for the address I was given in Bago. The
address was written in Burmese, so I had to ask around, and it
turned out that it was the immigration office. It would have been
much easier if they had just told me that in the first place. Once at
the immigration office, they sent me to get my picture taken.
Unfortunately, on my return, I discovered the office was closed for
lunch. Despite all this, I eventually received a letter that contained
my Myanmar visa number and entry date. The officials told me that
this letter was as good as a visa, and that I shouldn't have any
trouble crossing the border. However, this only resolved my visa
issue, not my passport problem.
Meanwhile, I received an email from the South African Embassy in
Bangkok stating that there was no South African Embassy in
Myanmar. They advised me to approach the UK Embassy to obtain an
emergency travel document. Off I trundled to the UK Embassy, only
to find that they were out to lunch. How frustrating and exhausting!
After lunch, I returned to the UK Embassy and explained my
predicament. This time, I was requested to have my letters (given to
me by the police in Bago) translated. It was an interesting experience
since typists, translators, and photocopiers were stationed on the
pavement down a small alley. I had to wait in line with others and
finally got my turn. With the translated document, I set off to an
internet café to make copies to send to the South African Embassy.
leana
(Leana)
#1