Visa Woes

Again, I think this will have to be a short update. My biggest accomplishment so far this week was that I applied on-line for my Visa to Kenya. On past trips, we applied for our Visa when we got to Nairobi. We filled out a simple one page form on the plane and turned that and our crisp fifty dollar bill into customs when we got to the airport. A quick stamp on our passport and we were in.

 

Because all passport pictures
should be horrible

Now a multiple page form needs to be filled out on-line along with attaching copies of your passport, passport photo and e-ticket. I had started it on Sunday and then saved it because I needed more information (the exact physical address of where we are staying in Kenya), but when I went back into my account nothing had been saved, so I had to start over.

After I got all that done, the last step was to pay for it. In addition to the $50 Visa fee, there was a one dollar service fee, and on top of that another dollar fifty in bank fees. When I put in my credit card information, though, it wouldn’t accept it. So of course I tried it three times without success until I went to a different bank card, which went through. In the meantime, the original banks automated system is calling me on my cell phone, which I am not answering because I don’t recognize the number. When I checked those messages, they told me that they think my account has been breached because suspicious charges were being attempted. So they placed a hold on my card. I called them back, pushed the button verifying that I had attempted to make those charges, and the robot lady on the other end said everything was cool, but now I am worried that my card still has a hold on it and I won’t be able to use it, and also that the Kenyan government charged my account those additional three times coz I told the bank that I had approved those charges.

Sometimes I don’t think I was meant to live in the twenty-first century. The other joy in my life is that I can’t blame my lack of any sleep last night entirely on this episode, as on top of everything else, I am in the throes of menopause and had hot flashes all night long.  

Okay, so I guess this update wasn’t so short, but it didn’t contain much information. Just me babbling. Wish me luck for a productive rest of the week. I have three funerals between now and Saturday – I should say two visitations to attend and one funeral luncheon to bake bars for. As well as a meeting of the church ladies tonight and a visit to some chickens on Thursday and dinner with my Bible study women and our spouses on Saturday. Okay, that’s about enough.