December 16th
It wasn’t like this was a last-minute booking. In fact the first part of our South America trip had been in the works for about a year. It includes a 14 day Princess cruise that departs a couple of hour drive outside of Santiago, Chile and terminates in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Several months ago, we made the decision to add-on a couple extra weeks with more time with an Intrepid land tour. It includes a couple extra days in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro.
I did know that we needed to get a visa to travel to Brazil, but I was in no hurry. I had taken a very quick glance at the online form that needed to be filled out and presented to our local Brazilian Consulate. We are home based in the Los Angeles area, so the drive was not far. Somehow, I had interpreted that it would take about 5 days.
In early November I filled out the online form for myself and was assigned a number. Still in no hurry, I set Tim’s aside. We did stop off at Costco to get fresh/current passport photos taken
With a remodel project being planned, some decluttering in the works and a trip to Illinois for Thanksgiving, the visa got pushed to the back burner. But as soon as we returned I grabbed my completed form and sat down at the computer to fill out the application for Tim.
Done.
OK, I’ll look up the address and we will drive to Los Angeles to leave our passports, forms and fees, then come back in a few days to pick everything up with our new Brazil visa enclosed.
Wrong, wrong, WRONG!!!!!
Feeling a bit foolish, I reread the instructions and found out that walk-ins were not allowed and that we needed to make an appointment.
No problem, I thought…
Well, wrong again, it was a BIG problem as the first available appointment was December 22nd and our flight to Chile was booked to depart on December 17th.
I’m starting to sweat.
Well, if we have to, I guess we could take a day or two to drive up to San Francisco for an appointment as that is exactly what we had done a couple of years ago to facilitate our India visas.
Nope, not allowed. Each geographical area has a strict jurisdiction and you are not permitted to venture outside of your own designated area.
I posted a quick note on a Facebook travel page I am a member of asking for ideas or suggestions
I got Tim involved and he started calling visa services to see if they could expedite the processing. They all needed a minimum of 22 days.
While he then called Intrepid tours to find out if they had some connection or shortcut ideas. They were no help and said that getting any required documentation was our responsibility.
I also sent off a message to a woman we had met on a trip to South Africa who works for a company that issues visas. Katrin was in India, herself on vacation, but she still took the time to reach out to one of her colleagues on the West Coast to see if they could help. They could not.
She did educate me that one extreme solution would to fly from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. Submit our application there and return in 5 days to collect our passports and visa. We would both have to go. That would include two last-minute round trip airfare plus 5-6 nights in a hotel.
Huge expense to absorb due to my ignorance and poor planning.
By now, I’m beating myself up, in tears and thinking we might be forced to cancel our month-long holiday trip. I had not purchased any cancellation insurance, but that would not have covered this issue regardless.
As a last-ditch effort, I drafted an email to the emergency email address listed on the Consulate site. I threw myself at their mercy, explaining the dire predicament we found ourselves in and begging for them to help us secure an appointment ASAP.
I said a little prayer, asking my angels to help us find a solution.
Now, most husbands might be a bit perturbed, down-right angry or throw up there hands, but I swear I must be married to a saint, as Tim just kept calling one visa company after another from the list provided by the Brazil Consulate.
He spotted one on the list that was specifically called Brazilian Visas and it was local. In fact only a short distance from our shop.
Tim spoke to a woman named Julia, and after repeating our predicament for the Nth time, she two reiterated the formidable 22 days. Tim was nearing the end of the list and mentioned to her that we may just need to cancel our month-long trip.
I don’t know if a lightbulb came on, or what then happened, but she said. “I do know someone who may be able to help you. Call Michael Fenton in Atlanta” and proceeded to give Tim the phone number. “I’ve known Michael for years, he is very reliable and if anyone can help you, he can. Tell him, Julia sent you”.
Well, by this time I was imagining a shady back room with a secret knock and a password. But hey, what did we have to lose except for our passports and any associated fees???
Tim proceeded to call Michael and upon hearing the details of our situation, he instantly put us at ease. He knew exactly what needed to be done and what documents he would require to be sent to him via overnight service.
The date was Wednesday, November 29th. He said that if he had everything he needed by Friday, he could review that material and deliver it to the consulate in Atlanta on Monday. He expected that the visas would be issued in 5-7 business days and that he would have them overnighted back to us on 12/14.
Three days before we were scheduled to depart…
We lost no time, gathered everything up, made copies of our travel details including flights, cruise and tour information, our passports, passport photos, completed application forms with assigned reference numbers and required proof of financial stability in the form of a bank statement showing we had enough funds available.
A trip to Federal Express and our Hail Mary pass was on the way.
The next day Michael confirmed he had received our documents but he needed the original bank statement, or if it was a copy, it had to be notarized. I had intended to send him the original, but had once again goofed, and had included my copy instead.
