Red Tape
So, here's the thing about getting on a tour group in a foreign country: there's a lot of red tape. I just got off the phone with my bank because a form said, basically, "Call us for help filling out section 3." And the guy I called sees the form so seldom that he called in backup. If there's anything that travel has taught me, it's that you need lead-time. The mere act of sending money is going to take me a few days (I forgot this morning, banks don't function on the weekend, and I assume there will be a pile on monday ahead of me).
This in addition to the visa I need to get, which requires all of my travel documents (hotel bookings, flights, etc). And the visa I'm just trusting my tour provider will be able to procure. They need a month, and my visa will likely take 2-ish weeks. So, probably 20% of the cost into the trip, I'll finally get to see if the various governments will even let me travel.
But I gotta say, it already feels worth it.
This in addition to the visa I need to get, which requires all of my travel documents (hotel bookings, flights, etc). And the visa I'm just trusting my tour provider will be able to procure. They need a month, and my visa will likely take 2-ish weeks. So, probably 20% of the cost into the trip, I'll finally get to see if the various governments will even let me travel.
But I gotta say, it already feels worth it.