Shop ’til you Drop (12/28/05)
Well….Xmas is over and we are in the final stretch. Guess it might be a good time to get started on some of our gear!!! Thank you to all of our loved friends and relatives who kindly provided us with cash for our adventure gear. Everything from our packs to our sink plug will be cherished items on the road as we know you all helped us get to that point. We know this post might not be the most exciting but many people ask us many “prep” questions so we want to answer some of the major ones.
We start with a marathon 5-hour fashion show at REI. We’ve been researching backpacks for weeks and decided first we need an estimate of the stuff that goes in it then we can go find the appropriate pack. It’s good to be in Seattle with REI in your backyard. You can order everything online (at holiday discounts), pick it up in the store and avoid online shipping charges as well as return right at the counter if it doesn’t work. You may ask how you pack for eight months???? Very selectively. As many wise travel writers have documented, packing for three weeks requires many different combinations, but packing for eight months requires three shirts and three pants that you really better like wearing (and washing!!). If you are planning a trip of this length as a first timer I highly recommend checking out Giles Smith and Doug Lansky’s First Time Around the World (Thanks Linda & Nick!!!) I won’t get into the exhaustive list now but will hopefully post it in the future and, of course, you will see them all modeled all over the world in our photos!!
We also just nailed down our Travel Insurance coverage which was much easier than expected. We researched many different insurers and found that using a consolidating broker is the best option. We found the best customer service over the phone at insuremytrip.com. Hint: Always get emergency evac insurance and don’t worry about getting too much coverage as two brokers explained the largest claims they have ever seen didn’t top $100k. Remember we (the good ole’ U.S.A) have the best medical services but also the most expensive.
Lastly, we have dipped our toe into the waters of foreign bureaucracy….VISAs. We have received our double entry Chinese Visa without much trouble after using a Visa Service out of Houston. Just today, we sent off our passports to the Uzbek embassy in Washington DC. We are crossing our fingers as we venture into the do-it-yourself process of obtaining a Visa from an ex-Soviet republic (mucho red-tape, no pun intended). We are going to try most of our other Visas on the road, either at airports, borders, or other country’s embassies. WISH US LUCK!!!!
Tags: Packing, Planning, Pre-Trip
Jeff and Becca
Your blog is very interesting. Please keep us advised to your adventure! I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. Barry and Sherri are here visiting Leo, who is very ill. He’s currently in a skilled nursing facility recovering from a serious infection likely caused by his chemotherapy. We’ll keep you informed and, and please know that he sends his best to you both.
Love,
Verna