WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE !

On April 22 TotalAdventure departed Tbilisi by auto, with the driver from British Hotel. Before leaving Tbilisi, there were a few stops to pick up necessary documents for crossing the border.

From Tbilisi to Yerevan is about 300 km, taking around 5 hours, including time crossing the border.

Armenia – Country Number 97 For TotalAdventure.

Shortly after the border crossing we had a bit of a detour. The driver received a text warning that Azeri soldiers had made an incursion into Armenian territory. The war has been on and off for over 30 years – since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The next road we went on was closed for about 30 minutes due to a farmer’s demonstration. In all delays were about 90 minutes. It was later reported one Azeri soldier was killed. Above, the peaceful image of winter’s snow receding in the strong spring sunshine.

TotalAdventure’s hotel was right off Republic Square – a grand plaza of Government buildings, libraries and museums.

A delicious dinner at Kavkazia – beginning with Dolma.

Followed by Borsht and then Shashleek. Armenian cuisine is hearty – a crossroads of various Empires – Russian,Turkish, Persian,Greek.

Armenian Dram. As of this writing, the Dram is 387 to the US Dollar. Overall the country is lower priced than the US and Western Europe. A good meal for 2 in a top restaurant, with wine would be about US $ 60, about a tenth of that in a common locals canteen.

Mt.Ararat in Eastern Turkey. It is where Noah landed the Ark after the Great Flood. The mountain is sacred in Christianity,Islam and Judaism. Though only 53km ( 32mi) distant as the crow flies – to drive is 547 km since the Turkish border has been closed since 1991 -one must circumnavigate through Georgia to get there. At nearly 17,000 feet, 5800m the mountain is snowcapped for eternity.

The Cascade – 672 steps with the 40th Anniversary of Soviet Armenia Monument at the top. TotalAdventure climbed it effortlessly on a 29 C day.

Author of a a favorite childhood book “My Name is Aram.”

Artist and Director Sergei Paradjanov pictured at his home, now a museum.

Paradjanov Artwork.

Paradjanov Artwork.

In may places throughout the city – memorials to soldiers killed in the ongoing war with Azerbaijan.

Russian TV is prominent. TotalAdventure watched Rossiya 24 – like a Russian verion of Fox.

Rossiya 24 previewing things to come. TotalAdventure is self taught to read Cyrillic – very helpful in Russia ,the Balkans ,Mongolia and the post Soviet world in general.

TotalAdventure often hires a car with driver in many countries, in order to film and photograph the countryside. In Armenia that was prohibitively expensive, so I rented a Chevy SUV for $ 35 a day.

The main mission was to visit ancient churches and monasteries. Taking information from an online guide, I pasted the locations in Google Maps on my MacBook Pro and then sent the resulting map to my iPhone. This map – Bluetoothed on my dashboard screen- was my tour guide throughout the next two days of exploration. These features will soon be embedded in our new engine – adventuretravel.ai

All the monasteries are featured in THE VIDEO AT THE TOP.

Mother Stork Is Expecting ! Or perhaps feeding the little ones.

The Soviet bus seems to be a 1950s relic – but it’s from 1987.

Remains of Zvartnots Cathedral.

1300 hrs. Armenia is GMT + 4 – 2 hours ahead of Western Europe and 8 hours ahead of New York.

Poppies – a popular flower in nearby countries.

Interior Cathedral.

Hovhannavank – The Catholicos of Armenia.

A church on a forested mountaintop.

Overlooking Lake Sevan. SEE THE VIDEO AT THE TOP !

St,Gregory – who was imprisoned in complete darkness in a snake pit for 13 years !

Also overlooking Lake Sevan is the Writer’s Hotel. Built around 1960, it is a classic example of Soviet Brutalist architecture.

After years of abandonment, it is now reopening as a hotel – the views are beautiful, the rooms basic, for about $ 35 a night. And writers won’t have to write about the glories of Lenin and Marx.

Final stop to gas up the rental ! The next morning TotalAdventure flew around enemy lines to Baku.

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 arrived in Colombo in the early morning hours of March 2,2023. It had been nearly three years since the first attempt to travel to Sri Lanka had been made, The Pandemic made travel in 2020 impossible, until late in the year when a two week quarantine was imposed – a traveller would have to spend two weeks in a government approved hotel and then be tested. Upon release, travel within the country was still restricted and many temples and other public places remained closed. In mid 2021 the quarantine was dropped and TotalAdventure booked the flights and obtained the visa. Three days before departure the quarantine was reimposed and so TotalAdventure cancelled. In early 2022 TA once again booked – only to be stopped on a false positive of a required covid test. Now – with the world once again open ( more or less) I flew from Miami to Qatar and then on to Colombo.

