Archive for the 'Air Journey' Category
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE ! REAL MADAGASCAR !
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE ! REAL MADAGASCAR !
On October 30th, TotalAdventure landed in my 100th country – 57 years after #2 – France , in 1967 at age 8. As the number neared, the requirements grew stricter. Gone from the list were the Chines territories of Hong King and Macau. Taiwan is not recognized by the United Nations. East Germany is included because it was a nation when I traveled there in 1983. 2024I began with 95 in Nicaragua which comleted every continental country in the Americas, then Georgia,Armenia,Azerbaijan and Mauritius.
Entering Madagascar airspace. The plane flew in from the French Department of Réunion – an Indian Ocean island that is as much a part of France as Paris. Madagascar is 1000 miles long, 1600km and 300. iles wide 500km. THose beaches are empty !
Country # 100 ! Tourist visa on arrival. The QR is censored . To scan it brings up all te information that Google has on the traveler plus personal information and passport details.
Antananarivo ,the sprawling chaotic capitol city of 1.4 million. Malagasy is the national language, a tongue of Polynesian origin. French is the language of business and education. TotalAdventure knows ‘Restaurant French” but basic phrases are quite helpful.
Unique architecture with possible French influence, but unlike any other in the world.
Raw meat in Africa ? Zebu carpaccio is delicious and nutritious.
A Baby Baobab outside the airport.
The Malagasy Ariary is 4600 ot the US dollar. The largest bill is the 20000 , less than $5. Huge bundles of bills are required for many transactions, such as a tank of gas which can be 300,000 Ariary. Prices in Madagascar are much lower than the USA or Western Europe, with a good hotel room going for $ 60, luxury $ 90 and local $ 15. A hearty meal of zebu steak runs around $ 10 and beer about $ 1.
I could not fold my wallet and ended up carrying cash in my pack. This from a change of US $ 200..
The climate ranges from hot and wet in the northeast ,with rain in the summer from December to March. The southwest is desert and high desert with scorching temperatures in November. There is a winter than can get down to freezing in the mountains during July and August, but the coastal areas are pleasantly tropical. The best time to visit is from May to November.
Madagascar is mostly Catholic, also Evangelical Protestant and some Muslims. The churches are simple and only open on Sundays.
“African” hotel. Clean and comfortable at 60,000 Ariary , $ 14 a night.
The Spiny Forest typical of the coastal deserts of the southwest part of the country.
Rice was bought to the island by Southeast Asian boat migrants in the 1600s, and is grown in the Asian style. For many people rice is the main part of the diet ,served with fish ,vegetables and zebu.
Chameleon found only in Madagascar. AS Madagascar is so separate for the rest of the world, life forms have developed in their own.
Running water is rare in most villages. Rivers and lakes are for bathing and laundry, as well as irrigation for the rice fields. Although November is at the end of the dry season, there were adequate supplies of water.
At the marketplace in Tolara. Ducks for lunch !
Desert Sunset in Parc National Isalo.
Fixed tent quarters in Isalo.. Very comfortable at about US $ 70 a night.
Exotic Woodpecker.
Returning to Antananarivo, TotalAdventure flew on ,across Africa to Dakar !
TotalAdventure voyaged from Singapore to Mauritius on October 25 after promoting TotalAdventure.Travel and AdventureTravel.AI at ITB Asia , on eof the world’s largest travel shows, where i met with over 40 promoising adventure providers from Asia and Africa.
First there was an early moring one hour flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on Singapore Airlines. . After a 2 hour layover I boarded Air Mauritius for the 7 hour flight to the center of the Indian Ocean. Crossing the Equator for probably my 50th time, we went from Autumn to Spring, though the only difference in the tropical maritime world is that thel days are longer in the Southern Hemisphere at that time of year.
First stamp in my new passport. Singapore, my first country on the new passport is all electronic. The Mauritius authorities were puzzled as to how I got so far from home without one stamp, and thoroughly inspected my pack.
