Going Through Immigration and Customs

A friend of mine is taking her first international trip and asked me what it was like to go through customs. We have done it so many times, we don't really think of it as anything more than routine now. But for first timers it could create a bit of anxiety. So here is a general description of what it is like. Each country will be a little different.

For the most part, when your plane is destined for a different country than where you boarded, you will have to go through immigration and customs. In Europe borders are open among the European Union nations so travel between them is like traveling within the borders of the same country. Either upon take-off or just before landing, the attendants on your flight will hand out customs forms and sometimes an entry form for visitors. They will explain who must fill them out but it usually goes like this: one custom form per family and one entry form for each visitor.

The forms you fill out will require your name, address, passport number, flight number, and ask you to declare certain items that you might be bringing to the country especially if in a large quantity or if on their list of banned items. Many countries do not allow you to take in fresh fruits/vegetables so leave that uneaten banana on the plane. If you do take it, dump it in the first trash can. Believe it or not, there are fruit sniffing dogs in some airports.

If you are entering the US, you will be asked to declare a dollar amount for purchases made abroad that are staying in the US. Citizens are allowed $800, non-citizens $100, before a tax is added on. For a sample of the US customs form and more explanation, go here.

The entry forms for countries that use them usually just want to know the purpose of your visit, where you are staying and where you came from. I think a lot of that is for their tourism records. Usually they keep half of it or stamp it and you return it on your way out of the country.

To make things easy, keep your passports and the completed forms handy as you exit the plane. You will be directed right to the immigration area either through hallways that are enclosed from the rest of the airport or through smiling lines of officials who make sure you get there. At immigration there are usually two lines--one for citizens and one for everyone else. TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. The last thing you want is someone thinking you are taking a picture with it. No pictures are allowed in the immigration or customs areas.

At immigration, the officer will ask to see your passport/s. If you are traveling as a family, you can all usually go through at the same time. S/he may ask you how long you plan to stay or where you came from or just if you had a good flight. Some of them smile. Some of them frown. It doesn't indicate anything. Just relax. Be polite. And you will be through in a jiffy.

Your next stop is baggage claim where you will pick up your luggage and then go through one of two lines in customs--Something to declare or nothing to declare. Chances are you will have nothing to declare and will simply hand the form to an officer and pass through. On occassion, they will do a random bag check and in some places "man's best friend" will sniff your bags.

The process is at times very fast and other times very slow depending upon the airport, time of day, time of year, and the country. If you are making a connecting flight through an airport, you want to give yourself a good hour in between especially if it is a very busy airport. Whatever you do, stay calm and don't loose your cool going through the process. Your airline will help you rebook if that becomes necessary.

Security (TSA) and immigration/customs. It's all part of the travel experience.

You Say Kangooroo--I Say Kangaroo

On my bookshelf is this fun book, Curious Word Origins, Sayings, & Expressions, that I found somewhere--maybe a library book sale. It has been a real gem and provides me with fodder for Twitter and Facebook when I want to appear clever. (Hope that didn't shatter anyone's image of me.) The other day I was looking for a fun tweet (that's Twitter language) and ran across the word kangaroo. Now how curious is that as a word, I wondered?

Turns out the origin of kangaroo is a bit curious. We all know they are an Australian animal with rather large feet, small arms, and a big tail and hop instead of run or walk. It seems that when Captain James Cook sailed to the continent, he had aboard ship a noted naturalist, Sir Joseph Banks. They saw the animal in Queensland when their ship, the Endeavour, put ashore for repairs in 1770. When asked what the name of the animal was the natives replied, "kangaroo." Both men spelled it kangooroo in their journals.

Later, when other explorers arrived, they searched for the native tribe that had given the animal its name. They could find none that called the animal kangaroo. They finally determined that what Cook and Banks had been told translated into "I don't know."

Wordless Wednesday

My Dream Camera

One of the things that takes the most time away from vacationing and relaxing is the nightly ritual of having to go over all the pictures taken from the day's touring and labeling them so we won't forget what they are pictures of. Presently I have a Sony Cybershot that I use for photographing our experiences. I usually take a flash drive with me and download the pictures to the flash drive with our little notebook that we use for travel and put them into files with the names of the cities we visit. Then each picture gets some short name that will help me remember what it is and why I took it. (I could do this directly on the camera's memory card but this also gives me a back up should something happen to the camera.) The system works pretty well for me but takes some time and is usually done when I'd rather be reading or sleeping.