The Business Class upgrade was very welcome for the 5 hour DOH-CMB leg, after 15 hours in coach from Miami.

Colombo is a mix of Colonial buildings of the British Raj, modern high rises and temples dating back centuries.

The food is amazing. Go to local places like the Curry House. Stay away from tourist locations that have bland imitations and western dishes.

My lunch was very spicy, varied and delicious -everything fresh. Sri Lanka is not as vegetarian as India. The food is eaten by hand . This dish was about $ 3.

Traditional with modern – the bizarre building in the background is reminiscent of Pyongyang.

After a day and a half in Colombo, it was time to head in-country. The 4 hour train ride from Colombo to Kandy cost 350 rupees – about $ 1. On top of a country station lives a monkey family – obviously influenced by 1980s. punk fashion.

Kandy is home to the Temple of the Tooth – Lord Buddha’s Tooth !

Like The Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia, one cannot view the actual Tooth, but just have faith that they are very close to it. It sits in a gold box in a vault behind the altar.

TotalAdventure stayed at the Queen Hotel – a charming relic of the Empire. Inside, little has changed – slowly moving fans, British food like mutton chops, cool gin and tonics at the bar.

Hotel Message – keep balcony doors closed, lest mischievous monkeys come in and steal your belongings – they love cameras and jewelry.

After a long and colorful train ride – standing room only for 7 hours,TotalAdventure arrived in Ella The train goes as high as 8000 feet, 2500m – where we viewed the high, cool misty tea plantations that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. . You can see the journey in the VIDEO at the beginning of this article. The town of Ella , at about 1900m, is warmer than the mountaintops but much cooler than sea level. 75/25 in day and 61/16 at night. The countryside is exotically amazing, while the town caters to tourists and their money.

From Ella TotalAdventure hired a car for the ride to Udawalawe National Park – home to several large elephant herds. Elephants are well protected in Sri Lanka – there is very little poaching. However elephant rides are still permitted in some tourist areas – Do not engage in this cruel practice ! The magnificent creatures suffer greatly – as strong as they are ,their backs are not built for carrying heavy loads. Since they naturally refuse this activity – they are beaten into submission to force them.

At the watering hole. A great place for a swim on a hot day – which is every day of the year in Southern Sri Lanka.

Highly intelligent sentient beings. The Hindu Elephant God Ganesh is the God of Wisdom.

Besides the National Parks – elephants live in the wild in many forests throughout Sri Lanka.

From Udawalawe the driver took me to the tranquil Indian Ocean village of Talalla. Monday,March 6th was a Full Moon – and in Sri Lanka every Full Moon Day is a Holiday ! The surfing here is fairly good ,though onshore winds make for some afternoon chop. The hotel was quite nice as you will see in the VIDEO.

As wave conditions were not optimal, and not much to see while snorkeling, TotalAdventure moved on to Batticaloa on the East Coast the next day. Finally, a town with no Westerners ! Above, Nandi the Bull.

Whereas the South and West are more Buddhist , the East and North is more Hindu. There is also a large Muslim community.

Commerce and Holiness Come Together.

Batticaloa is home to the Laughing Fish, or Singing Fish who reside in Batticaloa Lagoon, seen in the VIDEO. In reality, they probably croak, which can be heard in some tropical bottom feeders.

A delicious place even for carnivores like myself. Food is flavorful and filling ,unlike Western oriented vegan food – more bland and unvaried. The hotel was very comfortable, with a beautiful pool. There were giant ballrooms, hundreds, of rooms and a huge restaurant. I was one of 5 people there.

On the way to Trincomalee there were several beautiful mosques. TotalAdventure did visit one in Batticaloa that you can see in the VIDEO. Sri Lanka is 70% Buddhist, 13 % Hindu, 10% Islamic and 7% Catholic.

TotalAdventure went further up the coast to Trincomalee – where Lord Rama sits high on the cliffs looking out into the Indian Ocean at Thirukoneswaram Kovil .

Ravanna prays from atop the cliffs.

All Powerful Kali – Goddess of War.

TotalAdventure Becomes Holi.

A clifftop treat of healthy refreshing juice. About 75 cents.

Many world times – none of them right. Sri Lanka i in a half hour time zone.

Wise Ganesh.

In A Seaside Temple.

The final destination before returning to Colombo was Sirigiya Rock Fortress. According to TripAdvisor :

There’s a reason UNESCO ranks Sigiriya as the 8th Wonder of the World.. Sigiriya is a stunning ruins of a castle build atop a tall rock mountain. An engineering marvel, water was piped from the pools at the base of the rock mountain, all the way up to the castle.

200 Meters or 625 feet doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s half an Empire State Building at a 60 degree angle.

Ancient City high above the jungled plains.

