Tattered Atlas Tales

On September 27th, 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia introduced an eVisa program. One of the most secretive countries on Earth had been gradually adopting tourism, but this program blew the doors open. Unfortunately, the program was put on hold due to COIVD, but has since been reestablished. People from 49 countries can now visit for up to 90 days on a multiple entry visa that can be obtained online in about 15 minutes.

This means the intrepid traveler can now visit sights that have been off limits for a long time. Cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, old towns like Al-Balad and Al-‘Ula, epic deserts in Qassim and The Empty Quarter, amazing road trips in the south, diving in the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea, religious experiences like Medina, archeological wonders like Hegra, architectural wonders like the Maraya Concert Hall, and more camels and Arabic coffee than you’ll know what to do with: these are now all within reach.

Saudi is more than just sheesha and sand. Tourism is in its infancy, so patience is required, but the hassles are well worth the experience.

I spent three weeks traveling around the Kingdom. You can read about my experience here. What follows is a guide to visiting Saudi yourself. Everything included in this guide is from firsthand experience.

COVID INFORMATION

As of March 5^th, 2022, visitors no longer need a negative COVID test to enter the Kingdom. As of March 9th, 2022, you no longer need proof of vaccination to enter either. You will still need to have insurance that covers COVID, a health disclaimer form, and the Tawakkalna application installed on your phone. You will also want to register your vaccine status (if you are vaxed) with Muqeem before arrival. Outdoor mask mandates have been removed, but some indoor rules still apply.

Insurance:

Covered in the insurance section below. I was never asked for proof of insurance when I visited in January/February of 2022.

Health Disclaimer Form:

I don’t believe I was asked for this either, but it can be found here.

Tawakkalna:

The Tawakkalna application is not just for visitors. Most people in the Kingdom have it installed on their phone. You can download it but cannot register yourself until you are in Saudi Arabia. I tried to use a VPN to register before I got there but it does not work over VPN. In fact, it probably won’t work even if you are in the Kingdom if you have VPN active. I’ve heard reports that even having VPN software installed can cause it not to work.

The app will show a barcode surrounded by a color-coded box. You will be asked to show it when you enter some places in the Kingdom. If you are Green, it means you are fully vaccinated (plus booster) or have been tested recently. The other colors vary.

Mine was purple even though I am fully vaxed. That meant I was supposed to quarantine for 5 days and take 2 PCR tests (under the rules when I was there). I was sent in circles on the phone with Tawakkalna support, the Ministry of Health, and Muqeem. It was a nightmare. Then I got a hold of a local woman who told me to delete the app and just show my vaccine card when asked. That worked. I used my vaccine card for the first week in the country, but I did get two PCR tests during that time, just to make sure I would be good for the rest of the trip. I got the app to turn Green before my first domestic flight. I could have survived the entire trip without it though. The new rules in effect in March negate this problem.

Muqeem:

The Muqeem Portal is where you will register your vaccine information 72 hours before arrival. When you get done, you will receive an arrival form. Keep this form. You might be asked for it. This form can also be used to prove you are fully vaxed in case they don’t link your vaccine status with Tawakkalna like they are supposed to.

As of Feb. 1^st, 2022, you will need to prove you’ve received your booster shot (if your second dose was received over 8 months ago) for most vaccines in order to be considered fully vaxed. Again, you don’t need this to enter the country anymore, but you may need it while in country.

COVID Testing:

I paid $40USD for a PCR test in Riyadh. It was advertised as a 24-hour turnaround, but I got results back in about 18 hours. There was a 4-hour option for $120USD. I used an Al-Borg location. It was a throat swab.

This site has a list of testing locations

U.S. Citizens:

When returning to the United States, all passengers two years old and above will need a negative COVID viral test taken within one calendar day prior to departure for the U.S., or documentation for ‘proof of recovery’ in the past 90 days. I used proof of recovery for return from Saudi Arabia without issue. I just needed to provide documentation of a positive test no older than 90 days and a letter from a physician saying I was fit for travel. I have also used BINAXNOW Ag Card tests with the Navica app to return from other countries. They are quick and easy home tests with official documentation.

Masks:

People wore masks almost everywhere in Riyadh when I was there in January/February 2022, but they were less common in Jeddah. Masks seemed optional outside the main cities.

VISA

Visitors from 49 countries can apply for a one-year, multiple entry eVisa allowing stays of up to 90 days.

The visa fee (which includes medical insurance covering COVID) is SR480 (about $130USD).
You must have at least 6 months validity on your passport.
Overstay fees are SR100 a day.
It took about 15 minutes for me to receive my visa via email.

INSURANCE

Health insurance covering COVID is mandatory, but you purchase it with your eVisa.

When you purchase your eVisa, it will make you purchase health insurance.
This health insurance is included in the eVisa cost of SR480.
The health insurance document will not be emailed, it has to be downloaded from the eVisa site after you’ve been approved.
I was never able to download the insurance document.
I was never asked for the insurance document.
I have no idea what the insurance covers.

I like the peace of mind of having real travelers’ insurance, so I also purchased a policy through iati.

ARRIVAL

Arrive at your airport of departure prepared to explain yourself. Many airline agents will not be informed on the rules for entering Saudi Arabia. Sometimes they will ask for a “quarantine package”, or even ask if you are a pilgrim or diplomat. They don’t realize the Kingdom has opened to tourism. I didn’t have these issues, but it’s best to print out information from the consulate site, a copy of your accommodation booking, vaccine card, eVisa, etc. The more prepared you are, the easier it will be.

I arrived in Riyadh, but I believe the process is the same in Jeddah.

There was a long line for immigration when I arrived at 8:00pm.
Those of us traveling on tourist visas were pulled from line and directed to another, much shorter line upstairs.
Once upstairs, I was asked for my eVisa, passport, and proof of vaccine.
After the girl reviewed my documents, she took my photo and my fingerprints.
Once that was done, I was given a slip of paper which allowed me to skip the long line at immigration.
Luggage was sent through a scanner at customs, but I didn’t have to remove anything from my bag.
I arrived in Terminal 1 in Riyadh, but I walked to Terminal 2 after passing customs.
Terminal 2 is where most of the cash exchange, ATMs, and SIM shops are; it is also where you can meet your Uber if you go that route.
Buying a SIM card at the airport is highly recommended. Some people I met up with later had a very hard time finding one outside the airport. There are shops, but the system was always down, or they were closed.
I paid SR160 for 50GB on the stc network.
Once you have a local SIM, you can register on the Tawakkalna app and (if you’re lucky) it will have your vaccine info and show Green around a QR code.
I paid SR120 for an Uber from the airport to the old town.
The whole process, from landing until my Uber dropped me at my hotel in the old town, took a little less than 2 hours.

MONEY

The Saudi riyal (SR/SAR) is the official currency of Saudi Arabia. The exchange rate has been fixed at SR3.75 to $1USD since the 80’s, although you won’t get that rate if you exchange cash in the airport. I really didn’t find anywhere that had a great exchange rate. The good news is most places take credit cards and some businesses and tour guides will accept USD. I didn’t have Euros with me, so I can’t speak to that. ATMS are easy to find, so I recommend using them to get cash for those times you’ll need it. I found I used cash mostly when on the road between major cities.

Saudi Arabia is not a budget destination. I am not a budget traveler, so I didn’t dig deep for deals, but overall, I found Saudi to be quite expensive compared to other countries I’ve visited in the Middle East.

If you want to travel on a budget, I don’t recommend traveling solo. The more people you have, the more you can split the costs. For example, a rental car, taxi, driver, gas, and/or private tour will cost the same whether you have one or four people.

Saudi Arabia is a very large country, so distances between places are great. Renting a car for your entire trip is an option if you have time (I would just be careful with the ultra-budget companies), but domestic flights are reasonable and can save you a lot of time driving through featureless landscapes for hours on end.

Examples of what to expect to pay (based on what I paid for what I consider 3 1/2-star traveling):

Hotels with breakfast: Average SR375 a night (some a bit more, some less)
PCR Test (24-hour turnaround): SR150
SIM (50GB): SR160 including VAT
City-based Uber: SR15-30
Food: Ranges from SR35 for fast food to SR100-200 for a meal in a nice restaurant
Alcohol: Doesn’t exist
Sheesha: SR100-150 (most expensive sheesha I’ve ever had)
Rental Car (with extended mileage): SR100-300 a day (depending on agency, how many kms, type of car, and insurance you need)
Gas/Petrol: SR2.19 per liter
Domestic Flight: SR130-375
Single dive in the Red Sea: SR420
Full-Day Private Tour with guide: SR750-1100
3-day Empty Quarter Small Group Tour: SR3000 per person
7-day Group Tour of Jeddah, Medina, Yanbu, Al-‘Ula, and Tabuk: SR8000 per person
3-Day Private Tour of the South with driver/guide: SR4200 (this would have been the same price if I was with 3 more people, but I was alone, so I didn’t do this. I rented a car and explored the south on my own).

Back to to

SIM CARDS & WIFI

Sim cards are easy to pick up in the airport. There are plenty of stores outside the airport, but for some reason I found them to always be closed or to be experiencing issues with their system. Maybe it was just bad timing, but I would recommend getting one at the airport to save yourself the hassle. 5G is available in most of the country and relatively fast Wi-Fi can be found in most places (unless you are deep in the desert).

I bought a 50GB stc card at the airport and paid SR160 (including VAT). The service was great in most locations. My main service is AT&T, so when I did not have good coverage with stc, I would switch to my primary SIM and use my international service. That was very rare though.

Here are some sample rates from a place in Jeddah…

TRANSPORT

Public transportation is almost non-existent in Saudi Arabia. There is a metro system being built in Riyadh, but it is not complete yet. I know people who have traveled some of the country by bus, shared taxi, and hitchhiking, but they don’t recommend it. Due to the lack of a true public system, and the sheer size of the country and great distances between places, I chose to take a few domestic flights and rent a few cars. I used Uber and Careem in the big cities.

Taxi:

Taxis are available at the airport and in the major cities, but I preferred to use Uber and Careem for a set rate and to avoid the language barrier.

Uber and Careem:

Available at most airports and almost everywhere in the main cities. I used these services mostly while in Riyadh. I switched back and forth based on availability and rate. Most of the cars and drivers were good. I only had a couple experiences with bad cars and unsafe drivers.

