If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you are with.

Hello everyone! This will be a short post since I am still adjusting to being in Europe, in the ashram (temple), the 6 hour time difference, and the internet connection, but I  wanted to let you all know I arrived safely. So far I love it here! The people I have met are very wonderful, the city (or what I have seen so far) is beautiful and clean, and everyone here seems to know at least more than two languages, which is really quite impressive! 


Thankfully I have not succumbed to being jet lagged (but I have slept a bit during the day.) Someone I met on the plane suggested I walk barefoot in order to adjust to the electromagnetic field of the country, and following his advise I have been barefoot most of the time and long and behold I think it might work. Someone else try and do this and let me know if it works for you too! I have been working around the temple doing all sorts of chores -Gurudeva arrives tomorrow and we are all very excited to see him!


This is it for now, I will post pictures of Berlin and the temple soon, my friends!
(This weekend I'm heading to Sweden)


Haribol!

This is a little snack we had yesterday (though I believe I'm having a little bit of trouble uploading pictures from my iPad - I decided not to take my laptop because of it's weight, and now Im kinda regretting it. Im borrowing people's computers and the European keyboard with the 'Y' and the 'Z' switched up can get troublesome after a while)

How to get a Visa for India / Cómo solicitar una visa para la India

To obtain a Visa for India I contacted Travisa, a company which deals with the Indian Consulate in the United States. I requested a 10-year multiple entry visa, and besides filling up two basic forms, and obtaining two passport pictures this was not a difficult process. Except I made a minor mistake, and this delayed the process by a few days (instead of "multiple" entries, I selected "single" entry). Travisa's website is pretty clear and the steps are easy to follow. They are very clear about their fees as well.

Para obtener mi visa para la India use los servicios de la companía Travisa. Aunque creo que es importante mencionar que los requisitos exigidos en la página web son para ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos, por lo tanto ciudadanos de otros países deberán verficar con el Consulado de la India en su país. Yo solicité una visa por 10 años con entradas multiples. Sólo tuve que llenar dos formularios sencillos y sacar dos fotos tamaño pasaporte.

Because I'm leaving for Europe in a few days, I had to request the rush service (Fast Track Premium Service). This service allows me to see exactly where is my passport and to track the status of my application. According to their tracking the process should be finished tomorrow, and then they should be mailing me my passport and my brand new India Visa! Fingers crossed it gets to my hands before the 26th of this month, which is when I depart to Berlin, Germany!

Ya que viajo para Europa en unos días tuve que pedir que apuraran un poco el proceso. Realmente espero que mi pasaporte y mi visa lleguen a mis manos antes del 26 de junio, que es cuando parto para Berlin, Alemania. Dedos cruzados hasta entonces! 

Things for the road/Cosas para el camino

As I wait for my visa to India (application has finally been submitted!) it hit me that I do not have the basics for my travels, or at least what I think are the basics for traveling. This is my best attempt at coming up with a list of must-have items. Here it goes. (Experienced travelers please leave me comments on these items, whether they are essential or plain old unnecessary, or if there is something else I left out.)

Mientras espero por mi visa para la India (solicitud que ya fue enviada) me di cuenta que con la emoción del viaje no me he preparado adecuadamente! Asi que hice una lista de cosas que creo yo son importantes e indispensables para mi viaje. Claro, esto está basado en mi idea de lo que es necesario, ya que no tengo experiencia en viajes de más de 4 meses a más de un país, asi que si piensan que algun articulo no es tan necesario dejenmelo saber. Si piensan en algun producto o cosa que no se me ha ocurrido tambien dejenmelo saber en un comentario. Bueno, ahi les va mi lista:

A wrist watch. I've relied on my phone/electronic devices that get updated upon arrival in a different time zone, which makes it difficult to figure out whether the time belongs to your place of origin or your destination. I'm not the type of person who wears watches, but I realize that I should get a good waterproof-glow-in-the-dark-alarm-do-it-all watch to help me stay on time. (Any advice on watches people currently own/know about? These watches have resin bands, is this a good product?)

Un reloj de pulsera. No soy de usar relojes ya que desde que tengo telefono celular, éste hace de reloj por tiempo completo. Me gustaría uno que sea resistente al agua, que tenga alarma, y con luz para poder ver la hora en la oscuridad. Alguien tiene algun reloj favorito el cual me pudieran recomendar?

