Friends Beware

[wolfie_cr]

That fucking pissing me off double time, because customs of many countries gives you shit if you aren't carrying enough cash. (And then also give you shit if you are carrying too much, over $10k)

Canadians customs gave me shit once (wanted us to be carrying at least $600 per person), but finally let us through.

But Spanish customs sent my wife home, wouldn't even let her pass immigrations. I sent her with 500 Euros in cash ($750), a debit card with $10k balance and a few credit cards. They wouldn't accept the cards, wanted her to have 60 Euros per day (1800 Euros - $2700) in cash.

Triple pissed off because there are ATMs all over airports, they won't let her use an ATM, put her in detention like a criminal, deport her in hand cuffs! Total waste of a $1500 air plane ticket and 48 hours. Fucking Spaniards!

Now I hear this happens to Costa Ricans all the time. All Iberia Airlines has to do is tell you need sufficient cash before boarding the plane, there are at least two ATMs (BAC San Jose in the airline counter area, and Scotiabank near the food court) in the CR airport.

not that it helps but

a) Canadian customs gives shit to everyone INCLUDING canadians.......

b) when Trish went to Spain they did NOT like it one bit that I didnt go with her LOL and as you know she is American, they do not understand the advanced concept of wife travelling without husband

I hated Spaniards before all this (highschool trauma LOL) but for a CR its much better to go anywhere in Europe BUT there, 'technically' you also need to show them your hotel reservation OR a letter of invitation from your Spaniard contact..........CERTIFIED by the local police department in Spain.

I've been to Spain a couple of times.......but I entered by driving from Gibraltar (you wave your passport at the checkpoint and thats it, they don't even stamp it , check it etc LOL)

 

[AdamSelene]

they do not understand the advanced concept of wife travelling without husband

Interesting you should say that, because that's exactly what they told her -- a women has no reason to travel without her husband. They accused her of carrying drugs in her stomach, etc, etc, didn't let her prove her innocence, treated her like a criminal. Insufficient cash seemed just a superficial reason they could check off on the deportation form.

'technically' you also need to show them your hotel reservation OR a letter of invitation from your Spaniard contact..........CERTIFIED by the local police department in Spain.

Yeah, I had a question about that. Is that the same regardless of port of entry for Europe (e.g. Amsterdam, Paris, etc)?

Do you need hotel reservations for the entire trip, or just first few days?

I could not find details on that requirement. Seems totally lame if you want to wander around Europe if you have to plan every city/hotel you will stay at in advance before you get on the plane. How the world does anyone backpack Europe anymore?

She did have hotel reservations, but made the mistake of telling them she was visiting friends, so they wanted the Police certified letters of invitation too.

FUCK THE SPANIARDS

 

[wolfie_cr]

Yeah, I had a question about that. Is that the same regardless of port of entry for Europe (e.g. Amsterdam, Paris, etc)?

Do you need hotel reservations for the entire trip, or just first few days?

the problem here is the entry point, Spain is the hotbed for illegal immigrants from Peru, Ecuador etc etc etc....therefore they are pretty harsh on Latin Americans in general (you know we are all trying to stay illegally 'everywhere' ), the requirement of a certified letter like that I have ONLY heard from my buddies the Spaniards........

I have only entered Europe through UK (Scotland and London) , they have never bugged me but I am in a minority (Latin American entering through the UK via the US)......the illegal immigrants normally fly direct from here to Spain via Iberia.

I imagine that technically you need hotel reservations for everything, when I went there for 'tourism' I had everything printed for the entire itinerary

How the world does anyone backpack Europe anymore?

the World does it with a 1st world passport, they are not bugged the way we (=me) are

She did have hotel reservations, but made the mistake of telling them she was visiting friends, so they wanted the Police certified letters of invitation too.

3 friends of mine went 'backpacking' but after reading the stories of this very thing (there have been incidents of a doctor here in CR that got locked up the same way your wife was .....and some brazilian citizens, Brazil gets an A from me, after they started being deported.....they treated the Spaniards the same way.....and of course some of them were deported back to Spain) ...they complied with every requirement (they were just going to do one day at a time but the stories made them comply)

FUCK THE SPANIARDS

agree wholeheartedly, that is the reason I didnt want to go with Trish (other than saving money of course).....there is no need for me to help their economy (which right now is pretty bad......worse than other countries in the Euro zone)

I was totally surprised when she told me the stories of 'where is your husband'......wonder what the hell were they thinking? that I was illegally in Spain already???

I made the decision long ago .....that I was only going to allow the Americans to treat me like a 'wanna be illegal immigrant'