Legal again

Today I had to go to immigration and extend my FMT. I have had to do this once before, in February or so. When you fly into Mexico (Cancun at least) they stopped giving you over 90 days and it turns out it has something to do with a fee they collect later. Anyway, the FMT visa (what you get on the plane before you land) is a tourist visa that allows one to stay in the country for 180 days in total. There is no renewal after that. You have to leave the country and re-enter. Some of you know my Belize adventure. Last time I just flew to Califas.

Anyway I went in today at 9:30 (immigration is open Monday thru Friday from 9-1). Having done this before, I knew what I needed to have on hand - my passport, my expiring FMT, a credit card and some cash. I barely waited in line, maybe 10 minutes (good) and received two forms to fill out. They told me to fill them out, make a photocopy of my passport, credit card and my FMT, and come back. I knew I had to pay the fee, but you cannot pay it at immigration, you have to pay it at any local bank and bring back the receipt. So I stopped by the window again (no line, better) and asked the girl if I needed to pay anything yet, and she said no. She said bring back the copies and the completed forms, they will review it, and then they will have me go pay. This was an added step to the process I had last February, but it's immigration, and they can do whatever they want to do because I need them. So off I went to get my copies.

I knew where everything was because, again, I have been there before. Copies were $.80 MN for each page, and in an effort to be proactive, I made 3 copies each of my passport, cc and FMT, and then 2 copies of the two forms that I filled out. You just never know. I don't let the immigration guy know I have them, so when he says, Oh shoot, I need another copy of this, I can just whip it out. That happened last time. So I'm cool.

I go back to the office and hand them my copies and originals, and she hands me three fee sheets (all the same) to fill out and take to the bank, which I did (did I mention it's hot out?). Frizz girl pays her $210MN, gets her receipts and stamped three originals of the fee sheet, and heads back to immigration. Of course, the official did not tell me I needed copies of the receipt, but AGAIN, I have done this before, so I swung by the copy place and got 3 copies of the receipt and two of the fee sheet.

Done, I go back to immigration, hand in my stuff, and sit down and wait (they did not play the Oh-I-need-another-copy game so I have a lot of paper in my little purse right now). Waited about, oh I don't know, 10 minutes and heard my name (Yoyce Yameson) and received my extension. Legal til November 23, baby!

I did meet a couple of women from Los Angeles and the daughter of one of them (young, 5 maybe?) - they were staying in Playa for the year and learning about culture and language and all that to assist them in their social worker jobs in LA. Very nice. They had been ripped off in oh so many ways over the last few months, but seemed to have a fairly good attitude about it. The kid of course loved me, and since we were in the process at the same time, I saw them at the copy place twice and the bank and of course immigration. The little girl was bright skinned so I am sure the Mexicans were wondering who the black father was; the women were both pretty dark black, and the girl didn't really favor her mother. That kid pretty much stayed with her arms around my leg or waist every where we went. We exchanged numbers, can't hurt to know people, and they were very nice women.

So that's that, legal again for now and then maybe we can find a cheap flight in October or November to Florida and do a little shopping. I am sick of my clothes. Pretty uneventful trip all in all, I was done by 11am, but you might find it fairly interesting as to the process. I did, the first time, but, like I say, I've done it before.