Meeting Topics for our Ecuador trip 2022
Packing ideas- 11-21-21
Things to think about for the gift giving season-
a. travel money belt
b. power converter
c. outlet adaptor
d. travel alarm
e. suit case (carry-on roller style)
f. blank travel journal
g. travel umbrella or rain jacket
h. guide book to Ireland
i. specific travel garments (quick dry)
j. new camera or video camera/ go pro
k. travel size toiletries
l. heavy duty luggage tag
m. wrist watch
n. air plane neck pillow
o. e-reader
p. smart phone - photo lenses
q. recharging battery for your cell phone
r. travel water bottle- (life straw)
s. wireless speakers or headphones
t. heavy duty phone case
u. camera travel tripod
v. camera travel bag
w. camera lens pen
x. small travel flash light- i have one attached to my backpack
y. selfie stick
z. night sleep mask or ear plugs
3. Packing- Packing Hints
• pack comfortable shoes and an umbrella or a raincoat
• carry any valuables, medicine and an extra set of clothes in your carry on or when transferring between cities. Leave valuable jewelry and computers at home and carry your passport at all times. (in money belt)
• think about wearing sandals on the plane to make it easier to go through security
Carry On: (plus a purse or small camera bag)- My luggage will only be a carry-on
-one change of clothes (in case luggage is lost or delayed)
-passport
-an empty water bottle (can fill at a drinking fountain after security)
-camera/camcorder/film/memory card- plus an extra camera battery
-books to read (digital book reader-real books limit and plan to trade)/-mp3 player or IPod
-important papers (phone list, medical papers, prescriptions, travel journal)
-contact lenses and accessories, an extra set of glasses
-necessary medication-
-money belt-cell phone and charger
Suitcase- (under 45lbs) (If you can you might even just pack a carry-on---although this is not required)
-shoes or sandals (whichever you do not wear through security- try and keep bag under 25lbs)
-lined jacket or sweat shirt- (thin gloves/ hat- Peru can be Cold at elevation)
basic cloths, t-shirts underwear and socks
-jeans, cotton slacks, skirts- we require no formal dress - even events and shows are non formal - but you will possible need body covering for churches that we will visit
-sewing kit (share with friends)
◦ plastic bag for dirty cloths
◦ lock on bag (proper security lock TSA approved)
◦ basic toiletries (although if you forget something you can share or buy when you arrive)
SMALL GIFT FOR TD
The reason for my carry on strategy is due to our internal flights/ I will check my bag on the return flight- I will pack a small back pack in my bag to use to carry-on for home trip.
Packing Tips- General
-you must have a money belt - to be worn under your clothes- not a fanny pack!
-travel with a mini power strip so you can charge many items off of your converter at the same time
-carry an empty water bottle in your carry on so you can refill water at the terminal from the drinking fountains after going through security
-carry an empty plastic trash bag to separate dirty clothes from clean clothes.
-bring an empty film canister to protect your earrings from bending
-if you have a travel buddy you can pack half of your stuff in their checked bag and they can check half of their stuff in your bag to help deal with lost or delayed baggage
-To help keep your clothes and bag smelling fresh pack a fabric softener sheet or two in your bag
-have a system to recognize your bag- have a special tag, or style or or some ribbon of some type around the handle (my cousin sprayed painted his old garage sale bag to look like a milk cow)
-carry some sort of day pack in your bag unless you are using your carryon as the day pack and checking your bag
-if you are planning on buying posters or maps travel with a mailing tube to store the items
-include a copy of your contact information and itinerary inside your copy incase your bag gets lost and the bag tags are damaged
-bring extra memory cards/ they are small and they are cheaper to buy here
-if sounds bother you bring ear plugs to help you sleep (you might have snores in your room or a street outside your window)
-bring a few shout wipes to help with any spot removal you might have to deal with on the road
-wash clothes are rare in international hotels so you might one to have a quick drying microfiber one
-think about a small zip lock bag of first aid stuff- band-aids, tweezers, over the counter pain relievers,, moleskin to cover blisters -
