Posts by Marcelila

I'm 69 years old and heading to China, where most tourist sites are free or discounted for me. However, trip.com either refuses to let me book because the sites are free or doesn’t apply the discount. Does WeChat apply this discount if I book through them? How can I just reserve without paying and pay on-site? Is that possible?

How do I upload my passport to WeChat?

Thanks for your tips. Elisabeth

Thanks for your reply.

I already tried switching browsers, using my boyfriend’s Boursobank card on both our phones, then another payment method on the site—the second one with a QR code scan. I still can’t get it to work and don’t understand their instructions at all.

Long story short, after 30 hours of filling out forms and dealing with ChatGPT, I’ve had it and decided not to go to the US anymore. There are countries with fewer visa hassles, financial requirements, and no embassy meet-ups.

Best regards,

Elisabeth

I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this? Thanks for your feedback! Elisabeth

Hi there, Thanks for your reply. Lying to the U.S. Embassy is a crime, and even if you change your passport and photo, they still have all your info. Besides, my Iran visa isn’t in my current passport. So it’s impossible.

Hi there, We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect? Thanks in advance! Elisabeth

Hello! I’ve reposted the ad in French

Hello, we’re a French couple, aged 69 and 74, and we’d like to visit several national parks in the American West, including the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Valley of Fire, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, during a flexible period of 15 to 20 days between April and June 2027. One of us will purchase the America the Beautiful pass for $250, and we’ll of course share the gas expenses. I’ll answer two questions you’re probably asking about us: Why aren’t we renting a vehicle ourselves? Because we’ve hardly ever driven. And why not opt for a guided tour? Most organized trips only visit a few parks at a rushed pace with round-trip flights from France. Instead, we’d like to use this trip to explore iconic U.S. cities and sites for an additional month and a half. If you’d like to visit some of these parks (not necessarily all) and for a shorter duration with us, feel free to let me know. As I mentioned, our dates are very flexible. Thanks in advance. Elisabeth babeth.marcel@yahoo.fr

Hello, We’re a French couple, aged 69 and 74, and we’d love to visit several national parks in the American West, including—of course—the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Valley of Fire, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. We’re planning a flexible trip of 15 to 20 days between April and June 2027.

One of us will buy the America the Beautiful pass for $250, and we’ll obviously split the cost of gas.

I’ll answer the two questions you’re probably wondering about: Why aren’t we renting a vehicle ourselves? Because we’ve barely driven in our lives. And why aren’t we taking an organized tour? Because most group tours only hit a few parks and rush through with round-trip flights from France. We’d like to extend this trip to visit iconic American cities and places for an extra month and a half.

If you’re interested in visiting some of the parks—even if not all of them—with us, please let us know. As I mentioned, our dates are very flexible.

Thanks in advance! Elisabeth babeth.marcel@yahoo.

Hello,

We’re a French couple, aged 69 and 74, and we’d like to visit several parks in the American West, including of course the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Valley of Fire, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. We’re planning a flexible trip of 15 to 20 days between April and June 2027.

One of us will buy the America the Beautiful pass for $250, and of course, we’ll share the gas costs. I’ll answer two questions you’re probably wondering about right away: Why aren’t we renting a vehicle ourselves? Because we’ve barely driven in our lives. And why aren’t we doing an organized tour? Because most organized tours only cover a few parks and rush through them with a round-trip flight from France. We’d like to take this opportunity to visit iconic U.S. cities for an extra month and a half as well.

If you’re interested in joining us for a few parks—not necessarily all of them—let me know. As I mentioned, our dates are flexible.

Thanks in advance, Elisabeth babeth.marcel@yahoo.fr

Hello,

We’re a French couple, aged 69 and 74, and we’d like to visit several parks in the American West, including of course the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Valley of Fire, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. We’re flexible with the duration—15 to 20 days—between April and June 2027.