All of these are sport watches

Appropriate backpack/luggage. No wheels. Something that can fit what I need and allow me to explore around while having my hands free. I'm not really sure what to look for in a backpack. I know I want it to be light weight with an internal frame pack, and that will allow me to stay organized when I'm on the go. There are many options online, and not too many stores nearby where I can try them on. Anyone have recommendations on which backpack I should get?

Mochila grande. Me encanta tener las manos libres cuando viajo y aunque las maletas con ruedas son practicas y te evitan que cargues con mucho peso, pienso que muchas veces pueden dar un poco de problema ya que pueden estorbar (especialmente si son muy grandes.) La mejor opción para mi creo que seria obtener una mochila para "mochileros." Hay muchas mochilas en el mercado, todas de  diferentes precios y yo en realidad les confiezo que estoy en el aire. Muchas se ven lindas y otras un tanto no muy atractivas. Cual elijo?

Alps Mountaineering Orizaba 3900

Sleeping bag. Looking to get something like the red one. Mom doesn't like that the first one looks like a coffin. It is more expensive and more suitable for below freezing weather, which I will not be experiencing.

Bolsa de dormir. Escencial especialmente cuando no nos hospedamos en un hotel o hostel y no sabemos donde pasaremos la noche. Pienso que la bolsa roja se ve bien. Mi mamá me dijo que definitivamente NO a la primera bolsa de dormir conocida como "Bolsa Momia," a ella no le gustó que se parece a un ataud. Que piensan ustedes?

Both from Alps Mountaineering

First aid kid/personal care: pain killers, neosporine, cold medicine, feminine products (luckily guys never have to worry about these items.)
*A friend already suggested I get (Flagyl) metronidazole (Thanks for the info, Manny!) 

Primeros auxilios/Cuidado personal. Cosillas como medicina para el dolor, o medicina para la gripe o la tos. Además de productos femeninos que nosotras las mujeres siempre tenemos que tener en cuenta (suerte la de los hombre que no tienen que preocuparse por cosas como esas cuando viajan no, chicas?)

A water bottle with a build-in filter. Not sure if this is extremely necessary, or if it could replace drinking out of plastic water bottles in countries like Mexico, for example. 

Botella de agua con filtro. En muchos países el agua no es segura para beber directamente, así que pensé que tener una botella con filtro incluido sería una buena idea. Creen que en países como Mexico, una botella con filtro podría reemplazar el tener que comprar agua en botella?

Visas and Formalities

I thought it would be wise for me to research visa information, since I am visiting  countries in different continents. Below are my findings. In short I don't need a tourist visa for any European country using my U.S. passport, so I'm good to go there. South and Central American countries are not a problem either. For the Dominican Republic I only need a tourist card which I can purchase upon arrival. It only costs $10, so not a major expense. For India, however, I do need to apply for a tourist visa, and for some reason it completely slipped my mind! Now I have to rush and figure out how to get one in time.

Antes de empezar mis viajes, pensé que seria una buena idea investigar los requisitos de entradas para los paises que estaré visitando. Usando mi pasaporte americano, no necesito adquirir visas para Europa, Sudamerica ni Centro America. Para la República Dominicana solo necesito adquirir una tarjeta de turista, la cual puedo comprar en el aeropuerto por $10. La única visa que necesito adquirir es para la India, y aparentemente se me olvidó por completo que tengo que solicitarla lo más antes posible!

These results were found on the U.S. Department of State website http://travel.state.gov/

• Germany is a party to the Schengen Agreement. As a U.S. citizen, you may enter Germany for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa.

• Sweden is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Sweden for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes with a valid U.S. passport, without obtaining a visa. You need sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.

• Spain is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. You need sufficient funds, evidence of hotel reservations or an official letter of invitation if you will stay with family or friends, and a return airline ticket.

• You may enter Poland for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa according to the Schengen Agreement, to which Poland is a party and which allows for free travel between Schengen countries. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. You must have sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.

• You need a valid passport to enter the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter the Czech Republic and other Schengen member states for a total of up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay. 