Back to Federal Express we went to send off the original bank statement.
In the meantime, I heard back from the Brazilian Consulate regarding the emergency email I had sent, that basically said that my failure to properly plan did not constitute an emergency, but to keep checking to see if there were any appointment cancellations. There were not any posted.
On Friday morning, Michael emailed me that he now had everything he needed and as previously discussed, would file on our behalf on Monday, 12/4.
We confirmed on Monday that everything had been submitted and we were still on track to get our passports and visas back on 12/14.
On 12/12, I sent Michael another email requesting an update. He responded that he expected the visa to be issued the next day.
On 12/13 I got another email from him with tracking numbers saying that the visas had been issued and that our passports were on the way back to us.
On 12/14 – the exact promised date, our passports and visas were delivered to our office!
Whew!!!
I want to give a most sincere THANK YOU to Michael Fenton for the professional manner in which he handled all of this transaction. He saved me from having to cancel our trip, maintained great communication at each stage, and most importantly got us our documents back in time.
I can whole heartedly recommend him to anyone who needs to obtain a visa for any future trip.
So, I am now all packed and ready to go out the door tomorrow morning on our way to South America. Our trip will include a 14 day Princess Cruise from Santiago, Chile around the horn with stops in the Falkland Islands, Uruguay and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We then join an Intrepid 10 day land tour that takes us to Iguazu Falls and on to Rio de Janeiro.
We hope you will follow along with us as we explore South America over the next 30 days.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Well of course I am extremely grateful for Tim’s persistence, the many people on the Travel the World, Simply site who offered up suggestions, Katrin for contacting her West Coast office to see if they could help while she herself was on vacation in India, for Julia at Brazil Visa Service for the referral and of course most of all to Michael Fenton of Visa Supply, LLC for pulling a rabbit out of the hat and accomplishing what no one else was able to do.
A Note From Abroad 
It’s great that you made it. It has proved again: “When God closes a door, He always opens a window.”
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That certainly seems to hold true for us.
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Enjoy your trip. Bon voyage!
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Thank you!
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How wonderful! I am so glad you are able to still go! And if you are going into Chile remember to bring US Cash for your reciprocity fee into the country. It has to be US Cash and I believe it’s currently $131 per person (they don’t give change). Have a great trip!
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Thank you for that helpful reminder!
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Looking forward to armchair travelling with you to South America. Have a wonderful holiday and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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Thank you and best wishes for the holidays to you as well!
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That’s quite a story, Joanne! So glad you were able to resolve the challenge and wishing you a wonderful trip!
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Thanks Sandy! We were pretty fortunate that it worked out.
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It just goes to show. Persistence will out! Trust the rest of the trip proceeds smoothly…Enjoy!
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Joy, I hope this means that the hard part is over. I certainly learned a lesson 😃
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Wow! What a story. I could see myself doing this, as I am the queen of procrastination, especially since you thought it would only take 5 – 7 days to complete. So glad that, with persistence, everything worked out. I am looking forward to traveling with you.
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Getting ready to go to the airport now. Glad you are joining us. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing…
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Have a wonderful holiday trip! We enjoy Princess and the ship should be decked out for the holidays. We are doing another Regal Princess Cruise next month, just to get out of the cold weather in Chicago.
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I’m looking forward to celebrating both Christmas and New Years on board. Should be magical 🎄
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My husband did one far worse than that. He was invited to speak as a formal honored VIP guest at a Russian university. Among the items sent to him was a formal Russian document which one of his Russian speaking friends (whose English was not as good as her Russian) told him it was the documentation for his Russian visa. Poor translation because it was actually the documentation to apply for his Russian visa. He arrived in Russian with the documentation to apply for his Russian visa in hand and proudly presented it to the customs people assuming the university had arranged it all for him. After a three hour curfuffle in customs and the intervention of his hosts at the airport, he got his Russian visa for his stay.
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Oh my goodness! That had to have been a nightmare to get through. Thank goodness he had someone there who could intervene.
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Whew! Glad to hear it worked out for you. Enjoy your trip!
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We are pretty happy as well 😳
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Glad you didn’t miss out on your trip! The timing is so unfortunate; I read that beginning in January, U.S. citizens are going to be able to apply for e-visas and avoid this consulate process altogether.
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Elizabeth, I read that too that in 2018, online processing will go into effect.
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Oh my goodness, you must have been up to high doh (as my granny would have said). So glad it worked out in the end.
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Anabel, that is a new saying for me. I like it!
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Made me sweat just reading about it. Yikes!! So thankful it worked out.
janet
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Janet, me too! I was holding me breath until we had our passports and visas firmly in our hands.
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I can imagine!!
