by Calvin Sun | Mar 11, 2022 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, Iraq, March 2022: Central Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Less than 4 years ago I was invited on a whim to join my friend Rik Brinks for a beer in Kurdistan Iraq. So I went without a moment’s notice, not realizing how easy it was to get in with a visa on arrival. There I ran into not only Rik, but also...
by Calvin Sun | Oct 10, 2021 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, October 2021: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Got my third booster for COVID-19 yesterday! And what better way to revel in my potential side effects of the booster than a 12 hour red-eye flight from NYC to Abu Dhabi to Riyadh? The days of loopholes and hurdles to obtain a business or transit visa...
by Calvin Sun | Feb 24, 2020 | Angola, Fail, February 2020: Angola & Cabinda, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, Walking Tours
Angola: Once a Portuguese overseas territory from the 16th century to 1975, the country became infamous for becoming the staging ground for a brutal civil war (between the Soviets and an alliance of Western nations that ironically also included China…one...
by Calvin Sun | Jan 21, 2020 | Fail, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, January 2020: The Saharan Odyssey, Mauritania, Public Transportation, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
After relaxing in Dakhla for 2 night, we drove to the border of Morocco and Mauritania early this morning. About an hour into the journey we suffered a flat tire, which luckily took about 30 minutes to sort out thanks to a friend of the driver’s...
by Calvin Sun | Jan 2, 2020 | Algeria, Getting that VISA
It took about 3 weeks, but I finally was able to get my hands on the rare and coveted Algerian tourist visa in NYC … 24 hours before my literal departure to Algeria! You’ll need the following to prep: 2 copies of a filled out but unsigned visa...
by Calvin Sun | Nov 20, 2019 | Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, November 2019: Socotra Island, Socotra Island, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, Yemen
So after a 6 week hiatus from nearly a year of monthly travels, it’s time to hit the road again. With 85,000 miles I booked the Lufthansa LH 401 flights on business class from JFK to FRA to CAI all for $60 USD. The experience began with the quick...