Private Driver:

I hired a private driver to take me out to the Edge of the World and the Red Sand dunes outside of Riyadh. I paid SR1000 for a full day of sightseeing outside Riyadh with a private driver in a 4×4 vehicle.

Car Rental:

Rental car prices vary depending on where you are, how far you are going to drive (most come with a set km limit per day, which you can extend by paying more), where you are going to drop the car, if you want insurance, type of vehicle (4x4s are more), and what company you go with. I went with SIXT in Jizan and Budget in Jeddah and Qassim. I mapped out my route ahead of time, made sure I was going to be within the km limit, and determined what kind of vehicle I would need. If you are going to drive in the south, I highly recommend something with power to get up and down the steep inclines and switchbacks. I messed up on my calculations in Jizan but was not fined for the kms. I paid an extra SR180 for my car in Qassim because I wanted to drop it off in Riyadh, but they included the extra kms for free. I found the whole process very easy each time. Booking ahead is recommended, but you can also just walk up to the rental car booth and get a car on the fly.

Female Driving:

Women are allowed to drive and rent cars in Saudi Arabia.

The Road:

I heard horror stories about drivers in Saudi Arabia, but I didn’t find them to be any crazier than anywhere else I’ve driven. The cities can be chaotic, but it is easy driving once you are out on the open road. Sometimes a two-lane road will turn into a three or four lane road as drivers take to the shoulder to let others pass, but there are speed cameras and speed bumps everywhere, so the crazy drivers have been curbed a bit. Most of the highways are well maintained. Overall, it is a very easy country to drive.

Gas/Petrol:

Rental cars will not come with a full tank. Be sure to fill up when you can because there are long distances without a station. Most stations accept credit cards and will pump for you. I found a lot of stations in the south were closed on Friday. A lot of stations will not open until later in the afternoon on Fridays, so plan accordingly.

Domestic Flights:

I flew Saudia and FlyNas domestically and they both provided good experiences. I showed up to the airport 50 minutes before my first flight and still made it on time. I never paid extra for carry-on, yet always carried on a medium-sized backpack and a small roller bag. Security is a breeze. I never had to remove anything from my bags. I booked all flights online between 24-48 before takeoff. All flights ran on time. Average flight price was around SR225.

Tour:

If you don’t want to drive or fly in Saudi Arabia, you’ll probably need to book a tour.

LODGING

I can only speak to the places I stayed or visited, so this is not an exhaustive guide to lodging in Saudi Arabia. Lodging can be found easily, even last minute for most places. I never had a hard time finding a place the day of arrival. Usually I prefer Airbnbs to hotels, but the amount of decent Airbnbs is quite lacking right now. There are many apartment style hotels though. I chose my hotels based on my ability work from them (fast Wi-Fi, etc.).

Unmarried couples CAN stay in hotel rooms together. A few people I traveled with did this.

Four Points by Sheridan Riyadh

I picked this hotel because I had Marriott points to burn, and it was only 10,000 points a night. Very comfortable spot walking distance from everything in the old town. Fast Wi-Fi in the rooms. Friendly staff and decent breakfast. I had to extend my stay here due to dealing with the Tawakkalna app debacle and they were very accommodating. I extended day by day with no prior notice and there were no issues.

Riyadh Airport Marriott Hotel

Very nice hotel with free parking and good breakfast and fast Wi-Fi. I only stayed here because I arrived at night and was flying out to The Empty Quarter the next morning. I used Marriott points here as well. I left most of my stuff at the hotel for a few days while camping in The Empty Quarter. When I returned from camping, they gave me a conference room to get changed, cleaned up, and organize my luggage before my flight home.

Courtyard Jizan

Another Marriott property that accepted points for my stay. Nice hotel connected to the Al Rashid Mall. The mall was packed. It was a fun place to people watch. The hotel offered free parking and fast Wi-Fi. They also had an indoor pool.

Park Inn Najran

I chose this property because it was the first hotel I saw when I arrived in Najran, and I was exhausted. The staff were extremely friendly. The rooms were decent. I do feel like there were probably less expensive properties in better locations (this was a nice and safe location, but a little far from anything to see).

Shada Hotel Salama Jeddah

This boutique hotel was beautiful. It had so many unique touches and design ideas. Breakfast was decent and it was walking distance from the corniche. I stayed here as part of an expedition I was on. It was pricey for the area, so I stayed in a cheaper place right next door when I came back to Jeddah on my own.

Lotaz Hotel Jeddah

This hotel was just a couple hundred meters down from the Shada. It didn’t have all the unique touches the Shada provided, but it was just as comfortable and was about half the price. The staff were very helpful as well.

Yanbu

I honestly don’t remember the name of the hotel I stayed at in Yanbu, so I guess it wasn’t memorable. My advice would be to stay as close to the old town as possible and to not spend more than one night there unless you are diving every day.

Al’-Ula

Unless you want to fork out a lot of money for one of the up-and-coming resorts in Al-‘Ula, I recommend camping or a farm stay. I was with a group in Al-‘Ula and we stayed in trailers on a citrus farm. The trailers were heated and had bathrooms and were very comfortable. The owners gave the group a tour of the farm and cooked us a whole goat in the ground for 24 hours. It was a very cool experience.

Ewaa Express Tabuk

New boutique hotel with a cool design and pool table in the lobby. The reception people have a lot to learn, but the beds were very comfortable, and the place was extremely clean. Best breakfast of all the hotels I stayed at.

Al Malfa Resort Qassim

The Al Malfa Resort used to be a private residence and is surrounded by date palms. It’s in the middle of nowhere, about a half hour from Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport. It’s also about a half hour from the largest camel market in the world, on the outskirts of Buraydah. The rooms and food are nothing special, but it is a great property if you’re looking for some peace and quiet. After weeks on the go, it was the perfect place for a couple days of downtime. It helped that I was the only guest in the entire place.

The Empty Quarter

The Empty Quarter is all about camping, preferably outside under billions of stars.

FOOD & DRINK

Unlike most places I’ve traveled in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia cities are full of American-style fast food franchises. McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Burger King, Hardy’s…they are everywhere. Then you have all the falafel and shawarma joints as well. Motorbikes zip along everywhere, delivering this fast food to people’s homes. That’s not to say you can’t find more authentic food though. It just takes some time and effort. I traveled with a couple vegetarians for part of my trip, and they survived, although I wouldn’t say they ate well. Again, this is not a compressive guide to Saudi cuisine, it is just a list of some of the unique things I tried while in the Kingdom.

Al-Baik

Saudi’s own fast food chicken joint. This franchise offers cheap chicken to the masses. There is always a line, so I had to check it out. It was decent. Better than KFC, but not as good as real fried chicken.

Arabic Chicken Stew

I ate a lot of this while out in The Empty Quarter. Just a simple stew with chicken and veggies, but it had great flavor.

Arabic Coffee

Coffee is even more popular than tea in Saudi Arabia, but it’s not the type of coffee most Westerns are used to. Yellow in color, due to the light roasting method, and extremely bitter in taste, it is not going to be for everyone. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I enjoyed a small cup almost every day. I liked the spice, but wasn’t crazy about how it made my mouth feel a bit numb.

Bailia

This was the biggest surprise. A hot street-snack of chickpeas, beets, pickled cucumbers, and spices. It’s not pretty, but it’s an amazing mix of sweet, savory, and spicy. I only found this in Jeddah and Yanbu, so I think it’s a coastal thing.

Camel Milk

If you happen upon a camel farm, you might be offered fresh camel’s milk. I declined the offer because I’m not a big milk person (especially warm milk straight from the source), but I’m sure it is a unique experience.

Dates

Dates of all kinds can be found in Saudi Arabia. I don’t know the difference between them all, but some of them were above and beyond any dates I’d ever had before. If you’re offered dates, try them. It might take a few times to get the best, but you’ll know them when you taste them.

Ferek

Brown bread mashed up with sugar and spices. Great flavor, but very dry. I ate it with a little leben (fermented milk) to add a some moisture.

Hummus

Hummus here is like hummus anywhere else, but I did find a green hummus that had basil added and it was amazing!

Jareesh

A porridge type dish made with boiled wheat and seasonings. Sometimes it comes with meat, but when I ordered “white jareesh” it did not. A very simple dish, but it is tasty and filling. A good option if you are in an expensive restaurant and on a budget.

Kabsa

Huge plates of rice, with meat and veggies on top. This was the most common meal I experienced in Saudi Arabia. Sometimes it was chicken, sometimes lamb, and one night it was an entire goat that had been roasted in the ground all day. The quality of this dish varies, but no matter how good it tasted at times, I was over it by the time I left the Kingdom.

Khubz

A wheat flour-based flatbread that is served with most meals. Very good when it’s fresh.

Ma’amoul

Flour-based cookies stuffed with dates and sprinkled with powered sugar. Addicting.

Murtabak

Fried pancakes with ground meat and vegetable. One of the many small plates that will be piled on the table at any restaurant.

Seafood

One of the best meals I had was in Yanbu. Seafood chowder, fried fish, grilled fish, fish cakes, etc.

Tea

Tea is enjoyed by Saudis any time of day. You will be offered tea (and coffee) everywhere you go. Usually black tea, served in a glass.

Za’atar

Named after the spice blend on top, this is flatbread with sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds. I had it with breakfast quite a few times.

DESTINATIONS & HIGHLIGHTS

Saudi Arabia is a very large country. Many of the interesting places are far from each other. To really experience the country, you will need a lot of time, be open to taking domestic flights, or just focus on a few areas. I spent 3 weeks and could have easily used another week or two. I visited 8 of the 13 provinces and 7 of the 9 main regions. I could have spent less time in some places (Riyadh) and I would have liked to have had more time on others (The South), but I feel like I experienced quite a bit in my 3 weeks.

My expectations were almost non-existent going into the Kingdom. To be honest, when I thought about Saudi Arabia, I thought about deserts. I found it has so much more to offer.

My path was scattered, and I will probably change it up next time, but I started in Riyadh, then flew to Jizan and rented a 4×4 and drove along the Yemen border to Faifa, then on to Najran, then to Abha, and then back to Jizan. After that, I flew to Jeddah to meet up with a friend who was leading a group expedition. The expedition took us from Jeddah to Medina to Yanbu to Al’-Ula to Wadi Disah to Tabuk and the surrounding areas near the Jordan border. Then I flew back to Jeddah for a few days. Back on my own, I flew to Qassim, where I rented a car and explored the area before driving back to Riyadh. Then I flew to Wadi ad-Dawasir to join a camping expedition into The Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali). I came back to Riyadh from the desert overland and departed from there.