TotalAdventure was drawn to Mauritius for its’ land scenery which did not disappoint and for its’ snorkeling, which did. The coastal waters were generally murky or devoid of fish, one must hire a speedboat outt o the reefs to see anything significant Many of the best beaches are inaccessible as they are walled off by heavily guarded resorts catering to French and Indian tourists.
A closeup of Cascade de Chamarel , 100 meters high.
Seafood curries are excellent , a mix of Indian and French influence.
The Mauritius Rupee is currently 46.5 to the USD. In general prices are moderately lower than the US and Western Europe
The waters are very tranquil around most of the island. About 5 to 7 km offshore, a giant reef blocks giant Indian Ocean waves.
Mauriius was TotalAdventure’s 99th country. Becuse of airline schedules I spent a little longerthere than I would have liked, but it was a nice rest
Next stop was Madagascar. We stopped in France along the way and yet the whole trip is only 3 hours.Réunion , in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a French Department, as much a part of France as Paris. The main reason to visit would be to get away from a cold European winter.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !
On April 30th at 2:30 AM Azerbaijan Time ( GMT +4) TotalAdventure began the journey from the shores of the Caspian to the Mid Atlantic Ocean. The first flight , from Baku to Istanbul arrived at 0430 GMT +3. After navigating the stringent security control at IST , I boarded my connecting Turkish Airlines flight arriving in Lisbon at 1050 GMT+1. Checking into the EU, and one more control , I had a good Portuguese lunch and boarded the last flight to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores Islands, a Portuguese Territory in the mid Atlantic arriving at 1500 GMT. One third of the way across the Atlantic and 60% of the way home.
The first view of São Miguel. An amazing entity in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Azores have been Portuguese since 1427. They stretch 350km along the high 30s latitudes.
The volcanic Mid Atlantic Ridge stretches from Iceland to Antarctica.
There is good surf almost every day of the year, between winter storms and summer hurricanes.
The ocean was about 17 C. ( 63 in American temperature) Perfectly comfortable for TotalAdventure.
A volcanic formed valley with extremely fertile soil. The climate ranges from an average of 13C 55F in winter to 23C 74 F in summer.
Portugal’s currency is the Euro, as of this writing is US $1.07. Costs are slightly lower than the rest of Western Europe or the USA.
TotalAdventure had only local produce and seafood . The Azores are a gastronomic paradise.
Sopa do Bacalǎo. Cod Soup.
Blood Puddding.
Grilled Sardines.
Cod Steak.
Local Pineapples.
Shrimp with head on. 90% of the shrimp flavor comes from the head. Americans have a peculiar habit of decapitating it before sale.
A Peaceful Country Lane.
In Sete Cidades.
THe islands are of course, mainly Catholic. I was not there on a Sunday,so not known on how many attend Mass.
TotalAdventure will definitely ride the next time in the Islands. It was now time to ride hime across the Ocean – first to New York and on to Miami,
WATCH THE VIDEO AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE !
WARTCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !
Crossing enemy lines by air, from Armenia to Azerbaijan via Georgia, TotalAdventure landed in Baku mid day Saturday April 27th.
The immigration officer at Baku asked why I had been in Armenia and the answer was tourism business. The passport was duly stamped , this is surely a common acccurence. At least 5 other people on the Tbilisi -Baku flight had transited from the Yerevan–Tbilisi flight.
2 Flights from Yerevan, First, a 30 minute flight North to Tbilisi on Georgian Airways. . Then an 1.5 hour hour flight to Baku on Azerbaijan Airways.
The first thing one notices when entering the oil-rich city is theincredinle buildings – ;like a mini-Dubai. Here is the Hotel Crescent Architect Andrew Burns.
TotalAdventure stayed at the Fairmont in the Flaming Towers. Arounf US 250 a night, a fraction of the price in New York. In the foreground is Mosque of the Martyrs, built by the Turkish government in the 1990s soon after the Soviet collapse.