It’s lunchtime above the pond on the fortress top.

Some similarities with Mexico and Central America.

An ancient swimming pool ?

200 Meters Below. The climb up was great practice for climbing the stairs of the Himalayas in Nepal , right after Sri Lanka. What I thought would take hours only took about 45 minutes.

The dry (relatively ) jungles spread out below.

TotalAdventure had hoped for one last train ride – to Colombo. Alas , the train engineer for the Trincomalee to Colombo run was sick that Sunday, so once again I had to hire a car – $ 80 as opposed to $ 2.

A Final Night In Colombo – And It Was Off To Nepal In The Morning ! Mini – Shanghai Tower.

The Highway From Asmara To Massawa Drops Over 8000 ( 2500m) Feet In Just 100 Kilometers. We left early morning temperatures not far above freezing arriving to close to 90 ( 32C) on the coast.

At the entrance to the city is the Palace of Emperor Haile Selassie. Though he was murdered by the Communist Derge in 1975, his palace continued to be used by officials until it was bombed by the Ethiopian Air Force in 1991, when Eritrea began its’ War of Independence. To this day, it is still in ruins, like much of Massawa , in contrast to well preserved Asmara.

The visa to enter Eritrea is only good for Asmara itself. To travel anywhere else in the county , an interior Travel Permit is required. This took about 2 hours to acquire the day before. One must arrange transport as well. The driver’s name and the car’s license number are listed on the permit . TotalAdventure passport number deleted for security purposes.

One must carry the receipt as well, to prove that the 51 Nafka ( $3 ) fee was paid.

Along the highway there may be toll collectors.Baboons demand bananas in order to allow cars to pass without harassment.

Massawa architecture is more Ottoman than Italian.

Statuary Of The Lion King.

Barbed wire – possible live bombs inside of another palace.

The port on the Red Sea – almost all ships from China.

On Haile Sellasie’s Porch.

L – 1011 TO Nowhere.

Wartime damage un repaired after 30 years. But people live here.

Its’ been a long wait for the bus – about 45 years.

Bottled water plant , shuttered in the 60s.

Mothers and Children.

General of the Troop.

1930’s Graffiti.

Returning to Asmara – high above the clouds.

The New Generation Of Eritrea !

Axum Is One Of The Holiest Christian Cities On Earth. It Is Home To The Ark Of The Covenant – The Tablets Of The Ten Commandments Held By Moses.

In Middle Ages Europe ,In The Time Of The Crusaders, there was a tale of a paradise called The Land of Prester John. A land of unimaginable riches, and home to the Holy Grail. Somewhere near Ethiopia, though the Crusaders never got beyond Jerusalem.

A Truly Ancient Land.

Egyptian emissaries erected stellae in the Fourth Century, though quite a few have fallen.

Sunrise in the Land of Prester John.

The modern Church of Maryam ( Virgin Mary ) near the Ark Of The Covenant.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant, or Tabot, in Axum. The object is currently kept under guard in a treasury near the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion.( Wikipedia) Ark of the Covenant was brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I with divine assistance, while a forgery was left in the Temple in Jerusalem. ( Wikipedia.) Melenik I was the son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba.

A Peaceful Dove – An Apparition ?

An Ancient Stellae Field.

A Cantankerous Camel.

Holy Bible.

Brutal Punishments For Sinners.

Rugged Trees For the Dry Climate.Tigray only gets a few showers in the summer.

One of the best restaurants in Ethiopia – in Adrigat.

Lamb and Beef so fresh you can eat it raw.

Hot Tibs.

Hotel In Adrigat. Did not stay there.

Captured In Battle.

Ancient Scripture.

Debri Damo Monastery. Accessible only by rappelling up the cliff.

Even monks 80 or 90 years. old can do it. Once they can’t, they stay.

Two Fascinating Weeks In Ethiopia then came to an end. TotalAdventure moved on to nearby Eritrea, though it took two flights to get there. TotalAdventure would especially like to thank Awaze Tours for making our private journey possible. Also Special Thanks to our driver Engdu ! Ethiopia is not an easy country to navigate and Awaze helped make all this incredible experience possible.

Priests Enact The Carrying of Boxes Which Carried The Ark Of The Covenant From Jerusalem To Axum, Ethiopia.

TotalAdventure, a Catholic, went to Ethiopia to explore the origins of Christianity. Dismayed by the ever increasing commercialization of Christmas throughput the world, to the point where religion is barely mentioned ,we decided to go where Christmas is not commercial at all, but a joyous occasion celebrating the arrival of Christ on Earth. Like much of the Christian Orthodox world, Christmas is on January 7th and Epiphany 12 days later on January 19th. Because this year,2020 is a Leap Year Timkat was on January 20th. In the West Epiphany is celebrated as the arrival of the 3 Kings, one from Ethiopia. In Ethiopia Timkat celebrates the Baptism of Jesus Christ. In Gondar’s Emperor Fasilides Baths. After many hours of prayer and singing, male participants will dive in , re enacting the Baptism.