4. Fundraiser ideas- ????????
general tips-
-while traveling in some countries your dollar bills must be clean, neat and not torn to be exchanged for local currency
-let me know if you have any food allergies
-in countries with emerging economies I carry a roll of toilet paper in my carry-on
-when traveling in a country with an emerging economy stop by the dollar store before you leave and pick up stickers as they make great gifts and fun for local kids (and not bad for their teeth like candy)
-carry a money conversion chart for the areas that you will be traveling ( I will make one for you)
-bring along an address list if you would like to send post cards to family and friends- especially if you have someone in your life who helped to prepare or sponsor the trip
-before we travel make sure you are use to walking you should be walking at least a mile a day prior to departure- a couple of miles would be better- and make sure you are walking in the shoes that you will be wearing on the trip- if you are getting new shoes get them a couple of weeks early and break them in first!
a. travel money belt
b. power converter
c. outlet adaptor
d. travel alarm
e. suit case (carry-on roller style)
f. blank travel journal
g. travel umbrella or rain jacket
h. guide book to Ireland
i. specific travel garments (quick dry)
j. new camera or video camera/ go pro
k. travel size toiletries
l. heavy duty luggage tag
m. wrist watch
n. air plane neck pillow
o. e-reader
p. smart phone - photo lenses
q. recharging battery for your cell phone
r. travel water bottle- (life straw)
s. wireless speakers or headphones
t. heavy duty phone case
u. camera travel tripod
v. camera travel bag
w. camera lens pen
x. small travel flash light- i have one attached to my backpack
y. selfie stick
z. night sleep mask or ear plugs
3. Packing- Packing Hints
• pack comfortable shoes and an umbrella or a raincoat
• carry any valuables, medicine and an extra set of clothes in your carry on or when transferring between cities. Leave valuable jewelry and computers at home and carry your passport at all times. (in money belt)
• think about wearing sandals on the plane to make it easier to go through security
Carry On: (plus a purse or small camera bag)- My luggage will only be a carry-on
-one change of clothes (in case luggage is lost or delayed)
-passport
-an empty water bottle (can fill at a drinking fountain after security)
-camera/camcorder/film/memory card- plus an extra camera battery
-books to read (digital book reader-real books limit and plan to trade)/-mp3 player or IPod
-important papers (phone list, medical papers, prescriptions, travel journal)
-contact lenses and accessories, an extra set of glasses
-necessary medication-
-money belt-cell phone and charger
Suitcase- (under 45lbs) (If you can you might even just pack a carry-on---although this is not required)
-shoes or sandals (whichever you do not wear through security- try and keep bag under 25lbs)
-lined jacket or sweat shirt- (thin gloves/ hat- Peru can be Cold at elevation)
basic cloths, t-shirts underwear and socks
-jeans, cotton slacks, skirts- we require no formal dress - even events and shows are non formal - but you will possible need body covering for churches that we will visit
-sewing kit (share with friends)
◦ plastic bag for dirty cloths
◦ lock on bag (proper security lock TSA approved)
◦ basic toiletries (although if you forget something you can share or buy when you arrive)
SMALL GIFT FOR TD
The reason for my carry on strategy is due to our internal flights/ I will check my bag on the return flight- I will pack a small back pack in my bag to use to carry-on for home trip.
Packing Tips- General
-you must have a money belt - to be worn under your clothes- not a fanny pack!
-travel with a mini power strip so you can charge many items off of your converter at the same time
-carry an empty water bottle in your carry on so you can refill water at the terminal from the drinking fountains after going through security
-carry an empty plastic trash bag to separate dirty clothes from clean clothes.
