Receiving a package at the Kenyan post office!

Did you just move to Nairobi? Are you thinking about receiving a parcel? Be prepared. Read this story below. Around October of 2009, my sister T in the States asked for our postal address to send her nephew and niece x-mas goodies. I explained to her that we have been trying to open up one, but every post office near our neighborhood put us on a long, and hopeless list. When we realized Xmas was getting closer, I emailed her my hubby's work address. My sister decided to send the xmas goodies end of October, and in November she sent lil' B's b-day present. To my surprise, lil' B's present arrived by the end of November, and hubby went to collect the parcel with one of his coworkers. When he came home, he was complaining about the process he went through to get the parcel. I just looked at him, and told him this is Africa honey you should not expect things to be the same as in the States. Finally, one week after Christmas, the goodies arrived. B said he was going to collect it on Monday, then Monday came, and the next Monday and the next Monday before we knew it it was mid January and our passports were sent out for the visa renewal. When the passports returned in February, I just asked my neighbor when she was going to town so that she could show me the main post office. When we arrived at the post office, it was closed for lunch. We found seats inside the post office main building. At around 2pm, the doors were open. We asked the security to direct us to the floor were our parcel was waiting for us. Inside post office there were few people ahead of us requesting for their mails too. Some peope came behind us, and pushed themselves ahead of us. When it was my turn, I handed the lady my slip, and she handed me the package to open, and directed me to go to the next line in the same building. I said to myself, wow, this is easier then my husband explained. I opened the package, I saw my favorite candies "dove," mnm, cookies and many more goodies for the kids. I went as directed, and gave the package to the next guy. He looked inside, read the value on the box, and recorded the value to US$10 that I was supposed to pay. After that, he asked me to close it, and handed it to the next person where I had to join another line, and this lady told me to take it to a window behind me. When I went to the window, the lady looked at me like I was about to take something from her. She was not smiling at all. She was seating down and in her hand was a long stick that she used to pull my slip with. After she stamped it, she pushed it back to me with the same stick. I said "thank you" with a smile, but all she said was, a big nothing. As I tried to find my way to the next step, I went back and asked her were to go next, she pointed with her stick to give it to the next person who was next to her. Now this was really becoming weird, and irritating. Luckily the next person was able to tell me to go up to the next office. At this office, I was given two forms which I was supposed to take to the bank. Where is the bank? f I asked her. I had to leave the building and find the bank myself. At this point I was not the only one irritated, my neighbor was annoyed too. She had an appointment to attend. We went outside, and crossed a busy road where cars don't stop when the green light comes on. When we reached the bank, my neighbor showed me a building were she was going. She told me to meet her there once I was done with my post office agenda. When I went inside the bank, the main line was just crazy; more than 30 people were in that line waiting, I went to the security and showed him my slip and asked him if there was a different line for people with the same slip I had from the post office. He smiled and showed me a different line which had some familiar faces I met earlier from the post office, ok at least this line had less then 6 people. After I paid, I skipped to the post office with joy; this time I was sure I was just going to show the receipt, and collect my parcel. when I returned, I was directed to go to the non smiling lady, she stamped it, gave it back to me with her stick, and then I went to the lady who gave me the parcel earlier, she sent me to someone new, who then told me I was supposed to pay around US$40.00 for storage fees. My goodness. At this point I was really frustrated. After all what I went through. I didn't even take half of that, beside even if I had that much, I was not going to pay that much for candies. I could go to the store and pay about 7 to get similar candies. I asked for my 10 back. Which they refused to give me. I begged her, and told her that they were the kids candies, but she said no. I asked for the manager, she said she could help me if I give her US$ 30. I told them they can eat the candies. I still didn't understand why I was supposed to pay even though the parcel was fully paid already. In the Us I never had to pay for extra storage etc as long as the sender has paid enough. This is the same in Namibia. I never even had to go to the main post office to collect the parcels. I lived in Khomasdal, and I collected everything in one building at no cost as long as the sender paid for all the postage.