A Very Bad Wednesday turned Good!

I went to bed around 2 am after discovering that my debit card was missing knowing that I was leaving the next day on a whim on a 17 hour bus ride to Iguazu with no money. I awoke to my alarm clock at 4:45 am. I called a cab at 6 am. I picked up my friend Isabel and we headed to Retiro... a really bad neighborhood. We arrived about 6:30 am, to find a line as far as we could see wrapped around immigrations. It was cold and miserable. I had heard that getting your visa could take 9 hours or more. I was not a happy camper. I waited in a group at the front door waiting on everyone else to arrive. Little did I know that I was about to make Americans HATED, more than ever before! Once our group arrived, we walked to the front door and entered in front of every immigrant that had been waiting outside for DAYS... yes, literally, DAYS. I can't even imagine. I was afraid to look into their eyes. I walked right in. And not only did our group get to go first, I got the first number, 21, for the whole day! After waiting, and wading through the bathrooms, and waiting some more, in total, only 5 and a half hours after walking in the front doors, I walked back out. I think that's an all time record. I'm convinced that God must be on my side. Not only did I get out early, I got out before the bank closed at 3... AND.... drum roll please........ they had my card! So I had money too!!! What a fantastic day! Things surely looked good! And I even caught my 17 hour bus time, and arrived without incident! More about the trip later!! :)