Advertisement
Published: October 1st 2009
Hi, this is David Paulsen, you are are listed on the travel blog for David and Barbara Paulsen. I will be traveling to China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam without Barbara in the Fall and Winter of 2009. If you have been following our travels, Barbara writes the blogs, you may want to click the unsucribe at the bottom of the page. Travelblog asked that we do no delete emails that we don't recognize because there are individuals that have subscribe whom we do not know...
For those of you who hang in there here's the deal. I have wanted to do the Trans Siberian Rail Road for many years and now is my chance. Barbara is teaching two classes at UNLV and this is not a trip she wanted to make. Unfortunately, her writing style will be missed.... plus a number of other things.... My writing tends to be a bit cryptic.
As you may know the web site is intended for individuals to keep in touch with their friends and as a general source of information for others looking to travel in an area. Lacking Barbara's writing skill I will focus on the mechanics and cost of travel. What follows will give you an idea of how dry it going to be.
To start I had planned to use Google , email, docs and Googles Picasa while traveling but have discovered on a google search that that some it not all of the Google packages are blocked in China. As a result I will be doing most of my communication through the travel blog. I have not found any comments by any travelers on the travelblog.com commenting that that they could not access their blogs in any of the countries I am planning to visit. We will see.
My current undertaking is getting my visas in order. What has surprised me is that the Kazakhstan and Vietnamese Embassy are willing to take direct mail for visa applicants; China and Russia, require an intermediate service. Because of the complexity of the Kazak visa form I elected to also use a service for it as well. Visa cost were
Make sense of this if you can .... the table did not copy as expected..... bottom line the same...
will provide link to table if possible....
Country
Visa fee $
Service fee $
Mail $
Total $
China
http://www.mychinavisa.com/
150 express
69+5(credit card fee)=74
18.9(send by usps)+21(fedex return)
=39
263
Russia http://www.gotorussia.com/
131 express
119(incudes mail)
17(send by usps)
267
Kazakhstan
http://www.gotorussia.com/
60 express
85
No charge
145
Vietnam
http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/
55 normal
There was a charge for the money order so total does not look right
17+17=34
91
GRAND TOTAL 764
Could have save money if I had planned ahead and not used express.
“Procrastination is the thief of time” (Edward Young English poet (1683 - 1765) apparently lived to be 82 ) and “time is money” (Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790 and he made it to 84) .
Continuing with cost, which should all be in a Google doc spreadsheet... but ….. just in case
Synthetic Down Jacket 90 I could run into cold weather.
Synthetic Down Pants 110 to sleep in if necessary and general comfort.
Synthetic Down Hat 15 it looks stupid; I hope I don't need it.
Just for the cold $205.
Maps, figured I should have them before I arrive. Who know what time it will be, if shops are open, can I get the map in English? You need the map when you get there! $48 China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, including shipping.
A business card, name on front and small icons on back ( train, bus food/drink, bed, @
and a computer for emai, ATM & photo, taxi , $$$, $$, $ and thank you in four languages $34. I forgot to put on a symbol to WC, toilet/restroom. Oh shit.
Air fare Las Vegas to Shanghai $536, I leave tomorrow 1 Oct. Las Vegas, Seattle, Inchon Korea, Shanghai.
$1651, so far it looks like “enough money to burn a wet hog” Dave (19xx - xxxx, Don Siebenaler's friend in Calfornia Mo ). And I haven't even left yet.
Barbara will take me to the airport at 07:00... will meet Don and Wanda in Seattle for a layover visit, looking forward to that ... there is a lot to get caught up on.
My main bag is 29 lbs... backpack apx 10 lbs.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.301s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 13; qc: 46; dbt: 0.0636s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Lynda
non-member comment
David, I will continue to read your blog and watch your travels. While in Thailand I'm taking the opportunity to travel in SE Asia but will be further south (I HATE the cold)! However, I am very interested in the areas you will be in. I have traveled through Vietnam and found it to be beautiful and the people family. You should find many young people in Vietnam and China who speak English. Good luck and happy travels.