THE CANADIAN EMBASSY
I contact the embassy and I get in contact with some women. I ask her what was her name and she gave me is first name. For example First minister name is Jean and name Chrétien or Jean Chrétien not Jean. It’s the same thing in French and English, maybe she was not that good in French? I said so at least she is not that educated. I phone in the embassy so it’s some kind of formal communication. She was probably the result of some kind of Greek University, in Canada nothing work like that!
That little thing made me so upset… Greek and Latin are the base of French language, even if I did not speak Greek I know the difference between a last name and a first name!
THE GREEK HOSTEL
As you don’t know you can take an hostel room in Greece only by presenting your Canadian Passport, in some place they ask for credit card but not everywhere. The guy or the women at the entrance will take you Canadian Passport information in a small bloc note. In the more beautiful place they take a photocopy. In some nasty place the staff at the information desk will try to keep the Canadian Passport at the desk for the whole night. Just by pretending to need to copy the information and to bring you that in 5 minutes. But in fact it’s just a Greek move to keep the Canadian passport at the desk to be sure you will not left without paying, or with some Greek furniture.
How much do you think you can sell a Canadian Passport? Depend, if it’s only to done robbery in the Greek hostel, for a cheap price,… However, to somebody who is interested to travel, lot of money, probably.
Some observation about hostel in Greece (in don’t think you will find that in Michelin guide):
| Greece Hostel in low season
| | Price | Class | Description
| | 20 | Cheap hostel
| you have to pay before, you can’t sleep well, the commune shower is dirty. Nobody came back to look if you have run away with anything because nearly nothing is in the room. The only accessories you can expect find there is a not washed glass. You have to pay before.
| | 35 | Normal hostel
| You have to pay before too, the lady at the entrance will try to keep you Canadian Passport by pretexting than she will bring you that back in 5 minutes.
| | 60 | Ok hostel | You don’t have to pay before! and as I have experience you get back you ID. |
THE CANADIAN CONSULATE
I was not that interested to treat with the women I have talk with. He, one option was remaining, the Thessaloniki consulate.
So, I was not ignoring the fact than you can take a hostel room in Greece without credit card. The Canadian Consulate is located in the Hostel Palace, so I was going to take a room and the next day the consul should gave me the name of that women. Otherwise I will remain in the room. That could not be that much cool for the consul. Another option would be to left the room and to come back only some day after.
I took the room on Sunday, just think about it I could not have done so some other day. I was going to pretend to be extremely waisted.
Monday I went to see the consul.
I told him what has happen to me at Retymno, how I have escape the jail. He did not show any interest for that. But I curiously ask me where I have sleep. I said in that hostel of course. He just reply "but I will get some problem here!"
The thing was well working. So I went in my room to look the Greek TV, it’s quite bad, I look on some animated comic in Greek. I have pretexted to pack my luggage! When I went back he gave me the telephone and I’ve talk to the same women I was still ignoring who she was. She was of course not that happy about what I did! She even did me some “undercover menace”. That made me quite upset, but she was quite in power, and unhappy about the negotiation element I have found. That was too a sort of undercover menace.
When I hang up I told to the consul and he understood why I did that. He gave me the name of that women, he have no choice.
Just look the paper the guy gave me. If you never go there I think you will understand. The guy is going to said nearly nothing. It’s like going to the bank, and to try to discuss with the money automat.
So after I have finish to receive a couple of Canadian tourist who have lost their Canadian Passport the consul gave me 10 euro for my day expense. He truly said it’s from me personally, that was of course a lie. Look on the
final bill, that amount of money is there! I was not surprise at all about that. I was never going to imagine than that guy I fully ready to gave me some 10 euro… That night I’ve sleep on the railway station. It’s extremely funny for me to done that. I mean, we can’t in Canada sleep in the railway, it’s more or like equivalent to walking naked in the street... Moreover it’s a small railway, around 3h00 some guy throw everybody outside.
Three day after. I’ve put my signature on the bottom of
some 4 sheet of paper. I give back my Canadian Passport, and I receive an Emergency Canadian Passport.
I took a plane the same day.
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