...waiting...

OK, so I still don't have a visa for Iran. Moved my flight, which was booked for tonight, for the third time. Now I can't leave for another week: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran (which has to authorise my visa) is closed for the Iranian weekend Thursday and Friday, then the embassy here is shut over our weekend, and there's no flight on Monday so I'm booked for Tuesday night. My flight to Tehran is via Dubai, and I'm going to get on the flight with or without a visa - if I don't have a visa by then I'll just get off in Dubai and hang out there before going straight to India.

I should be able to get a visa though - the MFA have said they'll authorise it but it'll take a few days. The delay in getting this far might be something to do with the ridiculous chain of people helping sort it out: I spoke to my dad, who got in touch with a family friend, who called his friend in Vienna, who spoke to his contact in the MFA, who went to the head of the relevant department. I guess that's how things work in the Middle East. I'm just not sure who I should be handing the 'unofficial fee' to...

The plus side is that now I know nothing will happen for the next few days, I can get out of Accra and chill on the beach up the coast in Kokrobite for a while, having drum lessons and enjoying the best pizza in all of Ghana (I know that's not a big claim, but it really is great pizza).

So tune in same time, same place next week to find out which country our intrepid explorer will be in...