Tuesday, December 06, 2005

In UAE

Our group landed this morning - via two flights - Emirates and Ethiopia. The problems continued when we found out that not everyone had visas approved. Nigerians are on the problem list for UAE officials (along with Somalis and Iraqis). The travel agent people told us that Nigerians came and did a bank robbery a few years ago. This was the first time this had happened in the country. In the past couple of years, travel agents are only allowed to process four Nigerian passports at a time. This made getting all the passports done in one go somewhat problematic. Tempers are rising. Some of the party are in the hotel (a Russian-themed joint with rococco gilded fittings), some are still in the airport, tired and fed up. We will get there.

I'm going to take a rest now. Its nice having broadband internet access again after the crawling and extortionate speeds of Nigeria..

5 comments:

the flying monkeys 1:32 pm  
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
akinola,  5:39 pm  

Unfortunately, having a Nigerian passport, or even a Nigerian visa stamp in a British/other passport will cause you hassle the world over.

Chxta 6:49 pm  

Very depressing observation Akinola...

Teju Cole 3:01 pm  

Ol' boy, I hear you on the painfully slow state of internet in Naija. I has taken me an hour, on average, to do ten minutes work. But things will surely get better. The malls, for example, have broadband cafes. And at City Mall (where I am right now), they even have wireless all through the building.


I hereby promise never to take my broadband luxuries for granted again!

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