Maiti Nepal/Visa

Swarmed by children! It is a wonderful welcome. After going to Maiti office to see about my visa I stop by the school. All the children ask me to come to their class to visit.

Spoke to Flora about teaching. I stop by some of the classes as teachers are absent and show my photos and play a wordgame on board.

When I to to Maiti office, Anuradha sees me, very warm welcome, I am family. She tells me to see Bishwu about my visa. At lunch Anuradha speaks to Bishwu and asks him to sort out my visa so I can stay for 8 months.

He looks on government website to find out what is required finally suggests that I go to the immigration office to ask. He writes down the address in Nepali and tells me to ask the taxi to take me to Maiti Ghar area.

I phone Daya as she had assisted me at the airport she suggests that I phone the Canadian Consulate to ask them before going to the immigration office...a good idea.

When I phone the Canadian Consulate they advise me that it is a big hassle to get a non-tourist visa and there is no guarantee that I will get it. So now I will have to pay $2US/day...very expensive.

At Maiti Nepal, I tell Anuradha what I found out, she says that she will phone the Home Secretary and let me know.

In the end, the non-tourist visa is not possible so I to to the immmigration office to extend my visa, I can only extend it for an initial 60 days paying $2US/day. I am upset with myself that I didn't just get a 90 day tourist visa ($100US)...a lesson learned.