More on St Lukes

[Commish10 427]

My Fiancee passed the medical. It is now a 1 day process. Exam, results, and vaccines on the same day. 

[AlaMike 231]

Was the same for my wife. 1 day and done. Much better than before. 

Plus we had crammed everything into 1 week, medical and interview. 

[VanHalen 3]

12 hours ago, Commish10 said:

My Fiancee passed the medical. It is now a 1 day process. Exam, results, and vaccines on the same day. 

Makes sense, They probably have very few people to see each day

[flicks1998 1,044]

37 minutes ago, VanHalen said:

Makes sense, They probably have very few people to see each day

St Lukes is generally busy.  They do not just see US visa applicants, but many other country applicants as well.  It looks like they are back on appointment based only to help control the flood of people. 

[Joe Kano 327]

On 8/25/2021 at 1:14 PM, flicks1998 said:

St Lukes is generally busy.  They do not just see US visa applicants, but many other country applicants as well.  It looks like they are back on appointment based only to help control the flood of people. 

I thought Australia was pretty much shut down getting in or out, and Canada is locked as well.

 

I think they do New Zealand as well, I thought they were locked down as well.

 

 

 

[flicks1998 1,044]

9 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

I thought Australia was pretty much shut down getting in or out, and Canada is locked as well.

 

I think they do New Zealand as well, I thought they were locked down as well.

 

 

 

They are extremely locked down.  Very similar to China.  Even for their own citizens its nearly impossible to come and go.  In fact, its prohibitively expensive for an Australian or New Zealander to go home as there are very few flights, and then they are required to quarantine for a certain period plus do multiple tests.  Im not sure though what the requirements are for going home if vaccinated.  Id have to research it.

 

Canada has opened up to US travelers who are vaccinated if traveling by air.  I believe unvaccinated travelers can still enter by land but may need a test.  Id have to look up the rules as of today as they always seem to change every 2-4 weeks.

Edited August 27, 2021 by flicks1998

[Joe Kano 327]

2 hours ago, flicks1998 said:

They are extremely locked down.  Very similar to China.  Even for their own citizens its nearly impossible to come and go.  In fact, its prohibitively expensive for an Australian or New Zealander to go home as there are very few flights, and then they are required to quarantine for a certain period plus do multiple tests.  Im not sure though what the requirements are for going home if vaccinated.  Id have to research it.

 

Canada has opened up to US travelers who are vaccinated if traveling by air.  I believe unvaccinated travelers can still enter by land but may need a test.  Id have to look up the rules as of today as they always seem to change every 2-4 weeks.

I am headed back to Cancun next week, Going to stay in Xcaret Hotel this time and get free admissions to there adventure parks and pyramid tours.

 

So far Mexico is easy to travel to, no vaccine needed, no quarantine and you only need a Covid test like 3 day before you fly back to the USA and it seems as if most if not all the hotels offer that free is you stay there. And the best part is I can be in Cancun airport in 2 hours and 15 minutes from time the planes wheels go up in the air at DFW airport, it sure beats flying 20 plus hours to the Philippines, that long flight is a beating 

[top_secret 2,456]

37 minutes ago, Joe Kano said:

So far Mexico is easy to travel to, no vaccine needed, no quarantine and you only need a Covid test like 3 day before you fly back to the USA and it seems as if most if not all the hotels offer that free is you stay there.

 

Just don't try bringing a Filipina to Cancun.  🤣😂  Brazil is pretty awesome though.  

[Joe Kano 327]

17 hours ago, top_secret said:

 

Just don't try bringing a Filipina to Cancun.  🤣😂  Brazil is pretty awesome though.  

My wife has a greencard so it no issue getting Mexico, it a shame what they did to your girl.

 

Because Mexico has so much to offer and you can get 5 star resorts and 5 star dinning for 2 star prices, or at least in the Cancun area you can, and the beaches and all the parks are so cool and so much to do.  There underground river at places like Xplor Theme park blows away the underground river in Palawan.

[Talako 785]

19 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

I am headed back to Cancun next week, Going to stay in Xcaret Hotel this time and get free admissions to there adventure parks and pyramid tours.

 

So far Mexico is easy to travel to, no vaccine needed, no quarantine and you only need a Covid test like 3 day before you fly back to the USA and it seems as if most if not all the hotels offer that free is you stay there. And the best part is I can be in Cancun airport in 2 hours and 15 minutes from time the planes wheels go up in the air at DFW airport, it sure beats flying 20 plus hours to the Philippines, that long flight is a beating 

Enjoy, and have a good time.  A $600+ a night hotel is out of my league.

[Joe Kano 327]

14 minutes ago, Talako said:

Enjoy, and have a good time.  A $600+ a night hotel is out of my league.