One of us will buy the America the Beautiful pass for $250, and of course, we’ll share the gas costs. I’ll answer two questions you’re probably wondering about in advance: Why aren’t we renting a vehicle ourselves? Because we’ve barely driven in our lives. And why aren’t we doing an organized tour? Because most organized tours only cover a few parks and rush through them with a round-trip flight from France. We’d also like to spend a month and a half visiting iconic U.S. cities during this trip.

If you’re interested in joining us for a few parks (not necessarily all of them), let me know. As I mentioned, our dates are flexible.

Thanks in advance, Elisabeth babeth.marcel@yahoo.fr

Hello

I don’t see the Marquesas pass on Air Tahiti with the 4 islands you mentioned. There’s a Marquesas pass for 750 € with only 2 islands. Where did you find it?

Hi there, The exact schedule always comes out at the last minute, but generally, the carnival starts the week before, with parades first from daycare centers/kindergartens, then schools or sports groups, and the famous Maandigas. Then, on Monday evening (the night before Mardi Gras), there’s usually the parade of a big group: Escola Samba Tropical. And the main parade is always on Mardi Gras (so definitely February 17, 2026), wrapping up the carnival week with the big groups, and the awards are handed out the next day, Wednesday. So I’m a bit surprised about a parade on the 22nd. But who knows? Where did you find that info? Oh, and the 2026 carnival was up in the air because there are disagreements between the organizers, group leaders, and the city hall... so it’s all being debated. ;O) I don’t know much about the one in Sao Nicolau—it’s probably smaller but maybe a bit more authentic and intimate as a result... Marie

Hi again, and thanks for your message. When I check the Mindelo Carnival website, they say the Mandingas parade in black with grotesque masks will take place on February 22. Someone else told me this parade usually happens the Sunday before Mardi Gras, but February 22 falls on the Sunday *after* Mardi Gras. So I’m a bit confused. Do you know anything about this?

Thanks again in advance. Elisabeth

Hi there,

I’m trying to find out the dates for the best parades at the Mindelo Carnival in 2026, but I’m having trouble figuring it out. When I search for "Mindelo Carnival 2026," I get different dates and no clear schedule. I’ve found the parade on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and the one on Sunday, February 22, with the grotesque makeup, which seem the most interesting. On the other hand, some say the São Nicolau Carnival is more authentic than Mindelo’s. If you’ve experienced this firsthand—not just theoretically but actually been there—I’d love to hear your practical tips.

Thanks in advance!

Elisabeth

Hello! We’re heading to the Marquesas in July-August and I’d love to know if it’s possible, for a fee, to do a leg of the journey on the Aranui—like from Hiva Oa to Fatu Hiva, or Nuku Hiva to Ua Pou, or even Ua Pou to Ua Huka? Sure, there are shuttles twice a week with Codim connecting these islands, but the schedules won’t be known until two months in advance, and I need to book flights and hotels much earlier than that. So, what’s the best way to handle this?

Looking forward to your replies—thanks in advance! Elisabeth Marcel babeth.marcel@yahoo.fr

There's a Black Friday deal called the "Tuatea Pass 7 islands 30 days" for 20,000 XPF on Apetahi Express's website. I'd like to know the conditions of this offer. Will I be able to use this pass in June and July 2026, and can I take any boat? Also, how do I book the boat tickets? Thanks for getting back to me quickly, as this offer is only valid for a few days. I’ve contacted Apetahi Express and Tuatea, but they’re not responding to my questions.

Is it possible to visit the park for a day by round-trip bus from Darwin without going through a tour operator? Thanks for your answers! Elisabeth

Has anyone visited the Kondoa Rock Art Sites recently without a personal vehicle? If so, how did you do it?

Merci Roberto pour ta réponse précise. Je vais prendre mon temps pour étudier tout ça et chercher les guides que tu mentionnes. Enfin ça me permet d'y voir un peu plus clair. Elisabeth

Merci beaucoup pour ta réponse précise. Elisabeth

Oui merci pour la réponse. Je suis également au courant de l'actualité du Zimbabwe, mais nous ne voulons voir que les chutes, quitte à payer un tour aller et retour depuis la frontière ou avant. Elisabeth