These are my Top 10 Highlights of Saudi Arabia.

#1 The Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali)

The Empty Quarter is not a place you can visit on your own. There are no roads or cell service. You visit with an experienced guide like Meteb and his crew at Amazing Tours. They have tricked-out Land Cruisers with a huge supply of water (via a facet near the rear tire), winches, air compressors, satellite phones, and a thousand liters of fuel. They don’t use GPS though. They have it in case they get into trouble, but they like to hone their skills with manual navigation.

It seemed like we were driving aimlessly around The Empty Quarter most of the time. The terrain was an optical illusion. We’d be speeding at 140km an hour on what looked like flat terrain and all the sudden the vehicle ahead or behind us would disappear, and then we’d be climbing and sliding down a giant dune. It was like skiing with bad goggles; there was no depth perception. I was expecting an adventure, but I wasn’t expecting a full two day adrenaline rush.

We were offered tents each night, but I decided to sleep outside. There was only a sliver of a moon and billions of stars. They were above me and on both sides of me to the horizon.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this amazing adventure.

#2 The People

Most of the people I interacted with in Saudi Arabia were happy to see foreigners. They were always interested in where I came from, why I was there, and what I did back home. I was lucky enough to meet locals from all walks of life; upper middle-class people in the tourism industry, local farmers in the north, Bedouins in the desert, and everyone in between.

People in the south were very welcoming, if a little confused by my presence. A guy in a roadside convenience store offered me free popcorn as he quizzed me about what I do for a living. A man let me into the Al-Aan Palace when I knocked on the gate. He gave me a quick tour before he had to go pray. The various hotel staff fell over themselves to show me to my room and help with my bags and assist with anything I could possibly think of.

I had lunch one day in a very nice restaurant overlooking the Jeddah corniche, with my friend who makes a living blogging about off the beaten path destinations, a couple who plan trips abroad for affluent Saudis, and an archeologist/travel coordinator. We sat around eating and smoking sheesha and talking about the future of the Kingdom. We were the only ones in the restaurant. It could have been a Bourdain episode.

Read my personal blog for more stories about the people of Saudi Arabia.

#3 Al Qassim Camel Market

The largest camel market in the world must be experienced at sunrise. Situated on the outskirts of Buraydah, the market is an amazing cultural experience. I went too late on my first try and things were winding down, but I set out in the dark on the second day and arrived right in the middle of the action.

It was freezing outside, but so worth it. It was chaos in the best way.

I was the only foreigner there and no one paid me any mind. I was walking around in the mud, with my camera and GoPro out, and no one even noticed. They were much too busy chasing and haggling over camels, then having those camels craned into the beds of pickup trucks.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this market.

#4 Wadi Al Disah

This mountainous region and oasis between Al-‘Ula and Tabuk was an absolute surprise. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations, but it ended up being one of the best days of the expedition. Just rolling through incredible scenery in 4x4s and stopping for some short hikes; it was one of those places I would have never been able to experience if I was traveling solo. We had a great lunch at a beautiful Bedouin farm with camels and goats before heading out and up to Tabuk.

There are 4×4 “taxis” near the entrance and exit that can take you into the area for the day but I did not get their prices. I wouldn’t try to drive in yourself unless you have a 4×4 and know the area very well.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this area.

#5 The South (Road Trip)

I booked a flight to Jizan on Saudia, rented a car in the airport from SIXT, and set off on a solo road trip along the Yemen border from Jizan to Faifa, on to Najran, then up through Abha, and back down to Jizan.

The drive was amazing. The road running along the Yemen border transitions between desert, green misty mountains with monkeys everywhere, mud villages, insane switchbacks, red sand desert, black fields of lava rock, camel crossings, goat gatherings, etc. I have never been to Yemen, but the architecture in this region looks like the photos I’ve seen from that Republic to the south.

There were various checkpoints, but I was waved through all but one; where some young soldiers decided to mess with me by claiming my documents were no good and that they were going to have to arrest me. They told me this with hand signals and gestures because they didn’t really speak English. I was nervous until they handed my passport back, started laughing, and told me to “Have nice day!”

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this drive.

#6 Al-Balad, Jeddah

By far the most well-preserved old town in Saudi Arabia. So many of the old towns are under construction and in the process of being modernized, while Al-Balad is perfectly restored in a way that maintains what it used to be. We were there when early evening turned to night. There were many locals out and about. Old men playing dominos and drinking tea, families strolling around, women painting on the street, and young people flirting in the corners. As the sun set, the lights came on and added to the beauty of the old buildings. It really is a unique place.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos of Jeddah.

#7 Rea Sea Diving (Yanbu)

We took a couple boats out from Yanbu to Al Bareedi island the next day. I had a moment of euphoria on the boat. Something about racing across the sea with the sun on my head and droplets of water splashing up from below. The island was beautiful, with white sand beaches and crystal-clear water, with an apocalyptic abandoned oil refinery in the background.

We took one of the boats out to a reef not far from the island. It was a shallow dive, but visibility was amazing. I followed a sea turtle for awhile and saw some smaller life, but the coral itself was the highlight. When I go back to Saudi Arabia, I will dedicate more time to diving.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this vacation within a trip.

#8 Mada’in Saleh (Hegra)

Hegra (Mada’in Salih) is an archeological site in Al-‘Ula. It is the remains of a Nabatean city from about 2000-2500 years ago. These were the same people who built Petra.

Just a few years ago you could have wandered around these sites, camping wherever you wanted, but now that the Kingdom is opening to tourism, they understand the potential of this area and are putting infrastructure in place to cater to high-end tourists.

I think Petra is the more impressive site, but it was still fun riding around in open air Land Cruisers and checking out insanely old stuff carved into insanely huge rocks.

This site requires reservations, and the bus schedule can change without notice. Al-‘Ula has their own tourism commission that does not communicate with the rest of the country very well.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this site.

#9 Medina

The city of Medina has always been open to non-Muslims (unlike the city of Mecca), but I was surprised we were able to enter the haram area without any issue. It is a regular city. The draw is Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque); the second largest mosque in the world. Built by the prophet Muhammad in the first year of the Islamic calendar (622 CE), after the migration from Mecca to Medina (called Yathrib at the time), the mosque is the second holiest place in Islam and serves as Muhammad’s final resting place.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from Medina.

#10 Ushaiquer Heritage Village

I drove from Unayzah to Riyadh, with stops in Al-Ghat (viewpoint and mud village), Ushaiqer Heritage Village (lots of local families and nice old women giving me short tours of all the buildings), and a drive by Diriyah (but didn’t stop because it’s closed for renovation). The entire drive took about 6 ½ hours and there wasn’t a lot to see, but it was cool to be off the lightly beaten path.

Ushaiqer Heritage Village was just a random stop, but there were a lot of families and very friendly locals there and it just stuck with me as a highlight of the trip.

Read my personal blog for more stories and photos from this drive and village.

TOURS

A quick Google search will provide you with a plethora of tour options for Saudi Arabia, ranging from mid-tier to high-end. Many of these tours are run by international companies. I cannot speak to those, but someone I met had a good experience with Wild Frontiers. I don’t have personal experience with them.

These are the local people and organizations I used or had direct interaction with. If you are looking for something these people don’t offer, they can always point you in the right direction. Consider them trusted sources.

88 Destinations

I had an amazing experience with Sara and Abdullah from 88 Destinations. I did not book a tour directly through them, but they coordinated an expedition led by my friend Joan. Sara was with us most of the expedition and she has all the connections you would ever need in the Kingdom. Sara and her guides were able to get us access to places we would have never been able to get on our own. I would also like to call out both Sara and Abdullah for always being available via WhatsApp, even before I was on the expedition, to help with small issues I ran into from time to time.

Against the Compass

Joan Torres is a travel blogger from Spain who leads expeditions to off the beaten path countries. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and always works with the best people in each country/region. I first met Joan in Kurdistan and then traveled with him in Afghanistan. His expeditions are a mixture of the main sights and immersion into local culture. I highly recommend joining one of his upcoming expeditions.

Amazing Tours

The company name is generic, but there is nothing ordinary about Meteb and his crew’s expeditions into The Empty Quarter. They have tricked-out Land Cruisers with a huge supply of water, winches, air compressors, satellite phones, and a thousand liters of fuel. They don’t use GPS though. They have it in case they get into trouble, but they like to hone their skills with manual navigation. Meteb and his guys are masters of the desert and spending a few days with them, and sleeping under the stars, was the highlight of my Saudi experience. The Empty Quarter tours run every weekend, except for summer when the heat is unbearable.

Ahmed

If you are in Riyadh and want to explore outside the city, shoot Ahmed a message via WhatsApp at +966 55 545 2982. He can bring you out to the Edge of the World, a remote Red Sand location for the sunset, mud villages, etc. Extremely nice guy. He speaks enough English to get by and offers reasonable rates and is always on time (something rare in Saudi Arabia).

CULTURE

Culture will be added shortly.

SAFETY

Is Saudi Arabia a safe country? Isn’t it dangerous to go there? These are always the first questions I am asked. The answer is Saudi Arabia is as safe as the United States and most European countries; meaning it is a safe place to visit if you don’t purposely put yourself into a dangerous situation. This isn’t a country where you want to get arrested or piss off the government, so be respectful of the culture and the laws and you will be fine.

Female Travel

I am a man with a beard, so I am the last person to speak about the safety of female travelers in Saudi Arabia, but I can promise there are no rules stopping woman from solo travel in Saudi Arabia. Woman can rent cars and drive, they can book hotel rooms, they can move around freely without a guardian. When it comes to dress, you will want to respect the local culture (especially in mosques), but you will not have to completely cover up. The girls I traveled with for a short time wore regular Western travel clothes (and even bikinis when we went out on the Red Sea); they just covered their head and shoulders when entering religious areas.

Cities

I felt safe in every major city in Saudi Arabia. I walked around by myself during the day and night, took Ubers and taxis all over, and I never felt unsafe. The most dangerous thing about walking in the cities is that the sidewalks end and you can find yourself in the middle of an intersection. It is best to get a ride to an area, then walk that area before getting a ride to the next area.

Unlike many Middle Eastern cities, you will not be hassled by vendors or people on the street. I was asked for money a total of one time my entire stay in the Kingdom.