I had hoped to enjoy Caspian Caviar , as far as TotalAdventure is concerned the only real икра – Ikra, as it’s called in Russian. InTurkmenistan we hadabouta half pound for US 45 back in 2019. THisis farm raised sturgeon and very expensive. The eggs look oerfect, and the eggy taste is mild. Supposedly the ral thing will not beavailable for anouther 15 years – fishing was shut down due to population crash. However Iran and Turkmenistan produce very small amounts.
As of this writing the Azerbaijan Manat is 1.69 to the US $. Azerbaijan is a upper middle class country and prices are similar to the US or Western Europe, though high end hotels and restaurants are lower priced.
Soviet World War Two Memorial Monument.
View from the Fairmont in Flaming Towers. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE TO SEE THE TOWERS FLAME !
The Azeris area patriotic people – aligned with Turkey, with bitter memories of Soviet occupation. The ongoing war with neighboring Armenia is a result of Soviet redrawing of national borders.
The cuisine – much like Turkish ,with a hint of Persian and Russian – is deliciousa nd healthy. Here isa sampling of Caspian seafood.
Egg in pita – amazing. Bürek.
Lamb. Food is Halal in the predominately Islamic nation, though alcohol is widely available.
The Old City – Sultan’s Palace.
A grave. Before the Soviets arrived, Arabic script was used, just as in Turkey. Now a modified Latin alphabet replaces Cyrillic. Turkish and Azerbaijani are very similar and people can understand one another.
Early 20th Century.
TotalAdventure has swum in all 4 Oceans – as well as many seas – which are part of , or attached to the major oceans. The Caspian Sea connects to no other body of water. Though 100 km long and 320 km wide ( 750 X 200 miles in American measurement) , the Sea is really the world’s largest lake. Like a lake there are no tides . The salinity is only 1/3 of the average ocean. Under the sea floor is much oil and gas – enriching the surrounding nations. I swam in relatively clean waters south of Baku,.
On the morning of Tuesday April 30th = TotalAdventure flew to the Azores, via Istanbul and Lisbon.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !
On April 16th, TotalAdventure boarded Turkish Airlines from Miami to Tbilisi Georgia on a one- way ticket. The reason for the one -way ticket will be discussed in the Armenia and Azerbaijan chapters to follow, but it had to do with visiting currently peaceful ,yet potentially volatile areas in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The highlight of my 6 hour layover in Istanbul Airport was Nusr-Et’s amazing $45 cheeseburger. It was quaffed with an icy cold Efes Beer.
After flying day and night and another half of a night, TotalAdventure arrivrd in Tbiisi at 3 AM. Immigration took seconds. Waiting for me was a driver from the excellent small inn British House. I dozed from about 5 AM till 11 and then hit the ground in my hiking boots.
The first graffiti I read on the street. The populace is pro-Europe ,and the nation was grated Candidate Status to join the EU this past December. However, the government, perhaps out of fear – leans pro Russia. Georgians are naturally wary of their large northern neighbor that has already captured nearly half their territory in earlier wars. As of this writing , Parlaimentt just passed a pro-Russian foreign agent law, threatening further integration with the EU.
Holy Trinity Cathedral is on top a high hill overlooking the city. For a view of city sights be sure to view VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE !
Putin is not so popular in Tbilisi.
Lots of cool grafitti in the streets.
Many quiet squares thoughout the vibrant and fashionable city. The young crowds seem more Parisian than Muscovite.
Noisy Protests Almost Nightly. Some fear that another Trump Presidency would result in a carte blanche handover of Georgia to Putin.
Delicious Kinkhali as an appetizer.
Followed by a lamb stew.
A sparky stove !
Do not know the name but amazingly tasty !
Riverboat style architecture.
A modern bridge over the Kura River which flows from Eastern Turkey to the Caspian Sea.
Holy Trinity in the distance.
TotalAdventure’s Room At British House. 2 Rooms , actually, plus a small balcony. About 75 US.
Georgia Lari. 2.78 to 1 USD as of this writing.
