Saturday, June 23, 2007
Madrid Subway Impressions:
Madrid Subway is the way to go. It’s fast, clean, well lit (seems safe) and well marked so that even two idiots with everything they own on their backs can navigate their way from the airport to the train station for 2 euros each.
6-22-07 21:10 Spain Time
I think we made it… well at least we’re on the train.
We’ve managed to catch the last train (last two tickets possibly) to Valencia from Madrid. It’s been an extremely long day and now hopefully I can relax on our last 3 hr train ride from Madrid (Central Spain) to Valencia (Eastern Coast on the Mediterranean). There can be no more thunderstorm delays of 3 hours on the tarmac (JFK), missed connections (Munich), or figuring out new subway or train system.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The List
This past week has flown by as we try to complete the odds and ends that will allow us to put our life on hold for the next year. I've never made a longer list, nor have I completed so many items on a list. I think my wife's about ready to scream - she hates lists with a passion. ;-)
A couple of things are left to do in our last day in the US - we've got to put our cell phones on hold, stuff the remaining items that we have here in storage, and send all the things that we have of other people's back to them. Do we have any of your stuff that you want back before we leave? Let us know, else you're not getting for at least a year!
Steve
A couple of things are left to do in our last day in the US - we've got to put our cell phones on hold, stuff the remaining items that we have here in storage, and send all the things that we have of other people's back to them. Do we have any of your stuff that you want back before we leave? Let us know, else you're not getting for at least a year!
Steve
Cheap Ass? - Yes, that's me.
I've definitely taken a page from my grandfather on my father's side. He still drinks Milwaukee's Best Light because he refuses to pay more than $5 for a case.
So is it unreasonable to think that a sleeping bag that I've used for 13 years (all through Boy Scouts) should continue to be cutting edge and small to pack? Some how I was caught off guard today when I tried to pack everything into my pack and saw that my sleeping bag was taking up 50% of the available room. But, like most other things with this trip, a good solution fell into my lap. I was able to find a suitable replacement (Mountain Hardware Lamina 35 - synthetic filling to boot) for a great price. When Jesse's down bag gets wet and doesn't work any more, I'll still be toasty and warm. Haha!
I've also feared that we'll die poor when I spend money on traveling/hiking clothing to replace the stuff that I've had since Philmont Scout Ranch in 1997. It's really amazing how far clothing has come since then (like fabrics that don't hold stink), but there's a built in resistance to buying new stuff for myself. Weird. I'm officially over it though, as we've reoutfitted ourselves quite nicely to travel the world. And anything that we've forgotten, I'm sure we can pick up along the way.
Peace,
Steve
So is it unreasonable to think that a sleeping bag that I've used for 13 years (all through Boy Scouts) should continue to be cutting edge and small to pack? Some how I was caught off guard today when I tried to pack everything into my pack and saw that my sleeping bag was taking up 50% of the available room. But, like most other things with this trip, a good solution fell into my lap. I was able to find a suitable replacement (Mountain Hardware Lamina 35 - synthetic filling to boot) for a great price. When Jesse's down bag gets wet and doesn't work any more, I'll still be toasty and warm. Haha!
I've also feared that we'll die poor when I spend money on traveling/hiking clothing to replace the stuff that I've had since Philmont Scout Ranch in 1997. It's really amazing how far clothing has come since then (like fabrics that don't hold stink), but there's a built in resistance to buying new stuff for myself. Weird. I'm officially over it though, as we've reoutfitted ourselves quite nicely to travel the world. And anything that we've forgotten, I'm sure we can pick up along the way.
Peace,
Steve
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Visas - Egypt
India was such an ordeal that it needed two parts to adequately describe the experience at the Indian Consulate.
On the other hand, Egypt was quite a non-event. Based on the cues from the previous day, we tried to show up to the Egyptian Consulate about 30 minutes early. We signed in with building security in the lobby and were about to proceed up to the consulate when the security guard said that we weren't even allowed into the building until 9:30. With our 30 minutes, we went to get coffee.
