Corruption

In case some of you haven't been reading I will reiterate. I went to Turkey last April. For most westerners when you arrive in Turkey you pay $20 and you get a 90 day multiple entry visa, meaning you can go in and out of Turkey without paying any more. If you think you will go over your 90 days you leave the country and when you return you pay another $20 and that will be good for another 90 day multiple entry visa.

I knew from the beginning I would be going over so when I came back from Georgia I paid some passport border official $20. He gave me a receipt that said I paid on July 1st and it was good for another 90 days.

So on July 29th when I left Turkey to go back to the States I was shocked when the passport control officers would not let me leave the airport until I paid a $200 fine for overstaying my visa. They said that my receipt meant nothing. I did not have the correct stamp.

You know as an American I usually don't need a visa and if I do I get it at the airport or the border. I don't pay attention to what they put in my passport. I've been to over 60 countries and I have never had this problem, except, of course, when I worked illegally in Canada. (Someone told on me.) But I wasn't deported and I stayed awhile longer and never had a problem returning.

I was furious but what could I do my plane was leaving so I paid it. I thought that would be it, but no.

If you've been reading my blog you know that when I returned to Turkey the officials wouldn't let me enter. They forced me back on the same plane I arrived on. Literally forced, because I sat on the ground and they had to drag me. A love sick heart will make you do crazy things. Emino was waiting for me, wanting to make up, wanting me to stay indefinitely. I only planned to stay a couple of months and it wasn't just Emino I wanted to see but Lisa and all the other friends I had made. Like I said I've been to many countries and again, except for Canada, I never wanted so badly to go back and see the friends I had made.

I went to the Turkish consulate here in London. They said my receipt meant nothing and I should have known. Known what? Would any of you know you didn't have the correct stamp?

I've had to fill out forms, provide my bank account information, write a letter explaining what happened, and provide a letter of invite. Three people wrote me letters of invite, Lisa was one. The other two were Kurdish. I couldn't use those because the Turkish government hates the Kurds. They tried genocide in the 90's to get rid of them like they did the Armenians previously. They would like to do the same now but since Turkey wants to join the EC, much to their chagrin, they can't. Still they are heavily ostracized.

All this paperwork was sent to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. I was told it would take a minimum of six weeks before they would let me know if I am able to return. In the meantime I have a non refundable ticket back to the States on Nov. 2nd. I already used my ticket from London to Izmir, Turkey and all I saw was the inside of the plane.

This has cost me a small fortune. I thought when I came back all I would be paying for was my airfare since I would be staying with Emino and Lisa. Food costs would have minimal since Emino would be treating and Lisa charges me very little for eating at her restaurant in exchange for little work.

I miss Emino more than ever. I thought I was going to have all this fabulous sex. I need to do something fun to forget about my misery. I have six weeks to kill and I'm going for broke. I'm booking a flight to Croatia today. I have all these sundresses and no sun. You'll hear from me next from there.