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Old 01-10-2006, 06:38 AM   #1
tegan_lala
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Hello!!! I am happy to reach 100 posts Friendliest board.. one day I will be in this community when I actually have something to say (but I do love Jake's posts )

After this site, along with some gypsy blood, I know I must travel!

Here is my very rough plan-

1. Fortaleza, Brazil (3months- I hope to kitesurf there)
2. UK (3weeks.. family)
3. Interlaken & other Swiss cities (1-2 weeks)
3. Spain (2-4 weeks)
4. Eastern Europe (so many countries i want to explore, any suggestions for time to spend?)
5.Middle East (still not sure safety wise, but I want to see Petra, Syria, Turkey, Lebannon)

Ok, so that is probably a little crazy on a budget of only $4000 spending money but I think I can do it by the tips I've read here and a little work)

Oh, also- I really want to be like Lawrence Arabia during his archeoligy time when I am in the Middle East, but is that possible still today? eg. mixing in with the people
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Old 01-10-2006, 06:41 AM   #2
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This is weird but what really made me want to travel was "THE TRUEMAN SHOW"

Past the set I will go!
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Old 01-10-2006, 07:16 AM   #3
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Can you do Brazil, Europe and the middle east on $4000? I didn't get nearly 1% of that distance on twice the money, I'm stupid with money though and had to cut my trip short.
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Old 01-10-2006, 07:26 AM   #4
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No need to say welcome in here, after 100 post !

You have a super journey coming ahead, wow ! Your $4000 will set the amount of time spent in Eastern Europe I guess. You must include in your budget the flights, or are you planning on travelling overland from Eastern Europe to the Middle East ?

Switzerland will eat a lot of your budget as well.

In Eastern Europe, the ex-Yougloslavia is expensive, almost like in Western Europe, so take that in consideration. Whatever country you decide to visit, I would advice to stay a minimum of one week per country. They are beautiful and intriguing. I highly recommend to spend time in the countryside, otherwise you will miss the culture.

I personnal am fond of E.E. I went to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. I stayed the longest in Romania, three weeks, but 4 or 5 would have been better to see all the different districts and understand the culture better. I traveled also on a tight budget. For the 3 weeks, it was about $450, 4 trains in/out of the country included (from/to Budapest, and Varna-Bulgaria). That makes it about $24/day, or $20 if you don't count transport in/out of the country. That was in 2002 though, but it shouldn't have increased that much in Romania.

Beergal spent I think a whole year in Hungary; Worldwidemike went to Syria, ajb3000 did some countries from the ex-Yougoslavia; and seth lives in Russia. You can send personnal message to us if you want more infos.
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Old 01-10-2006, 09:15 AM   #5
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Quote:
Beergal spent I think a whole year in Hungary;
if only...just lived there for 4 months...have been back a few times though and always discovering something new, cant wait to go back again role on easter!
As for Central Europe i have been to, Slovakia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and my beloved Hungary so would be happy to give you a few ideas on Hungary as can Tumbleweedz on Lithuania, and Atcoum on Romania so shoot ahead with some more specifics
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Old 01-10-2006, 10:01 AM   #6
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Welcome, I didn't introduce myself until I had about 60 posts (Just to get comfortable first). Glad to have you.

Mike

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Old 01-10-2006, 11:37 AM   #7
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Hey there! Nice to meet ya, :D Yeah the budget does sound a bit tight, but you never really know how long you'll last until you're out there. Good luck and hope we can all help out when ya need it.

Jenn
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Old 01-10-2006, 12:13 PM   #8
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We're glad to have you and your 100 posts!
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Old 01-11-2006, 12:57 AM   #9
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OH THANKYOU!!! (Yeah i will have flight money covered) So friendly! T-punks first groupie

UK, France maybe, and Swiss (but maybe boring) I think can be done mainly on family

I really like the advice of visiting the country because that has come to mind so I'll definately do that now! I definately do not want to miss out on the culture.

Beergal I am jelous.. I still haven't decided what specific countries.. Actually that is easy- which are the cheapest?

Thanks for the advice!
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Old 01-11-2006, 07:09 AM   #10
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Brucha haba'a!

Being the self-proclaimed Middle East correspondent of tpunk I thought I'd give you a heads up about some things to watch out for in the region!

Visa requirements to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan are always complicated (and tend to get a bit pricey!) so do plenty of research before you go. Getting visas at the border is doable can be extremely complicated and time consuming (the first rule of Middle Eastern culture is that asking a question will cause a little chaos...even a simple "Do you take Visa or Mastercard?" will take 6 guys and a manager to figure out ), so getting it all squared away before you go is highly recommended! Also, if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport you'll be refused entry immediately in Syria and Lebanon. It's probably a bad idea to talk about Israel or visiting Israel around the border police, either.

Another thing to keep in mind - Jordan is quite pricey. 1 Jordanian Dinar is $1.50 US, and the entry fee to Petra is steep: 21 Dinars for 1 day, up to 35 for three days. If you really want to get to know the place and not kill yourself like I did hiking for hours with few or no breaks , you'll want two or three days at least. Also bring plenty of water because the dust is really fine and will get in your lungs in bucketloads.

The train that runs on the rail that Lawrence of Arabia attacked still runs to this day linking Damascus to Amman, so you might want to look into that (I found a link about it here: http://www.seat61.com/Jordan.htm).

The Middle East is truly an amazing place and a totally fun challenge to surmount with tremendous payoff...you will definitely leave with tons of stories to tell!

Are you traveling alone or going in a group, and where/what do you plan on seeing?
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Old 01-11-2006, 10:48 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally posted by goyincognito@Jan 11 2006, 10:09 AM
Also, if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport you'll be refused entry immediately in Syria and Lebanon.* It's probably a bad idea to talk about Israel or visiting Israel around the border police, either.*

What about the other way around? Like if you were to want to visit Israel, is it best to do that after other countries or will say Isreal have a problem with you if you have a stamp in your passport from Syria and Lebanon?

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Old 01-12-2006, 03:03 AM   #12
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Thanks goyincognito for your advice! I have found so much useful information on the boards. I think I will wipe out Israel then.. Are the other middle eastern counrties like that because Israel treats Arabs pretty bad?

I was really wanting to visit Petra after reading WWM's site which also made me interested in the great castle in Syria. I was also thinking of exploring surrounding areas of Beirut, like the mountain villages and also bayside towns.

mm $65AUD is pricey for me in Jordan. I think I would be ok with that considering how good Petra sounds. Good advice about the water. ooh. That sounds cool about the rail in Syria!

BTW. I will be a solo travelling female. Also, I speak no Arabic. Would that be too dangerous then? Also, Would I be more safe/comfortable in a hejab with well covered clothes?

It would be great to find an Arabic speaking male travelling partner for that leg of the trip but the people of the Middle East are supposed to be really hospitable and friendly (so I'm not sure about the level of danger).
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