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Logistics (and a bit of work woes)
Mar. 26th, 2009 09:41 amI think I have found the best way to get ze boyz to Austria at the end of May. The best way, that is, for all parties involved, feline and human.
Having heard horror stories about immigration control in Munich, the thought of flying to Vienna via Munich was only slightly less intimidating than flying Ankara - Istanbul - Munich.
The horror stories were partly confirmed when I called customs at the Munich airport. They were nice, oh yes, but the bureaucratic maze unfolding before me (do mazes unfold??) made me quaver in my boots.
First, they said that it was enough to have: EU pet passport, chip, chip number registered in passport, rabies shots registered in passport.
When I asked the vet if she was absolutely sure that nothing else would be required, she said, "Well, that depends on where you had them vaccinated against rabies."
I told her that ze boyz had been vaccinated in Turkey.
"Ah," she said, "in that case you need a certificate."
I told her, very politely, that it would be a good idea to put such information on their homepage.
Then I contacted my vet (here in Ankara) and learned that, in order to issue the certificate, the head vet of the Ankara municipality had to see the cats. And that was the point where I said, no, absolutely impossible.
There's no prejudice at work here - I've seen the vet university, because one of the professors is an acquaintance of mine (very nice man) and showed me round. He was proud. I was petrified, although I managed to hide it. He said that the municipal vet's surgery wasn't as well equipped or as hygienic as theirs. All I managed was a faint "Really?"
I refuse to take my cats to that stinking hell-hole. They'd probably catch all diseases they could possibly catch.
So I decided to go to Istanbul by car (with hired car-cum-driver) -- necessary because Turkish Airways doesn't do pet in cabin over 6 kg -- and fly from there directly to Vienna, on an Austiran Airlines flight.
Fortunately I'd booked business flexible, so the re-booking was free of charge.
Feeling much better now, and the duration of the trip is the same (if not slightly shorter) than going via Munich.
Ooomph.
Today is the first day of the period of horror - Doris already gone, Gabriele on holiday, i.e.poor little me on my own, having to do everything: my usual work plus vetting visa applications twice as painstakingly (no second pair of eyes) plus printing visa stickers.
No fun.
But it's only going to last until 3 April, and then there's a short week because of Easter. And Easter means 4 days off!!
Having heard horror stories about immigration control in Munich, the thought of flying to Vienna via Munich was only slightly less intimidating than flying Ankara - Istanbul - Munich.
The horror stories were partly confirmed when I called customs at the Munich airport. They were nice, oh yes, but the bureaucratic maze unfolding before me (do mazes unfold??) made me quaver in my boots.
First, they said that it was enough to have: EU pet passport, chip, chip number registered in passport, rabies shots registered in passport.
When I asked the vet if she was absolutely sure that nothing else would be required, she said, "Well, that depends on where you had them vaccinated against rabies."
I told her that ze boyz had been vaccinated in Turkey.
"Ah," she said, "in that case you need a certificate."
I told her, very politely, that it would be a good idea to put such information on their homepage.
Then I contacted my vet (here in Ankara) and learned that, in order to issue the certificate, the head vet of the Ankara municipality had to see the cats. And that was the point where I said, no, absolutely impossible.
There's no prejudice at work here - I've seen the vet university, because one of the professors is an acquaintance of mine (very nice man) and showed me round. He was proud. I was petrified, although I managed to hide it. He said that the municipal vet's surgery wasn't as well equipped or as hygienic as theirs. All I managed was a faint "Really?"
I refuse to take my cats to that stinking hell-hole. They'd probably catch all diseases they could possibly catch.
So I decided to go to Istanbul by car (with hired car-cum-driver) -- necessary because Turkish Airways doesn't do pet in cabin over 6 kg -- and fly from there directly to Vienna, on an Austiran Airlines flight.
Fortunately I'd booked business flexible, so the re-booking was free of charge.
Feeling much better now, and the duration of the trip is the same (if not slightly shorter) than going via Munich.
Ooomph.
Today is the first day of the period of horror - Doris already gone, Gabriele on holiday, i.e.poor little me on my own, having to do everything: my usual work plus vetting visa applications twice as painstakingly (no second pair of eyes) plus printing visa stickers.
No fun.
But it's only going to last until 3 April, and then there's a short week because of Easter. And Easter means 4 days off!!
