Visiting The Wagah Border Ceremony From Pakistan And India
What you need to know when visiting Wagah Ceremony from Pakistan India. Part Dancing With The Stars and part Battle Rap, the Wagah-Attari border ceremony exceeded my high expectations. The Wagah-Attari border is currently the only open land border crossing between India and Pakistan, two long-term rivals ever since their independence in 1947. It takes place in the state of Punjab, which was bisected in the partition of India in 1947 and created the independent countries of Pakistan and India. This ceremony has taken place daily to mark the closing of the border since 1959. This event has been very high on my personal bucketlist, and I finally was able to schedule a visit. I witnessed the ceremony twice from the Indian side and once from the Pakistani side. This was a true, high-energy event that I found to be unique. Two semi-circle, open stadiums face each other, with a double, black iron gate separating the two countries. The Indian stadium clearly dwarfs the Pakistani stadium. The ceremony which takes place before sunset and is overflowing with [...]
Per Besson … On The Road To Turkmenistan
Per has traveled to every country in the world I had the great opportunity to sit down with Per Besson. We met in person at the Extreme Travel International Congress, where Per did a lot of great organizing for the event at the Principality of Sealand. The following week we met for some great Georgian food and sat down to do an interview in person in London. My apologies, this episode was recorded in the hotel lobby with some background noise. I am reminding you that Counting Countries is now partnered with Patreon. Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries. And thanks to my other patrons, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, and Adam Hickman. As thanks, they are able to listen to additional interviews like the extra interview I did with Per, only available to them. Counting Countries is offering its first group tour to Bhutan on November 7th. Please go to GlobalGaz.com to see more information as well as disclosures. And I am [...]
Visiting The Fukushima Disaster Area
Visiting Fukushima Disaster Area. There are some things which you simply don’t really want to score well at. Avoiding the highest rating within the International Nuclear Event Scale is a worthwhile endeavor. Chernobyl was given the highest classification, Level 7. Only one other nuclear disaster received the same calamitous rating and that was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe. Level 7 is succinctly described as “disaster”. The scale is logarithmic, meaning that each increasing level is the equivalent to ten times as severe as the previous level. The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 precipitated the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor detecting the earthquake automatically shut down the fission reactions. Emergency generators kicked-in, supplying needed coolant to the reactors. Tragically, 46 minutes later, the tsunami delivered a 14-meter wave which knocked out the emergency generators. The result was three nuclear meltdowns and three hydrogen explosions at Units 1, 2, and 3. Radioactive contamination was released resulting in the creation of a 20-kilometer radius no-go zone with over 150,000 being evacuated. The Japanese [...]
Must-See Japanese Landmarks
Must-see Japanese landmarks. Once you get past the vending machines, bizarre but fun maid cafes, Shinkansen bullet trains, and conveyor belts overflowing with sushi, it is time to explore some of Japan’s history. Japan has had a long history of isolation beginning in 1633, where foreigners were banned from entering the island nation. The isolation ended when the American Black Ships under Commodore Matthew Perry forced the nation to open to the outside world in 1853. The creation of the Empire of Japan soon followed which ushered in a series of military adventures which culminated in a brutal defeat in WWII in 1945. Throughout its history Japan developed a unique culture with almost 99% of the country being ethnically Japanese. During my visit, I was able to explore the must-see Japanese landmarks, both magnificent religious and historical landmarks. Osaka Osaka traces its history to the 4th century as a vibrant port city, to an imperial capital in the 7th century, to the [...]
Non-Seafood Options In Japan
Non-seafood options Japan. Hello foodies! Excited about your trip to Japan? Endless conveyor belts of sushi and incredibly fresh seafood everywhere you look. But what happens if you do not eat seafood or fish? Should you cancel your trip or pack a dozen boxes of Cap'n Crunch to sustain yourself as you are inundated by sushi? Despite this being a safe non-seafood option, I had never tried Ramen before until my recent visit to Tokyo. Strolling around the busy Shinjuku neighborhood in Tokyo I stepped into the corner Ramen restaurant. One of the most satisfying parts of Ramen is the unending amount of slurping taking place when consuming this comfort food. I was preparing for an extended trip to Japan and I was a bit anxious. I have been described as a picky or even bizarre eater. I do not eat fish, seafood or sushi. One time I even refused to eat a steak, after I learned that the cow had previously fallen into a lake. So [...]
No Double Dipping In Osaka
In 1993, George Costanza, the fictional character on Seinfeld, brought to the masses the risks and dangers of “double-dipping”. No one has ever looked at a bowl of salsa the same way. Eating Kushikatsu Osaka and no double dipping in Osaka. But, it appears the original harbinger of double-dipping can be traced to 1929 in Osaka, Japan. A 12-seat restaurant was born in the Shinsekai neighborhood of Osaka, serving kushikatsu. Momono Yoshie perfected the art of deep frying all sorts of foods on a stick. And she was strong proponent of no double-dipping of her famous and of course secret sauce. The restaurant is known as Kushikatsu Daruma. I am a G Wanderer, meaning G Adventures sent me on their small group adventure to explore Japan. Take a look at my itinerary and join one of their trips (they operate in over 100 countries). I stood in the shadow of Tsūtenkaku Tower, 300 foot plus well-known landmark in Osaka. This silvery [...]