Driving

Saudi Arabia has a reputation for crazy drivers, and while city driving can be a pain if you don’t know what you’re doing, I did not find it any crazier than any other Middle Eastern country. There are many speed bumps and cameras on the highways, so it is best to keep to a reasonable speed and get over if a car wants to pass. Sometimes a two-lane road will turn into a three or four lane road as drivers drive the shoulder to let others pass.

There are various checkpoints in the south along the border with Yemen, but I was waved through all but one; where some young soldiers decided to mess with me by telling me my documents were no good and they were going to have to arrest me. They told me this with hand signals and gestures because they didn’t really speak English. I was nervous until they handed my passport back, started laughing, and told me to “Have nice day!”

Desert

The desert, especially The Empty Quarter, can be extremely dangerous if you don’t employ a professional to guide you. Do not go too far into the desert without supplies and a guide.

The same goes for the Edge of the World. Some Italian tourists recently drove a pickup truck off it, resulting in 9 casualties

Crime

The crime rate in Saudi Arabia is low because the punishments are severe. Shari’ah law is a foreign concept for those of us in the West, but it does discourage crime. I had no problems while I was there.

War & Terrorism

Saudi Arabia and Iran have been fighting a proxy war in Yemen for the past seven years and there is always a risk of Iran-backed Houthi drone attacks in the south. I didn’t feel any sense of danger during my time down there, but there was a heavy patrol presence and miles of barbed wire fence along the border.

Evidently, the Saudis launched the heaviest air raid in more than two years against Sana’a while I was just 65 miles away as the crow flies. The strike was in response to a Houthi attack on a target in the UAE. A couple days later, while I was in Jizan, another strike killed 70+ people and knocked out internet for the entire country of Yemen.

Please check the security situation and visit this region at your own risk.

READ & WATCH

By no means an exhaustive bibliography of Saudi history, literature, and film, this is just a list of what I read, listened to, and watched before I traveled to the Kingdom.

Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia

Very informative documentary covering the history of Saudi Arabia and Iran, including many interviews with credible sources from political, religious, and military backgrounds. The focus is on the two big powers in the Middle East, but it also covers the entire region from the 1970’s to present day.

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia

This two-hour Frontline documentary covers the rise of Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). There is a focus on the Jamal Khashoggi murder, but it goes beyond that to examine the young prince’s vision for the future of the Kingdom.

Daring to Drive by Manal al-Sharif

One woman’s heroic journey to normalize female driving in Saudi Arabia.

Ibn Saud by Michael Darlow and Barbara Bray

The ultimate history of the founder and the founding of the current Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

MBS by Ben Hubbard

A deep dive into the upbringing, personality, politics, and vision of the young crown prince; the first of his generation to rule the Kingdom.

The Perfect Candidate

The story of a young female doctor who runs for office in her local city elections, on a campaign to pave the road to the hospital. It felt a little too safe, and almost like a made for TV movie, but it was cool to see something filmed in modern-day KSA.

The Qur’an

It is almost impossible to understand the people and culture of Saudi Arabia without an understanding of The Qur’an. I listened to an English translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.

Saudi Arabia Uncovered

This does not represent the Saudi Arabia I visited. This documentary is only seven years old but is already so out of date. The only reason I list it here is because it does show how much has changed in such a short period of time.

Saudi Women’s Driving School

Extremely basic documentary covering an extremely important turning point in Saudi history.

Theeb

The story of a young Bedouin boy in the Ottoman province of Hijaz during WWI. It’s a coming-of-age drama and a good look at the area before the current Kingdom existed.

Wadjda

The simple story of a young girl living in Riyadh who doesn’t understand why she can’t do the same things as her friend, just because she is a girl. Impressive acting and even more important because it was the first feature film made in Saudi Arabia, and it was made by a female director.

The post Saudi Arabia Travel Guide 2022 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Stories from Saudi Arabia 2022

kmartini — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 23:56:52 +0000

Stories from Saudi Arabia 2022

This is a personal travel blog. A travel guide for Saudi Arabia in 2022 can be found here.

ARRIVAL

Bureaucracy, Hospitality, and Sand: Traveling in a Newly “Open” Absolute Monarchy During a Pandemic

I arrived at night.

The runway was wet, and everything hid behind an orange glow from the blurred window of the A330 aircraft as we taxied in. I was coming in blind with no real expectations.

A delayed overseas flight, a near miss connection in Germany, 20+ hours behind a mask, a couple hours sleep, and a stack of documentation in hand (the visa being the simplest to receive and understand), I was taken aback by the bright light of the intricately designed Terminal 1 at King Khalid International Airport; complete with a large fountain, arching ceilings, and men in white and women in black guiding us to the correct line for processing. Residents this way, business visitors that way, tourists come with us.

Situated less than an hour north of Riyadh, the capital of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, RUH is one of the entry points for tourists who are not only now allowed, but “invited” to enter the historically sealed off and secretive Kingdom.

After some photos and fingerprinting, I was in an Uber heading to my hotel near the old town.

The easy part was done.

TAWAKKALNA HELL

Saudi Arabia has been one of the least friendly countries when it comes to tourism, but a new evisa program, introduced a few years ago and then put on pause due to COVID, allows multiple entry for a year and can be obtained online in less than 15 minutes. The caveat is you need to fill out a lot of COVID-related forms. The information in those forms feeds into an app called Tawakkalna. The app provides a barcode to be shown whenever entering a building or site in the Kingdom. If it’s green, you’re good. Mine was purple.

According to Tawakkalna, I was supposed to quarantine for 5 days and take 2 PCR tests. Evidently, another department called Muqeem did not register my vax info with the app. This is where the problems started.

The Tawakkalna people told me to call Muqeem. The Muqeem people told me to call the Ministry of Health. I called the MoH and listened to their anti-smoking message for an hour. The Ministry of Health told me to register with Absher. The Absher app told me I had to find a kiosk to register myself. But wasn’t I supposed to stay in the hotel? “Oh yeah, better call the Ministry of Health then.”

I went in circles for a good 24 hours. I was so close to leaving the country. I hadn’t slept worth a shit and wanted an alcoholic drink and was done with the Kingdom. I had only been there a day.

FREEDOM & APPREHENTION

Then I was put in touch with a local woman who had the answer. “Here’s what you’re gonna do. Delete that app and play dumb when anyone asks for it.”

So that’s what I did.

I left the hotel and went to explore the city, by foot. Not the best idea. Sidewalks in Riyadh are a new thing, and they are not finished. You’ll be walking along, minding your own business, and find your path has led into a major intersection. Riyadh is where the sidewalk ends.

I learned to rely on Uber to get from area to area.

RIYADH

I visited Al-Safaa Square (Chop Chop, where executions take place) and saw the blood drains had been transformed into fountains.

This is where I was told by a security guard the square wasn’t open until 4:00pm…with no logical reason why.

I visited the Masmak Fort (where Ibn Saud fought the Battle of Riyadh against the Rassheds in 1902) only after walking around it multiple times trying to find an entrance, then sneaking through a government parking lot to find the nice guards very welcoming.

I went to the National Museum. Museums are not really my thing, but this one was pretty well done and was very clean and quiet compared to the frantic city outside.

I went up in Kingdom Tower, where no one asked me to buy a ticket until I got to the 50th floor. That’s where the elevator operator asked me for one, offering to go buy one for me while I went to see the view from the 99th floor. He did just that and gave me the change when I was done.

Things don’t always run smooth or make sense in the Kingdom, but most people are very helpful in steering you in the right direction, or trying to remedy a problem, as long as what you are trying to do falls in line with the defined set of rules.

THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

I booked a driver to take me out to the Second Edge of the World (the first Edge was closed because some Italian tourists drove a pickup truck off it, resulting in 9 casualties).

The driver flaked on me when I was already outside the city at the rendezvous point but put me in touch with a guy named Ahmed.

Ahmed cancelled plans with his family to run me out there.

I saw the sunset and spread some of my dad’s ashes before we had to rush back to the car because there were gunshots echoing through the desert. They weren’t shooting at people, but it is a large open space, and we didn’t want to catch a stray.

ADVENTURES WITH AHMED

Ahmed was so nice I booked him to take me to a mud village and the Red Sands the next day.

We climbed around the ruins, drank Arabic coffee and tea, picked up a Bahraini girl who was teaching English in Riyadh, then went out to get lost in the Red Sand.

NABD AL-RIYADH

I worked from Riyadh at night and explored by day. I was able to sneak away a couple times to experience Nabd Al-Riyadh: a nightly live music and cultural event in the square. It was cool to see something that never would have been possible just a few years ago.

COVID STUFF

Having only planned on spending two days in the city, I ended up there much longer than expected because I was hesitant to try to fly without the app.

After 2 negative PCR tests, my app was green and I was ready to go!

I saw some cool stuff in and around Riyadh, but it ended up being my least favorite part of the Kingdom. The rest of the trip made up for the hassles I dealt with though.

ON THE ROAD

Tourism in Saudi Arabia is in its infancy, but the country is on the cusp of becoming a destination, which makes it an exciting (if somewhat frustrating) time to visit. The Kingdom has so much to offer in terms of history, nature, and culture, and is marketing itself so aggressively, that it’s hard to imagine how much things are going to change in the next five to ten years.

The country is huge, so you need a lot of time to see everything. Joining a tour is an option but can be expensive, especially if you’re rolling solo. I considered hiring a 4×4 with a driver and guide for the south (near the Yemen border), but it was too expensive. The price would have been the same for me alone as it was for four people traveling together.

The good news is domestic flights, rental cars, and hotels can all be booked on the fly.

Instead of a tour, I booked a flight to Jizan on Saudia, rented a car in the airport from SIXT, and set off on a solo road trip along the Yemen border from Jizan to Faifa, on to Najran, then up through Abha, and back down to Jizan.

THE SOUTH

The drive was amazing. The road running along the Yemen border transitions between desert, green misty mountains with monkeys everywhere, mud villages, insane switchbacks, back to red sand desert, black fields of lava rock, camel crossings, goat gatherings, etc. I have never been to Yemen, but the architecture in this region looks like the photos I’ve seen from that Republic to the south.

