American citizens need to get a tourist visa to visit Bolivia and pay a reciprocal US$135 fee. Opinions aside as to the wisdom of this decision from a Bolivian tourism perspective, I decided to get this taken care of upon arriving in Lima since you have to pay in cash and I didn’t want to carry it around until I got to the Bolivian border. Why didn’t I get it beforehand in New York? Good question. For some ridiculous reason, Americans getting the visa in New York need to have a Certificate of Good Conduct from the police, which costs $50 and requires a visit to police HQ in the Financial District. Gracias, pero no gracias.
Author Archives: yankwoachain
Flight Nightmare: JFK to Lima on LAN 531
Monday night served as the official beginning of my RTW trip. I had a final meal at home with my parents of roast chicken and broccoli, watched Jeopardy with my Dad for the last time until July, then was picked up by the car service to go to JFK airport for an 11:55 pm flight to Lima via LAN Chile. The northeast in March can experience some wonky snowstorms, and mother nature decided to send me off from New York with a slick ride to the airport. Luckily I did arrive safely and on time, but my travel troubles were just beginning.
Welcoming Spring at Ward Pound Ridge
One of the entrances to the Ward Pound Ridge reservation in Westchester, New York
Ward Pound Ridge reservation is the largest park in Westchester County and is a wonderful spot for hiking, camping, and picnicking. There are 10 distinct trails, ranging from 1.25 to 5.6 miles long, that loop around the 4,315 protected acres.
During my visit this past week with my friend Dori, we hiked the southern part of the reservation and hardly saw another person the entire day. We trekked to the highest point in the park, a site of a former fire tower at 860 feet, and mainly followed the RT (rock trail).
Gutting Sandy-affected Houses with New York Cares
The Yank without a Chain tearing down a mold-infested wall in the Rockaways
During my few months at home I’ve been getting involved with some charities and doing as much volunteer work as I can. I was a bartender at the charity: water Ball in December and most recently I’ve been working with New York Cares to gut houses in the Rockaways, Queens that were flooded by Hurricane Sandy.
Several areas of Queens as well as parts of New Jersey and Brooklyn, are still nearly entirely devastated by the effects of Hurricane Sandy’s floods and winds. Over 20,000 homes are still uninhabitable, and the more time that passes before renovations take place, the more mold grows and the worse the health risks become. And although the federal government has begun releasing $50 billion in aid, physical manpower is still necessary to assist homeowners – many of whom are elderly or disabled – in getting their homes back into habitable condition.
Fall Foliage at the Rockefeller Estate
An American flag the Kykuit Estate
The day after I came home from Colombia last October, I had a quintessential New England experience: a tour of the Rockefeller Estate Kykuit complete with views of magnificent fall foliage. Accompanied by close friends, it was a perfect homecoming.
Kykuit, located near Sleepy Hollow, New York, is National Trust for Historic Preservation site and served as the private residence of the Rockefeller family from 1913 to 1979. My friends and I chose the Classic Tour, which included the first floor of the main house, the gardens, and the Pocantico Conference Center, or Coach Barn, which contains dozens of classic horse-drawn carriages and vintage cars. Mostly thanks to Michelle, our wonderful tour guide, it was an unforgettable experience that I would highly recommend to any visitors to New York City or New England.
A Yank without a Chain 