First things first .. with an idea of the route & key dates in place, it was time to get the three important visa's under way. Without these, I wasn't going anywhere. So, a journey to London was planned to try and get two of them on the same day.
Firstly it was a visit to the Uzbekistan Embassy ... Looks easy enough ... fill out a form before you go, print off, stick your mugshot on, and hand to the little lady behind the glass window with your passport....
Oh hang on... "payment please".... you are given 3 bank paying in slips which you take to the local Barclays. Pay yer £50 in, and get them to stamp 2 of them as a receipt. Then back to the Embassy. "Ready in a week", she said....."can't u post it back", said I, ..."of course we can - but only if you go to the Post Office and buy a prepaid special delivery envelope for us".
Back up to town, (the Post Office happens to be next to Barclays !), get my envelope, write my address on it, then back to the Embassy. Just seems like with a small amount of thought, the old Uzbek staff could have made life a little easier.
Next was the Russian Visa...
This involved getting an invitation letter from an Tour Company in Russia (£20), filling out a huge form on the internet, compiling a letter as to where you are going, and taking it to the "Visa office" in Central London. Here you get fingerprinted, and relieved of another £98. However, at least the postage to send it back was included in this price.
Next ... the Chinese Visa.
Firstly it was a visit to the Uzbekistan Embassy ... Looks easy enough ... fill out a form before you go, print off, stick your mugshot on, and hand to the little lady behind the glass window with your passport....
Oh hang on... "payment please".... you are given 3 bank paying in slips which you take to the local Barclays. Pay yer £50 in, and get them to stamp 2 of them as a receipt. Then back to the Embassy. "Ready in a week", she said....."can't u post it back", said I, ..."of course we can - but only if you go to the Post Office and buy a prepaid special delivery envelope for us".
Back up to town, (the Post Office happens to be next to Barclays !), get my envelope, write my address on it, then back to the Embassy. Just seems like with a small amount of thought, the old Uzbek staff could have made life a little easier.
Next was the Russian Visa...
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| Nice to know my Russian name is "Rassel K6meron Vmakdermid" |
Next ... the Chinese Visa.