My dream camera would be one that not only would take great pictures/video but would also allow me to label the picture as soon as I take it with something other than DSC and a bunch of numbers which only show the order in which I took them. In this day and age of fancy do-everything phones, couldn't we have a camera that has a touch keyboard to allow you to label pictures as you take them? Or, since most have a microphone for video, the ability to record the name of the place/item/person you have just captured in your camera's memory bank?

I post this dream in the hope of someone telling me that the camera already exists or that someone in the position to influence the makers of cameras will decide that the idea is valuable. I'll be right there in line to purchase it when it comes out. Promise.

How do you remember what your pictures are?

Packing Personality

Are you one of those people who love to take quizes to find out more about yourself? There are plenty of them that float around Facebook. I don't normally take them although I have been known to answer a few in women's magazines when I'm bored. I found one online that piqued my interest as I was looking for some travel tips to post. It's at Independent Traveler.com and defines your packing personality. It then refers you to a list of suggested tips to help you with your packing problems.

Although some of the choices for answers didn't quite fit me, I muddled through and found that I am a "last-second light-weight packer." I wish the light-weight description refered to my body weight but alas, they meant the weight of my luggage. We have pared back a bit to keep from paying too much in luggage fees although sometimes it's made up in laundry fees. Still, it's easier to lug a lighter bag and do laundry than to schlep a heavy large piece when you are traveling about the countryside.

Independent Traveler also has a ready-made interactive packing list that might be helpful to those who are overwhelmed by the prospect of packing for a trip. These are not all necessary for a trip. You'd need a truck to cart all of it. Instead you pick and choose according to your needs and destination. Then you can print it out and have a guide to follow.

If you travel as much as we do, you can develop a list of your own and not have to start from scratch each time. Hmmm. I think it's time to quit here and take my own advice. Happy trails!

Hocking Hills Contest

Remember that contest not too long ago called The Best Job In The World? It involved staying on an island off the coast of Australia, enjoying a private house with swimming pool, snorkeling, diving, exploring, and being an ambassador for travel to Queensland.

Well now there's a new contest but this one is a little closer to home if you live in Ohio or a nearby state. The Hocking Hills Tourism Association is sponsoring an "I love the Hocking Hills" video contest where you can win:

◦Cottage for 2 for 2 nights at Boulder’s Edge Tipi & Cabin Retreat
◦Dinner and lunch for 2 at local restaurants
◦Canopy Zipline Tour for 2 from Hocking Hills Canopy Tours◦Canoe trip for 2 from Hocking Valley Canoe Livery & Fun Center◦In-cabin couple’s massage by Blue Valley Massage & Traveling Spa
The Hocking Hills in southern Ohio is a beautiful area with lots of walking paths, caves, rock formations, and interpretive centers that are always busy with interesting things to do and learn about. The last time we were there, we fed hummingbirds.

Lots of summer is left. If you are within visiting distance and are looking for one last outing and a challenging contest, pack up the family and the video camera and head out.

Golf And Feed The Fish Too!!

One of the favorite things to do for many travelers on holiday is to golf. Devotees to the game can be seen carrying their golf clubs in baggage claim areas upon arrival in many different cities of the world that feature golf courses. Cruise lines have catered to the sport by providing putting greens, golf clinics with simulated driving ranges, and even mini-golf courses on their ships. Now, thanks to a Spanish company, you can golf and feed the fish as well!

Albus Golf LTD of Barcelona, Spain, has designed an ecological and biodegradable golf ball that has fish food in its core. When it hits the water, it biodegrades in about 48 hours and releases the food. Think of the possibilities. Here's a way to safely practice your swing at sea or the seaside or the beach (provided its not crowded).

And can you imagine the happy fish? Everytime someone yells, "Fore!", they'll be schooling together and waiting for the payoff.

Almost makes me want to take up golf.

Wordless Wednesday

Ketchup Cheats!

