I’m so Excited (And I Just Can’t Hide It) There’s something about Angola that had me buzzing with anticipation on this four-country run through southern Africa. It was June 2022, and I was on the home stretch—Angola would be number 180. Fourteen more to go and I’d hit all 193. There’s a thrill in crossing…
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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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