Visas - Egypt

India was such an ordeal that it needed two parts to adequately describe the experience at the Indian Consulate.

On the other hand, Egypt was quite a non-event. Based on the cues from the previous day, we tried to show up to the Egyptian Consulate about 30 minutes early. We signed in with building security in the lobby and were about to proceed up to the consulate when the security guard said that we weren't even allowed into the building until 9:30. With our 30 minutes, we went to get coffee.

We returned at 9:31 and were then allowed into the building. Taking the elevator to the 19th floor, we entered the one roomed Egyptian consulate. There was no one in the waiting room and no one at the service desk. I rang the bell and a woman came to help us. While passing documents, money and photos to this woman, I noticed that she was behind at least 2 inches of security glass. Wow. I couldn't remember the same at the Indian consulate. I wonder whether this was done by the people in the Egyptian consulate for their protection or was it done by our government, thinking that the Egyptian consulate may attract the type of people that would be deterred by 2" thick security glass.

We returned at 10:30am the next morning - next day service for this consulate, and picked up our passports with their Egyptian Visas.

One step closer to leaving.