Going Postal in Nicaraguan Customs

When I decided to stay 2 1/2 months longer in Nicaragua, I tried to get another volunteer to bring my laptop and my textbook for an independent study class with her. Unfortunately that plan fell through. So instead, my parents shipped it to me through DHL. There's a DHL office here and León so the idea was that they would call me when it got there and I would go pick it up. So I went to the León DHL and made sure they had my Nicaraguan cell phone number.

My parents sent it on June 20th and I tracked it online. Salt Lake City... Panama... Managua, Nicaragua... Customs Delay...Customs Delay...Customs Delay...Customs Delay...Customs Delay...Customs Delay...
 
Eventually, a MONTH later, my parents got an email saying that the contact information wasn't up to date so customs wasn't able to contact me, and therefore wasn't able to let my package through. So they gave them my cell phone number, and a couple days later I got a phone call from DHL.

I made the guy on the other end of the line speak super slow just to make sure I understood him. He said that I had to go to Managua and pick up some paperwork that goes with my package and then go to the customs building and get my package. It was either that, or wait for the paperwork to be mailed to León, I would have to fill it out, then it would have to be sent back to Managua and then my stuff could be sent to León. Luckily, I was already going to Managua the next day to pick up our next wave of volunteers! So I clarified where the DHL office that I needed to get the paperwork was, and that from there I could go straight to Customs.

So our Nicaraguan friend Jorge and I drove to Managua the next day (1.5-2 hour drive). We got to the DHL office and successfully got all the paperwork I needed. But the DHL man mentioned that Customs was closed for the day. What? Yep. It's closed. Apparently, it's only open in the mornings. Great. But that's okay. I was that much closer to my laptop (and Psychology textbook...)

That Saturday I made another two hour trip to Managua, and arrived at the Customs building around 930 with my paperwork in hand.

But they wouldn't let me through the front gate. I had to get there early early in the morning, then when they open at 8 they give everyone a number, and then they only help those people for the day. And people start lining up at 4, so they recommended I get there early.

At this point, I was not too happy. Another trip to Managua? I wasn't really feelin it. So I decided to go explain my situation to the León DHL and see if they could still get it shipped to León (since that's where it was supposed to go to begin with). So I went and I was telling Mr. LeónDHL my whole entire story when he interrupted me and said, "Wait, you mean you never got an email?" (Only in Spanish, of course). I never did. So he handed me a business card for the DHL office in Managua. He told me to call them, because I should've gotten an email when the package first arrived in Customs.

So then I called the number, and talked to Ms. ManaguaDHL and told her my entire story. Then she explained that the email didn't really matter anymore, and that because I picked up the paperwork in Managua I also had to pick up my package in Managua and there was no way around it.

So I talked to my parents and we considered telling DHL just to take it back to the US, but that would cost $130. So this morning, I got up at 300 and Jorge, Marcie and I headed out again to Managua. (We had to go today, because today is the last day my visa is valid. I expect "Happy Illegal Immigrant Birthday" presents tomorrow).

So we got to the customs building at 630, and we were about 30th in line. By 800 the line was over 100 people long. During the next four hours this is what I did:

I was let through the gate and lead to another line.

I pretended to understand the instructions the guy was yelling at everyone in line (we were in a giant hallway and there was a weird echo and he talked fast).

I was led to another line, and once I got to the beginning of that line, a receptionist checked my paperwork. Then I had to go get my passport photocopied and come back and wait in line again and get my paperwork re-checked.

Then I waited in the waiting room for my number to come up on the screen, when it finally did (Number 32! Whoohoo!) I went up to the receptionist and I was told that because I was a foreigner I had to fill out some more paperwork and get copies of that. So I did, then I waited in line to see the receptionist again.

She very very very quickly gave me directions. This is what I understood: Go through those doors... get in line... find DHL...so find your package and get in line. So I went through the doors and found myself in a giant warehouse filled with different sections for each shipping company. So I found DHL, and a very polite man there directed me to the line I was supposed to wait in before finding DHL. And he also told me that my package was already in general customs because it was from so long ago.

So I waited in the line, for an hour. It was during this time that I became very stressed out and flustered. So then I couldn't speak Spanish very well. So when the lady next to me started talking to me, I could understand her, but I couldn't respond very well. Halfway through one of my responses she asked me if I even spoke Spanish at all. Then I tried to explain that I thought I did until I had to go through all these hoops to get a package.... My attempt to explain that idea was not successful. So in the end I just said, "No. No hablo español." And then she left me alone.

Once I got to the front of the line, a lady went with me to get my package at the DHL. I tried to explain that I knew it was already in general customs. But she didn't listen to me. So we went to DHL and they told me again that it was in General  Customs. Then we went to general customs and I SAW MY PACKAGE. So then they ripped it open and inspected everything and recorded what was inside. (She was very quizzical about my Psychology textbook... Yes, I'm smuggling knowledge into Nicaragua) Then they wrapped my package all back up and took my paperwork and told me to go back to the waiting room.

So I waited in the waiting room until they had typed up and processed all my paperwork, then the receptionist called my name and I came up and signed some papers. Then I had to take a stack of four receipts with me back into the warehouse place and find my package again. So I found it, and then the guy from general customs filled out some paperwork and then told me that I could leave with my package. I asked if he was serious. He said he was. So I grabbed my package and speed walked toward the door. A little further down the hallway when a security guard stopped me I considered making a break for it. But the 8ft barb wire fence surrounding the Customs building stopped me. But it was okay, because all he needed was my second receipt. And then I gave my third to a security guard at the gate and I was officially OUT of Customs by 1145.

And that is the story of getting my package that my parents sent to me in June.