Thursday rode into Bahia Caraques to AccuAssist a law firm specializing in Visa/Extension etc......to see about a problem I had entering Ecuador and to have what I believed was 46 days left on my current entry from Feb 2 2018. Plus I needed a 90 day extension to get me to my flight home on March 26th 2019.
Advised that I needed to see a lawyer in Manta, 134k away...ok...appointment made for Friday at 9:30am. Up at 5;30am and out the door at 6.....arrive following Gps route to close to where I need to be....stopping a # of times asking for directions as no street signs here...finally after 1/2 hour I locate the office......Fernando, my lawyer briefs me that I need to to the MITIGATION OFFICE which is a long way away ....how the H... will I find that...take a taxi..so away I go...I'm to find out how many days I have left in the country officially....I already know the answer 46 and what is likely to transpire....after my driver having a hard time finding the place he says he will wait for me....bare in mind we are communicating in some sort of sign language as I don't have a clue what's being said.
Two pretty girls are in the office...lo siento, no hablo espano; hablas Inglis...the girl applying makeup and staring in a compact mirror simply points to the other senorita, the prettier of the 2 I might add. She seems to have expected me, so the lawyer must have phoned ahead. She asks for my passport and ticket that I had to purchase at a bank for the check on my status. She is very polite and inputs the passport # while I stare...t noticing that both senoritas are sporting bright red lipstick. Funny how your mind wanders at times. Out comes the Mitigation Printout...you never exited the country since February 2nd 2018....huge penalty maybe imprisonment......but your passport has the exit stamp....we need to get colour copies of your passport with this stamp and send it to HQ in Quito...ok...let's do it'''sorry the lady that needs to witness your signature is not here. We agree that I can do this 1st week of January....back to the lawyer with the document which shows I didn't exit and that the computer can not determine the # of days which is easy to calculate if you look at a calendar and my passport...but hay this is how bureaucracy works.
I go for coffee, intending to head back to Canoa and think about the lawyer saying that the woman was suppose to be there and that the office would be in a different location when I returned....this is South America....they have a saying when you ask when...manana manana...meaning tomorrow which could be tomorrow or a month from now. I return to the law office and have them phone to see if the lady will be there later today....Yes...but I must be there between 2 & 4 it's 12:30....I think I can find it...so in heavy traffic I depart and watch for familiar landmarks....I find it and am surprised to see them loading desks and computers....no one told me today was the move...I gather up the papers I need and file in past the movers....a number of people are ahead of me and the girl who looked after me earlier has the lone desk and computer......I am called out right away and soon the info is in the computer and papers signed to be sent to Quito....I give the girls an Ontario Flag pin and head out for Canoa. They will let me know by email if I am legal or to hide as the border agents will come for me.
Ok enough of my rant.......no pics taken but will post some of my 1st failed venture in 2012 to South America with my friend John Carnie former Helicopter Pilot with Ont Hydro.....
New York 1st night
Here I would pick up an Obama/Biden election sticker....JC didn't want to ride near me in the southern states....yes it created some havoc.
Modest stop over
Our ist destination was to a Horizon's Unlimited meet in North Carolina where we hoped to learn how to cross Central and South American borders....held at Iron Horse Campgroung which has become an annual event.
Greg Powell the host of the Ontario Event held May 24th at Rice Lake just arriving after an all night ride from TO
Stop in Laredo Texas at the border to purchase Insurance to cross Mexico
1st night in Mexico
A happy Adventurer.......having been fed
Advised that I needed to see a lawyer in Manta, 134k away...ok...appointment made for Friday at 9:30am. Up at 5;30am and out the door at 6.....arrive following Gps route to close to where I need to be....stopping a # of times asking for directions as no street signs here...finally after 1/2 hour I locate the office......Fernando, my lawyer briefs me that I need to to the MITIGATION OFFICE which is a long way away ....how the H... will I find that...take a taxi..so away I go...I'm to find out how many days I have left in the country officially....I already know the answer 46 and what is likely to transpire....after my driver having a hard time finding the place he says he will wait for me....bare in mind we are communicating in some sort of sign language as I don't have a clue what's being said.
Two pretty girls are in the office...lo siento, no hablo espano; hablas Inglis...the girl applying makeup and staring in a compact mirror simply points to the other senorita, the prettier of the 2 I might add. She seems to have expected me, so the lawyer must have phoned ahead. She asks for my passport and ticket that I had to purchase at a bank for the check on my status. She is very polite and inputs the passport # while I stare...t noticing that both senoritas are sporting bright red lipstick. Funny how your mind wanders at times. Out comes the Mitigation Printout...you never exited the country since February 2nd 2018....huge penalty maybe imprisonment......but your passport has the exit stamp....we need to get colour copies of your passport with this stamp and send it to HQ in Quito...ok...let's do it'''sorry the lady that needs to witness your signature is not here. We agree that I can do this 1st week of January....back to the lawyer with the document which shows I didn't exit and that the computer can not determine the # of days which is easy to calculate if you look at a calendar and my passport...but hay this is how bureaucracy works.
I go for coffee, intending to head back to Canoa and think about the lawyer saying that the woman was suppose to be there and that the office would be in a different location when I returned....this is South America....they have a saying when you ask when...manana manana...meaning tomorrow which could be tomorrow or a month from now. I return to the law office and have them phone to see if the lady will be there later today....Yes...but I must be there between 2 & 4 it's 12:30....I think I can find it...so in heavy traffic I depart and watch for familiar landmarks....I find it and am surprised to see them loading desks and computers....no one told me today was the move...I gather up the papers I need and file in past the movers....a number of people are ahead of me and the girl who looked after me earlier has the lone desk and computer......I am called out right away and soon the info is in the computer and papers signed to be sent to Quito....I give the girls an Ontario Flag pin and head out for Canoa. They will let me know by email if I am legal or to hide as the border agents will come for me.
Ok enough of my rant.......no pics taken but will post some of my 1st failed venture in 2012 to South America with my friend John Carnie former Helicopter Pilot with Ont Hydro.....
New York 1st night
Here I would pick up an Obama/Biden election sticker....JC didn't want to ride near me in the southern states....yes it created some havoc. 
Modest stop over
Our ist destination was to a Horizon's Unlimited meet in North Carolina where we hoped to learn how to cross Central and South American borders....held at Iron Horse Campgroung which has become an annual event. 
Greg Powell the host of the Ontario Event held May 24th at Rice Lake just arriving after an all night ride from TO
Stop in Laredo Texas at the border to purchase Insurance to cross Mexico
1st night in Mexico
A happy Adventurer.......having been fed
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