an accomplishment

so I achieved something in my continuing struggle with the "tramites" for residency in Bolivia. I accomplished the first step.

I knew that I needed to leave the country, go to a consul's office and get a "visa de objeto determinado." No dice at the consul in Puno. But my neighbor had gotten hers done with almost no trouble at another consul's office. So I went their, and after realizing that they had forgotten to ask me for my work contract. I gave them the contract that I had invented with some friends, and ten minutes later they returned my passport with a visa for 60 days, 30 more than they should have.

The secretary's comment was, "most of these things are just designed to make your life difficult, so we won't ask you for them." Which is really interesting, given my anthropology of the state readings.

And since I got back last night, I've been jamming on the rest of my tramites...