Destinations

Category Archives for Destinations.

What You Need To Know About Europe’s New Entry Rules For Americans

by Gary Leff on November 19, 2022

Nov 19 2022

The U.S. doesn’t require most Europeans to get a visa to come here. They do, however, have to register online in advance and get an approved “ESTA.” Which is like an electronic visa! It’s just that the process we put people through to get something we actually call a visa is much, much worse.

Europe is responding in kind and creating their own online registration system that residents of much of the world will have to use before being allowed to enter. It’s called ETIAS, for the European Travel Information and Authorization System.

Now That President Xi Has Secured Power, China Eases Covid Controls

by Gary Leff on November 11, 2022

Nov 11 2022

Among other things, airlines will no longer be penalized for bringing a Covid case into the country. Yet nothing has changed in China – they still aren’t using Western vaccines, the vast majority of the population remains immunologically naive – except for Xi having broken with precedent to extend his time in office, while vanquishing rival power centers.

US Opening Up Online Passport Renewals This Month, Will Become Permanent Option Next Year

by Gary Leff on September 19, 2022

Sep 19 2022

Some progress may be on the way making it faster to submit passport renewals – moving those to an optional online system, which saves time in the mail and also should save time waiting for data to be entered upon receipt.

U.S. Border Agents Take, Store And Search Americans’ Emails And Photos At “Massive Scale”

by Gary Leff on September 17, 2022

Sep 17 2022

They’re adding “contacts, call logs, messages and photos” from the devices of tens of thousands of people per year and “much of which is captured from people not suspected of any crime.”

“2,700 CBP officers [can] access it without a warrant” according the office of Senator Ron Wyden, while the agency clarifies it’s actually 3,000 officers.

Want To Visit The U.S.? That Will Be A Two Year Wait

by Gary Leff on August 24, 2022

Aug 24 2022

While the U.S. still has a vaccine requirement for non-residents to travel here, we’re coming out the era of pandemic restrictions generally. But we’re not becoming a friendly place to travel. In fact we’re largely becoming worse.

For those who need a visa the average wait times are mind bogglingly absurd. The wait time in Mexico City? Over 500 days.

Thailand Looking To Legalize Gambling To Attract Tourists

by Gary Leff on August 9, 2022

Starwood's Business Card is Better than the Personal American Express Card

Aug 09 2022

On your next trip to Thailand, if some have their way, you could smoke pot, gamble, and pay a bar fine all in a single visit. Funny, all I want to do when I go there is eat great street food.

Hong Kong Still Imposes Mandatory Quarantine On Arrival, Set To Reduce To 3 Days

by Gary Leff on August 8, 2022

Aug 08 2022

Eventually Hong Kong (and mainland China) will lift pandemic restrictions. The city has focused on its relationship with Beijing, and the Peoples Republic of China has kept draconian Covid restrictions because much of its population has remained immunologically naive and they’ve been unwilling to using mRNA vaccines (since those represent failure of Chinese science compared to the West) and other key treatments.

China needs to keep Covid-19 in check until getting past the 20th Peoples Congress at which President Xi is expected to break with convention set by Deng Xiaoping and receive a third term. Uncontrolled spread of Covid (and invasion of Taiwan, for that matter) represent too much risk to take on for the Chinese leader before that.

Indoor Temperatures Will Be Too Hot To Visit Spain Next Summer – And Too Cold In Winter

by Gary Leff on August 4, 2022

Aug 04 2022

Spain has barred all commercial buildings from setting their thermostat below 80 degrees in summer. It would also ban setting thermostats above 66 degrees in winter. The moves are prompted by the country’s reliance on Russian gas.

Loyalty Lobby Blogger Kicked Out Of Bali For False Story About Long Immigration Lines

by Gary Leff on August 3, 2022

Aug 03 2022

The Loyalty Lobby blog recently wrote a post, that apparently went viral, claiming that immigration lines in Bali were five hours long, that the airport had “Become A Total Hellhole” and warning people to stay away. He said people were crying and needed medical attention during their waits.

In fact it took the blogger who writes under the name Sebastian Powell 53 minutes to get through immigration. His story was apparently based on what one traveler told him about their experience.

The Most Tracked Plane In History Touches Down In Taiwan With Nancy Pelosi On Board

by Gary Leff on August 2, 2022

Aug 02 2022

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s military plane has touched down in Taiwan. It’s been the most tracked aircraft movement in history. The Boeing C-40C using call sign SPAR19 took off from Kuala Lumpur and over 300,000 people were tracking the plane in real time at once. So many people were watching it that tracking sites couldn’t handle the server loads.