We generally go to a couple of baseball games each summer. Last week was one of them and as usual during one of the breaks between innings, the hot dogs, Mustard, Onion, and Ketchup, raced all around Cleveland (by animated video) and then into the ballpark and onto the field to finish the race.

Odds were that Ketchup would win. Ketchup almost always wins. That's because he cheats.

This time he used an animated helicopter, rode a kangaroo, and something else I can't recall right now to get ahead. When they entered the stadium to finish the rest of the race around the warning track, Ketchup tackled Mustard and Onion and then jumped up to win the race.

Now I'm the first to admit I don't know what the rules of this race are. But what kind of lesson is it teaching the young fans in the crowd? Nice guys finish last? Cheaters win? Even if its a no-holds-barred race, it teaches that anything goes.

Ketchup, I'm sure your mother taught you better than to cheat.

Travel Tips - Cruise Forums

While guide books such as Frommer's, Fodor's, Lonely Planet, and my favorite, Rick Steves, provide a lot of good information, they are sometimes a little behind due to the time lag in publishing. Some of the best up-to-date information can come from travel forums. There are forums attached to the websites for the guide books but I prefer the cruise forums. Maybe because I love cruising so much or because I feel more confident with people who generally have nothing to gain but wanting to share their experiences.

The two cruise forums I belong to are the Cruise Critic and Cruise Line Fans. The Cruise Critic has been around a bit longer and is the larger of the two. They often have get togethers on board ship so that you can meet others who post and glean on the forum. You don't have to join to peruse the boards but you do need to join if you want to ask a question or respond to a post.

Using the forums, we were able to arrange for a private tour when we last visited St. Petersburg. Others had posted their experience and made recommendations and we felt confident in booking with one of the Russian guides that was mentioned. It worked out better than we hoped and we had a great time.

On another occassion, we discovered that we could get $100 onboard credit for a Crystal cruise if we were sponsored by another person who had cruised Crystal. It didn't take long to hook up with someone in the forum and we all benefited.

Even if you are not taking a cruise, the forums offer lots of suggestions for destinations and often provide detailed itineraries, map references, prices, etc. It's a great way to plan and planning is half the fun of traveling. And you'll probably make some friends along the way.

Sunday Worship Thoughts - The Rood Screen

While we were visiting with our friends in Redbourn, England, we wandered through the 900 year old St. Mary's Church. As we started up the aisle wondering and admiring the ancient architecture, Kathy pointed out the intricately carved wooden screen that separated the main sanctuary area (the nave) from the altar area (the chancel). The center was open but as she explained the screen had something to do with keeping the clergy and the lay people separated. She called it a rood screen.

A rood screen? At first I thought she had meant, "rude screen." The words sound alike. My curiosity was aroused and when we got home and settled in again, I looked it up. It was a feature of medieval churches and would have had a rood loft upon which would be the Great Rood, a sculptural representation of the crucifix. The history of the rood screen is fascinating and if you'd like to read more about it, try this link.

My first thought as I stood and observed the rood screen in St. Mary's was it's figurative resemblance to the veil in the temple in the Old Testament--the one that was torn in half as Jesus died on the cross, symbolically inviting man to come closer to God. Showing us that there should be nothing that separates us from Him. And with Christ's resurrection the invitation was made complete.

Rood screens disappeared in churches around the time of the Counter-Reformation. I'm glad. Although they are a work of art, a part of history, they too should not appear a barrier to God's grace.

SOCF Post - The Legend of the Robin

This week's theme for our Scrapbook blog is legends of Christmas. I found one I'd never heard before and it involves robins. Check it out.

Flushed With Confusion

Our travel addiction began back in the early 1990s. Since then, we have stepped foot on all seven continents and except for a small section of the world between Bangkok, Thailand, and the east African coast, we have circled the world. Along the way, there have been many comfort stops--some more comfortable than others. Perhaps my experiences will be helpful to other female travelers. Male travelers don't seem to need the same kind of accommodations in that area.

First of all, all toilets are not created equal. Some of them I wouldn't even call toilets. For instance the "elegant" outhouses we found on one of our tours into the Alaskan wilds. No amount of fake ivy, artificial flowers, and artwork could cover the fact that it was what it was, an outhouse, a one-holer, a hole in the wood with a pit underneath it. Still, I have to give kudos for the air fresheners and toilet paper holder along with the hand sanitizer. It beat the jiffy-johns we endured at the Pasedena Rose Bowl Parade.

