One more sleep!

We are down to a couple days at work (which really aren't going to be productive!) and one sleep before we head off!!

We still don't know if we are going to make it into Libya. We received a reply from the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli - they confirm that Libya is expecting the Arabic translation to be "sealed". The Canadian Passport office toll free line says no problem to do that, just drop by an office. So I head over to the Passport Office in Calgary and grab a ticket and wait the required 1 hour. Talk to the Passport official and she takes the two passports to get them stamped. I am feeling pretty good. Things are falling into place. Then...she returns...two passports...unstamped.

She says they can't do that. I tell her my story about the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli and my phone conversation. She goes to get her manager. I tell her the story. And she looks at me like I am on crack. She can't read Arabic so she can't certify the translation. I agree. But the Canadian Embassy in Tripoli say it is ok!!! All she can do is request a clarification from the "policy" department which takes 48 hours. I don't have 48 hours. She can send an urgent request but no guarantees. Ok...do what you can.

So now it is time to think of alternative plans. So far we have these: go to the airline office for the airline we fly into Libya in Dakar - ask them. Go to the Canadian Embassy in Dakar, see if they will stamp it. Go to the Libyan Embassy in Dakar, see what they think. Repeat in Bamako and Accra. Other than that...we'll just have to wing it!!