LEANNA

Wow..how great to sign on and find all this chatter. Lets see...my itinery is at www.barakajourneys.com Central Asia. And I leave next sunday the 17th of sept....AM I EXCITED!!!!?? Yea just a tad!!!!

I checked w/ Magellan today and they said I need D adapters so sent for 2 via fast mail....my local travel store keeps insisting A will be fine...but M's usually does me well...so figured I would stick w/ their knowledge.

BTW...I AM NOT NOT NOT...PLUGGING ANYTHING....this is just what Im doing and up to!!!

Ok...now sent for my Uz visa on the 26th of August and still DO NOT have my passport/visa back. Needless to say I'm a bit hysterical. I am going to call on monday as my TG gave me a name to check with....so cross your fingers everyone that Fed Ex will get things here on time and that the UZ consulate has not lost everything!!!! Im one of those people who do everything in advance so this situation is really scaring me.

Im packed...finished that today!!! Suitcase will now just sit here all week ready to go.

Our TG suggested taking some winter clothes but I just cant believe it will suddenly get that cold. Its 107 here and not much cooler there....according to my exite weather page. So taking only summer stuff and a jacket.....somehow freezing sounds very nice indeed!!! Its been a long hot summer in Calif!!!

I would love to go to Iran & Irag, Arabia infact all those countries. I'm fascinated w/ that culture and when I was in Egypt and Turkey I got up every morning w/ the Muzzems (sp)and had my own moment of silence!!

Yep Bkkmei we land in Almaty which is in Kazakstan right! Still getting it all straight. But we wont stay there long...moving right along to Kyrgyzstan in a couple of days.

I found a great book by a ethnomusicologist w/ a CD in the back. I have fallen in love w/ the music. Much more gentle then Greece and Turkey and not quite as hectic as Chinese. I cant wait to hear more.

I will be taking my small hand held cam corder so hopefully there wont be any problems. I dont have a blog or any of that and only will have my dvds and a few notes. But I promise to come back here and say hi!!!! (that is if I get to go!!!!...I really have visions of not getting that visa/passport back!!!! )

ok guess thats it for today!!! 7 more sleeps!!!!! xoxo L.

tower

Leanna...

This is your assignment...should you accept it we expect to see the results after you return from this exciting journey....that is, a detailed trip report!!
Enjoy your great adventure, in good health and happy spirits!

Stu T.

LEANNA

Stu......Ok I will try to give you all the details. I will at least write and give you some!!!!! Im just worried no passport/visa wont come and I'll still be here next sunday nite!!!! sigh!!!! (

thursdaysd

Leanna - thanks for the link to your itinerary. It looks like a great trip - I can't wait to hear about it!!! I'm crossing my fingers that your passport shows up on Monday - I'd be going nuts if I were you. Best wishes.

LEANNA

I AM going nuts. I cant sleep now!!! I must have looked at out my window to the front porch 50 times today!!!

If there is a great Travel God in the sky or whoever.....everyone...please say prayers or chant or do whatever....I need energy to the gods here!!!

I tried calling the UZ consulate in NYC but unless you have a real extention they just disconnect you!!!! There must not be any humans there!!!! Im soo worried....I'm one of those vastly organized anal types & this is very upsetting!! My TG keeps saying it will show up....but I just keep thinking yea...but when.

So everyone.....please send out "return Visa/passport" energy ok!!!!!????

xxoxoxo Leanna

bkkmei

Leanna

am thinking of you!!
But please don't worry yet. It's not time to worry yet!! By all means keep hassling (in the nicest possible way) the consulate and your TG, but don't go nuts over it. Not yet anyhow.

wishing the best

thursdaysd

Leanna - oh noooo! OK, crossed fingers didn't work, I'm now sending hurry-up energy to New York. Can your TG (what's a TG?) call the consulate for you?

Good luck!!!

thursdaysd

BTW, my sister, who still lives in England, just alerted me to a new Colin Thubron book, "Shadow of the Silk Road", said by the "Telegraph" reviewer to be the next best thing to being there. Not available in the US until the end of Oct. according to amazon, though.

LEANNA

I am giving up hope. Not only do I need to receive my stuff but 6 other people including our TG do too. It would take a miracle I think. Tomorrow is wed.

And yet...today I bought a nice pair of travel sandals. sigh!!!

MY TG could not get thru so started making up extention numbers and finally got a human being. That person would only take a message not put her thru to the Visa person. So who knows if that message got delivered. I also sent an email today and have received no response.

I wonder are there any humans in the UZ consulate in NYC? Have they all left and told no one!

Im very down tonite so need to just hush!!!!

Keep praying please!!!! Please!!!! Tomorrow is wed!! We are suppose to leave on Sunday.

xoxo L.

thursdaysd

Leanna - please don't give up yet! Didn't you say you sent your application on Aug. 26th? Did you pay the extra for rush processing? If not, with 10 work days for normal processing, that would make yesterday the first day you could expect it back, no? (Assuming they actually work on Fridays, which isn't clear.) Either way, I'm sending energy to you and New York!