I stayed in one of the newest and best ones in Cancun, In June I was at Ateliers Playa Mujures about 20 minutes north of the Hotel Zone in Cancun, it's an upper end hotel all inclusive including food and drinks.  We only paid $2600 total from DFW for Wednesday thru Sunday that was airfare and all inclusive hotel thru Costco Travel.  And that was no upgraded room and taking early morning flight to Cancun so I would be at the Hotel by noon. Here is the link to the hotel: ATELIER Playa Mujeres: All-inclusive luxury resort in Cancun (atelierdehoteles.com)   Airfare was about 800 bucks and hotel for 2 of us was only $400 per night.

 

Next week we are headed to Xcaret Hotel, you you get free entrance to all their parks and pyramid tours, now we are paying a little more since I upgraded to the Fuego Section and got one the better rooms with Ocean Front  which is adult only with private restaurant and private rooftop pool. I paid $4,400 we are doing the Wednesday till Sunday again  with early arrival and late departure: Xcaret | Things to do in Cancun | Riviera Maya Excursions

 

I am headed back to Ateliers in October since it was so relaxing last time. Have the Rolling Stones concert in Dallas in November and then my work gets super busy and I can't leave from December until March and then it's off again, maybe Philippines will open up by then and I will spend extended time back there

 

Costco always seem to be good way to book: Home | Costco Travel

There are plenty of very nice and outstanding hotels in the Hotel Zone you can stay cheap like $1,700 total trip price from DFW staying in Omni Hotel which is older but still very nice and has an excellent beach and pools, that would equal out to like 900 for an all inclusive hotel for 4 nights which less than $250 per night, that's a bargain.  I am sure they are better deals than that if you look.  I like staying at the latest and newest hotels and checking them out.

 

 

[top_secret 2,456]

We had a 5* Cancun resort booked at something like $300 a night.  Like $3k prepaid and in my wife's name no less.  After they deported her, we got all but the first night refunded.  She will probably be here is San Diego 20 minutes from the border and with a green card in a few months.  But I'm pretty sure she won't ever try visiting Mexico again.  Plus we don't know but I assume being refused entry and deported must result in some type of ban.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

2 hours ago, top_secret said:

We had a 5* Cancun resort booked at something like $300 a night.  Like $3k prepaid and in my wife's name no less.  After they deported her, we got all but the first night refunded.  She will probably be here is San Diego 20 minutes from the border and with a green card in a few months.  But I'm pretty sure she won't ever try visiting Mexico again.  Plus we don't know but I assume being refused entry and deported must result in some type of ban.

Wait...What??? I missed a thread somewhere.

[Joe Kano 327]

3 hours ago, top_secret said:

We had a 5* Cancun resort booked at something like $300 a night.  Like $3k prepaid and in my wife's name no less.  After they deported her, we got all but the first night refunded.  She will probably be here is San Diego 20 minutes from the border and with a green card in a few months.  But I'm pretty sure she won't ever try visiting Mexico again.  Plus we don't know but I assume being refused entry and deported must result in some type of ban.

Probably not under her circumstance, but I would be shocked if she ever wanted to go to Mexico again, but the good news you have all of Central and South America to explore.

 

Myself if Philippines isn't open by next spring, I am going to start exploring Central America.

[top_secret 2,456]

4 hours ago, boris64 said:

Wait...What??? I missed a thread somewhere.

That was last years ill-fated Cancun vacation.  I was waiting for her in Mexico City but when she arrived Mexican Immigration deported her without any specific reason.  She wound up stranded airside in Frankfurt and then we regrouped and went to Rio de Janeiro instead.  Brazilian Immigration was friendly towards Filipinas.  Mexican Immigration, not so much.

 

2 hours ago, Joe Kano said:

Probably not under her circumstance, but I would be shocked if she ever wanted to go to Mexico again, but the good news you have all of Central and South America to explore.

 

Myself if Philippines isn't open by next spring, I am going to start exploring Central America.

I was fairly impressed by Costa Rica.  It was my first time there.  I'll definitely go back some time.  We stopped in Panama on our way to Costa Rica.  It was alright but wasn't overly impressed with that country.  Filipinas need a visa for Panama but they will accept a multiple entry Japan or Korea visa too which my wife has both.  We were actually looking at stopping in Guatemala to see Tikal but it turns out Filipinas need a visa for Guatemala.  Seriously?  And there isn't even a clear cut way Filipinas could get a Guatemala visa since it apparently would come from the Guatemala Embassy in Japan????  We may do Colombia if this green card thing drags out much longer.  Filipinas are visa free in Colombia and I've been there a few times and always had a good time.  We had awesome trips to Peru and Brazil.