The hardest of them all – the Russian visa. Given my experience with courier companies – overnight does not mean what it says. Taking this to heart Emily and I decided to hand deliver our passports to the Russian embassy – only having a days grace to get them in. Delivered to early – our date of entry would be to early ( you can only apply within 3 months). To late – our visas won’t get processed due to Easter holidays.
Arriving in the back blocks of karori in wellington to a very odd house – straight out of suburban Moscow. What I thought was a great steel door with a likely big security lock turned out to be made of plywood held together with duck tape and a small lock like a outside toilet at a camp ground. Russian tv blaring at a full pitch. In my classic fashion of adopting other peoples accents, I slipped in my limited Russian ‘Da’, with the world renowned thumbs up a few times. Cash only at the Russian embassy (a suspect a massive stash of non declared non taxed nz currency upstairs).

I was told to come back in a few days after being handed a non descript piece of paper in Russian. Again ‘thumbs up’ !
Success a fews days later – 4 flights and some great hospitality by same good friends.
Visa no. Two. YAY