Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day Two
Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day Two. The morning was grey. I tapped on my phone and called a car using my Yandex app (Russia’s answer to Uber). It was only 1400 Tenge (under $5) for the thirty minute ride to the airport, quite reasonable. A creaky car pulled up to the Sultan Palace Hotel and I slipped into the back. The driver turned the corner and stopped the car. In Russian, he demanded that I pay him 3000 Tenge. I swore at him, grabbed my bag, and waved down the next passing taxi. Still swearing as I got into the backseat of the taxi, I was able to communicate in Russian that my previous ride was a thief (one of the few words I know in Russian). He smiled with a gold tooth, sparkling and shared with me that he was a good man. To read about the first day, click here. This is a multi-part series. Disclaimer: I traveled with Vegitel and received a discount on my trip. [...]
Vanuatu’s Heart: Full Of Love Or Hate?
Vanuatu’s Heart: Full Of Love Or Hate? In my quest to travel to every country in the world, I visited the remote Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. While on the island I had a health incident which I detail in this port. This post of my experience began to make the rounds on social media and was met with much negative feedback. Most readers missed the nuance of my visit to Vanuatu. For those attempting to travel to every country in the world, many debate what counts as visiting a country. Some in the chasing 193 community state you must get a visa stamp, others say you must stay overnight, and some have a rule of drinking a local beer. While I spent two nights on the island, I only saw three landmarks; the airport, the hospital and my hotel. I spent the vast majority of my time lying in bed. The trip that I was highly looking forward to; snorkeling in crystal clear waters, standing at the edge of the active volcano Mount Yasur, and meeting [...]
Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day One
Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day One. My afternoon flight from Almaty touched down at the Kyzylorda domestic airport. I had landed in Kyzylorda, a city founded in the early 19th century, located in southern central Kazakhstan. Kyzylorda as you might guess, is not a hotbed of tourism. Why was I here? I had traveled here to watch a manned spaceship launch and fly to the International Space Station. Talk about bucket list. Kyzylorda is one of the launching points (no pun intended) for Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Baikonur Cosmodrome is the main space port for launching both manned and unmanned rockets to space. Kyzylorda is located is an uneventful three hour drive to Baikonur. Others opt to fly from Moscow to Kyzylorda, and then make the drive. The benefit of skipping Russia is avoiding acquiring a Russian visa (expensive and onerous to get). Kazakhstan is visa free for many nationalities. The road to Baikonur Baikonur Cosmodrome is rich in history and in firsts. It is the first [...]
Kazakhstan – 118th Country
Kazakhstan – 118th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Kazakhstan is my 118th country. Check out my map. Check out the best 193 travel books. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country with 20 million souls. It was part of the Soviet Union until it gained its independence in 1991. It is a land of limitless steppes and nomad tribes that formally roamed the lands. Today, it is a wealthy petrol-state. I had a busy trip in Kazakhstan. I spent several days soaking in Almaty, the former capital. I had long lay over in modern Astana, the current capital where I was able to walk the city. And the highlight to Kazakhstan was a visit to Baikonur, a Russian space port, leased by the Russians to witness a manned space launch. Top sights in Almaty Travel musings in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan – 118th Country
Around The World On TV
Around The World On TV. I have had an odd and uncanny ability to get on TV. But only after I have departed the US. In fact, the camera is not too fond of me in my own homeland. I will take you back many years ago … to the fourth grade. The local TV station had recruited our class to be involved in a Valentine Day feel-good TV segment. Each one of my classmates would make a Valentine’s Day card for their hero. My classmates and I gripped our oversized cards and spoke for a moment about our hero. I chose Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Later that evening, my parents and I huddled around the TV to watch my gap-toothed smile in action. Classmate after classmate heralded their hero. And then the segment came to an end. I did not make the cut. My footage had been discarded in the trash heap. The producer had deemed I was not worthy of my 15 minutes of fame. Despite my initial set [...]
Travel Musings From Kazakhstan
Travel Musings From Kazakhstan. Why do we like to travel? Yes, of course, it is the momentous experiences that are burned in your psyche. Sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Watching a lion tear into a gazelle in the Serengeti near dusk. Gazing at the mysterious Moai on Easter Island as the waves of the Pacific Ocean lap up against the shore. But sometimes it’s the little things. The smile from the shopkeeper who adds in another banana in your bag. The taxi driver who brings you to your hotel for free from the bus stop with a wink. Some of these ordinary moments make the biggest impact. Airbnb I originally planned to visit Almaty in the fall of 2016, but had to cancel at the last minute. For that visit, I had contacted Denis, an American living in Almaty, who organized walking tours. When re-planning my visit in 2018, I returned to his website to book some tours, but was disappointed to see that his company was not offering tours until the start of April (I was [...]
