Description
After pushing my voice to the limit with some karaoke nights, I’m now heading to Hanoi. Time to finally get back the passport I lost in Taiwan.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
- Speaker #0
After pushing my voice to the limit with some karaoke night, I'm now heading to Hanoi. Time to finally get back the passport I lost in Taiwan. Let's dive into the episode. Keep your wings, le podcast. Chapter 8, a new obstacle. I'm getting closer and closer to Hanoi. I still have a week left before leaving Vietnam. Enough time to enjoy a little more by wandering around the mountainous region of Sapa. Quite far away if you don't have your own means of transportation. I decide, somewhat out of frustration, to book an excursion, including a 15km trek in the mountains. Only four of us have chosen this option and our bus is rather empty. After a night journey, we finally arrive in a small mountain village, where we are introduced to Maeva. Our guide is a tiny woman, barely 1m50 tall, with a a pepsodent smile and a friendly look. A baby wrap on her back thanks to an ingenious knot system. Around us, visibility is reduced. The fog is omnipresent and takes us by the end along the path. After about 20 minutes, we arrive at our lodging. The house shared with Maiva, her son and one of her brothers. She offers us to change clothes to put on warm ones. A rain poncho and above all, boots. The weather is cloudy and the rain is starting to fall. Light, but enough to create giant poodles and turn the ground into an open-air skating rink. Soon after we change, we started the 15 km trek. We are going to make a loop in the mountains with landscapes all more sublime than the others, rice terraces as far as the eye can see, vigorous streams ready at any moment to overflow, pigs and buffalo bustling in their makeshift stables. During the trek, women from the different villages we passed through joined us. It was quite funny to see how much difficulty we had, especially during the muddy passages, While this woman had loads on their back as well as Maiva's baby which she handed over to her friends when she was exhausted, the women helped us during the more delicate moments. Of course, beyond the kindness, there was a commercial gesture behind it. Accepting help from one of them committed you to a commercial transaction that will come to fruition at the end of the trek. Wallets, handbags, toiletry kits that is sold at high price. In the end, these 50 kilometers will be among my best memories of Vietnam. After three exceptional days, I take the bus back to Hanoi. It's time for me to pick up my passport and close this thorny problem once and for all. The next day, I arrive at the Belgium embassy and present myself to retrieve the precious grail. The formalities are quick. The person behind the counter knows who I am. She asked me to sign a document and to give her my temporary passport in exchange for the one I had lost. I exult. I no longer believed it. Finally finding my passport after nearly a month. I no longer have to return after six months. I can continue traveling. The embassy agent takes a pair of scissors and cuts the edge of my temporary passport, making it invalid.
- Speaker #1
Here, everything is in order.
- Speaker #0
She smiles. Suddenly, I tense up. I just remember something. Um, my visa for Vietnam was in my temporary passport.
- Speaker #1
Oh, I didn't think of that.
- Speaker #0
exclaims the woman, embarrassed. Yeah, neither did I. But, um, what about it then?
- Speaker #1
Let's just say you're being illegal on the territory, so you don't have to deal with that with the Vietnamese administration.
- Speaker #0
Excuse me, but... What am I supposed to do? Is there no way to keep both passports?
- Speaker #1
You'll be forced to. Because I cut the edges of your temporary passport, it's more or less valid. I'm going to give you the address of the administration, and you can ask them to transfer your visa to your old passport.
- Speaker #0
Simply? I ask, while she just made a huge mistake.
- Speaker #1
Yes, sorry again. I do think about it. Normally, it shouldn' be too complicated.