The next stop was Gorki ,birthplace of Comrade Josef Stalin, Dictator of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953. Dictators love to pose with children. Thanks to Stalin, millions of children were orphaned when both their parents were sent off to slave labor in the Siberian Gulags. The children themselves grew up in orphanages where they could be brainwashed to be obedient little Party cadres.
HIs death was secretly celebrated by many. Shortly afterwards some liberalization from an ablsolute police state began.
1930s Exection Squads.
See Stalin’s Train Car IN THE VIDEO AT TOP OF PAGE.
From the plans of central Georgia, we drove to 3000meters elevation into the Caucasus Mountains, highest in Europe,
The view of Mt.Xazhgebi by night. At over 5000 meters , it is half in Russia.
On the side of bi-national Mt.Xazhgebi,is Holy Trinity, dating from the 1300s.Winter snows are subsiding in late April.
Light From The. Heavens.
Gudauri Ski Resort is very high, over 3000m in most areas and goes on for many kilometers. In late April the season was ending, the higher peaks were off limits due to avalanche danger from the strong spring sunshine. Georgians, Russians ,Germans and Americans all ski together peacefully.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !!
TotalAdventure’s Final Stop On September’s East Asia Voyage Was Taiwan – Republic of China. I have been to Mainland China 5 times and several times to Hong Kong and Macau , including when they were British and Portuguese Colonies. Taiwan was different in two ways – it is a Democracy, though not on the level of Europe or the USA. It is also uncrowded – only 30 million people – which is far smaller than several Mainland Cities. For several years Taiwan has been “on the list” but now due to increasing tensions across the Straits ( as little as 80 miles ,120 km) ) the time to go might be now. TotalAdventure thinks it’s highly unlikely that that Beijing would attack Taipei – the economic and political fallout would be massive – but the same was said about Putin and Ukraine. Unfortunately the rule of travel these days, for many parts of the world, is to go now, while one has the chance. TotalAdventure explored Tigray extensively in early 2020- just before COVID and then a horrific genocidal war later that year. Of course , War Tourism is now a thing – a dangerous form of adventure. On this trip – Taiwan was peaceful – though often with the roar of fighter jets in the background. The island is surrounded by PRC Battleships and Coast Guard – sometimes only 30 miles, 50 km from the shore.
Money Cat is revered all over the Chinese Diaspora.
Tower 101 was the tallest building in the world 20 years ago. It is now the 10th tallest.
Some interesting architecture from 553 meters.
The Taiwanese Dollar is 31 to the US Dollar. Prices are moderately lower than the USA. Simple meals as low as $ 6 , comfortable hotel is $ 80 and luxury hotel about $ 140. (US) 100 mile 160 km fast train,$ 5.
Confucius centered Buddhism is the main religion.
Old teachings are adapted for modern life – the pursuit of success.
One of the main reasons to explore Taiwan is for the food – different , and not as exotic as Sichuanese or Cantonese , but equally as tasty. Above,Black Meat Chicken.
Very Spicy pork noodle soup.
Hot Pot.
Seasoned Scallops.
Shrimp That Were Jumping 10 Minutes Before.
Looking a lot like Ballyhoo bait fish from Florida and the Bahamas. But very tasty grilled.
“Aboriginal” Lunch.
A strange fruity dessert.
The Nationalist Flag of Kuomintang China.
From Taipei , TotalAdventure traveled by train to Xincheng, on the East Coast. The Deep Blue Pacific was calm and beautiful.
The local population, having experienced many typhoons and a few tsunamis is quite fearful of the sea, and few swim. It is a pity , because the sea, in late September , is clear and warm. TotalAdventure did swim, albeit with some caution.
Near Xincheng is Taroko National Park. One needs a car to explore – TotalAdventure hired a taxi for the whole day for 2500 NT$, about 80 US.
Massive water volume bursts through the canyons . Though the weather was dry – the rivers run fast from the ending rainy season.
The climate is subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. On the highest mountain tops some snow falls in winter.
Oriental Ambience.