This was my first time driving in the Middle East. There was a 500km cap on the rental contract, which I thought would be fine because I was thinking in miles instead of kilometers. I ended up doing 1000km but they didn’t charge me extra, so it wasn’t a problem. Gas was set at SR2.18 per liter (about $2.20USD per gallon), I ate cheap street and fast food, and even with staying at western style hotels, it was way cheaper than it would have been with a guide…and I had complete freedom.

Driving was a breeze in a 4×4, but I would not have wanted to tackle those steep roads in a less powerful vehicle. Saudis have been notoriously crazy drivers, but the speed bumps and cameras have calmed things down a bit. The only issue I had was my GPS map spun like it was on crack while in the south, making it a little difficult to follow along. I also had a scare when I couldn’t find an open gas station on a Friday; a day I was going to be covering hundreds of kilometers through the mountains. I finally found one on the edge of town.

There were various checkpoints, but I was waved through all but one; where some young soldiers decided to mess with me by telling me my documents were no good and they were going to have to arrest me. They told me this with hand signals and gestures because they didn’t really speak English. I was nervous until they handed my passport back, started laughing, and told me to “Have nice day!”

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

BORDERLANDS

I had heard two things about the south before going: one good and one terrible. The first was about their coffee. Arabic coffee is served all over the country at any time of day, but the south is supposed to have the best. The coffee beans are only lightly roasted (instead of burnt) and are ground and brewed together with cardamom. It has a unique bitter taste and is yellow in color.

The second was that it was dangerous due to its proximity to Yemen. Saudi Arabia and Iran have been fighting a proxy war in Yemen for the past seven years and there is always a risk of Iran-backed Houthi drone attacks in the south. I didn’t feel any sense of danger during my time down there, but there was a heavy patrol presence and miles of barbed wire fence along the border. Evidently, the Saudis launched the heaviest air raid in more than two years against Sana’a while I was just 65 miles away as the crow flies. The strike was in response to a Houthi attack on a target in the UAE. A couple days later, while I was in Jizan, another strike killed 70+ people and knocked out internet for the entire country.

SAFETY

Again, I always felt safe while there. Without the news, I would have never known anything was happening across the border. The only time I felt in danger was when I misjudged my timing and had to take a work call from the car while driving into Jizan during rush hour. Nothing like driving into a foreign city in the dark while trying to navigate a Zoom meeting.

EXPEDITION

After spending a week in Riyadh and exploring the south on my own, I flew to Jeddah to meet up with Joan (who I traveled with in Kurdistan and met up with in Afghanistan) for his group expedition.

Sara, a local Jeddah resident (and local celebrity), was our coordinator. This was the part of the trip where I saw some of the most amazing sights Saudi has to offer. I also learned a lot about (and got to experience) real Saudi life and culture.

The first stop on the expedition was Al-Balad: Jeddah’s old town. By far the most well-preserved old town in Saudi Arabia. So many of the old towns are under construction and in the process of being modernized, while Al-Balad is perfectly restored in a way that maintains what it used to be.

JEDDAH NIGHTLIFE

After spending about 3 hours walking around Al-Balad, and trying bailia (a street snack made from chickpeas, pickled cucumber and beets, salt, and cumin) from a street vender, we had dinner.

I learned a lot in conversations with Sara. She said 70% of Saudi’s population is under 40 and they support MBS and all the changes he is making. She also told us about her tv show and family. At one point, she compared us to camels in the sense that locals will stare at us like we stare at their livestock.

I also had the most expensive sheesha I have ever smoked. $30USD. Seems crazy, but it’s a country with no alcohol, so a couple hours of sheesha in a fancy outdoor spot, while watching the young and beautiful out on dates and hanging with friends, was much less expensive than a couple hours in an American bar.

SHADA

All hotels in Saudi Arabia have a sticker on the wall or ceiling pointing the way to Mecca. The Shada boutique hotel had a much fancier marker.

HEJAZ RAILWAY

We also visited The Hejaz railway (coming from Damascus) at its endpoint in Medina. The Ottomans planned for it to reach Mecca, but WWI crushed those dreams.

MEDINA

The city of Medina has always been open to non-Muslims (unlike the city of Mecca), but I was surprised we were able to enter the haram area without any issue.

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque) is the second largest mosque in the world. Built by the prophet Muhammad in the first year of the Islamic calendar (622 CE), after the migration from Mecca to Medina (called Yathrib at the time), the mosque is the second holiest place in Islam and serves as Muhammad’s final resting place (under the green dome).

SUNSET PICNIC

We ended the day having a picnic and watching the sunset over the city. Then we packed up and drove through the evening to somewhere completely different.

THE RED SEA

Yanbu was a great spot to catch a boat out on the Red Sea, but as a city it left much to be desired. Maybe it was the long drive from Jeddah to Medina to Yanbu, but I was tired and achy when we finally rolled into town.

A few of us grabbed some local fast food (liver and hummus, etc.), but most of the group went to the hotel. The driver took them to the wrong place and refused to help them unload their bags when they got to the right one. Then he came to pick us up and parked in a coffee shop drive thru and had cars honking at him. The next night we asked him to drive a few of us to the old town. He drove us somewhere, and it wasn’t old, and when we asked him to find someone to get directions, he just went to the back of the van and smoked a cigarette. He was an interesting guy to say the least.

Some of the group got up early and went to the fish market the next day, but I slept in.

Two boats took us out to Al Bareedi island the next day. I had a moment of euphoria on the boat. Something about racing across the sea with the sun on my head and the droplets of water splashing up from below. The island was beautiful, with white sand beaches and crystal-clear water, with an apocalyptic abandoned oil refinery in the background.

A handful of us signed up for diving. It was a nice dive and I got to follow a turtle for a while. Unfortunately, they took us in two groups, so we were out there for way too long. The group still on the island thought we’d drowned.

YANBU

When we got back to town, I was exhausted again, but went into the old area with some of the crew. There was a huge cruise ship in dock and there was a walkway called Tourist Street. The old town was not old at all; it was the first tourist trap I’d seen in Saudi Arabia.

After way too long, the rest of the group met us at Lawrence of Arabia’s house, where a couple locals struck up a conversation and gave us a farwa coat, and then we went to an amazing seafood dinner. Everyone was starving and silent as they shoved food into their mouths.

I’m glad we got out on the sea and were able to dive, but I was also glad to leave Yanbu the next morning.

MADA’IN SALIH

Hegra (Mada’in Salih) is an archeological site in Al-‘Ula. It is the remains of a Nabatean city from about 2000-2500 years ago. These were the same people who built Petra.

I think Petra is the more impressive site, but it was still fun riding around in open air Land Cruisers and checking out insanely old stuff carved into insanely huge rocks.

The area of Mada’in Salih is mentioned in the Quran. Specifically, the story about how the Prophet Salih tried to convince the tribe of Thamud that there was only one true God. When he couldn’t stop them from worshipping false idols, even after producing a miracle in the form of a pregnant camel rising out of one of the rocks, God killed the tribe with a massive earthquake.

Or so the story goes.

It’s for this reason many followers of Islam do not visit the site. There used to be a fatwa issued by the Saudi religious authority prohibiting people from visiting the area. That’s all changed with tourism becoming a growing industry in the Kingdom. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the area is one of the most visited places in Saudi Arabia, even though many people still consider it cursed.

ELEPHANT ROCK

We watched the sunset at Elephant Rock. This site is a good example of modernization done right. Comfortable seating pits were dug into the sand, allowing people to relax and socialize without affecting the natural beauty of the place.

Even more than being on the boat, this is the place where I really wanted a drink. I ended up having a coffee and bumming a smoke (my first in years) just to do something. The cigarette sucked and it didn’t sate my appetite for a beer, but the desire to drink faded as we moved on.

AL-‘ULA

The main strip in Al-‘Ula looks like a movie set. It is a façade. The actual “old” part is hidden. It’s the Disney version of what Saudi Arabia was like years ago.

We had a traditional dinner, sitting on the floor, while listening to live music from a small stage across the street. The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (the religious police) no longer have any power in the Kingdom, so music in public settings is not uncommon, but there was something different about the scene in Al-‘Ula.

I felt like I’d stepped into someone’s Instagram reel. I wasn’t surprised the next day when I learned there is a woman on Al-‘Ula’s tourism board whose sole job is to manage influencers.

This was not a place trying to attract backpackers. They wanted another tier of tourist in this area; the type with money to burn.

DADĀN

Dadān is an archeological site of a kingdom dating back to the 7th century BCE. It is mentioned in the Bible. There was some cool ancient graffiti, and some nice girls working at the women-ran craft store, but I couldn’t really get into it. I think I was just tired.

MARAYA CONCERT HALL

I messaged Sara while we were at Dadān and asked her to try to pull some strings and get us in to see the Maraya concert hall, which she did. It ended up being a big ordeal because representatives from 21 countries were having lunch there. Sara’s friend ended up coming and escorting us on a drive around the building, but we were unable to leave the van. Still cool to be able to see it though.

THE FARM

We stayed in trailers on a citrus farm while in Al-‘Ula. The owners of the farm gave the group a tour of their citrus trees (which I missed), and they setup a tent at a viewpoint for us to have dinner in, but the goat that had been cooking in the ground all day wasn’t ready until very late, so we ate in the dining area.

Everyone went into town before dinner and were exhausted by the time we ate. I stayed behind and enjoyed some alone time while they were gone, so I was one of the few who wasn’t grumpy at dinner.

The goat tasted amazing.

Our slightly controversial Pakistani driver ate the tongue and cheeks while everyone else waited for him to drive them to the other farm.

WADI DISAH

Our driver left for Jeddah that night after dinner. I had issues with him in the beginning, but he ended up making me laugh quite a bit. I think his shyness was misunderstood as rudeness.

We said goodbye to Sara the next morning before heading to Tabuk in three Land Cruisers with a new guide and drivers.

We spent the day in Wadi Disah along the way. The mountainous region and oasis were an absolute surprise. Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations, but it ended up being one of the best days of the trip.

Just rolling through incredible scenery in 4x4s and stopping for some short hikes; it was one of those places I would have never been able to experience if I was traveling solo.

We had a great lunch at a beautiful Bedouin farm with camels and goats.

One of the drivers almost fell asleep on the way to Tabuk, and the hotel couldn’t find our reservations when we got there (“Are you sure you’re at the right hotel?” “Nope, not at all”), but these types of things were par for the course by this point.

HISMA

Tabuk as a city didn’t have much going on, but I bought some local clothes for an upcoming adventure, and we watched the Saudi-Oman match while having a quick dinner.

