My Short Visit to the Country of Bengals
Let’s dive right into my short visit to Bangladesh. First, I want to start by telling you a few exciting things about the country. For starters, its name literally translated means “the country of Bengal.” It is a secular, democratic, and independent state located in South Asia, and it has the eighth-largest population in the…
Bougainville: A Nascent Nation In The South Pacific
What are these semi-clothed women dancing to? You’re going to find that out in this post, along with the ins and outs of the formation of a new country. No, the new country is not the Nation of Staatenlos, though there is a chance this country could play host to a free private city… Setting…
My First Time in a Tiny Monarchy and Being Pleasantly Surprised in Vietnam
This time I’d like to regal you with stories from my trips to Brunei and Vietnam. It all started with a direct flight from Taiwan to Bandar Seri Begawan – the capital of Brunei. I was in Taiwan for a short visit after my stay in Palau. From Taiwan, I arrived in Brunei. If you…
Exploring New Zealand Part 1: The Island With an Active Volcano, a 2000-Year-Old Tree and the Easternmost Point
Part I After arriving in New Zealand, I spent a few wonderful days with my friends in Rotorua — one of the most popular tourist destinations on the North Island of New Zealand. Since the 19th century, it has especially been famous for its hot geothermal springs. If you are ever there, don’t miss the…
First Time on Horseback and not Dying on the Road of Death in Bolivia
Let’s go back to the most adventurous moments of my time in Bolivia: Horseback riding through the altiplanos in Tupiza and Mountain Biking through the Road of Death. This story is set in 2014 during my first South American trip, in a town called Tupiza in Bolivia, close to the border with Argentina. Famous for…
New Year in Sydney 2011
I would like to dedicate today’s post to the trip to Sydney I made well over ten years ago. This trip left me with a lot of pleasant and unforgettable memories and impressions. I spent seven days in this bustling metropolis and managed to visit a couple of its leading museums. I walked a hundred…
The Novelty Of Being A Tourist In Saudi Arabia
Do you want to see a beheading? I can’t promise one. But in this Arabian adventure, we’re heading to a beheading square. It’s not in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, nor is it in Mecca. But it is located in the gateway to Mecca — a place known for playing host to pilgrims that…
Nomad Cruising To The Fjords Of Arabia
Did you know Oman has fjords? For that matter, do you know anything about Oman? Most people probably know Oman is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula. Most people probably aren’t aware that Oman was once a powerful empire that stretched all the way to Zanzibar, an island off the east coast of Africa…
My First Time in South America and Exploring a Tropical Jungle
Let’s go back to my first time traveling through South America… It was back in February and March of 2014. Let’s start by establishing that my travel experience at the time was quite limited, and this would be my first time, ever, in such environments. It was sure to be an experience I would never…
Missed my Flight and Got Lost in a Pitch-Dark Silver Mine: My First Ever Trip to Bolivia
Six years ago, in February 2014, I was on my first South American trip. Having traveled around for already three weeks, I finally headed to Bolivia. My route ran from Arequipa, a city in Peru, to El Alto airport 13 km west of La Paz, a city in Bolivia. El Alto airport is the highest…
Naked Wrestlers And Africa’s Greatest Lake: My Travels In South Sudan And Uganda
Right after experiencing the most frightening moment of your travel career — being held hostage in terra nulius by machine gun-toting Bedouins — what do you do? Do you take a break from it all and go lounge on the beach in Bali with rainbow nomads? No! You carry on to one of the world’s…
Lake Hopping Burundi And Rwanda And Dodging Ebola In The DRC
You’ve already heard about my kidnapping in terra nulius between Sudan and Egypt and the adventures that followed in South Sudan and Uganda. It’s now time to hear more about my recent East and Central Africa travels, including my experience in an Ebola-ridden city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We’ll get to Goma, DRC…
Held Hostage By Bedouins In Terra Nullius: My Trek To And Escape From Bir Tawil
I’ve been to Somalia. I’ve been to Venezuela during political unrest, and I’ve been to Syria during civil war. I’ve circled the globe many times and am nearing completion of the United Nations countries list. Yet never before I stepped foot on the world’s last remaining terra nullius — located along the border between Egypt…
Trekking The Stans Part 2: Islamic Architecture And A Dying Sea in Uzbekistan
We left off on my Central Asian adventure on the border between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Following treks across an Afghan border region and one of the world’s highest mountain passes, we were headed for the historic city of Samarkand. Ahead on this journey through Uzbekistan lies a tour of classic Islamic architecture, a cemetery date…