On the last evening in Taipei, TotalAdventure climbed the Tomb of Chiang Kai-shek. He ruled the breakaway Republic until his death at age 87 in 1975.
The Long Flight To SFO. 11 Hours. Left Sunday Night and Arrived Sunday Afternoon.
TotalAdventure flew from Colombo,Sri Lanka to Kathmandu, Nepal on March 14th. It was a comfortable 3 hour flight, almost entirely over smoky India – hard to see much from the air.
I was greeted at the airport by my colleague and guide Shahadev Shrestha – CEO of Everest Pioneer Trek Nepal Ltd. We met at the Adventure Travel World Summit In Anchorage, Alaska in 2016. I was planning a trip to Nepal in 2020, but of course worldwide lockdowns and border closings made that impossible. Now ,in 2023,TotalAdventure finally arrived. For the next 9 days I would explore the ancient cities of the Kathmandu Valley and climb thousands of meters on the challenging stair trails in the high hills leading to the Annapurna Range.
The first day was spent in the city. Monkeys are city dwellers also.
Nandi The Bull. Nepal is both Hindu and Buddhist.
Gods Are Omnipresent – Kathmandu is a city of lively prayer. WATCH THE VIDEO .
One of the Nepali national dishes is Momo. This special Momo, a type of dumpling, has chicken and is extra spicy. Nepali food has more meat than Indian, but cow beef is forbidden.
Monkeys Love Ice Cream ! The extreme cold causes them to eat it slowly.
In Old Bhaktapur – What lies behind these mysterious doors ?
Lord Buddha is ever calm and wise.
Ancient palaces have been restored over the past two decades.
A life of prayer and piety lead to desirable conditions for reincarnation.
A visit to the Burning Ghats sees reincarnation in action. When a Hindu departs, they are cremated within the next day, if not sooner. The ashes go into the water ,while the spirit rises into the Heavens, soon to return in a new life.
The oldest son prays before his Father.
A Holy Man reads scripture.
The price list translated from the original Nepali.
Royal Cities.
In Kathmandu TotalAdventure stayed at Kathmandu’s most iconic hotel – the Yak and Yeti. It was originally a palace.
The pool is spectacular. In addition there are clay tennis courts,a state of the art gym and sauna, as well as world class international restaurants and bars.
Manager Robinson Maharjan with Shahadev Shrestha.
Though quaint, i t’s nice to read an old fashioned local English paper, even though we can get the same news 24/7 on our electronic media.After your passport, your phone is now the most important travel item.
Now, it was time for the adventurous part of the Nepal Adventure. We boarded a 25 minute flight to Pokhara. The drive is 12 to 15 hours due to major road contraction, even though it is only a little over 100 km.
We stayed at the Mount Kailash Resort in Pokhara. One can see this beautiful Himalayan view on clear mornings.There is a great swimming pool and spa to recuperate from a strenuous trek in the nearby Himalayas.
The trails in Ghorepani Poon Hill are nearly vertical – sometimes a 60 degree grade. Instead of rods, because the grade is impossible for cars, there is an extensive network of stairs . All transport is on the backs of humans and sometimes small agile horses. SEE THE VIDEO ! There are many simple guest houses in a network of villages. Your morning eggs and coffee was carried up on someone’s back. As a result prices are higher than the lowlands, but still quite reasonable.
Mt.Fishtail 6,993 Meters 22727 feet – has never been climbed. It is extremely dangerous and the Nepali Government does not grant permits.
TotalAdventure’s Permit, secured by Everest Pioneer Trek.
TotalAdventure details and routes.
Annapurna – 10th highest mountain in the world – 8,091 Meters, 26,545 feet. Nepal has 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world. Mt.Everest is farther Northeast and takes 2 weeks just to get to base camp – remember – cars are not an option.
The proprietress of our lodge with Shahadev and our porter Raj Kumar.
The snow lasts all year at higher elevations. It actually snows more in the summer, as that is monsoon. At our level around 3000m ,we had some light snow in the early mornings.