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Persistence and not getting upset, keeping your cool, and good team work always pays off int he end. Have a great trip you two.
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Thanks Terry. Although Tim had every reason to be irritated at me, he did keep calm, kind and persistent. Sooooo appreciate hm!
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So pleased it worked out for you in the end. Very interested to follow along as we are flying in to Buenos Aires on 26 Feb to pick up the 30 day Princess cruise of South America on 28th. Before we fly home we’re spending a few days in LA and San Francisco – currently working on what to do and see there. Any suggestions?
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Jill, I hope our posts will be helpful for you as you prepare for your February/March Princess cruise. As for Los Angeles, you will need a car. Our public transportation is lacking. Are you looking for touristy highlights, theme parks, museums, beach or other special interests? I’ll be glad to try to make a couple recommendations for you.
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Whew! What an immense relief! So glad you didn’t have to cancel and best wishes on what sounds like an incredible trip.
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We are happy too! It was a nail-biter for sure.
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Have a fantastic trip. So sorry you experienced this stress, but thank you for sharing so that we may learn from it.
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Thankfully it worked out in the end, but I certainly hope anyone else planning to go to Brazil will learn from my mistakes.
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Happy ending 🇧🇷😎👍🏾
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Very! Thank goodness 😊
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I am scheduled to pick up my paperwork this Friday. I thought for a moment to put it off to the last minute and do it online (less expensive and quicker turnover time), a few days before my trip. Then I came to my senses!🗺😅👍🏾
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Glad to hear that you will have it all taken care of.
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I look forward to reading about your travels and hope this experience has taught you an important lesson about establishing priorities. Next time, you might not be so lucky. Have fun.
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Wonderful that you will be following along with us. I’m betting that the next time we need a visa that it will be well researched and taken care of far in advance…
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Oww..!! and great reminders for all of us!! I’m glad it worked out due to your diligence!
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We had too much at risk to just give up, and extremely thankful that with some luck, persistence and eventually getting to the right person, it worked out.
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Phew!!! … lesson learned! … have a magnificent adventure. 🙂
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Thank you and yes, a HUGE lesson learned.
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OMG I’d have been sweating bullets! And probably in tears too. How wonderful that you found a solution. Have a fabulous time!
Alison
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Alison, I was quite concerned before we found Michael, and for the better part of a day I was a mess. Off on one more adventure!
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What a story! Doesn’t look like Brazil really wants tourists!
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Cal, one of the stories we heard from one of the visa companies is that it is a bit of a reciprocity issue. The USA is making it difficult for visitors to come from Brazil, so the Brazilian Consulate is slowing down and taking longer to issue their visas. Not sure how true or accurate that info is, but it does seem to make some sense.
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If so, wonder who is hurt the most in tit for tat?
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Good question. I can’t see how it benefits anyone.
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Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men go awry 😊 – glad it worked out for you. Have a wonderful trip!
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Thank you very much. We plan on making the most of it now that we are here!
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Whew! Glad it all worked out, plus I have been waiting for your next trip and blogging adventure, I am doubly glad! Have a safe, grand time!
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Thank you John! We slowed our travels down a little this year as we are busy revamping our cabin in between trips. We were a bit overdue for another trip 😁
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Holly schmolly!! 🙌🙏🙌💞
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Exactly!!!
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OH MY!!! I am sweating just reading this. Tim is a saint. Pete would have given up after the second call. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!!
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Got to agree with your description of Tim ❤️, but I’m guessing with Pete around, one would never have been in this pickle to begin with.
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You are lucky. Yrs. ago when visiting the Falls from Argentina, I signed up and pd. for a tour to the Brazilian side, No visa was mentioned. When the driver came to pick me up for the tour, he asked to see the visa. As an Amer I needed a visa, he said. No way to get one at the last minute. So, I never saw that side of the Falls, and was out about $100. Live and learn.
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Leah, I’m so sorry that you were not able to see the Brazilian side of the falls. That was an expensive and disappointing lesson to learn. Yes, we were extremely lucky that we were able to get this accomplished on short notice.
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Gosh I love that your story has a happy ending, and will remember Michael should we ever find ourselves in a similar predicament!
I guess what they say is true that you can’t get anywhere without going through Atlanta (very poorly paraphrased, but apparently true)! 😁😀
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Good news for those going to Brazil – US citizens can NOW get an eVisa online!
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Even better!
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Wow!!!
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Ever since the Olympics were held in Rio, Brazil has been on my bucket list. It seems like such a vibrant country with such a unique culture.
Share your adventure with us and earn.
http://themixedbagtravel.com/
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Rio is indeed vibrant. It is an enormous country and we barely scratched the surface with out visits to Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. I would love to return someday to explore further, especially up into the Amazon area. I am curious about your site and sent to a message to learn more about sharing our travel stories.
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