A lot. Indeed it is. That we have done the past few weeks.
We requested our visa. As we need visa for 5 countries, we decided to do it via an agency. So we filled in all the forms, attached all the photographs and sent it to the agency. No, we have not been deported from a country. And why do they want to know the first names of our fathers? Well, i have no problem paying money to use a country (even if just rushing through sleeping in the train), but why does it always have to be so bureaucratic? Most visa are already in our passports now. The last one should be in process just now and we should get the passports with all visa in back soon.
In addition to our travel health insurance we contacted our health insurance companies to assure further insurancy coverage in Germany while we are on the road. Just in case something happens and we need to be transported back to Germany for medical treatment, we will also be insured here. As always applies: if you have it, you don’t need it.
Three weeks ago we were literally robbed. By our favourite travel agency. We booked the flights for option B, on which we had decided after discussing mainland China travel during the still strange political/ethical situation. So now we are proud owners of flight tickets from Ulaan Bator to Seoul to Taipei to Hong Kong to Kathmandu. Ouch. But we will be spending some 3 days in each city. And we will be visiting Taipei 101!
Also our train tickets from Moscow to Ulaan Bator were confirmed. First the agency informed us that they did not get first class tickets and we had to switch to second. Which was okay. Just when I asked about the way to transfer the remaining money, we were informed that they finally managed to get us some first class tickets – so that’s a two bed compartment for the two of us. Call us decadent. But spending 5.5 days in a 4 bed compartment possibly with someone who stinks, snores, eats unspeakable things, looks suspicious or is simply uncongenial might be a hard thing. So we decided to splurge it a bit while coming down from work and getting into the real travel mood. Our booties will be grateful to have some comfort before getting sore on mongolian horses.
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