Friday, November 5, 2010

Peru Postal System Fail (Part II)

     So. Today Nancy was going to pick me up from colegio at around 10:30am (recreo between classes) and we were going to go get my package. She picked me up at 11:30am instead because she had been searching the house up and down for my AFS card, which she didn't know that I had with me! Okay, that's fine, so we raced into a cab on our way to el centro.

      Then, just our luck, there's some big crowd of people blocking the middle of the highway, so our driver turns around to try the other highway, and has to turn around again towards the big crowd, spending our little precious time. We decided the best option was to get out of the cab and run through the kilometer long crowd of people that were market farmers protesting about something or other. I wish we could have checked it out, but we didn't have time; stupid post office stops letting people in at 12. So we just booked it to the other side of the crowd/blockage and took another taxi the rest of the way to el centro, which was also slow because it had been coming FROM el centro, and had to turn around. There was a thousand people and cars and UGGH of course when you're in a rush, something like that happens hahaha

      So then we finally arrive at the Serpost post office place (by the way, PLEASE DON'T USE SERPOST AGAIN!! use Junior or something? I'm told it's faster and safer, if a bit more expensive.) and ask to be let in. (they have guards at the gates of everything here). It was the same guard who's seen us every freaking day, but according to his cell phone it was 12:02, and he would not let us in no matter how much we said please or explained our situation. TWO FREAKING MINUTES?!? Buuut he said he couldn't because his bosses in Lima would ask him why on Fri Nov 5th 2010, he let in customers at 12:02, and he could lose his job. Ugggh I can't believe it. As if it's that important? And they don't process the paperwork after 12pm either. Even if we'd arrived at 11:59, we might not have been able to get my package today. This is because I live in Chimbote. In Lima, the post office is open EVERY DAY for longer hours, and everything moves faster. Dios Mio. AND to make it even better, apparently it was Grumpy face working.

      So. We walked over to the other Serpost building thingy to look for Jorge, who had apparently been called out for a commission to somewhere else. And we were told a thousand times that friendly Jorge is wrong and that without my passport, there is no possible way to get my package. Great! Next step.. what exactly? I think I'll ask Jose to email AFS Lima to HURRY UP with my precious passport, which I felt weird giving to him to send there anyways. They've had it for two weeks at least. And when I do get my package, they need to open it infront of me in the post place, for  security. In case someone has repackaged it with guns or stolen goods or something that shouldn't be there and I get blamed for it. I think for that I also need my passport and such and omg. The boss top dog guy working there was like 50 years old and had grey hair and asked how old I was and was apparently very surprised. He thought I was a bit older when he was hitting on me. How creepy. Asking me if I have a boyfriend. How is this on topic you whack job . . .

       Then we had ice cream before lunch to celebrate the stupid obstacles we've had to overcome on this nightmarish journey.

    

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