Lakes, Lemurs, and Lithuania: Horton Hears a Houthi!
Mar 1, 2015, 10:13 pm
#121
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Some things don't get blogged 
Yeah, I've always seen this too, and am reminded how last time I was in Leningrad was 1988....oops, St. Petersburg. I probably have enough time to get the visa...but not sure it's worth it. Tough call how to spend my 48 hours in Helsinki
Yeah, I've always seen this too, and am reminded how last time I was in Leningrad was 1988....oops, St. Petersburg. I probably have enough time to get the visa...but not sure it's worth it. Tough call how to spend my 48 hours in Helsinki
Mar 23, 2015, 11:19 am
#124
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Apr 28, 2015, 1:43 pm
#125
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XIV. Eritrea...attempt #2
So, I posted a couple months back about Eritrea. How I waited eight weeks and still didn't have a visa, and then the day after I got home from the trip...the visa on arrival was approved. Initially, I thought I only had 30 days to use it, but then when I got the scanned copy I saw it was valid for three months...which was nice, because I really didn't have the energy to turn right back around and head back to Africa.
Played around with routings for a bit, and then US Airways was merged into the American program, meaning I had plenty of miles to make things work. To top it off, I had to learn about OneWorld, and how to book OneWorld awards which was a new one for me. One cool thing is that business class with US Airways to North Africa/Middle East was only 100,000 miles return. What a bargain!
One small catch: US Airways doesn't recognize that Eritrea exists. At all. They wouldn't let you book a ticket to Asmara. So, I did the next best thing and looked for Doha. Why Doha? Because another learning experience I had is that BA awards are based on distance, and I could get roundtrip from Doha to Asmara with BA Avios for 30,000 miles in business...and those miles could easily be transfered from American Express Membership Rewards...which happened instantly.
So, getting to Doha would be easy...nonstop from DC/Dulles to Doha on Qatar Airways was available on the way I wanted, so that was all sorted and easy. But getting home, there was just nothing. I searched everything across the atlantic in a three day span...and still nothing. Then...I thought...what about Finnair, aren't they in OneWorld? They are...and I found Helsinki to JFK on the last day that would work. Now, getting from Doha to Helsinki was the challenge...wait, isn't Qatar flying the new A350 from Doha to Frankfurt? I'm sure it's not available...wait...it is!
I absolutely love Helsinki, so sure, it's longer than Doha-DC, but in exchange I get not only the A350 but also a couple of days in Helsinki in Spring. Not complaining at all!
So, I mailed the tour company back. "We do not know...It has been almost three months, they might be suspicious of such an old visa on arrival. We cannot guarantee your entrance." Well, I have the printout, and that should get me on the plane, so let's hope this all works out as it's under a week away now. I'll do my best to update in more or less real time (except Eritrea, since from what I understand internet is miserable there) but if not...be patient. I'm having shoulder surgery the day after I get back which is going to make one-handed typing for the next month very, very slow going!
New chapters posted in the trip report index....
Played around with routings for a bit, and then US Airways was merged into the American program, meaning I had plenty of miles to make things work. To top it off, I had to learn about OneWorld, and how to book OneWorld awards which was a new one for me. One cool thing is that business class with US Airways to North Africa/Middle East was only 100,000 miles return. What a bargain!
One small catch: US Airways doesn't recognize that Eritrea exists. At all. They wouldn't let you book a ticket to Asmara. So, I did the next best thing and looked for Doha. Why Doha? Because another learning experience I had is that BA awards are based on distance, and I could get roundtrip from Doha to Asmara with BA Avios for 30,000 miles in business...and those miles could easily be transfered from American Express Membership Rewards...which happened instantly.
So, getting to Doha would be easy...nonstop from DC/Dulles to Doha on Qatar Airways was available on the way I wanted, so that was all sorted and easy. But getting home, there was just nothing. I searched everything across the atlantic in a three day span...and still nothing. Then...I thought...what about Finnair, aren't they in OneWorld? They are...and I found Helsinki to JFK on the last day that would work. Now, getting from Doha to Helsinki was the challenge...wait, isn't Qatar flying the new A350 from Doha to Frankfurt? I'm sure it's not available...wait...it is!
I absolutely love Helsinki, so sure, it's longer than Doha-DC, but in exchange I get not only the A350 but also a couple of days in Helsinki in Spring. Not complaining at all!
So, I mailed the tour company back. "We do not know...It has been almost three months, they might be suspicious of such an old visa on arrival. We cannot guarantee your entrance." Well, I have the printout, and that should get me on the plane, so let's hope this all works out as it's under a week away now. I'll do my best to update in more or less real time (except Eritrea, since from what I understand internet is miserable there) but if not...be patient. I'm having shoulder surgery the day after I get back which is going to make one-handed typing for the next month very, very slow going!
New chapters posted in the trip report index....
Apr 28, 2015, 9:07 pm
#132
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Thanks all for the encouragement, super excited for this trip since I've been grounded nearly 10 weeks now...of course, that was plenty of time to tear my rotator cuff, but... 
Apr 29, 2015, 10:11 am
#135
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,685
Everything I've heard about Eritrea makes it seem like an interesting place to visit, though apparently travel permits outside Asmara aren't the easiest to come by (maybe your tour company has sorted that out though if you're doing the whole tour guide thing).
Bad timing with regards to Helsinki: the biggest party/festival of the year (May Day) is this Thursday-Saturday, so you miss that.
Good timing: The weather is dog shite right now but is supposed to get much warmer in the coming few weeks.
Bad timing with regards to Helsinki: the biggest party/festival of the year (May Day) is this Thursday-Saturday, so you miss that.
Good timing: The weather is dog shite right now but is supposed to get much warmer in the coming few weeks.