Katy-did lie, you can see it in her eyes.Originally Posted by Rum-polephoreskin
OK – so today I do a likkle rant.
Like I said previously, we are planning on staying in Negril for 97 days. We knew of the 90 day visa limit, so before leaving home I called the Jamaican High Commission in Ottawa and asked if I could drop by and have them issue us 97 day visas – they advertise visas as one of the services they provide. The guy on the phone told me to hold, then after a short muffled conversation he came back on the line and said, “No,” but we could get it done upon entry at the airport in MoBay. No problem.
When we arrived at the airport, we asked the woman at Immigration for 97 day visas. She said “No,” but we could get it done at the Negril Police Station. No problem. She checked this with the guy at the next counter and he nodded confirming it for her.
A few days ago we bumped into a couple of Canucks at the Quality Traders (lime green) grocery store. We started talking. They’re farmers from Saskatchewan and they stay for the whole winter, so I asked them how they handle the 90 day visa thing. Turns out you have to go to MoBay, within one week of your 90 day visa expiry, and visit some guv’mint orifice there. There you fill out a form (no doubt the same info as the form you fill out on the airplane) and then you have to write a paragraph on why you should be allowed to stay on in Jamaica. No kidding, a likkle writing assignment – which actually could be fun. Then you fork over $10,000 each in fees. Yes, that’s a cool $100 US dollars - each.
So, to sum up;
- a return cab ride to MoBay, say $100 US,
- fill out some forms and do an English assignment at a guv’ment orifice,
- fork over $100US each visa fee
- and waste the better part of a day going to and returning from MoBay.
All of this for the privilege of spending more time and $$ on the island.
For us that means $300US and one lost day for 7 extra days?! Nah, doesn’t figure.
We changed our return dates to March 1 – exactly 90 days. And West Jet gave $128 credit when the change was made. That must have been a computer glitch, but I’ll take it.
Why does the Jam Guv’mint make it so difficult to stay longer than 90 days and charge so much for extending the visa? Revenue I figure. And I guess they don’t really care that much about long-stay people. They should. I’ll leave Jamaica on March 1 with about $1,000US in my jeans that I would have spent on hotel, food, booze and entertainment. Add that to the $300 we would have spent on the visa trip and the $128 WJ refund, and the numbers speak for themselves.
But it’s not about the $$, it’s about my utter disdain of guv’mint bureaucracy, wherever it may be. We have a corrupt provincial government in Ontario that wastes 10’s of billions of tax dollars every year – so it’s a sore point with me and I set off easy. But I’m done now.
Last night we went to Patrice’s bar on the West End Road, on the sea side just before Swordfish. There is a grouping of three little bars there – we are gonna check them all out. We met a couple of cats there – we love cats. After Patrice’s we went to a local Redground bar – Frankie’s I think. It’s a really basic kind of place, but the people there were very friendly and we had a good time. There was domino playing going on which apparently can go on until dawn.
Next – The Top Three Tourist Complaints about Negril.
Likkle more . . . .
Patrice's Bar - cat haven.
Frankie's Bar - well stocked, good company and dominoes 'til dawn.
