Today my sister has finally managed to hand in my application forms to the Kazakh consulate in Madrid. After having been told that it was closed because it was a Kazakh national holiday, then a holiday in the city of Madrid (one of the maaaany they seem to have), then that they are not open on Wednesdays, she finally found it open today.

She said that the guy there was surprised someone would want to go to his country as a tourist, and even more surprised that I was then moving on to Russia.

It seems that the visa will be ready next Thursday, let’s hope it all works out in time for a friend of mine who is coming to Barcelona this Friday to bring it to me.