- Speaker #0
I should have thought of it too, I commend. Well... Too bad, no. I'll go to the administration and sort this out. Okay, uh, thank you, have a good day. I conclude, grabbing the paper she handed me roughly. I'm outside, completely helpless, in the noisy chaos of Hanoi, among the moving crowd watching out for Gojek, the equivalent of Uber in many Asian countries. It is possible to book a car or scooter, which is the easiest way to get around in Vietnam, especially in big cities. I managed to call a driver and hop on the back of the two-wheeler. We speed through carts, tuk-tuk, motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians coming from all directions. Simply put, in Vietnam, you have to forget fear of traffic. You must simply cross with confidence and hold out your hand to show you're passing. Never run or change your pace when driving. It's the only way to avoid an accident and get to the other side of the road. After about 20 minutes, I arrive at the administration, ask my driver to wait, and rush to the counter. I already have everything prepared. My speech is translated on my phone, and I put it in the face of the agent behind the desk. A perplexed look accompanies my action. He highballs my two passports I'm holding. I open my phone to show the visa in my temporary passport, and then place my index on the blank page of my ordinary passport. A real mental librarian for my interlocutor who ends up giving me a paper with a floor number and a office as well as the name of the person in charge. I take the elevator and go to the fourth floor in search of someone who can help me. I finally find the office, knock timidly and enter the room. Three stunned people look at me suspiciously. I show them my phone with my message and try to add some sign and english word. One of them hands me in Shakespeare language. I'm relieved. I will finally be able to explain myself. I summarize my adventure in a few words and the manager tells me to wait a few moments. He comes back with an address scribbled on a piece of paper and suggests I go there. Don't you know how to do it here?
- Speaker #2
No, no, you have to go to this address. There, they will be able to help you.
- Speaker #0
Surprised but well aware I won't get more from my interlocutor, I leave the administrative building and ask my driver to take me to this new address. 15 minutes later, I face emptiness. Debris is scattered on the ground, a carpet of stone and dust occupies a space that was probably reserved for a huge building. With my luck, it's my building that's in question. I decide to call the embassy again and explain my mishap. Again, I go to a new place, hoping once and for all to find a near that can hear my complain. I must be dreaming. The new administration sends me to yet another address. They assure me the place isn't destroyed. Oh great. Surprise The address they give me is a travel agency. I'm stunned and remain on my guard. I explain my situation and ask if it's possible to transfer a still valid visa from my temporary passport to my ordinary passport. The request itself makes them smile and surprise them. It's true that I don't know anyone else who has been in this case. My internet research is empty of convincing results or even alternatives. The people working at the agency answer me off the cuff. I persist. and visit other travel agencies after finally freeing my driver from my grip. My wallet is bleeding, but it seems ready to pay even more dong. I'm floored. Am I getting ripped off by the government? I do an online search about this aspect. I found only an explanation from an American website. The government of Vietnam has authorized some businesses and travel agencies to arrange for pre-approval for a visa on arrival at the airport. However, some US citizens have reported being charged unexpectedly high fees and additional charges upon landing in Vietnam. The government of Vietnam and the US Department of State recommend that travelers obtain a visa directly from an embassy or consulate of Vietnam prior to arrival. This government authorization for certain agencies mainly concerns the visa on arrival, which I already have. Basically, going through such a business means buying a visa again. Americans have complained about being charged higher fees in these agencies. I make a brief call to the embassy adjunct who doesn't reassure me much. She advised me to avoid the scam and to ask customs at the airport to handle this on my departure. That late? I insist. Are you sure I won't get stuck here? Because my next destination is already booked. I'm heading to Indonesia to meet friends I met earlier in Taiwan and Vietnam. And I'm not really reassured but I try to enjoy my last three days in Vietnam. The fateful day is finally here. I go to the airport, several hours early, try to explain my problem, harm with an official letter from the embassy. Yes, I took precautions. The customs officer takes my passport and asks how much time I have. I say three hours, but the throne worries me.
- Speaker #3
We will do our best, however, there will be fees.
- Speaker #0
They tell me with a sly smile. I bitterly understand that I won't escape the scam. 40 euros the price of a new visa. I will have pay a second time for my visa just to get out of the country, while the fort was assigned to the embassy agent. In the end, I only got my passport back 30 minutes before takeoff. An intense race against time to not miss my plane. Once inside the aircraft, I let out a huge sigh of relief. Vietnam has not been easy, but I'm eager to see what's next. you An incredibly complex country with ups and downs, corruption, but a welcoming population in less touristic region with a true desire to communicate and discover others. It's especially this contact with locals that I will miss the most. Now heading to Indonesia. Java, here we go.