In China and an out-of-the-way place in Japan, we encountered a porcelain, for lack of a better term, hole in the floor--a squat toilet. The Japanese one, I recall, had a flush valve but some of the ones in China were flushed by a couple of attendants who just tossed a bucket of water over the floor under the stalls to be sure all was clean. (In all fairness, Japan goes to the other extreme and has toilets with heated seats and music that you play so others don't hear what you're doing.)

And speaking of attendants, there was the stop in Viet Nam at a Buddhist monastery where the attendant in the "ladies room" was a young monk who was assigned to run into the stall when you were done and pour a bucket of water in the toilet to flush it. I never did see the toilet there. Somehow having a strange male stand outside the door as you relieved yourself was a little more than I could tolerate.

In much of Europe and Australia, the toilets are western-style but not without a bit of a twist. There are various buttons and levers sometimes on the toilet, sometimes in the wall behind it, that give you a choice--full flush or half flush. Decisions, decisions.

Another twist on this full/half flush idea was found in one of the B&Bs we stayed in during a trip to England. It had a lever/handle to push. It took a full day to figure out that if you pushed slowly, it only half-flushed but if you pushed it quickly, it full-flushed.

England also still has some of the old fashioned toilets with the tank set up high above the toilet and a chain pull for a flush. The first time I pulled one I wasn't sure if I was flushing or turning off the light in the stall.

And don't get me started on bidets. We've seen them often in Europe and still don't understand how they work. Although if you want to tackle that, here's a place that tries to explain their use.

One of the most efficiently designed toilets was on the Ghan Train in Australia. You actually stepped into the shower which was the bathroom and pulled the toilet out of the wall. In order to wash your hands, you pushed the toilet back in and pulled down the sink. Pack them both away and you could shower.

The continental USA is not without its peculiar sanitary necessities. In our latest trip through several states we found a couple of toilets with hair triggers. You barely touched the handle and the toilet took over--full flush!

Confused yet? I haven't even started to describe the usual facility found on a cruise ship. Suffice it to say, with the vaccuum system they use for sanitation, you don't want to flush while you are still sitting.

It Must Be Genetic

Most of the time I do not need to use the old dictionary that sits next to my computer and with spellcheck (provided I remember to use that) I am relatively certain that what I write has been spelled correctly. I don't normally second guess myself unless the word happens to be maintenance.

My mother had two words in her vocabulary that she was forever mispronouncing. One was municipal. She would pronounce it something like mun-UNZ-i-pel. No matter how hard she tried, it just never came out with the accent on the right syllable.

The same was true of maintenance. Her pronunciation was main-TAIN-unce. I don't seem to have a problem with municipal but remembering her pronunciation of maintenance always sends me to the dictionary to be sure I've spelled it right.

This is the same mother (I only had one) who thought the spice, marjoram, was pronounced "marijuana." I loved her dearly. I only wish a few of those spelling/pronunciation genes hadn't been passed on.

Wordless Wednesday

Books for The Road - Audio Book: Long Lost

On our recent road trip to Florida and back, I borrowed three audio books from the library. They made the miles and the hours fly by with little notice. Of the three, my favorite was Harlan Coben's Long Lost. It was a story of intrigue and action-packed. Harvard-educated sports agent/private eye Myron Bolitar who has appeared as protagonist in earlier books, finds himself in the middle of an unbelievable terrorist plot which Coben renders quite believable and keeps you reading. . .er, listening as was our case. It starts with Bolitar's breakup with 9/11 widow Ali and a phone call from, who else, a lovely woman from his past who is desparate for his help. His path takes him into murder, a mystery involving DNA and surrogacy as well as a maniacal plot put together by terrorists

While the story gets very tense at times, Coben adds a bit of comic relief with the wry humor of his characters. In places there also seems to be a bit of an underlying political agenda but it doesn't interfer with the great storytelling of a master suspense writer.

Travel Tip: If you decide to borrow audio books to play on a road trip be sure to get more than you need. I have found that sometimes I start listening and don't like the way the narrator sounds or don't like the story or perhaps find the CD or tape doesn't play right. Then you have some backup rather than listening to staticky radio stations that fade out every half hour.