Christianity arrived in Ethiopia by the 4th Century. Traditions and mystical celebrations changed little by the time Ethiopia was effectively cut off from Europe and the Holy Land by the 12th Century. The ceremonies we see here, especially in the video above, are the closest to Original Christianity.

As darkness falls on Timkat Eve, the momentum builds, with prayer, chanting and singing.

Another palace of Gondar.

The Three Kings.

TotalAdventure returned to the Fasilides compound by 5 AM. The Faithful were fervently at prayer.

Monks Sing Around The Baths as they have all night.

Dawn Approaches.

Sahle-Work Zewde, the President of Ethiopia, Came From Addis Ababa To Take Part In The Ceremonies.

Blaine Zuver, Director of TotalAdventure, Is Interviewed For the Ethiopia Herald. Story Here.

Part of The President’s Security Unit. Many soldiers were on patrol as well.

At last , after sunrise, the clarions blow and joyful adherents of The Lord re enact The Baptism.

Timkat 2012 ! (2020) The Ethiopian Calendar is 8 Years Behind The Western Calendar.

A Very Unfortunate Incident Occurred At Timkat. Bamboo bleachers are constructed each year so the crowds can get a view above the walls surrounding the Holy Pool. They are built to accommodate perhaps 200 or 300 people.

Just before sunrise the overloaded structure collapsed. Ten people were killed. More than 200 went to the hospital, some paralyzed for life. The ceremony was disrupted for about an hour, then went on.

In The Twelfth Century King Lalibela Decreed A Holy City Known As New Jerusalem – To Be Built From Solid Rock. Above Is Beti Gyorgis – St.George ,One Of Eleven Churches Carved From The Earth.

The Light of Jesus Shines Upon A Monk.

Days Spent In Prayer Unchanged From The Fourth Century.

Very Little Restoration Has Taken Place. Due To The Arid Climate And Solid Rock Construction, Lalibela Remains Much Intact.

Envy Of The Crusaders Who Sought Ethiopia, But Couldn’t Find It.

There Are 2 Masses Per Day, At Dawn And At Noon,Each For Two Hours. No Eating Or Drinking Is Permitted Beforehand ,Not Even Water.

While Ethiopia is being “Discovered ” there are few crowds.

Rock Church From Above.

An Approach To Church.

Circular Compound.

Exterior of Compound.

Light Of Jesus.

Outside Lalibela- A Church Built In A Cave.

Guard’s Rifle.

St.George From Below.

Holy Waters – A Bit Stagnant.

No Assembly – Just Carving !

Church Exterior.

Lalibela Houses. Only Recently Did The Town Receive Electricity.

TotalAdventure returned to Istanbul for the first time in several years. It’s our staging point for points East.

Where East Meets West .

In Santa Sophia – Both Mosque and Church.

1000 Year Old Graffiti In St. Sophia

Europe On The Left, Asia On The Right.

A Patriotic Dog.

Tonight TotalAdventure Flies to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and the Real Adventure Begins !

TotalAdventure Presents “Long Lost Laos” A Video Narrative Of Last Summer’s Voyage.

The TotalAdventure Team flew Qatar Airways from Miami to Saigon (HCM) Vietnam .On the way we had an 8 hour layover in Doha. On the way back we stopped over for two days. The above video is a compilation of the two visits.

Qatar is the wealthiest nation in the world, per capita. But tradition prevails in the desert lands outside of Doha.

It’s a 13 hour flight from Miami. 15 hours going back.

Right off the plane from Bangkok , we went riding the high sand dunes south of Doha. You can experience the adventure in the video above.

We went right dawn to the waterway that separates Qatar from Saudi Arabia, other than the narrow land bridge. The border between the two US Allies is currently closed. That’s a Saudi Army post about 3 km in the distance.

 

Back in the city , we went to Souk Al Waqif.

A delicious lunch of Sheep’s Head.

And Foul – a delicious Fava Bean stew.

Modest, yet colorful fashions.

Saffron and other exotic, expensive spices for sale.

The Architecture is Amazing.

Qatar Grand Mosque .

Al Zubara Fort.

It’s hot outside in July. That’s 117 F !

TotalAdventure would like to Thank Mr.Ahmed Nasser Al Rayes , Chairman of the Al Rayes Group for making our excursion in Qatar so flawless, exploring the majority of the country in a very short time. The Al Rayes Group owns 83 companies ,and is a leader in tourism investment.