by Calvin Sun | Jun 19, 2022 | Fail, Flying Fancy, Getting that VISA, How Did You Do That?, How's the weather?, June 2022: Svalbard, Lessons Learned, Norway, Svalbard, Way Way Off the Beaten Path
Postponed 3 times over 3 years, we’re finally making this voyage happen. It may not be starting off pretty once we arrived, but what matters is that we’re here. Using miles for my first voyage on SAS Airlines, I spent only $70 to snag...
by Calvin Sun | May 15, 2022 | Blitzkrieg!!!, How Did You Do That?, Mexico, Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Serendipitous!, Weekend Trips
Probably the most visited site in the world that I have never been, until this weekend. Upon a destination wedding invitation last year by my friend Norman Chen, whom I last saw when we stopped in Chicago on our USA Road Trip back in August 2020....
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 14, 2021 | How Did You Do That?, October 2021: Saudi Arabia, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Saudi Arabia, Travel Warnings, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
Ta’if About a 2 hours’ drive north of Jeddah lies Ta’if. Located within the Mecca region and one of the oldest towns in Saudi Arabia, it has been famous for its rose production and views over Mecca itself: Along the way we stopped to say hi to the...
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 | Jun 12, 2021 | Border Crossing, Cyprus, Fail, How Did You Do That?, June 2021: Cyprus, North Cyprus, Rules Are Meant To Be Broken, Unrecognized Territories, Way Way Off the Beaten Path, What Dreams May Come
Despite a successful border crossing attempt via the Ledra Pedestrian Street UN Buffer Zone in Nicosia from the southern side to the northern side of Cyprus without any of the required materials 3 days ago, it seems that the border guards at northern side...