Description
After pushing my voice to the limit with some karaoke nights, I’m now heading to Hanoi. Time to finally get back the passport I lost in Taiwan.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
- Speaker #0
After pushing my voice to the limit with some karaoke night, I'm now heading to Hanoi. Time to finally get back the passport I lost in Taiwan. Let's dive into the episode. Keep your wings, le podcast. Chapter 8, a new obstacle. I'm getting closer and closer to Hanoi. I still have a week left before leaving Vietnam. Enough time to enjoy a little more by wandering around the mountainous region of Sapa. Quite far away if you don't have your own means of transportation. I decide, somewhat out of frustration, to book an excursion, including a 15km trek in the mountains. Only four of us have chosen this option and our bus is rather empty. After a night journey, we finally arrive in a small mountain village, where we are introduced to Maeva. Our guide is a tiny woman, barely 1m50 tall, with a a pepsodent smile and a friendly look. A baby wrap on her back thanks to an ingenious knot system. Around us, visibility is reduced. The fog is omnipresent and takes us by the end along the path. After about 20 minutes, we arrive at our lodging. The house shared with Maiva, her son and one of her brothers. She offers us to change clothes to put on warm ones. A rain poncho and above all, boots. The weather is cloudy and the rain is starting to fall. Light, but enough to create giant poodles and turn the ground into an open-air skating rink. Soon after we change, we started the 15 km trek. We are going to make a loop in the mountains with landscapes all more sublime than the others, rice terraces as far as the eye can see, vigorous streams ready at any moment to overflow, pigs and buffalo bustling in their makeshift stables. During the trek, women from the different villages we passed through joined us. It was quite funny to see how much difficulty we had, especially during the muddy passages, While this woman had loads on their back as well as Maiva's baby which she handed over to her friends when she was exhausted, the women helped us during the more delicate moments. Of course, beyond the kindness, there was a commercial gesture behind it. Accepting help from one of them committed you to a commercial transaction that will come to fruition at the end of the trek. Wallets, handbags, toiletry kits that is sold at high price. In the end, these 50 kilometers will be among my best memories of Vietnam. After three exceptional days, I take the bus back to Hanoi. It's time for me to pick up my passport and close this thorny problem once and for all. The next day, I arrive at the Belgium embassy and present myself to retrieve the precious grail. The formalities are quick. The person behind the counter knows who I am. She asked me to sign a document and to give her my temporary passport in exchange for the one I had lost. I exult. I no longer believed it. Finally finding my passport after nearly a month. I no longer have to return after six months. I can continue traveling. The embassy agent takes a pair of scissors and cuts the edge of my temporary passport, making it invalid.
- Speaker #1
Here, everything is in order.
- Speaker #0
She smiles. Suddenly, I tense up. I just remember something. Um, my visa for Vietnam was in my temporary passport.
- Speaker #1
Oh, I didn't think of that.
- Speaker #0
exclaims the woman, embarrassed. Yeah, neither did I. But, um, what about it then?
- Speaker #1
Let's just say you're being illegal on the territory, so you don't have to deal with that with the Vietnamese administration.
- Speaker #0
Excuse me, but... What am I supposed to do? Is there no way to keep both passports?
- Speaker #1
You'll be forced to. Because I cut the edges of your temporary passport, it's more or less valid. I'm going to give you the address of the administration, and you can ask them to transfer your visa to your old passport.
- Speaker #0
Simply? I ask, while she just made a huge mistake.
- Speaker #1
Yes, sorry again. I do think about it. Normally, it shouldn' be too complicated.