Mt.Fishtail In The Clouds.
The videographer at work.
After 3 days of climbing – from 2200 meters to 4000 meters , it was time to return to Pokhara. After a day of relaxation – we returned to Kathmandu – where I flew on to Qatar and the USA
We had a farewell dinner at the Yak and Yeti before I caught my 2 AM flight to Qatar. Pictured are Shahadev’s family, wife and daughter, along with an old college colleague of mine, Beth Brewster. We first met on a school trip in Mexico over 40 years ago. Beth has been in Nepal over 25 years. and is in charge of Giving Asha. The organization provides help to marginalized women and children in Nepal. Nepal has a great tourism industry, but there are still many poor. Please donate on the page.
Everest Pioneer Trek just launched three new adventures on TotalAdventure.Travel Click in the top left page of TotalAdventure Magazine or directly link to the trips from these links :
Adventure Natural Mustang Himalaya Trek 2023
This article is the first of a two part story – where TotalAdventure explores the southernmost reaches of the inhabited world. TotalAdventure was invited by the Adventure Travel Trade Association and SERNATUR ( Chile Ministry of Tourism) to joining two expeditions – one in Torres del Paine National Park – more detail in the next article and another engaging in other activities on Estancias and in the vast preserves of nature. SERNATUR paid for air travel and other essentials. The trips I joined were run by Chile Nativo. Besides exploring the incredible nature of the region – we met with 25 companies chosen to work with us to sell their packages on TotalAdventure. 32 other buyers , along with press , were invited to promote the pristine unspoiled remote areas of Chilean Patagonia , the Strait of Magellan – the Gateway To The Antarctic.
TotalAdventure has been commuting to the Southern Cone this year. First, 8 hours to Santiago. Then another 4 hours down to Puerto Natales.
To El Fin Del Mundo – The End Of The World.
From Summer To Winter.
Where The Guanacos Roam.
Stripped Clean By Pumas.
Rheas, A Smaller Version Of The South African Ostrich.
Argentina Border. In order to drive to other parts of Chile, one must drive over 1600 km through Argentina. Chile is almost all islands or impassable glaciers and forest from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt. Relations between the two competing Latin giants are cordial ,but not always friendly.
We spent the day at Estancia Cerro Guido, very near the Argentine border crossing at Río Don Guillermo. The Estancia has huge herds of sheep, and allows visitors to experience daily life on the Patagonian steppes.
The sheep are very wooly by winter’s end.
It’s time for a haircut. While the ewe is mildly annoyed, there is no pain. It can be dangerous for the wool to get too thick and heavy. In freezing rain and heavy snow, the animals can’t move and can die of cold. This past winter ( May to October) was the coldest and snowiest in many years – the Estancia had to rescue some herds .
The wool is shipped all over the world to be made into high quality sweaters, dresses, socks and hats.
Lunch at Estancia Cerro Guido. Parilla del Cordero. ( Lamb ) A guest might enjoy this daily.
View From On High – Towards Torres Del Paine.
The next day, outside of Puerto Natales we rode horses up Cerro Dorotea. The outfit was not totally my choice. The horses were well tempered and responsive to more experienced riders, such as myself.
Led by Guachos – Born In The Saddle !
A warm fire at the mountaintop. It was sleeting at the top.
Patagonia Before The European Settlers.
On the final day, before sales meetings began, we boarded a cruiser for an expedition through Fjord Ultima Esperanza to Glaciar Balmaceda, about 50 km from Puerto Natales.
The saltwater fjord extends a long way from the Pacific.
Seals live in caves along the cliffs.
Mother And Pup.
The days are spent fishing and getting some late winter sunshine.
A low flying bird . The caracara ? Ornithologists please let us know..
I’ll Have A Grant’s . On 3000 Year Old Glacier Rocks Please.
Abstract Nature.
The Explorer At Work.
Glacial Waters spilling into the fjord.
Purest Water Anywhere !
Down From Glaciar Balmaceda.