The purpose of being in Tabuk was to visit Jabal Hisma.

Hisma is essentially an extension of Wadi Rum (where I camped when in Jordan). I was unnaturally cold when we first started exploring, but it warmed up as the day went on. It was another day of exploring by Land Cruiser. Our driver hit a berm a little hard and we cracked the front bumper pretty good. We walked down to a Bedouin camp for lunch while they worked on the car. It was an extremely peaceful place, and I took a quick nap under the tent.

We spent the day in the desert before returning to town, grabbing some quick food, and saying goodbye to those who were not returning to Jeddah. Then most of us caught a late flight.

EXPEDITION ENDS

Back in Jeddah, I said goodbye to most of the crew and planned the next leg of the trip.

Joan invited me to join Sara and her husband for lunch. Sara and Abdullah’s main business is organizing trips abroad for Saudis. Their friend who is an archeologist joined us. It was a very nice restaurant with panoramic views of the city. We sat around eating and smoking sheesha and talking politics and the future of the kingdom, etc. We were the only ones in the restaurant. It could have been a Bourdain episode.

Random story, but one of Sara’s best friends is the niece of Osama Bin Laden. Not that weird, because the Bin Landen’s are a huge family, but still sad that a bunch of normal people have to live with the name Bin Laden.

That night I tried Al Baik (Saudi’s own fast food chicken joint) for the first time.

QASSIM

On my own again, I caught a flight to the Qassim region. I landed at night, picked up a rental car (with an option to drop in Riyadh), then drove through the fog to the Al Malfa Resort in Unayzah.

The resort used to be a private residence and is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by date palms. I arrived late and the five guys in the lobby did not speak English and were not expecting me.

I learned the next morning I was the only guest in the entire place. I asked them how to get to the camel market and they gave me directions to the grocery store. After some back and forth, they understood where I wanted to go, but couldn’t understand why I wanted to go.

I got to the market too late the first morning. Things were winding down. So, I went to see a mud village, but it didn’t exist anymore.

Back at the resort, I just enjoyed the solitude and the beauty of my surroundings. I watched the Drew Binsky video from the south that had all the Saudis upset, read more of the Qur’an, had some laundry done, and asked one of the maintenance guys to help me up onto the roof to watch the sunset.

It was a nice relaxing day after having been on the go for two weeks.

CAMEL MARKET

The next morning, I arrived at the largest camel market in the world at sunrise. It was freezing outside, but so worth it. It was chaos in the best way.

It was hands down one of the most local and eye-opening experiences of the trip.

That night my app turned from Green to White (Incomplete). I think it had something to do with the new triple vax rule that went into effect Feb. 1st. I gave up on the app at that point.

THE ROAD TO RIYDAH

I drove from Unayzah to Riyadh, with stops in Al-Ghat (viewpoint and mud village), Ushaiqer Heritage Village (lots of local families and nice old women giving me short tours of all the buildings), and a drive by Diriyah (but didn’t stop because it’s closed for renovation). The entire drive took about 6 ½ hours and there wasn’t a ton to see, but it was cool to be off the lightly beaten path.

RIYADH TRANSFER

I checked into a hotel right at the airport and packed a small bag to take out to the desert. The rest of my stuff would stay at the hotel, where I’d pick it up before my flight home after the Empty Quarter.

The next morning, I flew from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir to meet up with Meteb and drive into the darkness of the largest sand desert in the world.

WADI AL-DAWASIR

Flying into Wadi Al-Dawasir was bizarre. Nothing but desert and circle crops growing clover for the camels. Meteb picked me up from the tiny airport. We loaded into a couple Land Cruisers and took off into the night.

Meteb runs these trips every weekend from November through February. It’s too hot in the summer.

We drove about an hour out of town and then pulled off the road and started racing into the darkness. I have no clue how he knew where he was going. Visibility was zero.

After stopping to deflate the tires, we continued through the nothingness until we saw a small circle of lights. It was our campsite for the night. The driver with the supply truck had arrived and setup camp earlier.

Coming out to the Empty Quarter alone (or with anyone who doesn’t spend half their life out there) would be suicide. Meteb and his crew have tricked-out Land Cruisers with a huge supply of water (via a facet near the rear tires), winches, air compressors, satellite phones, and a thousand liters of fuel. They don’t use GPS though. They have it if they get in trouble, but they like to hone their skills with manual navigation. There is no cell service out there, so they use walkie talkies to communicate between vehicles.

We sat around the fire and had an excellent chicken stew while Meteb briefed us on our rough itinerary.

There was no way of knowing what our surroundings were that night because it was too dark. We were offered tents, but I decided to sleep outside. There was only a sliver of a moon and billions of stars. They were above me and on both sides of me to the horizon. I slept in my down jacket, a mask (for the sand), and a beanie. I wasn’t cold, but a little uncomfortable on the hard sand.

I learned the next day, when I got up with the sun and had some zaatar and tea for breakfast, that we hadn’t even entered the Empty Quarter yet. We were right on the edge.

RUB’ AL KHALI

It seemed like we were driving aimlessly around The Empty Quarter. The terrain was an optical illusion. We’d be speeding at 140km an hour on what looked like flat terrain and all the sudden the vehicle ahead or behind us would disappear, and then we’d be climbing and sliding down a giant dune. It was like skiing with bad goggles, with no depth perception. I was expecting an adventure, but I wasn’t expecting a full two days of adrenaline rush. No photos or video can show what it was like. A lot of it was like being on a boat on the sea, rather than a Land Cruiser on the sand.

I say it seemed like we were aimless because that was an illusion as well. Dropping pins in Maps.me along the way showed we were traveling on a defined path all the way back toward Riyadh, but you would have never known it. Meteb and his guys are seriously master navigators.

There was no visible difference between hard and soft sand. We got stuck a few times, but Meteb was always able to get us out with some maneuvering and a little patience. The supply truck got stuck once. That was the only time they had to use the winch.

We had lunch in a small area with some poisonous greenery and some shade, we stopped and picked up some wood for the fire that night, then we found a random place to watch the sunset and set up camp.

The locals told stories around the campfire. One thing I never knew is that the British are responsible for Arabs from different countries wearing different colored scarves. The British couldn’t tell them apart, so they sold red ones cheap to the Saudis, green ones cheap to the Iraqis, and black ones cheap to the Palestinians.

I set up a tent that night and finally finished The Qur’an, but I moved back outside before going to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking there was something in my tent (I was sleeping next to it). I was completely freaked out until it started to blow away. It was just the wind.

MIRAGE

The next day was more fun in the sand, then we hit a dry lakebed that was 10 times the size of Riyadh. It had been dry for around 12,000 years. I spread some of my dad’s ashes there and collected a few rocks for my daughter.

They encouraged us to collect rocks. That is sure to change once tourists start flooding the place.

We saw some sand fish (I don’t know what they are really called), but no matter how hard Meteb tried, they refused to bury themselves with vibrations like they are known to do.

DEPARTURE

Our last stop was at a water well used by the Bedouins. There was a small pool that some people swam in, but it was freezing so I passed. We had a nice lunch there and then drove to the exit of the Empty Quarter (via Layla) and back to service and civilization.

We only scratched the surface of the Rub’ al Khali, but it was the most remote place I’ve ever been.

We dropped the others off in the Diplomatic Quarter, then Meteb took me back to the hotel, where I used a conference room to change and wipe myself down with shower sheets, then I went to the airport and started the 24-hour journey home.

I didn’t get rid of all the sand until I was in Colorado the next day.

The post Stories from Saudi Arabia 2022 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Working from former Soviet Capitals 2021

kmartini — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 02:34:42 +0000

Working from Former Soviet Capitals 2021

TALLINN, ESTONIA

My Russian visa still had a couple days before it became valid, and I was waiting on PCR test results in Helsinki, so I decided to take a 25-minute flight to Tallinn.

My last trip to the Baltic states was cut short when I left my friends in Riga and flew to Ukraine.

I always wanted to check Estonia off my list but wasn’t going to make a special trip to do so.

The waiting game offered the perfect opportunity to spend a couple days in the World Heritage area of Tallinn’s Old Town. I used Marriott points to book a couple nights at the Telegraph Hotel and enjoyed a couple days exploring.

Põhjala Brewery

It was at the Põhjala Brewery, enjoying an IPA and some BBQ in the sun, that I started to get nervous.

The rules for entering Russia were always changing and I read you had to travel directly from a country that had direct flights to Russia. I would be flying back through Helsinki.

Would they let me board? Would they let me enter when I landed? Pictures of Snowden stuck in limbo were flashing through my mind. Lol.

Stressed Out at the Airport

When I checked in for my flight in Tallinn, the gate attendant looked at my passport for what seemed like an hour, then she went to make a phone call. But then she came back, printed my boarding pass, and I was on my way. Still unsure if they would grant me entry when I got there, I did my best to enjoy one of the most comfortable airports I’ve ever been in. Turns out my fears were unfounded. After a couple short flights with Chinese in hazmat suits and Russians who refused to wear masks, I was in Moscow.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Arriving in Moscow was a shit show. Passport control was a madhouse. People shoving, no real lines, just everyone for themselves. The woman at the counter got angry with me when I presented my documents. She kept yelling the same question at me, but I couldn’t understand her through the mask and glass window. The chaos didn’t end there. I ended up getting through the area where they check vax cards and health declaration forms without showing anything, because there was no order and I just kept walking, but then there was the barrage of pushy taxi drivers.

Then a major debacle led me to my first (and only) interaction with a Russian police officer. The Yandex app wouldn’t work on my phone (most apps wouldn’t) and the language barrier was tough, so I ignored all the pushy taxi drivers and went out to the official taxi stand. I booked a taxi with them, paid via credit card, and was on my way. It wasn’t until a few minutes later I realized they charged me 10x the normal fare. I made my driver (who was also pissed because they only gave him the normal fare) take me back to the airport where I demanded my money back. After getting the police involved, I got some of my money back thanks to my honest Mongolian taxi driver.

The whole airport experience was an extremely bad first impression of Russia. Especially after coming from friendly Finland.

Arriving at my apartment building (one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters) didn’t exactly put me at ease, but I was in awe. There were people modeling for Instagram at the entrance of the imposing building that could be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The views from inside my apartment were incredible. The internet was 10x faster than Finland, but technology aside it felt like going back in time. I was worn out and frustrated and ended up staying in to relax and read. I would leave the exploring to the next day.