- Speaker #0
I should have thought of it too, I commend. Well... Too bad, no. I'll go to the administration and sort this out. Okay, uh, thank you, have a good day. I conclude, grabbing the paper she handed me roughly. I'm outside, completely helpless, in the noisy chaos of Hanoi, among the moving crowd watching out for Gojek, the equivalent of Uber in many Asian countries. It is possible to book a car or scooter, which is the easiest way to get around in Vietnam, especially in big cities. I managed to call a driver and hop on the back of the two-wheeler. We speed through carts, tuk-tuk, motorcycles, cars, and pedestrians coming from all directions. Simply put, in Vietnam, you have to forget fear of traffic. You must simply cross with confidence and hold out your hand to show you're passing. Never run or change your pace when driving. It's the only way to avoid an accident and get to the other side of the road. After about 20 minutes, I arrive at the administration, ask my driver to wait, and rush to the counter. I already have everything prepared. My speech is translated on my phone, and I put it in the face of the agent behind the desk. A perplexed look accompanies my action. He highballs my two passports I'm holding. I open my phone to show the visa in my temporary passport, and then place my index on the blank page of my ordinary passport. A real mental librarian for my interlocutor who ends up giving me a paper with a floor number and a office as well as the name of the person in charge. I take the elevator and go to the fourth floor in search of someone who can help me. I finally find the office, knock timidly and enter the room. Three stunned people look at me suspiciously. I show them my phone with my message and try to add some sign and english word. One of them hands me in Shakespeare language. I'm relieved. I will finally be able to explain myself. I summarize my adventure in a few words and the manager tells me to wait a few moments. He comes back with an address scribbled on a piece of paper and suggests I go there. Don't you know how to do it here?
- Speaker #2
No, no, you have to go to this address. There, they will be able to help you.
- Speaker #0
Surprised but well aware I won't get more from my interlocutor, I leave the administrative building and ask my driver to take me to this new address. 15 minutes later, I face emptiness. Debris is scattered on the ground, a carpet of stone and dust occupies a space that was probably reserved for a huge building. With my luck, it's my building that's in question. I decide to call the embassy again and explain my mishap. Again, I go to a new place, hoping once and for all to find a near that can hear my complain. I must be dreaming. The new administration sends me to yet another address. They assure me the place isn't destroyed. Oh great. Surprise The address they give me is a travel agency. I'm stunned and remain on my guard. I explain my situation and ask if it's possible to transfer a still valid visa from my temporary passport to my ordinary passport. The request itself makes them smile and surprise them. It's true that I don't know anyone else who has been in this case. My internet research is empty of convincing results or even alternatives. The people working at the agency answer me off the cuff. I persist. and visit other travel agencies after finally freeing my driver from my grip. My wallet is bleeding, but it seems ready to pay even more dong. I'm floored. Am I getting ripped off by the government? I do an online search about this aspect. I found only an explanation from an American website. The government of Vietnam has authorized some businesses and travel agencies to arrange for pre-approval for a visa on arrival at the airport. However, some US citizens have reported being charged unexpectedly high fees and additional charges upon landing in Vietnam. The government of Vietnam and the US Department of State recommend that travelers obtain a visa directly from an embassy or consulate of Vietnam prior to arrival. This government authorization for certain agencies mainly concerns the visa on arrival, which I already have. Basically, going through such a business means buying a visa again. Americans have complained about being charged higher fees in these agencies. I make a brief call to the embassy adjunct who doesn't reassure me much. She advised me to avoid the scam and to ask customs at the airport to handle this on my departure. That late? I insist. Are you sure I won't get stuck here? Because my next destination is already booked. I'm heading to Indonesia to meet friends I met earlier in Taiwan and Vietnam. And I'm not really reassured but I try to enjoy my last three days in Vietnam. The fateful day is finally here. I go to the airport, several hours early, try to explain my problem, harm with an official letter from the embassy. Yes, I took precautions. The customs officer takes my passport and asks how much time I have. I say three hours, but the throne worries me.
- Speaker #3
We will do our best, however, there will be fees.
- Speaker #0
They tell me with a sly smile. I bitterly understand that I won't escape the scam. 40 euros the price of a new visa. I will have pay a second time for my visa just to get out of the country, while the fort was assigned to the embassy agent. In the end, I only got my passport back 30 minutes before takeoff. An intense race against time to not miss my plane. Once inside the aircraft, I let out a huge sigh of relief. Vietnam has not been easy, but I'm eager to see what's next. you An incredibly complex country with ups and downs, corruption, but a welcoming population in less touristic region with a true desire to communicate and discover others. It's especially this contact with locals that I will miss the most. Now heading to Indonesia. Java, here we go.
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