The Staatenlos Catamaran Maiden Voyage Part 1: Bisevo, Vis, Lastovo and Hvar
After a bit of a hiatus, I’m back and finally ready to catch you up on the last month. My birthday, Heuereka and August came and went with the blink of an eye. It’s probably safe to assume that it was an eventful summer. For instance, and to keep you in the loop, up until…
Croatian Road Trip Part 6: Istria
In my last post I told you about the days we spent conquering the Biokovo Mountain Range after a week sailing the Adriatic. My time in Croatia seemed to have been moving slowly. I’d done so much already, and It hadn’t even been a month. Don’t get me wrong, I’d enjoyed every minute of it,…
That Time I Visited South Ossetia And Got Stuck In The Mountains Of Southern Russia
Most travelers do not explore Russia on an itinerary starting with Moscow-Chechnya-Ingushetia. As you already know, shortly after the start of first my Russian adventure I found myself in the North Caucasus, visiting mosques, climbing watchtowers and celebrating at a wedding where the bride’s family was nowhere to be seen. But that was just the…
My North Caucasian Vacation: Exploring Chechnya and Ingushetia
Ever since my childhood, I was interested in Russia’s North Caucasus region. This region includes the famous republic of Chechnya and a bunch of other “ethnic” republics. I remember being aware as a kid that there was a war in Chechnya, and as a result, some Chechens were moving to Germany. In fact, there were…
Nomads-turned-farmers? Invest in Europe’s most underrated country!
Let me guess. You have questions… What is the coolest country in Europe? And what is this investment opportunity? When it comes to combining incredible hospitality, delicious food and wine, natural beauty and remarkable affordability into just one place in Europe, the country that comes to mind is undoubtedly Georgia. Nestled in the Caucasus and…
Living It Up In The So-Called Last Dictatorship Of Europe
If you go to Belarus looking for a glimpse of life inside a dictatorship and police state, you might just find a bunch of people having a great time while being left alone by the authorities. I’m not saying this to endorse the Belarusian government or its president for life, but the reality is, for…
Going Rogue as a Traveler in Nagorno-Karabakh
Even though I became a stateless man several years ago, I had never been kicked out of a country. That changed on this trip to a hotly disputed and, at times, fought-over territory in the South Caucasus. As a stateless man, it is only fitting for me to travel to places where no state exists,…
Babes And Babushkas In Odessa, Ukraine
We thought it was an English-speaking club. My travel buddies and I had already attended one English practice meetup in Odessa and days prior another one in Transnistria, the unrecognized country that broke away from Moldova. Departing our beach area apartment, we walked to the center of Odessa and found a semi-random guy waiting for…
Dodging Authorities In An Unrecognized Country
When you are attempting to enter a country that does not formally exist, you might figure that you will encounter some problems. Maybe the Soviet-styled border guards will not like that you are traveling with an American in your group. Maybe they will demand a bribe before granting passage. Neither of those issues surfaced when…