Went on Sunday with a good book. I chose Sunday as I didn't have anything else to do that morning and knew that spending a couple of hours there would not stress me up too much or freak me out. Got there at 07.55 and was in line just at the top of the stairs one place away from the first seat. The "musical chairs" started at around 08.30 after the people greeter had collected cedulas from everyone and had come back with computer print outs of the data and turn numbers.....I got number 72!!
It's great place for people watching and learning all kinds of excuses for trying to jump the queue, like..."Was here with my mother yesterday but had to leave to pick up the kids...." I have a dentist's appointment at 10.30......" , "I'm double parked.....", I have to get to Puerto Plata before 16.00" ........
Must say that I was impressed by the way the young staffers handled those BS merchants, and how order, peace and quiet was maintained despite the fairly slow progress. Wasn't able to concentrate on reading that much because of the constant need to slide sideways on to the next seat but time passed fairly quickly until I got into the processing room, where a number of pretty young things held progress up for a while by insisting on having their photos retaken until they got one they liked. The person in charge quickly saw what was going on and put a stop to that. Photographed and fingerprinted, signed the form and was sent to the waiting room with around 50 of those who had got there before me. Fortunately for me, the person issuing the plastic apparently started at the top of the pile, and called me first......that was the nearest I've been to getting lynched.......
All in all, not such a bad experience............