LEANNA

Well the sobbing will stop!!!!! TODAY...I GOT MY PASSPORT AND VISA!!!!!! HUZZZZAHHHHH!!!!!! And my TG has tracked hers and its on the way and she said only 2 people have not heard..so looks like things are pulling together. I just didnt think a miracle was possible....and look....one happened!!!!!!!!

Perhaps it was the huge altar I had built on the front porch...w/ my budda, my Artemus mother Goddess from Turkey, my Indian Elephant God, my Virgin of Guadalupe, my bible, my koran, my worry beads, my rosary, my candles, my little gnome from Ireland and my tiki and my lucky turtle from China!!!!!!!

I did thank my angels and I thank all of you for your support!!!! I was really down last nite and just so weary of worrying. But you are right thursdaysd...10 days from the 28th..is just about now....what w/ all the holidays, their independence day and 9/11 time off too I spose. Well now everyone can be warned.....no not dawdle when getting this particular visa!!

Tonite Im going over all the notes I have made......and the next couple of days I'll go thru the luggage and try to get stuff out. Never easy!!!

Again thank you all for the support.....goshes...I'm really going !!!!!

thursdaysd

YEAH!!! Great news! Sounds like you had all the bases covered there.

Have a wonderful trip.

tower

Leanna....happy...happy. You got it!

Now, calm down and get ready for what will be a grand adventure. Remember, trip report, trip report, trip report. I'm particularly anxious to know what those "stans" are like in their independent status, having been to all three during the grim S.S.R. days...bon voyage...may each day be a meaningful, interesting and fun one for you!

Stu T.

LEANNA

Yep spent today getting my acupuncture and just relaxing. Checked over the luggage and decided I must have what I have. So 2 more sleeps and outta here!!! EEEEKKKK. Thanks for all your good thoughts....and I'll be back!!!!

dbeard

Hi Leanna, i went to Uzbek and Tajik for 3 weeks in late july/early august
what an amazing place!
the sights of Uzbek couldnt be more unique and the people of Tajik are the friendliest i've ever met
here is a list of my contacts in the country
Great Game Travel Company, Ltd., is organizing the entire venture.
They have great references had have worked in Tajikistan for many years.
Michael Davis ([email protected]) is the head of Great Game Travel
Here is their website http://www.greatgametravel.co.uk/aboutus/
In Uzbekistan, the coordinator there
Valeriya Sokolova and her email is [email protected]
and the website is www.sairamtour.com
good luck!

bkkmei

Hi dbeard
unfortunately our experience of Great Game was not as good as yours. We went to them with a query and then they led us a real merry parade and scared us to death regarding some entry cards we didn't have when we came into Tajikistan - spent a whole day paying for the privilege of faffing around Dushanbe chasing up registrations which we ultimately didn't need.

LEANNA

Im back. Well my body is...but my mind is still back there ....12 time zones away. WHATATRIP!!!!

Needless to say it was amazing, fabulous, terrific etc etc....and oh yes....exhausting!!! Highly recommend my tour company and all the day guides and country guides we had. They took care of us in amazing ways and made the trip seem easier than it was.

We kept an exhausting schedule w/ tons of home visits and cultural events plus shopping......I bought home an extra suitcase of stuff for me and for gifts Such handwork.....embroideries etc.

Had tummy trouble thru out the trip and caught cold...but just kept going..thanks to drugs!! I picked cotton for about 20 min in Uz, wove rugs w/ the young maidens in Kz for about 5 min.....they were in stitches over my clumsy fingers, shared an evening w/ a famous potterer, and all in all found the land of the Arabian nights...and who knew it was in Central Asia. The people were fun everywhere....and the women so gentle and accepting. The men were gracious and kind and respectful...and interested in talking to us thru our guides.

I had a ball......it would take a 600 page book to tell all my experiences. It was the most adventurous trip I have been on.....used many an open field as a loo out of necessity.....and bathrooms in some hotels were a riot. No water pressure, very little hot water, but hey....who cared...it was all worth it.

All of the countries felt soo safe....even Ashgabad and the dictator. What is he doing there? No one quite tells....but you can read their eyes and they seem greatly amused but not frightened. And I have to say the city is amazing...such architecture and all that white marble and gold.

Border crossing were interesting and just scary enuff to be fun....but not really dangerous.

A great trip.......and Im exhausted!!!! Oh I said that already!!!

thursdaysd

Welcome home! So glad you had a great trip. Looking forward to reading the trip report (hint, hint).

LEANNA

Thanks thursdaysd. I took 26 hours of video....and that is my trip report! But I can answer any direct questions if any one has some. I must say all advice I received here was true and and applied!!! I think the thing that surprised me the most is this is the World of Islam I have been looking for....all the Arabian nites stuff and architecture. And who knew it was in Central Asia. Fabulous trip!

althom1122

Leanna, thanks for the update. Would love it if you'd post some photos. Sounds like a fabulous trip!