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A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.

Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.

A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.

Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.

Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.

I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.

REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.

ivan

Monday, July 26, 2021

📘 ⏳ 😟 Passport wait times are longer than usual

 

Centers for Disease Control | Get vaccinated and get going places.
 
Issue 56 | Passport Wait Times.
 
 
We all know by now: anything that applied in “normal times” doesn’t right now. And that includes the processing time to get or renew your passport.

Here’s what you need to know.
Passports are good for 10 years for those 16+, and 5 years for those under 16. But there’s more to check than the expiration date.

Many countries require that your passport be valid for 3-6 months beyond your travel dates, and that you have at least one blank page (it varies by country, some require more). For example, if you roll up to the airport for a trip to any of the countries in Europe’s Schengen Area and your passport isn’t valid for at least three months beyond your trip, you’re gonna get some bad news.
Many passport application acceptance facilities are still closed, so in-person appointments (required for first-time passports, renewals for kids under 16, or for replacing a lost or stolen passport) are extremely limited. Additionally, appointments are being prioritized for those with emergency needs, so you may end up waiting a few weeks.

To cast the widest net, visit the USPS passport site and look for available appointments within 100 miles of your zip code. One you get an appointment, your application will be subject to the wait times below.
Whether you’re getting your first passport or renewing one, the processing time is much longer than usual. Routine service, which used to take 6-8 weeks, is now estimated at 18 weeks (yes, nearly five months), which includes 12 weeks for processing and an additional 6 weeks for mailing there and back. The term “snail mail” never felt so right.

Even expedited service, which costs an additional $60, is listed at 12 weeks—6 weeks for processing and 6 weeks for mail on either end.

Either way, the official line is that it can take up to 6 weeks from the day you submit your application until your status is actually “In Process,” and then you’re looking at 6-12 weeks for the actual processing.

Anecdotally, we’ve heard that it can take even longer. While one SCF employee paid for expedited service and got his passport back in 5 weeks, more than one member has written in to tell us it was 8-9 weeks before their status was even listed as “In Process” and they are still waiting for their passports weeks later.

To get your passport there and back sooner, you can ship it by overnight mail and then pay an extra $17.56 for 1-2 day delivery for the return of your completed passport. It may still sit around for a few weeks before the official processing time starts, but at least you’ll cut out any potential mail delays.

Don’t bother paying any non-government third-party that promises to expedite your application. The State Department says it won’t be processed any faster.
If you’ve already submitted your application for routine service, you can call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 and request expedited service for an additional $60.

If that’s still not soon enough, there are two dozen passport agencies around the US where you can try to get an Urgent Travel or Life-or-Death Emergency appointment.

Urgent Travel appointments previously could only be made online within 72 hours of departure, with proof of travel. However, scammers recently started booking up all the appointments, so now you'll have to call the same number listed above between 8am and 10pm EST Monday through Friday. But be aware current hold times can be hours long. Life-or-Death Emergency appointments can only be made over the phone for circumstances involving an immediate family member’s death, imminent death, or life-threatening illness/injury.

Some travelers have also reported getting help from their state senators or representatives. The websites for some state senators and congresspeople even list the phone number and email where you can reach them for passport assistance.
Even with expedited service, you could be looking at 3-4 months before you get your passport back, and for regular service, it could be as long as 6 months.

If you’ve got a trip on the horizon, apply now. If it looks like your passport won’t arrive in time, you could apply for an Urgent Travel appointment, reach out to your local representatives for help, or you may need to take advantage of the free changes airlines are still offering to push back your trip.

Have you recently renewed your passport? How’d it go? Let us know on twitter.

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ivan