The Visa

I believe. Oh yes I believe. The trip to the Ghanaian embassy over in the 16th proved fruitful. I went there this morning and retrieved my passport duly embellished with a visa.

The chap behind the counter put on a little show for me - sifting through various other passports, putting down the box containing them and asking me if I'd been in before.

"I was here last Thursday .... Thursday morning," I replied.

Well it had to be Thursday morning really since the place closes at noon.

He lowered his eyes and continued his search. I watched him survey a few crumpled ones.

"Mine's quite a new one," I offered.

That really didn't speed things up but he found it, handed it over and urged me to check that all was in order.

As I've never had a visa from the Ghana embassy I had no idea. But there was a page in the document with an official stamp.

And I guess that's good enough.

The other bonus was bumping into a chap who's also going to be covering the African Nations Cup.

We had a coffee after he'd deposited his passport. Joachim told me he went to the embassy last week and discovered that his passport would expire within six months and therefore he wasn't allowed to travel.

He was able to get a quickie passport. And why not since you can get quickie divorces and within three days he was back.

I don't think Joachim was given a receipt. But he's been to Ghana three times already.

Feeling flushed that I have my travel documents I went to the department at the radio station dealing with expenses to hand over the receipt.

I apologised for the delay and explained why I hadn't handed it in earlier.

"Everyone else got a receipt Paul," said the assistant. "I think they were having you on at the embassy."

Just as well Thursday night is yoga night.