Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day Three
Five Days At The Russian Cosmodrome Baikonur For A Manned Space Launch Day Three. I awoke to darkness, and today was going to be an exciting and busy day. I gobbled down a quick breakfast of eggs and tea at the hotel, and the group was on the bus before 6:30 am. We entered the Cosmodrome after a brief security check. We headed to the Hanger at Pad 112, where the Soyuz rocket is assembled. The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on the Soyuz rocket, which has been in use since the early 1960s. And in two days, this rocket will be bringing three men to the International Space Station. The rocket is brought via train to Site No 1, better known as today, as Gagarin’s Start, which is the launch pad for Soyuz rockets. In darkness, the rocket protruded out of the Hanger, slowly oozing out on a train bed. Workers and security forces supervised the rocket’s slow journey. Two hundred something space tourists thronged the area snapping photos. This is a multi-part series. Click here for [...]
A Guide: Seven Days In Oman
A Guide: Seven Days In Oman. Oman is the Quiet Man of the Middle East. Think about, you don’t hear much about it compared to its neighbors. War in Yemen and Syria. The ongoing violence in Iraq. Turmoil in Lebanon and Jordan with a tidal wave of refugees. Strife in Israel with their ongoing conflict with Palestine. Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s quarrel with each other. Iran’s challenges in the world community. UAE’s striving to be the biggest and shiniest. And Oman. What are the generalizations about Oman? Any stereotypes? For the average bystander, probably not too many. Oman is located on the south east corner of the Arabian Peninsula with three neighbors, UAE, KSA, and Yemen. Oman is an absolute monarchy being rules by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said since 1970, one of the longest ruling monarchs in the world. Oman is a nation of less than 5 million people. It is predominantly a Muslim nation and the official language is Arabic. Oman sits strategically on the mouth of the Persian Gulf and was an important [...]
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
