Before traveling abroad various information is searched from internet to find out answers to these questions, such as which city should I go? and in that country or city which places should I see? Also, collecting information is useful for travelling more places and not wasting your time. When I collect the information about countries I usually use notes which were written by travelers who travelled those places as an additional information. This time, in my journey to USA I used such information and read “travel notes”. Most of them are in English and Turkish. We planned this journey with my friend Myrat (I didn’t show his full name and surname here due to that I didn’t get his permission) and he also collected different information for our journey and for being more interesting travel and most of trip is undertaken together.
This journey is to the California state of USA. Preparing is beneficial to travel again, even I have been there many years ago. However, I couldn’t meet any “travel notes” in our mother tongue. Maybe, they have, but I would like to share notes with who want to travel to California as an extra information.
Firstly, this is my first initiative, therefore there can be grammatical mistakes and differences of words usage order or missed dates.
Dear readers! That’s why by asking my apology I start to write my travel notes. This is my adventure even, there is a move called “Dowran’s adventure” and why it shouldn’t be on the internet?!
Initially, we need to get visa to go to the USA. Information related to visa should be submitted to this site through the internet and by that site you should get appointment to “visa interview” in Embassy of USA in Ashgabat. You may do all actions through the internet. Here, regarding that we live in Turkmenistan we chose Ashgabat for interview center. I don’t know about can citizens of Turkmenistan can have an interview or not in another country. Therefore, I ask from you don’t come to conclusion that the interview can be taken only in Ashgabat. By sharing just our experience, we had interview in Ashgabat and notes are only on the “consultative framework”. This situation keeps its force for the “future experiences”.
For example, we applied to B1/B2 visa type and we paid fee on the amount of 160 US dollars before the interview. There are various kinds of visas to USA. Student visa is also one of them. Interview is carried out in English and Russian languages. In interview they ask questions about purpose of going to America and accommodation etc. Thing to note, providing true data is compulsory conditions while you are applying application to visa or on the interview. If they decided to give you visa, they will inform you about visa and necessity to come to the embassy again and pick it up. After getting visa you should think about flight tickets. We took our tickets earlier almost 3 months before to use discount ticket facilities to USA.
We carried out our trip to America by Turkish Airlines. It is better for the future travelers to search himself/herself about other airlines.
Our plain is departing from airport of our capital to new airport of Istanbul. About 3 more hours later we came to Istanbul. After waiting approximately 3 hours at the airport of Istanbul, our plain is departing to Los Angeles airport. Flight is starting again for 12,5 hours. On the plain there are lots of things to spend your time such as: reading books and magazines, watching movies, playing games, listening to music which are provided by that plain. Timely foods also help to spend your time. The main thing to note is you can spend your time by using internet 30000 feet highest point. The Turkish Airlines provides such opportunities.
I spent my flight talking with my youngest son Yunus by video callings. Our plain is landing to the Airport of Los Angeles. I want to share information about Los Angels on my next notes. Next notes would be continued if this one is beneficial for you. After taking your baggage, you should think about going to the city center. It is better to plan such kind of things, when you bought your ticket. Where should stay? How to go? And Which kind of vehicle should use in Los Angeles. You can book hotel though the internet. As well as, you can use handy prices by booking the hotel earlier.
In Los Angeles, we preferred to travel by rental car. Renting car is useful because it is handy, and it has other advantages. You may also rent other kinds of vehicles. To rent the car, it is enough to have driving license of Turkmenistan and biometric passport. Of course, need to pay!
Moreover, we will use rented car for our next journey to San Francisco. This is different joy travelling by your own car it means that “rented car” in the city and intercity. You can rent the car though the internet. From the airport of Los Angles to the center of company you can go by bus which is provided by that company itself.
At the center of the company you can have a car. However, you should know that when you rent the car you should use advantages of insuring yourself, vehicle and third party, as well as you should take navigation which will be guide on your trip. Before concluding my first travel notes, you can buy local SIM to use cellphone and internet in America.
Dear readers! As I mentioned before there can be grammatical and other mistakes. Additionally, by sharing my experience I would like to mention one thing that I prepared this note on the purpose of only answering all the questions who wants to go to USA. This note can be just an extra information and before going to USA or other countries you can search from other sources, as well.
I also request you to give “positive critiques” about notes.
This note finished on the date 21.06.2019 midnight at 02:40 with Ashgabat time zone at 14:40. By saying another way, difference of time zone between Ashgabat and Los Angels is 12 hours and Los Angels welcoming new day after 12 hours.
Note : www.atavatan-turkmenistan.com, originally published in Turkmen language, in June 2019 and translated by O.Vellayeva.