-bring an empty film canister to protect your earrings from bending
-if you have a travel buddy you can pack half of your stuff in their checked bag and they can check half of their stuff in your bag to help deal with lost or delayed baggage
-To help keep your clothes and bag smelling fresh pack a fabric softener sheet or two in your bag
-have a system to recognize your bag- have a special tag, or style or or some ribbon of some type around the handle (my cousin sprayed painted his old garage sale bag to look like a milk cow)
-carry some sort of day pack in your bag unless you are using your carryon as the day pack and checking your bag
-if you are planning on buying posters or maps travel with a mailing tube to store the items
-include a copy of your contact information and itinerary inside your copy incase your bag gets lost and the bag tags are damaged
- I travel with old socks while traveling and I don’t bring them home- I leave them behind
-bring extra memory cards/ they are small and they are cheaper to buy here
-if sounds bother you bring ear plugs to help you sleep (you might have snores in your room or a street outside your window)
-bring a few shout wipes to help with any spot removal you might have to deal with on the road
-wash clothes are rare in international hotels so you might one to have a quick drying microfiber one
-think about a small zip lock bag of first aid stuff- band-aids, tweezers, over the counter pain relievers,, moleskin to cover blisters -
4. Fundraiser ideas- ????????
general tips-
-while traveling in some countries your dollar bills must be clean, neat and not torn to be exchanged for local currency
-let me know if you have any food allergies
-in countries with emerging economies I carry a roll of toilet paper in my carry-on
-when traveling in a country with an emerging economy stop by the dollar store before you leave and pick up stickers as they make great gifts and fun for local kids (and not bad for their teeth like candy)
-carry a money conversion chart for the areas that you will be traveling ( I will make one for you)
-bring along an address list if you would like to send post cards to family and friends- especially if you have someone in your life who helped to prepare or sponsor the trip
-before we travel make sure you are use to walking you should be walking at least a mile a day prior to departure- a couple of miles would be better- and make sure you are walking in the shoes that you will be wearing on the trip- if you are getting new shoes get them a couple of weeks early and break them in first!
First Meeting - How to get a Passport and more
Current Travel Dates- June 25th through July 3rd
Current Group Size- 15
Today we are going to talk about the COVID protocols and how to get a passport among other things. This page will be the update page for all trip information. Other topics included will be possible fundraising dinners our trip theme and more-
1. My recent Rome experience- Two weeks ago I spent 4 and a half days in Rome. I want to remind you that in the current state of the pandemic that things will change and have been changing quickly. That being said thing went very smoothly in regards to my experiences a couple of weeks ago. I was required to be vaccinated to travel into the EU and Italy and specific to Italy as we were still having surging numbers at the time with the Delta variant I was required to have a negative test 72 hours prior to my arrival. At my time of departure I was also required to have a passenger locator form filled out that had my hotel and flight information noted. This was for possible need for contact tracing. Now with numbers going down those things could and will certainly change by June. Another requirement by the US is to have a negative test 72 hours prior to leaving the country and returning to the US. We took that test in hotel and had the results back for the whole group within an hour. This process went well also as not a single person tested positive.
We were required to where masks while traveling in the coach and indoors and different venues. The Vatican and the Vatican museums were open to visitors with restricted numbers. You had to where a mask in the Vatican and show either your negative test results or vaccination card. The high light for me was that I have never seen Sistine chapel with such few crowds. It was an amazing view! The restaurants and hotels also required masking. The whole experience went very well.
2. If for some reason the Covid situation gets worse or you feel uncomfortable to travel in June we will have have a back up trip planned for 2023. I will not rerun this trip but you could join one of my 2023 tours- London spring break or Peru summer both in 2023. If EF has to cancel the trip they will also give you the option for a refund minus operating fees (which I think are $250)
3. Take a look at the meeting schedule and check for conflicts or questions that you might have.
4. Our trip does require a passport. Here are the directions to get one-
Passport information- a passport is required for entry into Europe and England. If you do not have a passport you must follow the steps below. If you have a passport please check to make sure it will still be valid during our travel dates. To be safe it should have at least a year left in the book prior to our arrival home on June 18th 2020.
for this. Between the ages of 14 and 17 you must appear in person with a parent.