Bandera de Patagonia.
Magellanic Penguins Live On The Cliffs – Safe From Seals.
Outdoors Adventures Concluded – At the Hotel Rio Serrano we were greeted with an incredible Parillada de Cordero. The next two days were spent meeting with 25 local adventure providers – all of whom we hope sell adventures on TotalAdventure Chile Nativo already is !.
Beautiful warm pool, with nearby saunas, whirlpools and gym to warm up after a day on the glaciers !
All too soon, the adventures came to a close and it was time to head to the airport. Observed outside at a roadside cafe – two sheepdogs entertaining themselves.
From Punta Arenas it’s a 4 1/2 hour flight to Santiago, where I had a 7 hour layover, so went into the city to have dinner with a friend. After a connecting flight through Bogotá on Avianca, I was back in Miami the next afternoon. Punta Arenas is the second most southerly commercial airport in the world – with actual flights to Antarctica – about 800 mies south.
I first came to the Far South of Patagonia in February, 1991. I drove to Puerto Natales from Rio Gallegos, Argentina. I was one of 5 cars to cross the border that day. This photo is on Glaciar Moreno in El Calfate, Argentina. 31 years later, I am happy to report that the nature has not been changed much – due to strict and well planned conservation and sustainable tourism. Of course there are many more hotels, restaurants and tour companies catering to adventurous travelers from all over the world. Also technology is far more advanced. That’s a Sony Hi-8 video camera – considered quite advanced for the time with 480 lines . I had a custom made battery belt that powered it all day. To edit, I had to rent a $ 200 per hour studio in New York. Now I shoot on a GoPro 10 with up to 5300 lines and edit on my MacBook Pro. It was great to be back – stay tuned for TotalAdventure’s return to Tierra del Fuego and onwards to Antarctica next month – December 2022 !
On the morning of Monday March 21, The Equinox , TotalAdventure chartered a single engine Cessna from Ogle Airport in Georgetown. A couple of other passengers joined to help with costs. I took the seat next to the pilot.
Our one hour flight first went out over the murky waters of the Atlantic Ocean, then across the Demerara River , down the western bank. After that , houses and roads vanished, it was just thick green Amazonian jungle all the way,
From the airstrip it was less than a half mile walk to the viewing points. TotalAdventure has traveled much of the world; Kaituer Falls is certainly one of the more forceful creations of nature witnessed. From 1500 feet it falls to 750 feet. According to the guides only two people have ever gone over the falls , with no trace to be found.
As it rains almost every day of the year, the river flow never slows down.
We returned to the Park Lodge for a box lunch of curry chicken and then it was time to return to Georgetown.
Almost every weekend are flight tours. On other days a charter may be necessary, which may be more expensive, but a better chance of having the Falls to yourself.
In the Summer Of 1993 when Perestroika was in full bloom , with Russia and the United States in full economic cooperation, most attention was focused on the traditional Moscow St. Petersburg realm, with some forays into oil-rich ,newly independent Kazakhstan.
The above video, “Russia’s Wild East “ focuses on business opportunities in the Russian Far East. Alaska Airlines was the bridge for US investors and explorer to travel there. At the time, Russia, emerging from the breakup of the Soviet Union needed to make an immediate move into a market economy . Americans were there to help. The Peace Corps , normally sending young people to Africa, recruited older ,experienced businesspeople as advisors to Russian companies. We interview some of them here, along with younger entrepreneurs , lawyers and other pioneers. We even visit the nascent Vladivostok Stock Exchange.
The video, produced in the analog age, was formatted for television, so there is a few seconds of black before the program starts .
11 time zones to the East – the diplomatically long frozen Bering Strait crossing had thawed. Alaska Airlines began twice weekly flights to Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Yakutsk, with first stops in Magadan.
The focus of the trip was to explore the Russian Far East for cross strait opportunities for American business who were opening up the market economy on Russia. Rehabilitating old Soviet companies and factories, bringing in new products and services for sale and train the former communists in the nuances of a market -for-profit economy. In addition, we were to discover the incredible natural wonderland, especially in Kamchatka.