We returned at 9:31 and were then allowed into the building. Taking the elevator to the 19th floor, we entered the one roomed Egyptian consulate. There was no one in the waiting room and no one at the service desk. I rang the bell and a woman came to help us. While passing documents, money and photos to this woman, I noticed that she was behind at least 2 inches of security glass. Wow. I couldn't remember the same at the Indian consulate. I wonder whether this was done by the people in the Egyptian consulate for their protection or was it done by our government, thinking that the Egyptian consulate may attract the type of people that would be deterred by 2" thick security glass.
We returned at 10:30am the next morning - next day service for this consulate, and picked up our passports with their Egyptian Visas.
One step closer to leaving.
On the other hand, Egypt was quite a non-event. Based on the cues from the previous day, we tried to show up to the Egyptian Consulate about 30 minutes early. We signed in with building security in the lobby and were about to proceed up to the consulate when the security guard said that we weren't even allowed into the building until 9:30. With our 30 minutes, we went to get coffee.
We returned at 9:31 and were then allowed into the building. Taking the elevator to the 19th floor, we entered the one roomed Egyptian consulate. There was no one in the waiting room and no one at the service desk. I rang the bell and a woman came to help us. While passing documents, money and photos to this woman, I noticed that she was behind at least 2 inches of security glass. Wow. I couldn't remember the same at the Indian consulate. I wonder whether this was done by the people in the Egyptian consulate for their protection or was it done by our government, thinking that the Egyptian consulate may attract the type of people that would be deterred by 2" thick security glass.
We returned at 10:30am the next morning - next day service for this consulate, and picked up our passports with their Egyptian Visas.
One step closer to leaving.
Visas - India Part 2
I returned solo this time, because Jesse was at Yoga, fighting Chicago traffic (horrible by the way) to pick up our Indian Visas. Miraculously, I found street parking near the consulate and made my way back up to the 11th floor of the NBC building. This time I was early, because I wanted to get a jump on the "line" that I thought would form outside the closed Consulate. All signs at the consulate indicated that the waiting area was closed from noon until 3:30pm. I figured that if I lined up early, (15 minutes) I'd be close to the front of the line and get out of there early.
I arrived on the 11th floor to realize that the consulate was not closed at all. The waiting room was again full of people (most who I'd seen earlier in the day). I went to take a number and realized that there were NO numbers available. Did they run out? I asked two very surly businessmen that I had ridden the elevator with (doing their best not to make eye contact - why is that?) So anyways, I took a seat close to where the number were supposed to be. At 3:35 this man comes out of the back room (where you could hear the workers SCREAMING at each other in another language) and walks towards the device that held the numbers. I watched a couple people, who looked like they knew what they were doing, get up immediately when they saw this guy, so I jumped up too. He put the numbers in the dispensing device and ran to avoid the grab fest that was about to ensue. Because I was one of the first 5 to grab a number, I got trapped in the mob of people grabbing for numbers - they didn't care how many numbers they were taking, they were just grabbing. It was hysterical. I wasn't able to get out, so I just stood in the way thinking that if no one was able to get a number, they'd surely let me out. Not so.
Is this a lesson I should learn for India? Is this behavior indicative of a culture where 1 Billion people exist in one country? Get what you're looking for and get the hell out of the way!
The same gentleman who had waited on us in the morning was still working in the afternoon session, but his behavior was more akin to the Soup Nazi than in the morning. You'd hand him your receipt, tell him your last name, and he'd give you your passports and move onto the next number. A couple of people tried to ask him questions - he'd have none of it and moved onto other customers. I took this to heart, handed him my receipt, told him my last name and said "Thanks" as he handed me my passports. I split, checking to see whether we got Visas in the elevator on the way down.
We were successful - one down, one to go!
