2014 was an incredible travel year for ArcticTropic. We explored Myanmar ( Burma), European Russia,Siberia,Mongolia,China,Japan,British Colombia,Canada,Singapore,Philippines and Panama. Here’s 184 clips in 11 minutes. This version is natural sound,a musical version will be uploaded soon.

Final edit of Go-Pro footage of ArcticTropic’s exploratory voyage across Russia in early Summer 2014. Five days in Moscow , then to Irkutsk,Lake Baikal and Ulan Ude , before crossing into Mongolia.

For Adventures in Russia, CLICK HERE

After Namibia , ArcticTropic had less than a week to explore the vast territory of South Africa. 3 days in Cape Town was plenty, but the 1000 mile,1600 km journey back to Johannesburg via the Wynlands,the Great Karoo and the South Coast was quite a feat, meaning many hours in the car.

For adventures in South Africa, CLICK HERE

Our hosts were Jargalsaikan and his wife Tuya. We stayed with them in the yurt ( ger ) on the left for two days and nights. The encampment is in Bulgan Aimag ( an Aimag is similar to a province or state ) about 15 kilometers from the village of Gurvanbulag,where they spend the winter.

With two children of the encampment.

The inside is very comfortable. A video of daily life will be uploaded shortly.

For more adventures in Mongolia, CLICK HERE

Mongolia – with only 2.5 million people in 600,000 spare miles is the most sparsely populated country on Earth. The center of the Asian Continent is an empty spot on the globe !

For more adventures in Mongolia, CLICK HERE

Our final day in Mongolia was spent touring Ulanbatataar – the booming capital home to half of Mongolia’s 2.9 million people. It has the distinction of being the world’s coldest national capitol – January temperatures average close to 40 below zero ( C/F) even in the daytime. On this July day ,the temperature was pleasant – in the low 60s ( 18 C) and down to about 40 at night ( 5C ) . There is an excellent recent article in the The New York Times.

Lamasery. Beautiful ceremony inside with drums,chanting and bells – photography forbidden.

Peace !

The Communists shut down all temples and monasteries in 1922 and they did not reopen until 1992. Buddhist Life thrives once again.

The Natural History Museum has the world’s largest collection of dinosaur bones – all from Mongolia. It is currently under reconstruction.

For adventures in Mongolia, CLICK HERE

An ArcticTropic friend, Siham Sharples, who lives in Dubai, recently travelled by auto with her family to nearby Musandam, Oman. Musandam is at the northern tip of the country,where the Straits of Hormuz join the Persian Gulf.

Fortress towns dot the countryside.

The Khasab Castle is built upon an old Portuguese fortress from the 1700s.

Coastal highways afford beautiful views. At this time of year the weather is dry and mild, about 22C ( 73 F), while in the summer it is ferociously hot, up to 50C ( 122 F ).

Beautiful old fishing boats,known as Dhows, ply the waters of the Straits between Oman and Iran.

Snorkeling and diving look like excellent possibilities.

The 1969 mile ( 3169 KM ) border between The United States and Mexico is the world’s busiest. These photos were taken on both ends- California/Baja California Norte and Texas/Tamaulipas-Nuevo Leon in 2002- before anti-immigrant hysteria took hold – creating the failed attempts to make the border the world’s most fortified.

Texas ( North ,upper photo) and Tamulipas , on the Rio Grande from the air.

The Sierra Madres north of Monterrey.

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

World’s busiest trade corridor – $ 1 billion a day – Laredo.

Foot traffic – Laredo.

I-8 Yuma, Arizona.

Looking into Calexico,California from Mexicali, Baja California del Norte.

Mexico from California.

TJ- Tijuana.

Pacific Ocean – San Diego CA.

It is seven hours from Belgrade to Sofia by bus, plus the clocks go ahead one hour. Leaving Belgrade at Noon , we were in Sofia in time for dinner. Bulgaria is only the last 90 minutes of the trip.

THe countryside of Southeastern Serbia is beautiful but somewhat dangerous as there is unexploded ordnance left over from bombing raids in the late 90s.

Every town has several churches.

We changed buses at the Niš bus station which was heavily damaged by American bombs in 1999.

Explora Parques , led by Ramón Ossa Federico took ArcticTropic on an adventurous excursion to Parque Nacional El Leoncito. The first activity was dry land sailing on Barreal Blanco, a dry lake bed located at the foot of the  Andes.  The video above was taken as we drove at 100 mph ‘160 kph across the lake bed.

The lake bed is parched as it rains or snows only a couple of times a year.

No sound except for the wind.

The wind dies down, so the sailing is a bit slow.

The technique is not much different than water sailing.

Entrance to the giant park.

A valley oasis.

Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO), where we will vist at sunset.

A cooling waterfall. There may well be gold in the rocks.

Will almost no rain,these rocks take eons to form.

Springtime in the oasis.

Some rare clouds.

The park is near the Chilean border – the mountains offer huge mining potential as well.

As darkness fell around 8 PM we arrived at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO). There are three times as many stars to view in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. The high Andean deserts in Chile and Argentina offer the best viewing in the world  due to high altitude,clear air and a total lack of light pollution due to being one of the more remote areas of the world. Even with some volcanic dust in the air from Peyhuehe the viewing was incredible. Above is a photo taken with a radioteescope.

Comet Halley in 1986.

Planet Venus in the West.

The radio telescope is for the astronomers only. We were treated to views from a smaller but very powerful telescope outside. The roof above retracts.