tWO wHEELS tOO mANY jOURNEYS ~ BTJ-2017/070
Journal Date: Saturday, 13/05/2017
In view of the fact that enforcing borders may become widening one’s dreams because sometimes it’s hard to live in the present. Journey life with its planned itinerary may seem to suck at my joy of riding in the moment leading to discover the mysterious trails beyond the country. Then there are trauma’s that pile high which I try so hard to ignore and disconnection that subtly crawls into the corners of my relationship with this country’s ruling authority, the illiterate folks who follow and praise the tyrant sheepishly, and the brutal ecocide carried out by the hands and/or advocates of the current bureaucracy. But if I want to live a life of adventure beyond my country, of new experiences, of new involvements, I have to be willing to shake things up a bit.
This could be as little as a trip for the day to neighbouring Greece, or Greek islands, or for just a weekend in Bulgaria, Caucasus, or for a good long-lasting journey into Georgia, Ukraine... (Sorry, but never to Iran, Iraq, Syria or other Middle Eastern countries, perhaps because I am a non-believer and these unsecular nations praise Islam!)
That’s also an attitude. I avoid having exasperating religious and political conversations with my country folks at all times.
When it comes to itinerary... I know things will always change when I am on the road. My curiosity and romantic interest will lead me into new adventures. Why not give it a chance to change my route to the nearest location.
There might be a very long stretch to my next stop, I may want to rest before going that route...
VISA ISSUES
Depending on where I am hopping to go and, most of all, where I’m from, visa expenses may amount to some serious cash and exaggerated system of administration. Particularly the latter is one terrible issue I find critically boring and frustrating process and hate being fallen into contempt in front of the eyes of the European Unity countries.
As Turkish citizens, we have the worst passports. Unfortunately Turkey is medium-developed capitalist country and its National Income (GDP) per capita is quite poor, $10.500 as compared to developed Western countries, thus holding a Turkish passport I have the toughest times, with long waiting times, complex requirements, and higher fees (even though I have been travelling abroad since my childhood, the same process still applies)...
Abnormal enough, getting visa is the tricky part. Every country has different rules about visas. Some of them require a letter of invitation, some of them don’t even want people like ‘us’ in their country. Just a thought; I may have to bribe the customs officer, or they might ask for money without a real reason. For some countries, visas can be obtained at the border, some countries require an appointment beforehand. For some countries I may need a letter of invitation which I can’t get without a travel agency.
In any case, I should research the visa requirements for every country that I intend to travel through, and prepare multiple copies of every paper.
Luckily, upon specific multilateral agreements, I will have no visa required to enter Georgia (365 days), Ukraine and Armenia (90 days), Belarus and Azerbaijan (30 days). Most Balkan countries will not require visa either and maximum day to stay is 90 days.
But Greece, Bulgaria and Russia, even though they are our next-door neighbours, their visa documentation requirements and fees largely vary (100€-150€), I should gather the information beforehand and budget accordingly if I ever want to pass over to these countries.
TIPS FOR OBTAINING VISAS
The last but not least words...
*I must carry US$, €, or local type of foreign currency of the country to be visited in cash.
*Most countries will issue a 30-day visa, so I must plan my route accordingly.
*Some countries will require a return guarantee, so I should be able to present the embassy with genuine evidence.
*They might ask me where I am going to sleep, give them a hotel name and an address. I must never say I’m going to camp.
*Visa requirements might change while I am on the road, hence I should research again before I apply for a visa.
Two Wheels Too Many Journeys
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