We needed our sails repaired and a visa extension.
We once again rented a car and set off for the
Rolly Tasker sail loft with our sails to be restitched. What a massive place!
While there we picked up country flags for future ports in the Med and dropped
off the sails.
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| Rolly Tasker Sail Loft |
While we had the car for a few days we did a bit
more shopping and stocking up and marveled at the crazy moped drivers on the
freeway holding babies in their laps or out to the side riding down the road.
No wonder so many die in traffic accidents here!
Since we are not going to Malaysia we have to
leave the country to get a 30-day visa extension somehow. Zara at the marina
office told us to get a bus to Rangoon and take a water taxi over to Burma, get
our passports stamped and we will get 30 days. She forgot to tell us not to go
until the last day of our current visa. We were looking at this as an adventure and were excited about the trip. Off we went at 4 AM on a miserable, hot
and long bus ride to a filthy village where you can tell you are going to get
ripped off so you just hold your breath and get ready for the ripoff. We
were immediately set upon by helpful locals who wanted to take our money in
order to show us where to go. Turns out it was only 2 blocks away but we paid
anyway. Then we got in line to get our passports tamped and then another queue
for a ride on one of the rickety little boats bobbing in the small harbor.
There were so many open planks in the bottom of the boat I nearly broke an
ankle. It was so creepy, we almost felt as though there was something untoward
happening. Arriving at the Burmese border we were scrutinized by the scowling
officials and told not to look at them or smile. I snapped off a couple of
photos before being told that was illegal and I might lose my iPhone! We then walked through a dirty village
toward the customs office where, we were told to hire an agent. We paid a man
who was standing around to get our passports stamped and then paid him to escort
us back to our awaiting boat. Back across we went to Thailand where we stood in
yet another queue to get stamped back in. To our horror, the Thai customs
official only gave us 7 days! He said the extension starts today, not on the
day our current visa expires, AND you now only get 14 days at this particular
border crossing. OMG. We are in a world of hurt and frustration. We sulked back
to the bus stop where we waited until 6 pm for the return bus, arriving back to
Yacht haven late, tired and quite upset.
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| beckoning us aboard - had to step around prop! |
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| Rangoon wharf |
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| official pointing at me and yelling b/c I'm taking photos |
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| Burma (Myanmar)wharf |
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| dreading this wet and rough ride back! |
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