ATM SAGA .......

Having arrived in Swakopmund we decided to walk into the town and avail ourselves of, among other things, an ATM at FNBank. ADO put his card in, entered his pin, requested N$2000 and listened to all the whirring etc of notes being counted. Then nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada. Nul points - you’re getting the gist! No receipt and the bank was closed!

After breakfast on the following day (fortunately our excursion had been postponed until 12.00) we presented ourselves at the back in time for opening at 09.00 - although the guest house owner had told us that they opened at 08.30. Went to the information desk and explained our predicament and were told to see a ‘consultant’. By this time a number of others had shot in front of us and there was a seated queue. There were two desks so we split our options accordingly. According to another bank customer who ADO questioned you always had to go with patience because they were always slow and there was always a queue! After 30 minutes it was our turn. Dionne printed out several forms describing the problem, photocopied passport and card - all of this taking a further 15 minutes. She then said it would take up to 3 days to confirm! We mentioned we were leaving first thing the following day but there was not much else to do!

On our return to the guest house (and WiFi) in the evening there was an email from Dionne saying it had been resolved and we should return the following day to get paid out.

At 08.25 (they open early on Friday) ADO was waiting to get first spot when the door opened. Although he did, aforementioned Dionne turned up a few minutes late and proceeded to print forms, make numerous calls and then disappear in the back office without saying a word. Reappearing 10 minutes later with another form she took a photocopy of the passport (again) and disappeared again to get it ‘signed off’. Another 10 minutes and she returned, used the photocopier again, and then said I should go out the bank, round the corner to the bureau de change office and she would meet me there. I did as I was told and found three men (including a G4S guard trying to open the front door! They eventually succeeded and I entered to meet Dionne who told me that I would have to wait until one of the guys had returned via the branch as he was the cashier. He then had to sign on to his terminal, receive an explanation from Dionne, and then, finally, pay out the N$2000. Another 45 minutes of my life that I will never get back!

But all was eventually well and we were eventually able to leave the town (I had already promised Dionne never to return) shortly after 10.00!

ADO & LMA xx