RTW Trip - Round and Round...

I want to travel everywhere. All over the world. Every continent. As many countries as I can. I want to see all the old and new wonders of the world. I want to go places with such natural beauty that I feel that I'm on a different planet.

Within a week of deciding I was going to do this trip, I came to a crossroads. I had to actually choose a finite itinerary in order to continue planning. At that point, I almost resorted to dropping slips of paper into a bowl with country names on them and just picking at random.

Eventually, I came up with my first "firm" itinerary. I was going to go from January to March:  Puerto Rico, Columbia, Peru, New Zealand, Bali, and Vietnam. I discovered this was going to be more costly than anticipated, and the weather situation wasn't good for half of the countries. So, I decided to divide my trip into two parts.

My second "firm" itinerary was 1) Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma/Myanmar and Southern India in October and November; and 2) Barcelona, Morocco, Istanbul, and Greece in April and May.

And then, my friend Kelly decided that Thailand would be a good place to celebrate her big Five-Oh. Of course, I totally agree. So, I changed the dates of my first trip to December and January, and still planned on making the European trip in Spring 2014.

I then read a comment on a travel blog about the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian train trips. The first brings you from Western Europe to Moscow. The second from Moscow to Beijing.

http://www.seat61.com/Russia.htm#.Ui9Ylb3D9LM

I love to travel by train. I took a lot of trains in Europe in 1991, and then a lot more in India in 2006. Also, I'm a weirdo who thinks the Oakland to Sacramento Amtrak is fun just to ride, forth and back.

More research ensued. Taking these trains would mean two additional Visas - Russia and China. China is like Vietnam. Paperwork and money, and trips to the Consulates. Russia, on the other hand, requires a letter of "invitation" before you even get to the rest of the paperwork and the Consulate. They all cost $100. Ugh. So, should I or shouldn't I?

I should.

Then, I realized I'd have to get a Visa for Belarus -- unless I went through Scandinavia. Hmmm...

http://www.stpeterline.com/en/OnBoard/News.aspx

I am seriously considering one trip, about 10 weeks, that looks something like this:  Stockholm to St. Petersburg, Russia via St. Peterline cruiseline; St. Petersburg to Moscow, Russia via Trans-Siberian train; Moscow to Beijing, China via Trans-Mongolian train; Beijing to Taipei (Dharma Drum Mountain school/monastery); Taipei to Bangkok, Thailand (Happy Birthday, Kelly!); Thailand (not sure from where yet) to Hanoi, Vietnam; Vietnam (not sure from where yet) to the good ole' USA.

I'd be happy to hear from anyone reading what they think; if they've been to any of these places and what I shouldn't miss - or should miss!

Happy travels...

RTW Trip - Pesky Details

The pesky details!  This is a more technical sort of blog entry - maybe for those others out there traveling to look at, comment on if they so choose.

There are many details to work out for all of this travel, and I started sifting through them this morning. I sent in my passport for renewal (Priority Mail there; overnighted back to me.) I also bought extra passport pictures in case I need them for Visa issues (Burma for example).

I went to REI and tried on backpacks for almost 2 hours. I fell in love with and bought an Osprey Aura 50 backpack (one of the cheaper ones, thank goodness!) and a Gregory Miwok 18 daypack (expensive, but wow!).

I found on-line some other necessaries (I know from my 2 months in India in 2006): 3-in-1 hiking pants (zip off to make Capri's and shorts); good hiking shoes; lightweight raincoat; thin wool hiking socks (splurge on socks, avoid bandaids/anti-biotic cream for nasty blisters); luggage locks; backpack rain cover/duffel bag combination thingy; Lonely Planet guides; and some packing ziplocs (huge ziplocs with air vent that you roll up and make clothes flatten out).

The front costs are not negligible if you have to buy this sort of stuff. I had about 1/2 of it, but it got "lost" in the divorce. Another opportunity for some dharma practice in equanimity:

http://www.buddhanet.net/ss06.htm

Next up? I need to finalize my destination countries and research Visa requirements. Taiwan is easy - there are none. I know I can get a Visa for Burma at the Bangkok American embassy in three days as long as I have an extra passport photo. That leaves Vietnam and Thailand. Also, I want to have the address and directions from my first hostel/hotel/guest house to the American embassy in all countries lined up before I go.


Then, there's all the medical stuff. I have to go to Kaiser and see how many shots I'll need (had a bunch in 2006). These may include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Yellow Fever, Tetanus booster, Typhoid/Diphtheria, MMR booster (measles, mumps and rubella) and Polio. There are also country specific shots that I have to ask my doctor about - hope I don't have to do ALL of these again!

I also have to put together my basic first aid supplies. I'll need to get my personal prescriptions re-filled, and for bacterial dysentery, a 7 to 10 day prescription for Ciprofloxacine (they gave me three days last time and it was so not enough); and a Z-pac for Cipro resistant strains. I bought Cipro over the counter in India (more like, out of the stall); I wonder if this can be done in Asia as well...?

Here is my over the counter first-aid supply list:

a.   NSAI

b.   anti-biotic cream and powder

c.   burn gel

d.   Dicloflenac (anti inflammatory cream)

e.   Metronidazole (giardia or ameobic dysentery)

f.   Immodium (for long bus trips)

g.   benedryl

h.   band-aids

i.   matches

j.   sewing kit

k.   Moleskin and/or 2nd Skin for blisters

l.   Charcoal tablets for your stomach (to help absorb the bad stuff after a bout of food poisoning)

m.   Oral rehydration salts

n.   Diflucan (for the ladies)

o.   Anti-mozzie spray plus 100% DEET (for spraying drains in showers/sinks)

p.   Sterile syringes

q.   Alcohol wipes

r.   Tweezers

s.   anti-bacteria gel

That's where I am today...