[BISHKEK] Budget and Itinerary

ESTIMATES

Student Visa (1 Month) - 5,000.00

Avia (Dushanbe - Bishkek) - 14,850.00

London School (Registration Fee) - 1,650.00

London School (Russian Course x 75 hours) - 34,500.00

London School (Single Room/1 Month) - 16,900.00

Food Allowance (750 x 27 days) - 20,250.00

KGS93,150.00

[BISHKEK] Ala-Too Square

Bishkek has been on my radar for quite some time now not because I wanted to see the place, but rather because I find the Russian language learning opportunities to be quite attractive. A quick research of affordable intensive courses will lead you to London School, a reputable Russian-teaching institute in Kyrgyzstan whose claim to fame is its one-on-one classes. It has its pros and cons, but the school has been a popular choice for many Russian language learners around the world. So I thought hey why not?

[VISA] Kyrgyzstan (On Arrival)

I must confess that I’ve been a jerk to that lady at the visa-on-arrival counter, but then again the only way to assure that someone will help you is to make sure that your problem becomes hers. Kyrgyzstan offers visa-on-arrival for Philippine passport holders, and we are one of the several countries that can just fly there without even having a letter of invitation. The thing is, you need to have some cash at hand. I did not have cash. I know they don’t accept credit cards, but I took a chance.

[DUSHANBE] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: 2 June 2017

E-Visa (Tajikistan) - 440.00

FlyDubai (Dubai - Dushanbe) - 1,780.00

Airbnb (2 Nights) - 240.00

TJS2,460.00

[DUSHANBE] The Big Dushe

I could've saved money had I just flown directly from Dubai to Bishkek, but where’s the fun in that? Do you really think I’d let this chance to up my country count pass me by? In any case, to those who are wondering how you can reach Central Asia WITHOUT transiting in Russia or the Chinese far west, you can always hop on a FlyDubai plane to many cities in the tan-tans. I think only Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not covered by their flight network.

[VISA] Tajikistan (eVisa)

Philippine passport holders can apply for an eVisa for Tajikistan via their website at http://evisa.tj. Just click on START and fill in all the necessary information. The ones highlighted with a red asterisk can’t be left blank. A GBAO permit is necessary if you are visiting some restricted areas. Just click on YES if you plan on doing so. I don’t remember uploading a copy of my passport, but you will have to provide some basic passport information anyway so make sure you have it while filling out the form.

[ABU DHABI] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: 1 June 2017 

Rayna Tours (7-Day Visa) - 330.00

Singapore Airlines (Manila - Singapore - Dubai) - 805.00

Airbnb (1 Night) - 45.00

Metro Red (Terminal 1 - Ibn Battuta) - 10.50

Nol Card (Card + Top-up) - 35.00

Taxi (Main Bus Station - Al Khalidiya) - 30.00

AED1,255.50

[ABU DHABI] No Food, No Ferrari

I've always considered the UAE as a good transit point from Asia to Europe. This time around, it was also a good candidate as a stopover before flying to Central Asia. FlyDubai flies to several Central Asian capitals. The thing is, they do so from Dubai International’s Terminal 2, which is always a hassle because you have to take a cab to go there from either Terminal 1 or 3. Still, the savings you get from the cheapo fare is worth it in my opinion. Having been to Dubai the last time, I decided that I’m visiting Abu Dhabi now. 

Wonder Woman

♣♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

THE LOUVRE, Paris. Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) receives a package. Inside she finds the original photo of her World War I squad, along with a note from the caped crusader hoping that one day she will finally reveal her story. She recalls her sheltered existence as a young girl on the island of Themyscira where her mother, Amazon queen Hyppolita (Connie Nielsen), would simply not allow her to train hard with her aunt Antiope (Robin Wright). Her destiny awaits, however. When American spy Steve Trevor’s (Chris Pine) plane breaks the island’s magic barrier and plunges into the sea, he brings along not just curiosity about another race and gender Diana has never encountered before, but also the threat of a war that is not really hers to fight. Believing that it is her duty to prevent Ares, the God of War, from influencing mankind to be warlike and brutal, she sails away with Steve towards the battlefield. But does the human race really deserve someone like her?