Getting There It was super long journey to country #179. First, a train from San Diego to Los Angeles, then a 13-hour flight from LAX to Istanbul, followed by an eight-hour layover (and fun run into the city there), and then a ten-hour flight from Istanbul to Cape Town. There would be a 6.5 hour…
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Here We Go Again! This was the fourth time I’d make a dash into the city during a layover in Istanbul and, according to my calculations, the fifth time here, in total. Could be sixth – I’m losing count! In fact, there aren’t many cities in the entire world (outside of the USA, of course)…
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It was a fabulous mid-March journey, with five countries seen, three of them new ones toward my goal of all 193. Here’s a quick recap: Germany This was my third or fourth time in Germany, I’ve lost count. And like the others, just a quick stop: less than three hours in-town. It was my first…
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Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Coffee is so subjective, but I’m staking my claim here and now: As I type this, I’m sucking the last drops from the cup of my Cardamom & Orange Iced Latte from Portal Coffee. Holy crap. This is absolutely the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life….
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Istanbul International (IST) Sixth Time’s a Charm I don’t know why it took me five or six stops through Istanbul‘s new airport to really stop and appreciate it. Actually, I do know: My first few trips through the gigantic, city-like hub-to-practically-the-entire-world had all been pretty rushed. If I wasn’t running to my next gate to…
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Inner City Blues The two sets of giant nuclear smokestacks on the way into town would be a precursor to what would be a very industrial city. I don’t know what I expected from Ulaanbaatar, really: maybe something more “traditional” and quaint? Perhaps little corner tea houses, rickshaws rolling down narrow streets and red lanterns…
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Alrighty, Almaty! Stepping off the jet bridge and into the airport, I saw an officer in a green, pressed uniform, with all the bars and stripes. He donned a matching, giant, flat hat, the size of a small satellite dish. Had I really made it into Kazakhstan? Just months ago, I’d taken a cab from…
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#176 I’d been trying to get into Syria for years. Just as it was my turn, the pandemic hit. I’d even already bought my ticket to Beirut (the starting point for trips to Damascus.) But it wasn’t in the cards. When countries started opening back up again, I headed to Lebanon—which was amazing—but sadly Syria…
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