3. "This should be most triumphant." - Bill

 

I feel like I should get a second PhD for all of the energy and research that went into flights, bookings, and general logistics of this very Excellent Adventure.  Flights and hotels were complicated enough, but then there were visas, vaccinations, and what to pack for 40 days that could fit in a carry on.

VISAS

I spent a week in Georgia in August so that my mother and I could work shoulder to shoulder on visa applications for China, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand.  All but China were very straight forward and could be done on-line.  China, not so much.  As if the People's Republic of China did not have enough to do keeping up with their own 1.4 billion citizens, they also wanted our 10-year employment history, phone numbers of past supervisors and an explanation of our work situation. We had to attach a copy of a recent utility bill, a bank statement, where we are going to stay, an unsmiling photo. Even more, it had to be hand-delivered to the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Neither Mom nor I felt like driving up to DC to submit, which meant that there was an extra cost.  The visa is good for 10 years, so I feel like I am going to have to go back at least once to make it worth the effort.

VACCINATIONS

Not everyone has had the pleasure of experiencing a hospital admission while travelling in a foreign country, but I've done it twice (Mexico & Turkey) and I am really not interested in doing it again.  Plus, our schedule is too tight to fit it in. So during my first trip to the CVS pharmacy, I was jabbed thrice:  flu, shingles, and Hepatis B. Two weeks later it was another two shots - COVID booster and typhoid. Then, just a few days prior to departure it was back to CVS for the second Hep B.  Fortunately, all but one were covered by insurance. 

PACKING

 By the end of Week 2, I feel it will be quite obvious what I packed in the backpack shown in the photo below. I will probably have cycled through all of my outfits and will be starting over. I actually went shopping to outfit myself for this trip. REI for quick-dry pants and long sleeved shirt; DSW for comfortable walking shoes, and Mega Thrift for everything else. My backpack also includes a set of binoculars, an umbrella, a computer and mouse, and lots of chargers, batteries, and cables. All in, I'm at 30 lbs. The backpack also separates into two pieces, so I'll be able to get half in the overhead and half under my feet, and not have to check bags.  That's the plan anyway. 

Next stop: Seoul & Jeju Island!