D. Have two passport photos- 2X2- they must be identical (post office does this for a fee as does Walgreens and other places in town)
Pay Fee- Adults- 110$ application fee with a 25$ execution fee. I am not sure if our post office takes credit cards but I am fairly certain
that they take personal checks. The application fee is payable to the “Department of State” and the execution fee is made payable to the
postmaster (I believe). They will let you know.
Provide social security number on the form.
Photo guidelines-
Your photographs must be:
Current Group Size- 15
Today we are going to talk about the COVID protocols and how to get a passport among other things. This page will be the update page for all trip information. Other topics included will be possible fundraising dinners our trip theme and more-
1. My recent Rome experience- Two weeks ago I spent 4 and a half days in Rome. I want to remind you that in the current state of the pandemic that things will change and have been changing quickly. That being said thing went very smoothly in regards to my experiences a couple of weeks ago. I was required to be vaccinated to travel into the EU and Italy and specific to Italy as we were still having surging numbers at the time with the Delta variant I was required to have a negative test 72 hours prior to my arrival. At my time of departure I was also required to have a passenger locator form filled out that had my hotel and flight information noted. This was for possible need for contact tracing. Now with numbers going down those things could and will certainly change by June. Another requirement by the US is to have a negative test 72 hours prior to leaving the country and returning to the US. We took that test in hotel and had the results back for the whole group within an hour. This process went well also as not a single person tested positive.
We were required to where masks while traveling in the coach and indoors and different venues. The Vatican and the Vatican museums were open to visitors with restricted numbers. You had to where a mask in the Vatican and show either your negative test results or vaccination card. The high light for me was that I have never seen Sistine chapel with such few crowds. It was an amazing view! The restaurants and hotels also required masking. The whole experience went very well.
2. If for some reason the Covid situation gets worse or you feel uncomfortable to travel in June we will have have a back up trip planned for 2023. I will not rerun this trip but you could join one of my 2023 tours- London spring break or Peru summer both in 2023. If EF has to cancel the trip they will also give you the option for a refund minus operating fees (which I think are $250)
3. Take a look at the meeting schedule and check for conflicts or questions that you might have.
4. Our trip does require a passport. Here are the directions to get one-
Passport information- a passport is required for entry into Europe and England. If you do not have a passport you must follow the steps below. If you have a passport please check to make sure it will still be valid during our travel dates. To be safe it should have at least a year left in the book prior to our arrival home on June 18th 2020.
- Fill out a passport application- you can get one online at- http://travel.state.gov/passport/ or pick one up at the post office-make sure you do not sign this form until the passport acceptance agent instructs you to do so. You can turn this form in locally at the main branch of the post office (Vermont Street) until 4pm Monday through Friday-Our acceptance officer is the postmaster. The postmaster is not available during her lunch hour. If I remember correctly her morning hours are 9- 11:45 and her afternoon hours are 1-4pm. You should sign up for an appointment as it is required at the post office in Lawrence now- You can also make an appointment up at the University of Kansas in the Office of Study Abroad in Strong Hall room 300- 785-864-3742.
- Present proof of US citizenship- this is done with a certified copy of your birth certificate or a copy of an old passport- see the form or website for other forms they will take
for this. Between the ages of 14 and 17 you must appear in person with a parent.
D. Have two passport photos- 2X2- they must be identical (post office does this for a fee as does Walgreens and other places in town)
Pay Fee- Adults- 110$ application fee with a 25$ execution fee. I am not sure if our post office takes credit cards but I am fairly certain
that they take personal checks. The application fee is payable to the “Department of State” and the execution fee is made payable to the
postmaster (I believe). They will let you know.
Provide social security number on the form.
Photo guidelines-
Your photographs must be:
- identical
- 2x2 inches in size
- taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
- full face, front view with a plain white or off white background
- uniforms should not be worn in photographs except religious attire that is worn daily
- if you normally wear prescription glasses or a wig they should be worn in picture
- dark glasses or nonprescription glasses with tinted lenses are not acceptable unless you need them for medical reasons (documentation may be required)
- thats all
