Dunes

Guess what we did today? Yup - a visa run for G, except yet again, it had an unexpected twist that has left us slightly baffled. More later...

The day started early with the keyboardist coming over to practice the songs for today's service (!!) as he wasn't able to make it yesterday. I'm glad I insisted on a practice, because he really needed it! Doesn't read music and didn't know two of the songs, so... I think he found it useful too!

Raced over to church for the service, and as always, there are inevitable surprises where someone can't remember when to come in or forgets what the intro is. Oh well...

Home for lunch, and then G announced she preferred to do her visa run sooner rather than later so we could have some of the evening left, so off we went - at 2:30 - the peak of the heat, and boy is it getting hot fast. We're in the 40s... this is it. Truly the end of the pleasant weather for the next 5-6 months.

My extra is of one section of the journey. The new route cuts across the country, and at one point, you drive through a plain and when the wind is blowing hard, you get the sand drifting. And the weather and light really were as bad as this picture shows it. Bleah!!!

We made it to the border in 90 minutes, which I thought was pretty good going. No missed turns today and the roads were very clear not too busy. I jumped out of the car for G to do the last leg on her own, and went to sit it out in the office, and was minding my own business, when I suddenly looked up and saw G in the building behind the counter! I wondered what was happening, so went over.

There are new rules. [Again! Argh]. Not conveyed to those it will affect. You just have to go through the process to find out. G apparently has overstayed on her visa for 18 days and has picked up a 2,000 dirhams fine! Of course we had to argue the point. She returned from Cyprus on 8th April, so should have 30 days from that?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

It transpired that during her last visa run (mid March), the person behind the desk gave her a  30 day multi-entry visa. It means that her trip to Cyprus didn't get counted as an exit for her to then have a new start. She had therefore overstayed the amount of days she had been told!! She now had two choices... 1. Pay the fine and proceed to Oman if she needed to, OR, on Sunday - go to the Customer Service section at Dubai Airport and explain the situation there.

We decided it was best to head straight to the airport, as we reckoned they should be open 24 hours. G could then have some peace of mind over the weekend. SO glad we did it, as they were open and looked after her well! The fine got waived, the "multiple entry visa" given at the Hatta Border has been extended to give another 10 days; something they have announced in the newspaper will no longer be given!! NICE. :D

He also suggested that G get a visa from inside the country, It will be nice not to do a 4-5 hour round trip, but it does come at a great price! She has till 17th May to decide...

My blip is of the sand dunes we saw coming back. Very much carved by the wind. I managed to stay awake this time. I've got a mega busy day tomorrow, so need to sleep!!