And a new twist: We also listened to a James Patterson book (Run For Your Life). It had two narrators--one was almost a monotone, the other one sounded like Anthony Bourdain from the Travel Channel--and sound effects. Trust me, it is very unnerving to be driving along the freeway in the middle of nowhere and unexpectedly hear gunshots. That was one book I might have preferred reading the old fashioned way.

Mayberry, USA --Mt. Airy, NC

Nothing says nostalgia like Mayberry, USA, or at least the memories of Andy Griffith and Opie walking down a dirt path, fishing poles in hand, while themed music plays in the background. That same music was playing through some speakers as we parked in front of Floyd’s Barber Shop in Mayberry (Mt. Airy), North Carolina.

We arrived in the nostalgic town on a Friday afternoon on our way back north from Miami. Mt. Airy is not far east of I-77 and after checking into our hotel, we headed for the center of town where several of the “landmarks” from the show are located.

A parking spot was vacant right in front of Floyd’s Barber Shop and two cars away from Sheriff Taylor’s, or was it Barney Fife’s (?), police cruiser. The Barber Shop is in operation and there was someone in one of the chairs getting his hair cut. Next to the Barber Shop was the Snappy Lunch restaurant often mentioned in the Mayberry series. We were too late for lunch. Opie’s Candy Store was also there but I don’t recall that ever being in the storyline.

Outside a country store, sat two men who could have been from the same era playing a game of checkers. A few doors down from there, we stopped into a real soda fountain from the 50s era. Round red topped stools lined a chrome trimmed bar with all the equipment for REAL sodas and shakes behind the counter. It was tempting.

We walked to the corner of the street and headed for the Andy Griffith Museum in the Surry County Arts building. There was a large room full of all sorts of pictures showing Andy Griffith in the many venues in which he performed. Several exhibits contained some props and clothes from the Mayberry show. It cost $3 to look around but was worth the entry fee.

Something we hadn’t discovered until we started researching Mt. Airy was that this was also where the original Siamese twins, Eng and Chang Bunker settled down in the 1860s to farm. The twins were married to two sisters and had 21 kids between the two of them. There is a small room with pictures of them and their families lining several walls in the same arts building.

After our museum tour, we returned to the car and drove a short distance to Wally’s Service Station where for $30 you can get a tour of Mayberry in a vintage squad car—that’s one fee for all the passengers.

Next to the service station is a reconstructed version of what the TV Mayberry town hall looked like. Inside is a mock up of Andy’s desk and Otis’ cell and the opportunity to take pictures of all. Later we stopped in at the original old jail of Mt. Airy. It was nothing like the TV version. Otis might have sobered up a lot sooner in there.

Mt. Airy also has the largest granite wall quarry in the world or so we were told and we drove out to see that as well. The lady in the visitor’s center had said that it can be seen in outer space and that the astronauts use it as a landmark. We’ll take her word for it. The quarry was huge though and quite impressive.
On our way back to our hotel, we passed by the little house where Andy Griffith grew up. It is run by Hampton Inns and you can stay the night in it. A sign reminds passersby that it does have guests in it and to respect their privacy. As we slowed down to take the picture, the occupants came to the door and held up Andy Griffith and his girlfriend, Helen, masks to their faces. We waved and moved on before Barney had a chance to show up and complain about us holding up traffic.

Garage Sale Treasures

Are you thinking of Christmas yet? Here are some ideas for the crafty frugal shopper.

Things Learned From a Four Year Old

Once in a while it is good to see the world from a different perspective. Here's what I learned this week from my four (almost five) year old grandson:

1. Always color dolphins blue.

2. Chocolate chip cookies will get stale if you only eat half of one and save the other half for after dinner.

3. Watching only 3 minutes of Home Alone will elicit 30 minutes or more of questions about strangers.

4. The countdown for a shuttle launching goes like this: 4. . .3. . .2. . .1. . .Admission!. . .Blastoff!

5. When a tropical storm gives you lots of puddles, make paper boats to float in them.

6. Wisdom: If you want to be smart, eat Smarties!

7. If you snap your fingers you can think faster.

Wordless Wednesday