Not Accustomed to Customs

      I have been waiting on a package for a couple of weeks now. Mail from the USA can take a couple weeks to get here but I was starting to wonder where the package was. Finally last week on Wednesday, my Peruvian dad had gone to the post office and delivered the goods to us afterwards. A package and a letter for my housemates and I got....a piece of paper from customs saying my package had been randomly selected to be checked. Seriously??? My housemates had gotten several packages that made it through no problem but mine was not so lucky haha.
       So the next day I went into town early around 1030 to pick up my package. I talked to the lady in my limited Spanish and found out that I came too late and would either have to come back at 2pm when the line started over or come back another day. A little bummed out, I left and decided to try another day.
      Monday morning: I get up early and try to leave my house by 8, but let's just face it....I am not a morning person so I left at 8:30 :-). I got to the post office by 9 (only 30 minutes after it opened) and presented my customs paper to the lady at the desk. She said I needed 2 copies of my passport, not just one and to go make copies and come back. "Donde?" I said, not knowing where a copy machine was around here. "al frente blah blah blah la libreria blah blah blah." ok she didn't really say blah blah blah but that's what I heard in my head because she talked so fast. I pretended I understood and headed back out to the street. I see a libreria(bookstore) across the street so I head there. No success. I asked the lady there and her response was "blah blah siguiente blah blah." hmmm ok "Gracias!" So maybe she said the next block down? not sure so I just walked some more and after a few minutes found a big sign in a doorway that said "Copias." Sweet! So I got my 2 copies of my passport and headed back.
     Upon my arrival back to the post office I presented my 2 copies to the lady at the desk. She said something really fast to me and all I understood was "catorce..." "hmmm 14?" So now I am wondering why she said 14...surely I am not the 14th person in line because the office has only been open for 45 minutes and there are only 4 people standing outside the office. She took me back outside the office and told me to fill out this form (in spanish). So there I stood with my translator application on my phone and went to work. "Am I the declarant or exportantante?" I finally asked another guy in line who's name I put where and finished filling out the form.
     I stand at the desk with the forms and show the lady the forms as she walks by. She says "blah necesita esparar has blah blah catorce blah blah." "Hmmmm I must wait longer and there is that number 14 again....I must really be the 14th person in line!"
     So I sit...and sit...check my Facebook on my phone, text a friend from the states, and sit some more.
People come and go and get called back into the office. 2 hours go by....it's almost time for me to leave for school and then I hear it.... "Catorce!" WOOOOHOOO! That's me. :-) I go in and fill out another form and open my package of candy and notecards from my mom and after 10 minutes, I leave with package in hand!

      An experience in Peru that was probably not my favorite but I can now say I have done it! :-)