Please remember that this is mostly an unplanned journey. I started with a one way plane ticket and a Paris apartment reservation. From there I planned to decide about and pick up contiguous legs of the journey as I traveled. That was one of the reasons for traveling in the off season, as it is easier to get train and plane setas and places to stay without the hordes of summer.
Over the past few days some of that style has served me well. On a last minute whim I decided to spend a week in Istanbul before heading off to Israel. The hotel in Istanbul looks first class and is ridiculously cheap. The plane tickets were $99 per leg. HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES! GOOOOOOOAL!
But I stlll need travel visas. for Russia, China and Turkey. Looks like Turky is very easy. I can get that one in Paris or on entry to Turkey. China look easy also, taking four days. I'll visit those two consulates on Monday and start the process. Russia, however...
Today I went to the Russian consulate (in the same building as the embassy, on the outer edge of Paris). Everything was locked up. I rang the buzzer, but the voice only spoke Russian, so no help there. I managed to decipher a cyrillic paper on the door that said the consulate was open 9 a.m to noon, but it was closed today (12/24). So much for the veracity of the Russian embassy web site.
Searching the web I find many horror stories about getting a Russian visa in Paris. I need passport photos, a bank check, an invitation from a travel agency or hotel and a maticulously filled out application. And maybe a fedex envelope. And it takes up to three weeks to get the visa while they hold your permit. Ouch! I'll be calling some visa processing agencies ($$) for help on Monday.
I have a back up plan. If I can't get a visa here, I'll try Istanbul or other capitals that I visit. If that doesn't work I'll extend my visit in Lisbon as needed to get a visa. I plan to enter Russia around April 1, so I would need to be in Lisbon by March 9.
I know. I should have applied for the visa earlier. Like from home six months ago, or when I first arrived in Paris. I know. But remember, the journey should be INTERESTING. Even if its self inflicted!
I hit a minor local bump last night. Showed up for the 10 p.m. cruise along the Siene River. Turns out they need a minimum of 10 passengers to make the trip (the boat holds over 200). We ended up having a total of seven. So, the tourist numbers REALLY are down.
Sadly a group of Rusian women were leaving for home the next morning. I chatted with them about my trip, first in German, then English. They didn't know where Kyzyl was until I told them it was the capital of Tuva. I don't think they fully understood why I was ging to Kyzyl.
Thta's probably because I probably don't fully understand why myself.
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