• Hungary is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter Hungary for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay. You need sufficient funds and a return airline ticket.

• A U.S. passport is required for U.S. citizens who are not Bulgarian nationals. As a U.S. citizen, you are authorized to stay for a total of 90 days within a six-month period without a Bulgarian visa. This law is strictly enforced. You can file an application to extend your stay beyond the original 90 days for urgent or humanitarian reasons, but the application must be submitted to regional police authorities no later than five days prior to the end of the original 90-day period. Travelers who have been in the country for 90 days and then leave will not be able to re-enter Bulgaria before the six-month period expires.

• For entry into Costa Rica, you must present both a valid passport and a roundtrip/outbound ticket. Your passport must be valid for at least 90 days after your arrival. Because of possible fines levied by Costa Rican Immigration, many airlines will not permit passengers without a roundtrip ticket to board flights to Costa Rica unless they have Costa Rican citizenship, residency or a visa. Immigration now also requires that travelers be able to demonstrate financial capacity of at least $100 per month while they are in Costa Rica as tourists. When you leave Costa Rica, you will have to pay a departure tax of $28 USD. 

• A valid U.S. passport is required for all U.S. citizens, regardless of age, to enter and to depart Guatemala for return to the United States. Even if dual nationals are permitted to enter Guatemala on a second nationality passport, U.S. citizens returning to the United States from Guatemala are not allowed to board their flights without a valid U.S. passport. Certificates of Naturalization, birth certificates, driver's licenses, and photocopies are not accepted by Guatemalan authorities as alternative travel documents. While in Guatemala, U.S. citizens should carry a photocopy of their passports with them at all times due to the high rate of passport theft and leave the original passport in a safe place. An exit tax must be paid when departing Guatemala by air. The exit tax (currently $30) is generally included in an airline ticket price, but may be charged separately. There is an additional airport security fee (20 Quetzales, approximately $2.60) that all travelers must pay at the airport.

• Since March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens – including children – have been required to present a valid passport or passport card for travel beyond the “border zone” into the interior of Mexico. The “border zone” is generally defined as an area within 20 to 30 kilometers of the border with the U.S., depending on the location. Regardless of the destination in Mexico; however, all U.S. citizens age 16 or older must present a valid U.S. passport book or passport card to re-enter the U.S. by land. A passport book is required to return to the United States via an international flight.

• All U.S. citizens who are not also Colombian citizens must present a valid U.S. passport to enter and depart Colombia, and to return to the United States. Dual U.S-Colombian citizens must present a Colombian passport to enter and exit Colombia, and a U.S. passport to return to the United States. U.S. citizens traveling to Colombia do not need a Colombian visa for a tourist stay of 60 days or less. Travelers entering Colombia are sometimes asked to present evidence of return or onward travel, usually in the form of a round-trip plane ticket. Americans traveling overland must enter Colombia at an official border crossing. Travelers arriving by bus should ensure, prior to boarding, that their bus will cross the border at an official entry point. Entering Colombia at unauthorized crossings may result in fines or incarceration. Travelers planning to enter Colombia over a land border should carefully read our information on Traffic Safety and Road Conditions below.

• A valid passport is required to enter and depart Peru. Tourists must also provide evidence of return or onward travel. Travelers to Peru will receive a card from Peruvian Immigration upon arrival stating the length of approved stay (usually 90 days). Extensions are not available, and overstays will result in fines. Visit the Embassy of Peru Website for the most current visa information. Peru does not require any immunizations for entry, although it recommends vaccination against Yellow Fever. 

• Any person who can legally travel or reside in the United States, Canada and the European Union (including Great Britain) does not need a visa to visit the Dominican Republic for tourist purposes and can enter the Dominican Republic with a tourist card. It can be obtained directly at the airport upon arrival in the Dominican Republic and payed for in US Dollars. (from http://www.domrep.org/visa.html)  Tourist cards cost ten U.S. dollars, which must be paid in U.S. currency.

• All U.S. citizens need a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose. Visitors, including those on official U.S. government business, must apply for visas at an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad before entering the country. Visas are not available upon arrival for U.S. citizens. If you don’t have a valid passport and visa you may be immediately deported. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India cannot assist you if you arrive without proper documentation.