After my English Lakes Weekend debacle, when I failed to find Yorkshire because of a road tax error, it looks as if Tokyo will also have to wait until 2012.



As usual with my personal planning everything is organised well ahead of the event

So I’m a touch aghast that my visa through Russia will take 3 to 4 weeks to organise at a cost of £350.00 I could get it faster, but it would be £700.00 Which is the equivalent of the journeys petrol cost.

It's complicated. As I want to ride through Russia, leave the country for 2 weeks, get a ferry to Japan and back and then reverse the journey through Russia (with a quick left turn into Mongolia for a few days) it means I cannot use a tourist visa. Nor can I can I get two visas (out and back) to cover the time period.

So it has to be a business visa. Which means I have to be invited to Russia by a business. This is an official form with shiny stamps that has to come here by post from Russia.

Evidently I also have to tell the authorities in advance where I will stop. They obviously haven’t heard about Mansfield Planning Rules. Additionally, once I have a visa I have to register it within 7 days of arrival in Russia. However, it is not me who has to register myself – it is up to the hotel where I stay to register me.

Registration is not necessary if I stay less than 7 days in one place. It costs the hotel time and money to register people ; so, as they don’t have to, they won’t - especially if I only stay one night.

As I hadn’t planned staying anywhere for more than one night it means I won’t be registered. So when I turn up at the border in Vladivostok they would say “You haven’t registered your visa so you cannot be here. Therefore, as you are not here, you cannot leave the country.”

With me so far? Meantime, not registering is an offence and the police can fine you on the spot. Aha... now I get the drift…

Anyway, hundreds of other people are getting visas and travelling across Russia so it can be done; just need the time to get the visa.

Enter time constraint number one. I have committed to be at a bike rally east of Kiev by June 2. So, given that nuke and earthquake tourism is not high on my agenda and getting a visa by month end is questionable, I may give Tokyo a miss this this year.

In the halcyon days before the Arab Spring Plan B was Bike Rally in Kiev then Turkey, Syria, Libya and ferry across the Med to Italy. They may not have nuclear meltdown in those countries but now they have political meltdown - and real bullets. Insurance cover is hard to get.

So it’s plan C.

Plan C was not planned.

But Georgia, on the Black Sea, requires no visa and a ferry sails weekly from Odessa. Then maybe Turkey, Greece, Albania , Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain. Who knows; the open road beckons.


I hope see some of you, somewhere, this Summer

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Cordially,

Derek aka Jake.

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

Just to stet things straight, the vast majority of Japan is not a disaster zone.
You would only see damage on the east coast. And as for the nuclear issue, Tokyo is 200 km away. The only issue would be if you really really wanted to get within 30 km.
By far, the most 'disastrous' the average traveler would encounter is showing up without a carnet and being refused entry. The recent high yen rate is a disaster too!

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Japan touring information

Thanks for setting me straight on the Nuclear stuff Chris - I was actually annoyed with myself for missing the Visa window and trying- tongue in cheek - to self justify.
But you were absolutely right to correct me.

__________________
Cordially,

Derek aka Jake.

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.