only in America

[spoon boy]

The world tour has taken a three month delay...as I've flown to the states to join a mate who's doing a 6 month tour there.... 

Any way some info for those who don't know..and some experiences

for upto 3 months for a visit to the states you need to apply for a visa under the visa waiver programme which came in earlier this year but you have to do this online and at least 72 hours before you travel.

Beyond 3 months you have to go to the embassy and ask for a b1/b2 visa which will allow you upto 6 months in the states...to do this you have to phone a booking line at 1.20 a minute then when you get the chap/chappess at the other end you have to pay $133 dollars for the appointment at the embassy on the phone at that time..around 4-6 week between the two at the momment. when you get there and they say yes(allow at least 4-5 hours at the embassy) they will tell you to go to the sms desk because the documents right in front of you have to be sent by courier.

you go and pay sms..14.20 ,sorry this yanks p.c. doesn't have the pound sign on. What no one tells you at sms is that the next day delivery you have just paid for doesnt happen till they get the visa...which takes 5 days.

right the trip so far, klm show on the web site that travel to the U.S. has a two piece of luggage system at no more than 23kgs per piece. even though the bike was only 13kg that didn't count as they have a seperate list for sporting goods which showed bikes to the U.S. at 150 euro's!

after several phone calls and emails to klm i got 4 different opinions. got to heathrow yesterday(17-2-09) went to check in with a ctc clear bag and they said they only take bikes by thier bike box(15 quid thank you) so i made the box up put the bike in and on it went..no surplus charge..wooohoooo  nor my mates. klm insist your booking place/agent notifies them in advance that bikes will be going on board.

so two bikes two blokes and shedloads of kit fly from heathrow to minniapolis 1st step ok

point of note..if you were going to use an official camping site or national park then check as many are closed over winter and open in varying times.

Anyway immigration.allow plenty of time to get through before your connecting flight 2 hours we had and man we only just made it. they stopped and interviewed us.. causing further delay. It seems they cannot comprehend people going walkabout on a bike for months on end..I mentioned and showed them my intinery for the world tour and it still wouldn't register. I told them many brits go missing for sometime just to experince a life's trip..nope still didn't register.

a personal observation..both in the embassy and immigration there is no personality, no humanity..just facts and straight faces.. it will suprise you how unhuman the approach is.. I've never experienced this before in any other country so it was a shock to come from a country that is having a nice day.

second stage..minniapolis to rapid city...got to rapid.. my bikes gone missing but my mates arrived?

we arrived at 15:10 local time and the check in says it will probably come in the 22:30 flight and when it does they will deliver it the next day..today..so at 15:00 south dakota time...still no bike..joy o joy

Hopefully it will arrive and in one piece and when it does we can start

[spoon boy]

Well after two days missing and no one apparently not knowing what a bike is, it turned up safe and sound and in one piece.
 
So woke up and looked out of the window and ...snowing like a scene out of a bing crosby film

A huge relief the bike has turned up

[jags]

take it easy on those snow'y road's,your sherpa should turn plenty of heads.
hope you have a great tour,

[bobs]

Your story so far just makes me want to visit the USA , asap 

[spoon boy]

Okay another non bike but touring technical update

Just found out that the american mobile market is very protectional

many of the providers sell thier phones not using gsm sims but a fully inbuilt structure called cdma

What does this mean to you?

Well for some area's the mobile phone provider may be the only provider and if you were hoping to bring a cheap phone out and get a local companies sim to use they may not sell sims so the phone will be of little or no use.

The provider will do a contract phone..which you wouldn't want as most are two years and cost twice as much as the u.k.

they may do a pay as you go ...but some companies treat that also as a contract and want some kind of commitment

Or they do something like a trac phone which is a general phone that you pre-pay but obviously the charges will be higher

Me..I would (should have) checked the mobile coverage for the area you intend to visit, depending on the length of your trip if short term I would use your current u.k. provider but get international calls connected before you leave to allow you to roam,

if it's a long trip then see if your area your about to visit providers use sims..if they do get one but try and contact home by internet or just txt.

Will put some pictures up soon of the black hills of dakota...no doris day though