2) Next, how do I get there?
Absolutely clueless about RTW ticketing, and armed with version 1 of a route, I tackled my travel agent. Star Alliance was recommended. But Samir, analysing each section, went, "Nope, Star Alliance doesn't go there. Err... this is okay, I think. Nah, can't do that route either. Let's see... No. No. Oooooh, nah, need to check. No..."

He duly informed me of the restrictions. The air-miles you fly is accumulative. If you are heading overland, the air-miles between the open-jaw airports are still summed up. No more than 15 stops. No repeat stops. There are 3 ranges of air-miles: 29,000, 34,000 and too-beyond-my-budget-to-think-about-it-000 miles.

The way to achieve the 29,000 range is to fly mainly through the northern hemisphere with minimal Equator-hopping. I crossed that out.

Back to the drawing board.

Returned with various route-permutations and Samir tapped his keyboard expertly.
Version 2: 35,645 miles.
Version 3: 34,896 miles.
Version 4: Star Alliance doesn't fly there.
Version 5: 37,920 miles, etc... Frankly, this went on for a couple more sessions.

Major air-miles guzzler: Star Alliance does not fly across the Pacific from South America to the French Polynesia. I had to go via LAX.

Discovered their website has a search engine which lists the available flights plus loads of wonderful details (yes, you are getting DINNER on this flight) after you input the airport names and fake dates. It spells out the air miles too. Yummy.

With Excel spread-sheet by the side to do the summation, I permuted route after route. I toiled all night and finally, got one down pat to the tune of 33,885 air miles or something, just under 34,000 miles. By aeronautical standard, this calls for a photo-finish!

Samir approved of it and I was ready to go.

The Route:
From Singapore, I shall be heading north to China, across to Mongolia and Russia. I journey to Western Europe to meet up with some friends. I fly to Brazil next, before overlanding to Bolivia or Peru. Then, I shall wander down the length of Chile and U-turn, or rather V-turn, back up to Buenos Aires, Argentina. To cut across the Pacific Ocean, I have to go via Cancun in Mexico, Los Angeles in USA before heading down to the French Polynesian Islands. Then, it's off to Australia and home.

3) Let's see, how do I enter legally?
Getting a China visa was a piece of cake. I just turned up at the consular section, obtained a queue-number, filled out a form, asked the obnoxious receptionist a couple of questions and waited for my number to flash on the board. Much like seeing a doctor. I requested and got a 90-day visa. Like I said, piece of cake.

Now a Russian visa was a different story.

One needs a visa support letter that states the exact date of arrival into Russia and departure from Russia. To get this letter, I either had to join a tour or book a hotel room and let the tour agency/hotel send me the letter.

Found an amiable and helpful Russian travel agency in Irkutsk. But the guy seemed to be running a one-man-show there and didn't want to do any sort of paperwork. So he recommended I obtain the visa support letter from the web. Yeah, just buy one off from the internet.

Well, indeed I have read about this and from my research, I had come across many such sites. But I had also read somewhere that this was illegal as I was not really using the service of the travel agent which gave me the letter.

Anyhow, I bought one from www.gotorussia.net.

Submitted my visa application form and the possibly illegal visa support letter to the lady behind the counter at the Russian Embassy. I was shifty, nervous and looked positively guilty. However, it appeared she was not trained to detect such subtle displays of guilt.

So that's how I found myself analysing my name in Cyrillic. Cool.

4) Entonces, what do I do for insurance?
All the travel insurance policies available in Singapore restricted the number of days per trip to 180 days. A year-long RTW is not quite a fashionable thing here.

From the internet, many stated that I needed to be a US, UK or EU resident. One policy which welcomed non-US residents cost about US$700-800 for a 1-year trip.

Weighed my pros and cons on what I truly required as insurance for such a trip and consulted a couple of agents. I finally obtained a Personal Accident Policy instead with no cover for baggage loss, delay, medical claim if I fall sick, etc...

5) I need w-h-a-t?
I rattled off the places that I would be going and showed the nurse my vaccination card.

She recommended another shot of typhoid, one shot of polio and anti-rabies since I was going to South America. But if I really wanted anti-rabies, I would need to get a doctor's approval and t-h-a-t would cost me another S$50.

Me: "What happened if I am bitten by a rabid animal? What's the treatment?"
Nurse: "Oh, firstly, you need medicine which is really rare to obtain. Especially in South American hospitals... And 5 injections, etc..."
Me: "What if it is left untreated?"
Nurse, morbidly: "Fatal."
Me: "If I have the shots, what happens if I am bitten?"

Couldn't quite recall what she said but she seemed to imply that I would need two more shots and could possibly live to see my next birthday.

Nurse: "You might also want Japanese encephalitis since you'll be travelling to China, through rural countryside and paddy fields. That costs another S$30."

Japanese w-h-a-t???

The doctor arrived. Picture an effeminate doctor. Throw in the Singlish accent and slang, if you're familiar with it.

Effeminate doctor, squealing: "Ai-yoh!! Are you S-U-R-E you want to go to these places?!?!?!?"
Me: ...

[Now, he tells me??]

Effeminate doctor, after looking at me with pleading eyes and detecting no reaction whatsoever, went on: "Hah??? Are you S-U-R-E you want Japanese encephalitis?? Why you want THIS?? This has side-effects, you know??!!"
Me: "It's not that I w-a-n-t it, the nurse recommended it. I... I..."

Incredulous effeminate doctor: "Where will you be going in China?"

I rattled off again and he gasped, "Ai-yoh. No need no need no need no need... You are passing through countryside and paddy fields only..."

Then, he glanced at the request for anti-rabies jab which was what this consultation was for.

Effeminate doctor, now bored: "Oh, South America. You need anti-rabies." and signed it.

And he sashayed out of my life. Cha-ching. Two minutes was all it took to siphon $50 from me.

I needed three shots over a period of four weeks. But I only had three weeks to my trip, which meant I would have to grab my last shot while I am in China before the whole anti-rabies thing would be effective. Bummer. I hope it will not be too expensive in China.

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Central America Insiders page.