Marriage in Cali

I married Brigida Elvira Tafur Muñoz on January 13, 2001. I wanted to share some of my experiences so that perhaps they might help those who tried this path after me. Here are some edited copies of emails I sent to various people during that time.

Wednesday, December 20, 2000

I woke up and their was snow on the ground. Took the Long Island Rail Road into NYC. First, I went to the Dept. of Health and Vital Records to pick up my birth certificate. I had to walk quite a few blocks
through the blustery early morning weather. They were very helpful. They prepared a special certificate because they knew I was getting married out of the country. They told me I would next need to get it notarized. This was only across the street, and again things went like clockwork. The notary was in the basement of the huge Supreme Court
building. The rotunda there was dramatically and beautifully painted with scenes of great moments in the history of law. At that point, I was told that I had to get the birth certificate authenticated and get an Apostile
at the New York State, Department of State. I asked an officer for directions. Well, that was a stroll! But again, once I was inside, things went very smoothly and I had my Seal
within minutes. Something told me it couldn't be this easy at the Colombian Embassy. Sure enough there was just one woman taking care of several people. She seemed friendly enough, but when she got to me, she took my papers out of her desk and just said, "I can't process this application." She said that Brigida's letter was an informal one,
and wasn't notarized. I told her that I was leaving tomorrow and begged for her consideration, but she was intransigent! Tears filled my eyes. I kept asking her "What other way can we do this?" Finally, I
thought of faxing a letter from Brigida directly to her, and when I asked her about this, she said, "Yes, that would be acceptable." Hence, chilled to the bone and blurry eyed from the cold, I thought the best thing to do would be to call Norman Paulsen directly. So, I made my way to Penn Station, purchased a phone card, and spoke to Norm. He called Brigida at work at told her that I needed a photocopy of her Cedula and that it must be notarized! My flight was for the next day, and I was totally freaking out! Brigida had to fax the notarized Cedula by the next morning! Otherwise, I would have to postpone my trip. I asked the woman at the Consulate if there was any way I could get the marriage visa in Colombia and she said "No, you can't and you can't get married without it!" I am still amazed that she had the time on the phone a week previously to chastise me for not sending in my Passport with my application (the official instructions from the Consul did not mention sending in my Passport with my application for a Marriage Visa), yet neglected to tell me that the application was incomplete. She had that application for two weeks, and could have called, emailed or written to me during that time. Now my back was up against the wall, and I had do a million things in the next 24 hours. I guess this is what a professor friend of mine calls "The revenge of the minor public official."

The next morning at 8:00 AM Brigida faxed the notarized Cedula. I waited all morning at the Colombian Consulate but was told the fax
didn't arrive. Again I went out and called Norman, who called Brigida. I discovered that all international faxes are sent out at 3:00 PM!!! I went back to the Consulate. The "evil" woman was not there at that time. Much to my surprise there were several men who were extremely helpful and compassionate to my situation. They agreed to process my
application for a Marriage Visa at 3:00 PM (even though the Consulate officially stops processing applications at 1:00 PM). The fax arrived at 3:00 and the guys sped me through the process, including telling me about additional authentifications that I needed and which they completed for me right there. BTW, the Consulate has an official form
for divorced men which states that one is now single. [I had been told to bring a letter.] Within minutes they had me prepare the form and they authenticated everything. The other authentifications which I needed was an authentication of a photocopy of my passport. All was completed, and I made my flight in time!

WARNING: When you get married by a Notary in Colombia, the Notary KEEPS all your original documents!!! By law they cannot return your original documents (like your Birth Certificate) . . . they can only issue an official notarized photocopy stating that the Original is on record.

Sargon

"There are two days in the week about which and upon which I never worry. Two carefree days, kept sacredly free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday. ... And the other ... is Tomorrow."

- Robert Jones Burdette,American clergyman and author (1844-1914).

[tranquilizar]

Sargon-We have missed you and await the continuance of your tale. I do not want to reveal the plot but I understand that the story becomes even more complicated in Colombia.