A close call
While I am writing this, I am just passing the border of Greenland. By air of course. Still 5 hours to go until Calgary, clearing customs and getting the permit, some waiting and then on to Yellowknife. Getting the permit, you heard that right. Although getting it was far from easy and proved to be quite stressful for a lot of people.
The medical tests
The Canadian Embassy in Berlin was the place that processed almost all my stuff for a permit. Almost all, because the medical tests were reviewed in Vienna. A recipe for disaster it turned out to be….. I had my meds done Thursday Oct 8. My blood work was done Tuesday Oct 6. After the results of the blood work and the urine test were in, the doctor that did the procedure send all the stuff to Vienna. This would have been either Friday Oct 9 or Monday Oct 12.
Some clarification needed
That Thursday, Oct 15, Vienna send a fax and an e-mail for further clarification concerning my asthma. It turned out the Dutch abbreviation CARA is really a Dutch abbreviation, so they didn’t know what to think of it in Vienna. The doctor on the other hand did not recognize the request, because those were normally done by mail and had a name written on them. The request for my case only had a file number and was send by fax and e-mail.
Stress
On Monday I e-mailed my contact at the Embassy in Berlin if I were able to go on the flight on Thursday, or needed to reschedule. She assured me it was doable and went to reach Vienna. She e-mailed a disturbing answer: the doctor had not replied to the request made on Thursday. so I went by the doctor first thing on Tuesday Oct 20, since my contact at the Embassy assured me that all would be fine if the doctor would reply before noon that day. After some searching and some apologies, the doctor found the request and some time for me. Really nice and he would fax the stuff right away.
On y va
I decided to go on with the flight, checked in my road bike (yes, it is going to Canada, along with a Bicycle trainer, which allows me to bike indoors, kind of like spinning) and did some last changes to my insurance stuff. Because I am going to work in Canada, I needed a different kind of insurance.
Stress, part 2
Wednesday Oct 21 I should get the permit letter by fax. Judith would receive it, because it is her faxing number and she would e-mail it to me. Nothing arrived, so I e-mailed again to Berlin. After some investigation by my Berlin contact, it turned Vienna could not find the fax sent by the doctor. It was not there.
I replied and explained about my asthma and that is quite common and in my case quite mild as well. Eventually, on Thursday, the day my flight was leaving. I sent the cell phone number of the doctor as well to Berlin and my dad and I went on our merry way to the airport. The night before I received an e-mail that told me not to stress, because they would find a way to make it work. Easier said than done, but I managed to have a good night of sleep.
Unbelievable, yet true
When clearing customs before boarding the plane, so after the passport check, I received the news that Vienna was OK with the explanation of me / my doctor. I would get the permit number by e-mail, phone and my mom and dad will text it as well. I only need the number to get a permit. I have no clue how it works, but I will just try and be my charming and a tad bit clumsy self. So far that has worked quite well, getting my bike in (that was overweight due to the bicycle trainer) and getting to pay the lowest fee possible for my excess bagage.
All is well that ends well?
We’ll see in about 5 hours how I will do at the customs. I think it is going to be OK. After all, I did all the stuff right and I have a number that should be in their system. The travelling gods somehow decided they would be nice to me. Instead of sitting next to a former hockey player twice the size of the chair, like last time, I have an empty chair next to me. Quite something. Shutting down the laptop again, I may need it later on in Calgary. I will finish this update later.
All is well that ends well! (18.30, Calgary)
I did get the permit. Fairly easily actually. Taping the bicycle box that was ripped apart by some nice cargo people on the airport took me at least twice as much time. I do hope it survives the last part of my flight to Yellowknife. But I went to immigration, gave them the number, permit was printed and attached to my passport.
So, I am on my way to Yellowknife. Finally. No more stress, yet I know that a few more bureaucratic challenges await me there. But I am looking forward on seeing Judith again! Until the next update!
P.S. This update was placed a few days later, I have done quite some things since I returned that kept me from posting it, but that is something for a next update.