I arrived on the 11th floor to realize that the consulate was not closed at all. The waiting room was again full of people (most who I'd seen earlier in the day). I went to take a number and realized that there were NO numbers available. Did they run out? I asked two very surly businessmen that I had ridden the elevator with (doing their best not to make eye contact - why is that?) So anyways, I took a seat close to where the number were supposed to be. At 3:35 this man comes out of the back room (where you could hear the workers SCREAMING at each other in another language) and walks towards the device that held the numbers. I watched a couple people, who looked like they knew what they were doing, get up immediately when they saw this guy, so I jumped up too. He put the numbers in the dispensing device and ran to avoid the grab fest that was about to ensue. Because I was one of the first 5 to grab a number, I got trapped in the mob of people grabbing for numbers - they didn't care how many numbers they were taking, they were just grabbing. It was hysterical. I wasn't able to get out, so I just stood in the way thinking that if no one was able to get a number, they'd surely let me out. Not so.
Is this a lesson I should learn for India? Is this behavior indicative of a culture where 1 Billion people exist in one country? Get what you're looking for and get the hell out of the way!
The same gentleman who had waited on us in the morning was still working in the afternoon session, but his behavior was more akin to the Soup Nazi than in the morning. You'd hand him your receipt, tell him your last name, and he'd give you your passports and move onto the next number. A couple of people tried to ask him questions - he'd have none of it and moved onto other customers. I took this to heart, handed him my receipt, told him my last name and said "Thanks" as he handed me my passports. I split, checking to see whether we got Visas in the elevator on the way down.
We were successful - one down, one to go!
Visas - India Part 1
So our trip to Chicago was a complete success. We obtained the two visas we needed for leg 1 of our journey - India and Egypt.
Each consulate was a completely different experience, which I think speaks to each of the different cultures and America's attitudes towards each culture.
The Indian Consulate was located in a large suite on the 11th floor of the NBC building in Chicago. It was quite a happening place, brimming with activity even before the official opening time of 9:30 am. Jesse and I strolled through the doors just past 9:30 and took a number to be waited on. The place was full of all different sorts of people - business travelers, tourists, students, expatriated families trying to get back home to visit their families, and philanthropists. We took number 92 and glanced at the board that told us what number was currently being served - 69... We knew there'd be a wait. I wondered how that many people grabbed a number in the 5 minutes that had elapsed since 9:30 (my answer would come later that day).
It was about an hour before we were waited on and we watched intently as the different types of people approached the counter, each one trying something different. Some were obviously prepared, others tried screaming at the man behind the counter, others seemed to not feel they needed to take a number and just approached the window between orderly customers. I can't say that all approaches yielded the same degrees of success.
Finally it was our turn to approach the window, which we did, all documents in hand. From start to finish it took us about 2 minutes to hand in our paperwork, passports, and pay our money (of course). We left with intentions to return at 3:30 to pick up our passports and (hopefully) visas.
Each consulate was a completely different experience, which I think speaks to each of the different cultures and America's attitudes towards each culture.
The Indian Consulate was located in a large suite on the 11th floor of the NBC building in Chicago. It was quite a happening place, brimming with activity even before the official opening time of 9:30 am. Jesse and I strolled through the doors just past 9:30 and took a number to be waited on. The place was full of all different sorts of people - business travelers, tourists, students, expatriated families trying to get back home to visit their families, and philanthropists. We took number 92 and glanced at the board that told us what number was currently being served - 69... We knew there'd be a wait. I wondered how that many people grabbed a number in the 5 minutes that had elapsed since 9:30 (my answer would come later that day).
It was about an hour before we were waited on and we watched intently as the different types of people approached the counter, each one trying something different. Some were obviously prepared, others tried screaming at the man behind the counter, others seemed to not feel they needed to take a number and just approached the window between orderly customers. I can't say that all approaches yielded the same degrees of success.
Finally it was our turn to approach the window, which we did, all documents in hand. From start to finish it took us about 2 minutes to hand in our paperwork, passports, and pay our money (of course). We left with intentions to return at 3:30 to pick up our passports and (hopefully) visas.
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