So the madness started in Phuket where I was told at the counter that I needed a Visa to get in the UAE… Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, I had this feeling that it would be easy. But there was now way I was staying in Phuket. The lady at the desk was kind enough to tell me I just needed to fill up a form on internet and everything should be all right…Found the internet place in the airport, federal website didn't work, ran up the stairs to the Etihad office, didn't know what I was talking about, ran back down the stairs to the desk, told me to go back to the Etihad office, they would help me, got there, indeed there was a website open for visa application. That's where I should have a doubt, filled the form and got on the plane. Very long 7 hours because of this feeling. I've travelled enough to know that Visas just don't appear but I was determined to go. I didn't want to say goodbye in Phuket! We flew in Abu Dhabi around half midnight, short walk to immigration and there I was in front of the obvious, no visa, no entry.
That's were I melted. In front of the immigration officer who told me very nicely, sorry but you can get in. Oh snap, my options at that time, figure out if Etihad can do something for me, figure where my visa application is at or fly out. So Etihad couldn't do anything for me because I already had a Visa application in the system and the Emirates can only process one passport number, one name, therefore can't do two applications. Which totally make sense. Went to the immigration again and sat down with them to discuss the options but they couldn't help me. So far, I've ran between a couple of terminal to have internet, talk to the right people, so I thought and it was just about quarter past one when I had to say by to my friend. She had to catch the quarter past two bus to Dubai.
From there I tried to get in contact with the agency that was processing my visa but of course, when you rely on technology like Skype it doesn't work when you need it. Missed the opening hours and was in the dark for the night. From three to seven, it was pretty much being restless, trying to listen to some music but getting annoyed by it, try to watch an episode of a TV show, can't concentrate, so I ended up just sitting there thinking, walking between the terminal, looking a plane ticket price, asking the Etihad desk if I could be put on the stand by list for the Chicago flight, chatting on Facebook, and pretty much being unable to do something for more then 5 minutes.
During that time, I was checking my email every 5 minutes to see if I had news from the Toronto based agency. If I do a quick count If probably refresh that email inbox over a hundred time in 4 hours. Didn't sleep either. Just before seven I got some news from the agency asking me if I wanted my visa application to be process… That's where i wanted to cry. Fuck, are you telling me that my application as not even been sent? That's exactly what it is. A UAE visa application takes between 2-3 business days or I could pay 625$ for a rush 5-24 hours application. 5 hours would get me around midday. Shall I remind you, I've only been in the airport for 6 hours but it feels like a lifetime. Every seconds that went by during the night was a second where my body was a nuisance to my soul not letting me in the country. 24 hours would mean I would have to spent another night in this shitty airport.
Note: avoid at all cost getting more then a 2 hours layover in Abu Dhabi and bring winter clothing.
So after a little melt down, I remembered what the Etihad guy told me about visa application in the system and such. Ran to the other terminal to once again hit a wall. Etihad will sponsor your visa if you fly in and out with them! No problem, I'll buy a Abu Dhabi-Doha journey so I fly in and out with them. Well apparently that's not how it work. You have to go all the way to your final destination with Etihad. I this case it would be Montreal. Not a 100$ ticket anymore, more like 1500$. And I would have to cancel my previous journey with Qatar. Odd. Anyway, now that I didn't had any visa application in the system I had more option!
Sudden gain of confidence, energy and sanity! Because, yes, I totally lost my sanity that night. Half-seven, call my friend on her mom cellphone. Hello it's Antoine, your daugther's friend, is she up and sorry for waking you up! I was hoping for a better first impression but she had in her hand my way out of this airport. So the solution was fairly simple from there: she had to make her way to the immigration office in Dubai and file the application and if everything went alright it would take 3-4 hours top. All that information was given to me by this really nice Emirate immigration officer. I do need to point out a this moment that everyone I talked to at the Immigration were so nice and really trying to help me. No one would bend the law, which I wasn't expecting at all, but they would be immigration officer like we know them at the US Border. Smile, please sit down, what's the matter, let me help you. Humanity is still possible among the officials!
So my friend had all the documents in hands and off she was to the immigration office. Now the waiting started for me. It's eight and I haven't eaten since we had left the Phuket night market, couldn't be bothered to eat, wasn't hungry at all but I knew I need to. Quick look around to realize that the only edible thing would be some McDonald, third melt down of this saga. Well BigMac meal for breakfast, oversize fries, yes please. After that I was able to get a little bit of sleep (30 minutes) but still, was quite stressed out. I knew I'd be restless until I got that stamp in my passport.
The waiting game started. Again, I tried to watch a TV episode, that didn't work, listen to some music, that occupied me for about 2 songs. Well I ended up writing emails and doing folder cleaning on my laptop. One very annoying thing about Abu Dhabi airport is the lack of electric plug and I my phone was pretty much dying of over checking my email.
Midday somewhat came and my friend had everything filled in. At least that was encouraging. And from there I knew it was just a matter of hours. Indeed, two 2 O'clock came and an email. Visa application accepted! I'm pretty sure the immigration officer never saw someone as happy as me to get in the UAE! That stamp just look so beautiful!
I ended up spending only 14 hours in the airport but it felt like a week.
After 4 awesome days in Dubai it was time to pack and go back to Ottawa. So I log onto the Qatar site to do my check-in only to realize that it seems like I'm not booked in. Weird. Quick call to Qatar airways and indeed I'm not on the passenger list. I'm 24 hours from fly out and I don't have a ticket. Write to the website I booked with but being in Toronto well I won't get any answer before 5pm. Oh well Better enjoy the day and indeed that's what I did. Five came and receive an email from the booking site telling me that they cancelled my reservation. ?!? WTF Well at least I knew there was still place on the Qatar flights I was suppose to take and for 100$ less. Score! But I'll certainly ask for answers when I come back home, leaving a customer stranded without him knowing is reservation as been cancelled? Unacceptable. I quickly asked them over the phone what happened but no one could tell me and I didn't had time to lose. I needed to book that ticket because I was fly out in 6 hours!
Finally made my way to the airport 5 minutes before they closed the check-in, no problem, well that's good. Immigration line was long and I had a bad feeling. Finally made it to the counter. Sir, please make your way to the Immigration office. At that moment, my heart skipped like twenty thousand beat. Won't let me in, won't let me out… I JUST WANT TO FLY OUT, put that pretty little stamp of yours in my passport and I won't bother you, never! So in the office, check my passport, have the supervisor over, can we get a copy of your visa, sorry no can do it's in my email inbox. Sir we can't find your visa. You came in Abu Dhabi? Yes just like the stamp your looking at say. Why are you not exiting by Abu Dhabi? What kind of question is that! Because I'm flying with Qatar… Abu Dhabi airport doesn't work on the same system as us… NOT MY BLOODY PROBLEM. (silence) Cli-click, Cli-click, stamp in my passport and on my ticket. Thank you sir. (…) Have a nice flight (…) What just happened??? I ran through those immigration gate all the way to my gate.
I'm finally out but haven't landed yet, apparently, Montreal is waiting for a twenty something centimetres snowfall. Oh lord!
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