Red Square

My first day/night in Moscow was a little rough. I am embarrassed to say I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it on my own. I posted to the EPS group looking for a fixer and was laughed at. Once I got out into the city, I realized why. Moscow is an extremely easy city to navigate.

The Yandex app (once I got it working) is Uber. The Metro is straightforward and has all stops marked in English. Most restaurants have English menus. ATMs are everywhere.

In all reality, I was kind of disappointed in how easy Moscow was. Growing up in the U.S., I always thought of Russia as “the other”, but it turns out Moscow really isn’t much different than many other cities I’ve been to.

Red Square is a place I’ve always wanted to see though, and it did not disappoint. Especially at night with everything lit up. The iconic Saint Basil’s Cathedral, the red brick walls of the Kremlin, and the impressive Gum mall, all make for one of the more impressive city squares.

Walking around the square, hearing all the chatter from families conversing in Russian, did make me feel like I was somewhere else. The place we always feared as kids in the 80’s.

The days were chilly, but warm in the sun, and the nights brought out all the fluffy hats and sweaters and long jackets. It was the Russia I’d always pictured.

GUM

Gum is a large shopping mall with locations all over the former Soviet states. The one on Red Square is gigantic. It was so festive that even the Russian gangsters were enjoying themselves.

Lenin’s Mausoleum

I went into Lenin’s Mausoleum without realizing his 97-year-old corpse was on display. I thought it was a wax sculpture at first. So creepy. Stalin used to be next to him, but they removed the body and buried it after the tide turned against him.

Kremlin Closed

The one day I decided I was going to visit the Kremlin, it was closed.

There was heavy police and military presence all over the city, so I’m guessing there was official business going on behind those walls.

Uilliam’s

My favorite breakfast place was a small café in one of the hipster neighborhoods. People watching here was the best.

Café Pushkin

The one fancy dinner I had. The atmosphere was great and the vodka flowed like wine, but the food was only ok. I realized how comfortable I was in the city when I walked the 30 minutes back to my apartment late at night, slightly buzzed, blasting Russian black metal through my earbuds.

Novodevichy Cemetery

Everyone who was anyone is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Except for Lenin, of course

Les enfants sont les victimes des vices des adultes

Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices is a collection of statues in Moscow that represent all the dangers children face (drugs, child labor, prostitution, alcohol, etc.) while a mother looks on with indifference. It’s very well done, but kinda creepy that it’s right next to a children’s playground.

Fallen Monument Park

“I follow the Moskva, down to Gorky Park, listening to the wind of change.

Take me to the magic of the moment, on a glory night, where the children of tomorrow share their dreams”

I couldn’t get that Scorpions song out of my head as I walked along the Moskva River to Gorky Park.

Along the way I saw one of the ugliest monuments I’ve ever seen.

I also visited Sculpture Park (aka Fallen Monument Park). It’s where the statues of the Communist past ended up during perestroika. I’ve always wondered why we couldn’t do something like this in the U.S. Rather than trying to erase the past by destroying Confederate statues, etc., why not put them in a museum or a “park of shame”?

Mosfilm

I toured Mosfilm studios. It is the one studio that has been releasing Russian and Soviet films since 1924.

Some of my favorites are Stalker, Come and See, The Cranes Are Flying, Mirror, Solaris, and The Ascent.

The tour was completely in Russian and I didn’t understand a thing, but it was still fun to walk around the sets and see some of the costumes and cars and stuff.

Embassy of Belarus

An opportunity to take 4 days off work presented itself, so I decided to travel to Belarus for a long weekend. Unfortunately, I needed a visa because I was coming from Russia. There is no passport control between the two countries, so I needed a visa to present before boarding a flight. The embassy staff were very friendly, and it wasn’t the hassle I expected it to be. I even found a great taphouse to hang out and have a coupe local IPAs while I waited.

Russia

Moscow allowed me to experience one small part of Russia.

I felt comfortable and never felt unsafe.

Working US hours was more difficult than I’d imagined though.

I planned on working from 6:00pm-2:00am, then sleep from 2:00am-9:00am, then explore by day. The biggest issue was falling asleep at 2:00am. I can’t go to sleep right after work. So, I’d usually end up reading Crime & Punishment until about 4:00am, then I’d FaceTime with the girls, then I’d fall asleep and have heavy dreams and wake up a few times before it was time to get up.

I never got on a real schedule.

The weather was beautiful my entire time in Moscow. It rained a few times, but never while I was out.

My apartment, and the view, made me feel at home in the city. If anything, I was too comfortable and had to force myself out every day.

Traffic is awful in Moscow, but the metro is a great alternative to Yandex.

MINSK, BELARUS

Belarus was not what I expected. I don’t know what I expected, but I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people and how clean everything was. This is a country that was closed off from the world for a long time, experienced a failed revolution less than a year ago, and is ran by the “last dictator in Europe.” But everyone, from my Yandex driver to the lady standing in front of my (very Soviet) apartment complex, to the nicest old couple who rented me the place, was so welcoming. The Airbnb wife spoke English better than her husband, so she kept trying to interrupt him when he was talking to me, and he kept shooing her away.

The land was all orange and yellow as we drove into the city. You could eat off the streets in the city center (because the government employees a team of cleaners and because people just don’t litter). The thing that struck me the most on my first walk was how much more Soviet it felt than Moscow. If I were to ignore the McDonalds and KFC, I could almost imagine I was back in the USSR.

The country is super safe for travelers. I felt no animosity from anyone, despite being from a country that has levied heavy sanctions recently. There are no direct flights to Belarus from the U.S. or most European countries ever since Lukashenko forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk to retrieve a blogger who was critical of his government. This just happened in May of this year. Even most flyover flights have rerouted.

Soviet KFC

When you want to celebrate the power of the workers against the evil West, but still love some fried chicken.

Old vs. New

Belarus has been ruled by the notorious dictator, Lukashenko, since 1994, when he was elected for a normal term (and then solidified power by constitutional reforms). He is very much a fan of the USSR, and the country is a time capsule of that period.

But the youth are rebelling and looking to the future. There was a failed revolution last year and many people think the system is on the verge of collapse.

And роял = royal in Russian.

Russian Social Democratic Labour Party

The Green House is a replica of the house that once stood there. It is where the RSDLP was born.

Right across the street is the apartment building Lee Harvey Oswald lived in.

Khatyn Memorial

25% of the Belarus population died in WWII (Great Patriotic War). If you’ve ever seen Come and See, you’ll know about the villages that were attacked. People were locked in barns before they were burned to the ground. Khatyn was one of those villages. In 1943, around 150 people were burned alive here. The deaths in Khatyn and across 185 other villages are attributed to the Nazis. There are stories coming out now that Soviet troops and partisans also committed atrocities in the region. The history of Belarus throughout many wars resides in a grey area. None of that takes away from the fact that all these villagers experienced a horrible death.

The memorial itself is somber but very well done. The entrance is marked by The Unconquered Man. Joseph Kaminsky was the only survivor and the statue shows him carrying his son. There are 26 chimneys representing each home destroyed. It is said that people came to the village and used the fireplaces to keep warm after the massacre. A bell rings on each one on a rotating schedule to mark each death. Each village has a granite gravestone. There are 3 trees in the Square of Memory, with a space for a 4th, representing the 1 in 4 people who died during the war. An eternal flame burns there.

The whole monument blends into the quiet space surrounded by forest. It is a very peaceful place now.

The Mound of Glory

The Mound of Glory, a memorial to the Soviet soldiers who fought in WWII, was the first place I was extremely cold on this trip. The wind ripped through the monument when I got to the top and it made me question whether I wanted to go back to Russia. The weather in Saint Petersburg was changing and it was looking very cold and wet. This is when the idea of going to Georgia popped into my mind.

Surrounded by the Enemy

Zair Azgur was a famous Belarusian sculptor, and a ton of his work has been crammed into a very small space at his memorial museum. I got there right before it closed but they let me in. There was a group of musicians setting up for a concert that night. A surreal space to be playing music. The creepiest statue was that of the founder of the KGB holding a child.

BREST, BELARUS

Brest could have been reached by train. It probably would have been even faster. But I will never regret hiring Vladimir to drive me. At 59-years-old, the man had stories that could fill volumes. Born in Ukraine and raised in Russia, he now resides in Minsk with his Russian wife and 12-year-old son. He has visited 80 countries, most at war, in conflict, or dealing with major displacement issues. He fought for the Soviets in Afghanistan, he worked counterintelligence in the Cold War, and saw some shit in Chechnya. Still employed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he’ll be able to collect his pension in any country he wants in 3 years. He doesn’t believe Belarus will survive another year, so he’s trying to decide where he wants his son to grow up.

As we crossed the Stalin Line, he pointed out pill boxes from WWI and WWII, the peppered fields that have seen so many battles through the centuries. He talked about all the amazing things he’s found in those fields using a metal detector. He had me listen to how the sound of the road changed in certain parts, where it was wide and the trees had been cleared, so I could understand that the freeway doubled as a runway for military aircraft.

Both his grandfathers fought for the Soviet Army and the NKVD. He told me how Belarus only has three ways to enter, because the rest of the country was fortified by forests, rivers, and swamps. He talked about how the partisans were not guerillas. They were just AWOL military looking after their own interests. The heroes of Brest didn’t really hold off the Nazis, they just survived. And most of them were sent to the gulags by Stalin.

He talked about how all the good products from Belarus were shipped to Russia. His friends in Russia could get better quality Belarusian vodka and meat than he could locally, and it was less expensive there. His niece had to flee to Poland because she was wanted for the protests last year. He believes the population of Belarus is much less than reported, because the youth leave without telling the government. And even though he’s spent a good part of his life working for refugees, he had no love for the Iraqis flooding into Minsk. He does not consider them refugees but sees them as opportunists that do not share the values of the Belarusians.

Vladimir is an extremely well educated and well-traveled man, and he misses the USSR. He said at least back then they had something to be proud of. Spending 12 hours with this man was the highlight of my entire stay in Belarus.

Vladimirisms

“Anyone can be President of Belarus, as long as they have experience being President of Belarus.”

“The politicians used to just get some grease on their fingers, now they slice the pig down the middle and take half.”

“Belarus has about 6 months to a year left, then it will be absorbed into Russia. It will be a peaceful transition”

“CCCP now stand for Cool Communist Concrete Photography”

“The Russian military wasn’t in the Ukraine; it was just polite men in green uniforms.”

