Fourth Day in Abidjan (12 August 2013)

Holly ShishKabob! Today's day was an emotional, longest, funniest, luckiest (you name it) day for me. This is the day that I faced yet again the complicated typical African custom clearance procedures. Here is how we started our day. Prof Obrou was supposed to meet us from our hotel. Instead he sent his student to meet us at the hotel lobby. We then hired a driver to take us to the Abidjan airport custom office, where our instrument located. We met Prof Obrou outside and we went to the clearance company that University Cocody hired to do custom clearance for them, such us our instrument. The custom clearance officer told us the delay is due to the new rule that new government introduced regarding how to handle the tax fees waiving for material that will be used for academic purpose. He updated us the procedures that we have to go through to finalize the process and get the instrument release. The procedural steps are; 1) Print a form that's been released by Customs office  2) bring it to sea port and get a signature 3) bring it back to the airport custom office to pick up our instrument. Okay!  Well that sounds easy enough. I become suddenly muted, but Kathryn asked where is this form and how it can be accessed? The answer was simple, "wait". Waiting for what? she throw another question. Response? simple again, "we're waiting for the guy to finish filling the form next door". We went to go next door, and we saw a guy filling the form. we were asked to leave the guy alone and let him finish what he is doing. Prof Obrou lead us outside the compound and asked me if he can go and get his car fixed, and he wanted us to seat at the  nearby market until he gets back. Then I get un-muted and boldly asked him not to go anywhere until we finalize this process. Thanks to him, he listened to me and stayed with us at the nearby market.

After about 20 minute we went back to the clearance company office, and we found out that the form has to not only be filled out, but also submitted, but did not go through. Why?  The quote number is incorrect. Then we went to the chief officer of the Abidjan airport custom office to get a proper quote. The officer, who seems to be nice and helpful, he would like to cut short the procedures and to do that he requested the custom clearance officer to  bring him a letter of petition and he will sign on it and shorten the process. That means we do not have to go to the sea port, and everything will be done right there. Fantastic!! right? After a few back and forth hassle (due to wrong authentication number usage, I guess), the chief officer signed off the petition and shortened the process.We personally convey our appreciation to the chief officer and gave our business card.

 Having lunch at one of the nearby African restaurants

Another problem (may be minor), when we got everything approved for release, those people at the lower level who register and inspect our instrument were out for lunch. Guess how long the lunch break is? Two and half hours! yes! two and half hours (12:00 - 2:30 PM). I never heard such a long lunch break. After lunch, the process was a bit quick; we get it registered, reunited with our instrument for inspection (they open everything and inspect it and even photographed our messy magnetometer box). Then we (Kathryn and I) stayed with our instrument and Prof Obrou went with the inspector officer and finalized the process and finally we got okay to take our instrument. The instrument loaded into Prof Obrou's car. Yes! one more inspection! The guard at main gate has to do a final inspection and sign off paper and he did. Finally, the mag has left the customs. I repeat! The mag has been out of the custom jail. Right outside the custom office I just got a long breath of relief and hug the car that carries my mag. 

 Reunited with the instrument at the airport custom store!

Got our instrument loaded on Prof Obrou's car but still in the custom compound!

 Hugging Prof Obrou's car when I made sure that the instrument really got out of jail!!

Prof Obrou took the mag with him and we took a taxi and got back to our hotel, and started celebrating the great achievement we performed today. One thing I should say is this, it was the right decision that we accompany Prof Obrou to the custom office. It was clear that our presence gave a little pressure and speed up the process. 

Tomorrow we will start the real work!