Trekking The Stans Part 1: The Mountain Corridor Straddling Tajikistan And Afghanistan
When many people think about The Stans, what comes to mind is what’s in the news. Afghanistan: perpetual war; conflict in Kurdistan, an unrecognized country. But this Silk Road-occupying region is also rich with history and beautiful sights to see. And it’s debatable whether the more Middle Eastern neighbors — Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kurdistan etc. —…
The Overlooked Gem Of The North Atlantic: The Faroe Islands
This wasn’t quite an Arctic excursion. I wasn’t defending against polar bears like in Svalbard or trekking across an ice sheet like in Greenland. But it was certainly a remote North Atlantic adventure — one most travelers skip over or fly by. Visiting the Faroe Islands was similar to exploring Iceland in that it is all about…
Reviving Tourism in Syria: Beach Life and My 15 Minutes of Palmyra Fame
Note: This is part 2 of 2 on my September 2019 trip around Syria. Read part 1 here. Having followed my journey on the road to Damascus from Lebanon and then around Syria and into the soon-to-be dating Mecca of Aleppo, it is now time to explore the gems of Syria that lie outside its…
Reviving Tourism In Syria: Out On The Town In Damascus And Aleppo
Note: This is part 1 of 2 on my September 2019 trip around Syria. At last a country you have all been waiting for. For a while now, I’ve been well on my to visiting every country in the world, so it was only a matter of time before I stepped foot in Syria. An…
Make Greenland A Summer Getaway Again
You may have noticed Greenland has been in the news as of late. Donald Trump wants to make Greenland great again and to erect a Trump Tower in Nuuk. ? Okay realistically speaking, most people don’t know much of anything about Greenland, let alone what life is like in this remote autonomous territory in the Arctic…
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…
The Heuereka Brand Expands: Act III In Vienna
It’s not a birthday party anymore. Don’t get me wrong. There were plenty of birthday celebrations. I had a birthday party at a heuriger (remember those traditional Viennese wine bars/restaurants). I had a birthday party at my preferred club in the heart of Vienna. And I had a birthday party at a restaurant that is…
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…
Trying To Cash In On Crops In The Comoros And Finding Paradise In Madagascar
Having already covered my survival of Somalia and safari hopping up and down the continent, we left off on the last leg of my big Africa adventure. I had just departed Mozambique and was headed for Madagascar. But before I tell you what Madagascar is like in reality, as opposed to in theatrical animation, I’m…
Overcoming Seasickness And GoPro Loss in Beautiful Mozambique
You just got a rundown of my safari-hopping adventures across Africa. But I cut things off abruptly. There is still a safari left, and again it involves water. Right after my boat safari in Zambia’s Chobe National Park (remember all those wading elephants?), I hopped and skipped my way over to the East Coast of…
The Channel Islands: How The United Kingdom Ought To Be
Have you ever considered what the United Kingdom might be like had it not, like all empires, lost its way? What if I told you that slice of British paradise still exists? Its weather is not as enticing as Bermuda’s and its beaches are not as pristine. But that’s part of what gives it the…
This Is How A Modern Maasai Goes On Safari
Some of you may know I have a moniker of the Modern Maasai. This obviously is a nod to my nomadic ways. Likewise, like a capable Maasai man, I believe I am worthy of having several wives. ? But the nickname and the mini doc about me that goes by the same name are both…
Getting Shot In Mogadishu, Somalia And Surviving
To be totally honest, I wasn’t shot. But I did go to Mogadishu, Somalia and survive to tell you about it. And in the process, I was struck by a flying object on a Somali beach. By the grace of Allah, it was a ball, not a bullet or shrapnel from a bomb. But I…
Bermuda: Lots To Love Once You Get Through Customs
Atlantic beaches are lovely, and when combined with a tax haven, they form a true oasis. Bermuda, despite being situated in the middle of the Atlantic and despite being famous for shipwrecks, is certainly an oasis. There is, though, one nagging element of statism: customs. Customs control in Bermuda is a nightmare. My experience was…
The Overrated Carnival Craze In Trinidad
I arrived in Trinidad with high expectations. It was my first visit to the Caribbean island nation — really a twin island nation, but I wasn’t visiting the Tobago part — and I was there for Carnival. Having read online that Carnival in Trinidad was very exciting, I rearranged my Guyana and Suriname trip so…
Guyana And Suriname: The Outlier Countries Of South America
Guyana and Suriname may be worth visiting, but they are not worth planting flags in… if I’m going to start off this blog post very frankly. Let’s consider my experience at immigration. That was very telling. In Suriname it took me 3 hours to get through immigration after landing at the airport. Guyana wasn’t very…