Dayyuum.....
After our first couple hours in Bogota, we changed our reservations from 3 days to 1, with the quickness!!! We even tried to catch an afternoon flight after the 1st interview (good thing we didn't...more on that later). After the late breakfast, we jump into a hotel taxi & head to the Embassy. The ride was only ten minutes long. It's 12:15 & there's a long-azz at the first gate. We tried to cut into the line with my US passport, but security wasn't having it...lol! The 1st wait wasn't so bad, basically they just checked for ID. The 2nd line moved slower because, they were checking ID's, bags & you got the once over with the wand. Once again we tried to use the other entrances, were that were marked "US CITIZENS", and once again we were told to go back on the long security line, then go directly to windows 1 & 2, after we get pass the security check. Stivalis went up to the window & was told the same thing. OK, we get through security then DAAYYUUM!!!! You step into this sea of humanity. There had to over 700 hundred (very very conservative guess) people sitting & walking around. After the initial shock, I remembered how Pete E. told me to find the guard at the podium. My mind was focused on getting a number before, going to window 1 & 2. First podium, no guard, no nothing. Found another podium, again no guard, no nothing. I even looked on the inside, to see if they had any numbers there. Dayyum!! No numbers to be found inside the podiums. Me & Stivalis look each other in the eyes and said....let's get over to windows 1 & 2, right now!!!
We snake our way through the crowd, waaaaaaaay down to the farthest windows from the entrance. We finally get to the windows & there's a bunch of folks standing & sitting in front of the windows. Dayyuum, where does the line begin & end? We figure out that the people sitting on the benches aren't waiting for our window. They're waiting for their names to be called. By the looks on their faces, they must have been part of the crowd, that came in at 7am. The line for our windows is in between the chairs they're sitting on. I notice a man with what appears to be a wedding album. I introduce me & Stivalis, he introduces himself & his wife & then we just start chatting up a storm. Next thing ya know, more couples start to join the conversation. The men, were mostly from Florida, the Midwest & California. There was a chiropractor, construction worker(s), a car salesman, a insurance salesman, a teacher & computer pro's. It was a nice cross mix of professions. The ladies were mainly from BQ, Cartegena, Barranquilla & Cali. I met a few lurkers from the board(s). Visiting first & writing were pretty even, followed by intro's by family and/or friends. We had 30 minutes to kill, and the convo was more than welcomed to pass the time & network. Everyone was checking, checking & re-checking their paperwork. One didn't want to get this far & come up short. A couple of people didn't have the G-325A's or birth certificate(s). I forgot my telephone bills that I wanted to use as evidence of a real relationship. Everybody forgot some piece of paper they wanted to bring...lol.
To be continued....
