Sorry it's taken me a while to post. I've been working on a podcast, it took longer than expected.
So, I receive my passport and I make it to the airport. I was still quite nervous because I still did not have a VISA. I wasn't sure if I would get stuck in the John F. Kennedy Airport. If I did, I would have to go to the Ghanaian Embassy to get a VISA. That would delay my trip by 2 or 3 days. I crossed my fingers and hopped on the plane to JFK.
It was do or die. After a 2 hour layover, they asked everyone to make a line for passport check. Was learning to weave Kente worth this? I get in line and wait. It was brutal. The ticket claims person checked each person's passport and would check for the VISA stamp. There's one person in front of me. The Checker opens her passport then asked her to read the date on her VISA. Oh, my God! My stomach was in knots.
Wait did I give you the background on this situation? Well, when I didn't receive my passport in time, I had a"friend" offer to get me a letter from someone who worked at the Ghanaian Embassy. This letter would be on Official Letterhead and would state I would get a VISA on arrival. I'd planned on getting one on arrival, anyway, if only I could get there. This person wanted to charge me $100 US to do this "favor." My friend kept egging me on to do this. I know she thought she was helping but I refused. I would suffer the consequences and do things the correct way. If I couldn't get on the flight, I was willing to stay in JFK to do the proper paperwork. So, here we are.
I had my photos for my "VISA On Arrival" and my Yellow Fever vaccination records in my passport. I just started randomly talking to the Checker. Stuff was falling out my passport. She bends over to help me pick up my pictures. We're still talking she flips to the VISA page of the passport. I dropped my water bottle, I think out of fear. She hands me my passport, picks up my water bottle and tells me to have a great flight. Now I'm not endorsing distracting the Checkers they have a job to do. I just think in all the commotion she though she saw a VISA and I wasn't telling her different.
I boarded the aircraft, a 747 if I remember correctly, settled in and waited for take off. I just had this fear the stewardess was going to call my name and remove me from the plane. We took off and I began to relax into my seat for 12 hours of knitting and/or sleeping.
What would happen when I get to Ghana. Will customs send me back because I didn't get my VISA ahead of time?
So, I receive my passport and I make it to the airport. I was still quite nervous because I still did not have a VISA. I wasn't sure if I would get stuck in the John F. Kennedy Airport. If I did, I would have to go to the Ghanaian Embassy to get a VISA. That would delay my trip by 2 or 3 days. I crossed my fingers and hopped on the plane to JFK.
It was do or die. After a 2 hour layover, they asked everyone to make a line for passport check. Was learning to weave Kente worth this? I get in line and wait. It was brutal. The ticket claims person checked each person's passport and would check for the VISA stamp. There's one person in front of me. The Checker opens her passport then asked her to read the date on her VISA. Oh, my God! My stomach was in knots.
Wait did I give you the background on this situation? Well, when I didn't receive my passport in time, I had a"friend" offer to get me a letter from someone who worked at the Ghanaian Embassy. This letter would be on Official Letterhead and would state I would get a VISA on arrival. I'd planned on getting one on arrival, anyway, if only I could get there. This person wanted to charge me $100 US to do this "favor." My friend kept egging me on to do this. I know she thought she was helping but I refused. I would suffer the consequences and do things the correct way. If I couldn't get on the flight, I was willing to stay in JFK to do the proper paperwork. So, here we are.
I had my photos for my "VISA On Arrival" and my Yellow Fever vaccination records in my passport. I just started randomly talking to the Checker. Stuff was falling out my passport. She bends over to help me pick up my pictures. We're still talking she flips to the VISA page of the passport. I dropped my water bottle, I think out of fear. She hands me my passport, picks up my water bottle and tells me to have a great flight. Now I'm not endorsing distracting the Checkers they have a job to do. I just think in all the commotion she though she saw a VISA and I wasn't telling her different.
I boarded the aircraft, a 747 if I remember correctly, settled in and waited for take off. I just had this fear the stewardess was going to call my name and remove me from the plane. We took off and I began to relax into my seat for 12 hours of knitting and/or sleeping.
What would happen when I get to Ghana. Will customs send me back because I didn't get my VISA ahead of time?
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