By Evan
I just wanted to write a quick post to let everybody know what’s going on with us. The more substantive posts about our LBX activities will be coming soon. Thankfully, the weather cooperated with us on our last three cycling days (all over 100 km — real killers), and we pulled into Shenzhen right on schedule. Thanks to Andy’s friend Marissa and her roommates Arte and Alex, we had a comfortable place to rest in the old deep ditch (深圳). Yesterday morning bright and early we passed into the bright light of Hong Kong with a day to spare on my residence permit, on a dedicated mission to crank out some long term visas.
We had heard that six month visas were possible, and accordingly we cut a B line to the visa agency of Linda Hui. Mrs. Hui told us that US nationals could indeed process 6 month visas, and French nationals 3 month visas, but with one prickly little caveat: we have to leave the country every 3o days (每三十天都必須出境), no exceptions at all. In a panic, we ran to several other visa agencies, called everybody we knew, and generally freaked out. In the end, the owner of our hotel processed a 3 month, no required exit visa for Alexis for 400 HKD (~$51 USD). Being a US citizen, I was forced to accept a very bitter solution: 6 month tourist visa, 30 day stays, 1700 HKD ($220). This, of course, means that I will have to take a bus from wherever we are to Shenzhen every god$@*& #*~’ing 30 days to walk across the border, buy a sugar free Oolong tea in a 7-11, and walk back across into Shenzhen. The words “arbitrary” and “wasteful” were flashing before my eyes as I accepted the stupidest of solutions before dowsing my anger with expensive beers (what was I just saying about “arbitrary” and “wasteful”?) with Andy and our old pal Drayton. (more…)