My coproducer Yuriko Gamo and I met in Seattle. She flew in from San Francisco and I from New York. We spent a day there interviewing the Alaska Airlines marketing team at their headquarters. It was a big investment for them to open up the Russian Far East. We then boarded our four-hour flight up to Anchorage. Alaska Airlines paid for our flights from Seattle to Anchorage and on to Vladivostok round trip. In Russia we took two internal flights on Aeroflot on its ancient Soviet fleet.
We landed at 10 PM on a sunny Alaska night in early July. It never got completely dark there, some twilight around 2 AM. We had 2 days until our Russia departure so went down to Homer where we swam in the far North Pacific and visited villages where Russian was still spoken from times before “Seward’s Folly.
At 1 PM on Saturday July 10th We departed ANC for a beautiful flight, first seeing Mt.McKinley in the distance, then swampy Tundra. The Bering sea, Chukotka, in Russia and then leading at the Arctic port of Magadan. On landing, our pilot said welcome to Magadan Russia – where it is 1 PM – tomorrow. While we had a 4-hour flight, with a four-hour time change backwards, we crossed the International Date Line. It was 1 PM Sunday, July 11. In Magadan we entered a primitive Soviet cinderblock terminal to have our visa booklets and passports stamped – then back on the plane to Vladivostok – 4 hours to the south.
Arriving in Vladivostok , my co-producer and I were greeted by Dimitry Motovilov. We stayed at his sunny, comfortable apartment in a pleasant Soviet flatblock. He was our guide for our several days there .
A journalist by background he went on to teach journalism at the local university and is currently the Media Assistant of the US Consulate in Vladivostok.
The US Consulate ( not pictured above) was invaluable in setting up the Peace Corps program, and along with Dmitry, set up interviews with businesspeople, factory supervisors, shipyard owners, and the stock exchange. They are the go-to for American businesses in the region, including the US oil companies drilling in Sakhalin. In an uninformed ,shortsighted move, outgoing Secretary of State Pompeo temporarily ceased operations at the Consulate. It is hoped that newly appointed Secretary of State Blinken can quickly restore the very important American outpost – rather than having to rely on Moscow embassy ,6000 miles away.
From Vladivostok station we took an overnight train ride on the Trans Siberian to Khabarovsk. A sleeper compartment was about 1000 rubles – $ 5.
Khabarovsk is the main gateway to Northeast China. Chinese markets sprang up all over the outskirts of the city for Russians to buy much needed consumer goods. The main currency in the markets was dollars- not rubles or yuan.
We visited ancient, dusty factories to try to determine how they could be converted to a modern day business model. Please view the video “Russia’s Wild East ” above.
In our rare calls to the US we did not use this phone. We had to speak on satellite pay phones at $ 12 a minute. Needless to say , we did not engage in idle chat about the weather.
The Khabarovsk weather by the way, was beautiful – hot and dry, nearly 100 degrees along the Amur River, a nice contrast to cool foggy Vladivostok. Khabarovsk, on the edge of Siberia sees -50 in winter.
From Khabarovsk, we flew on an ancient Aeroflot TU-34 to Petropavlovsk, only city on the California sized Kamchatka Peninsula. Kamchatka is the most volcanically active area in the world, with 16 active volcanoes.
We drove the full 80 miles on Kamchatka’s only road to a geothermal plant high in the mountains. We slept in dormitories there. After a long hike to the volcanoes, it was great to have a hot shower from the unlimited supply of hot water pumped up from the earth. One could take a shower lasting millions of years and the hot water would never run out.
Kamchatka is one of the most adventurous and hard to get to places in the world. This coming summer of 2021 , Yakutia Air plans to start weekly (return ) flights from Anchorage to Petropavlovsk. TotalAdventure welcomes Kamchatka providers to upload trips immediately. We welcome providers from all over the Russian Far East and Siberia.
