Extending Iranian Entry Stamp

I felt regret not to take things seriously when my friend PKK told me the 15-day Iranian entry stamp in my passport is not extendable. I thought I can simply get it extended anywhere in Iran. No, no, no, it’s not like that. It’s all because I mistrusted the hostel staff in Tehran who made me believes that it’s just a piece of cake to extend an Iranian visa. Everything he said was so convincing that I eventually made up my mind to extend it in Esfahan. I can’t stay in Tehran anymore. I would eventually perish of boredom if I not leave the capital at the soonest.

It wasn’t until I showed up at the Department of Aliens Affairs in Esfahan early in the morning that I finally realized my Iranian entry stamp was not extendable, at least not in Esfahan. I begged and begged and nothing got better except – You have 4 days more before leaving the country. Then I made a call to the hostel staff in Tehran and he asked me to go back to Tehran and get it extended there. I almost burst out of tears when he made a promise. Again, everything he said was so convincing.

So, here I am, in Tehran again. Damn it.

It took me a bit of effort trying to locate the new Department of Aliens Affairs. After joining a long queue with all the Iraqi, Afghani, Azeris, Indian, Pakistani and other ‘Aliens’, and also after some ill-fated endeavors which shamelessly required you to run here and there or not giving clear instruction or guidance on purpose(Who ask you to be an Alien? You have to bear with all the unsystematic and unorganized procedures which blend in so perfectly in the Middle Eastern cultures), I was told to come back again after 5 days. Yes, it’s 5-day! Damn it!

Arghhh…I don’t care. I can’t stay in Tehran anymore. I can’t spend time just by waiting. I’m leaving to Shiraz tonight, with my passport not in my belt…

The subsequent days saw me being refused by hotels in other cities because I failed to show them my passport. I have to rush to the nearest police station to beg for a written request as well as to bear all kinds of their reprimands by not following the rules(5-day prison in Tehran?).