Update 26 January 2011
Berlin: snowing...!
Status: Inertia
Reason: We've applied for Syrian visas and have not heard from them yet. Yes, or no will affect our travel plans majorly. Yes: we can continue as planned. No: we will have to reroute.
Leaving Kandern was more difficult than anticipated. Our original plan was to leave during the first week of January. We received our new passports the end of December, 3+ weeks later than anticipated and we could not apply for any visas until we've received the new passports. It was therefore best to stay in Kandern where we had a warm room; we could also finish final sorting, packing and administrative stuff.
In 3 countries - Sudan, Ethiopia and Syria one has to secure visas before arrival at the border. Willie and I received our Sudanese visas a week ago, and we've applied for Syrian visas through an agency in Berlin. We are currently waiting to find out whether our application for Syrian visas was successful. We will have to make a different plan for Hugo and Andrej since they do not have residency in Germany anymore.
We left Kandern Wednesday 19 January. On our way out we had to stop at post-offices in France to mail letters and boxes(parcels). By the time we had that done, it was almost time to find a place to "camp" for the night. Campsites in Europe typically do not open before April, so our first night on the road was spent in a parking lot in Wintersdorf (less than 200 km away from Kandern!) Willie and I were in the rooftop tent and Hugo and Sammie in the car. It rained and snowed during the night and it was freezing cold. 5am Willie woke up with a wet shirt! We had no idea where the water came from, but the mattress was wet! Finally Willie realized that we did not put the poles for the rain cover in...so the water happily dripped onto the floorboard during the night and the mattress eagerly absorbed it. Well, that is school money - hopefully we will not have to pay that again.
Thursday, 20 January, we arrived in Berlin after a difficult drive through snow, rain and lots of construction! The campsite in Berlin was open, but we decided to go to a youth hostel because it was so bitter cold.
Willie and Hugo went to the USA embassy on Friday where new pages were put into Hugo's passport.
The visa agency told Willie that we will not know about our Syrian visas before Tuesday/Wednesday which is today. This far we have no news yet. There is a feeling of helplessness and frustration with this kind of waiting, because there is not too much we can do other than WAIT!
Berlin: snowing...!
Status: Inertia
Reason: We've applied for Syrian visas and have not heard from them yet. Yes, or no will affect our travel plans majorly. Yes: we can continue as planned. No: we will have to reroute.
Leaving Kandern was more difficult than anticipated. Our original plan was to leave during the first week of January. We received our new passports the end of December, 3+ weeks later than anticipated and we could not apply for any visas until we've received the new passports. It was therefore best to stay in Kandern where we had a warm room; we could also finish final sorting, packing and administrative stuff.
In 3 countries - Sudan, Ethiopia and Syria one has to secure visas before arrival at the border. Willie and I received our Sudanese visas a week ago, and we've applied for Syrian visas through an agency in Berlin. We are currently waiting to find out whether our application for Syrian visas was successful. We will have to make a different plan for Hugo and Andrej since they do not have residency in Germany anymore.
We left Kandern Wednesday 19 January. On our way out we had to stop at post-offices in France to mail letters and boxes(parcels). By the time we had that done, it was almost time to find a place to "camp" for the night. Campsites in Europe typically do not open before April, so our first night on the road was spent in a parking lot in Wintersdorf (less than 200 km away from Kandern!) Willie and I were in the rooftop tent and Hugo and Sammie in the car. It rained and snowed during the night and it was freezing cold. 5am Willie woke up with a wet shirt! We had no idea where the water came from, but the mattress was wet! Finally Willie realized that we did not put the poles for the rain cover in...so the water happily dripped onto the floorboard during the night and the mattress eagerly absorbed it. Well, that is school money - hopefully we will not have to pay that again.
Thursday, 20 January, we arrived in Berlin after a difficult drive through snow, rain and lots of construction! The campsite in Berlin was open, but we decided to go to a youth hostel because it was so bitter cold.
Willie and Hugo went to the USA embassy on Friday where new pages were put into Hugo's passport.
The visa agency told Willie that we will not know about our Syrian visas before Tuesday/Wednesday which is today. This far we have no news yet. There is a feeling of helplessness and frustration with this kind of waiting, because there is not too much we can do other than WAIT!
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