As I got out of the car and put my beanie on “there you go, you look Georgian now!”

TBILISI, GEORGIA

About eight months into COVID, I was losing my mind and considered moving my family to Georgia for six months. They were allowing digital nomad visas. It didn’t happen, but the icy rain in Saint Petersburg caused me to change my plans and head to sunny Tbilisi. I booked a flight from Minsk, a night at the Marriott on points, and an Airbnb around the corner for the rest of the week. There were big protests in the city center a couple days earlier, but everything seemed safe enough.

I was immediately in love with the city, and Georgia is a Top 10 country for me now. It has all the comforts of Eastern Europe, but also a lot of Russian Empire / Soviet stuff. It has great infrastructure, fast internet, and good cell coverage. It has beautiful mountains and a wine country. It has very good food (local and foreign cuisine is offered all over the city, via delivery, upscale restaurants, and everything in between). They have their own Uber (Yandex). And it’s cheap as hell.

Sure, they try to overthrow their government and like to get into fights with Russia occasionally (they hate Russians), but that’s not unlike the U.S. these days.

The biggest issue with working from Georgia was the time difference. I was working 11 hours ahead of mountain time.

Wild Dogs

Tbilisi has dogs like Istanbul has cats. They are well taken care of, friendly, and some of them are even tagged. They just sleep in the sun and drink from the fountains and seem to have a great life.

Religious Pluralism

Georgia is a very religious country, with 85% of the population subscribing to the Georgian Orthodox Church, but mosques and synagogues pepper the landscape as well.

Churchkhela

This colorful candy is made with nuts and grape juice. It’s pretty, and tastes alright, but wasn’t something I’d go out of my way to have again. It’s hanging in storefronts all over the city.

Baratashvili Bridge

The modern clashes with the old all-around Tbilisi, but this pedestrian bridge (also known as the Bridge of Peace) over the Kura River stands out among it all. A lot of people joke that it looks like a sanitary napkin.

Soviet Train Yard

There is an abandoned train station on the edge of town. There are people living in some of the cars. Not homeless people, but people who have literally turned some of the cars into homes. I wandered around but got sketched out when some random guys seemed to be following me and then they disappeared behind one of the cars.

Cable Car Station

This abandoned Soviet cable car station was much less sketchy than the train station. The construction workers were nice enough to let me in, but not before asking where I was from. I think I would have been denied if I was Russian.

Road Trip

Renting a vehicle in a foreign country is one of my favorite and least favorite things to do. There is nothing like having your own ride to go exploring, but there is also the fear of dealing with a shady company and losing a large deposit because of an accident.

I’d heard people drive crazy in Georgia as well, but this ended up being one of the best experiences I’ve ever had with a foreign rental company.

They brought the Toyota Fortuner Hilux (big in the Emirates) to me at my apartment, I paid cash with no deposit, and they came and picked it up from me when I was done.

The drive was amazing as well. My destination was Stepantsminda (aka Kazbegi, small town in the Caucasus), but I made quite a few stops along the Georgian Military Road.

Gergeti Trinity Church

There is a paved road to Gergeti Trinity Church, or a partial road, but the gang of 4×4 taxi drivers had it blocked off when I got there. I’m not sure if it was officially closed or if they just closed it so they could charge people for a ride up. Luckily, I had a 4×4, because even with the clearance I had, it was a rough ride. So worth it though. The church sits at 7120 ft. and is surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. I spread some of Dad’s ashes there. It was his birthday.

KEZBAGI, GEORGIA

I decided to stay in Kezbagi for the night. I found a room at the Hilltop Kazbegi hotel just before sunset. The view from the balcony was nice, but the clouds had dropped down to bury the town in fog. I couldn’t see much until the next morning when I woke up to the crystal clear 16,517 ft. face of Mount Kazbek.

That night I took the car down into town for dinner and couldn’t see a damn thing. The Toyota was almost swallowed by a few potholes, but the restaurant was worth it. A family affair, with the daughter cooking and the mother serving, Baba’s five tables were full, with a rotating group of travelers always waiting for the next to open. The khinkali and khachapuri were both excellent.

Shavi Lomi

I hit this recommended restaurant when I got back to the city. It was the first place to ask for proof of vaccination the entire trip, even though it was outdoor seating. This is where I had my best tasting local beer (a farmhouse ale) and finally tried satsivi (chicken in walnut sauce). Like so many great places in Georgia, it was almost hidden. Just a mural to give a hint of what lay behind.

Brutalist Architecture

I finally made it out to Nutsubidze street on my last day in Georgia. I was looking for the Nutsubidze bridge complex; three brutalist apartment buildings connected by a skybridge.

I booked a Yandex. The driver was extremely friendly. His 19-year-old son was teaching him English. When we got to the buildings, I wasn’t sure we were in the right place. I showed him a photo and he didn’t know. Then I got out of the car and looked up at the bridge directly above us. I pointed up, he looked and shook his head with an expression on his face like “why do you want to see this?”

The elevator needed a key (I heard it was coin operated before), but a nice old lady let me ride up with her. She even let me off on the right floor. This place wasn’t a tourist attraction. People live here. I find this kind of concrete architecture extremely interesting though. Not only the buildings and the bridge, but the view of the old Soviet skyline from those heights as well.

I didn’t have a key to get back down, so I took the stairs. I passed a likeminded traveler on the way down. He didn’t have a nice old lady to help him up.

Heading Home

A self-administered COVID test, a quick nap, and then I was off for my early morning flight.

Leaving Georgia was easy. The customs lady rolled her eyes while looking through my passport. I asked her what was wrong, but I already knew. She said, “you know!” and laughed. She was talking about my Russian visa.

I grabbed a croissant and Turkish coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts (“America runs on Dunkin’”) and threw it away after a couple bites and sips. It was disgusting. Then I bought a bottle of Georgian wine and chacha to bring home.

This journey started out with a week in Finland before crossing into the former Soviet states, and that’s where I spent my last night before the journey home. I really didn’t know where I was going to end up on this trip, so I booked a roundtrip ticket from Denver to Helsinki.

After a good, cold night in Helsinki, I flew to rainy London where I had a proper English breakfast, was told to keep my distance (over the PA) a million times before being crammed into a tram with a hundred other people, and subjugated to “random” additional Homeland Security screening before the long flight home.

The trip was a success. I feel like I know a lot more about a part of the world I’d never been. I will visit Georgia again, with my family, and for an extended period. I could seriously consider living there.

The post Working from former Soviet Capitals 2021 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Solitude in Finland 2021

kmartini — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:40:22 +0000

Solitude in Finland in 2021

Helsinki

Exactly one year after my first post-COVID trip, to the Balkans, I found myself in Helsinki on a beautiful autumn day.

I wandered the city without a fixed destination. Dazed and confused from a long journey over the Atlantic, Helsinki’s welcoming aura was a comfort.

Little paths wound through the small city. Trees almost outnumbered buildings.

It was a Sunday. Many people were out, but everything was quiet. The sun shone on families taking photos in piles of fallen leaves, children running around in playgrounds, and couples walking along Toloviken Lake.

Rovaniemi

The original purpose of this trip was to visit Russia for the first time, but my visa wasn’t going to be valid until October 9th, so I took a prop plane up to Finnish Lapland; an area famous for Santa Claus’ village, Northern Lights, and having more reindeer than people.

My first observation came at the airport, where the staff was overly friendly. I tried to gate check my roller bag when I realized how small the plane was, but they told me I’d be fine. No strict luggage rules. No attitude. Just a smile and a thank you.

The same went with the rental car. No upselling, no hassle; just a couple signatures and a set of keys.

My first stop was Santa Claus’ post office to mail a letter from my daughter. Then I crossed into the Arctic Circle and drove a half hour north of Rovaniemi to the cottage I rented for the week, dodging reindeer along the way.

Finnish Lapland

Traveling halfway around the world to a landscape and climate I could have experienced much closer to home might seem odd, but there is something about being on foreign soil. There is also something about being alone.

I wasn’t built to be around people all the time, so Lapland was a great place to spend a few days in solitude.

It was cold, wet, and dreary the entire time I was there. I fed the fireplace with wood every hour, sweat myself silly at 135 degrees in the sauna, and searched the sky for Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the clouds hid any colors that might have been up there.

I listened to a lot of Emmylou Harris and had extremely vivid dreams every time I fell asleep. Working Colorado hours (from about 6pm to 1am) messed with my mind a little as well, adding to the feeling that I was living in some sort of dreamland.

Orkani Art Project

I could have gotten lost in laziness at my cottage, so I decided to take a drive one day.

There was a sign on the road for Orkani Art about an hour from where I was staying, right outside of Pello.

I pulled off and hiked along a trail littered with art projects. It was eerie to be out there by myself. I never knew what I was going to come across around the next bend.

These are the kind of strange things I love to find when exploring a new region.

I didn’t see a single person, and I hadn’t spoken to anyone for days, so it was a little scary when I came across the little plaster girl.

It was damp and misty, and the only sounds were the dripping moisture from the trees.

I spread some of my dad’s ashes with the girl, so they could look after each other, before heading back to the car.

Arktikum

I stopped by the Arkitum Museum when I got back into the little city of Rovaniemi. I really don’t know why I keep trying to like museums. They are not my thing.

There was some cool photography, but I didn’t linger.

A couple days later I was driving to the airport for my flight to Tallinn. It was pitch black outside that early in the morning and I had nightmarish visons of hitting a reindeer at 100km/hr.

I was also worried about entering Russia after Estonia because of the ever-changing COVID rules.

But it all ended up working out, with no reindeer or rental car casualties.

Lappi Ravintola

I kept to myself while in Lapland. There weren’t any restaurants near my cottage, so I ate frozen meals from the store like a bachelor.

When I arrived back in Helsinki after my journey through the former Soviet States, I went to a traditional Lapland restaurant in the city.

I had reindeer filet with a locally brewed beer. It was amazing. Not gamey like venison. Expensive though. Especially after coming from Georgia where everything was so cheap.

The post Solitude in Finland 2021 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Traveling Afghanistan 2021

kmartini — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 22:06:03 +0000

Travel in Afghanistan in 2021

Kabul

Arriving in Kabul, I immediately knew I wasn’t in Kurdistan anymore.

The first thing I saw while exiting the airport was a white NATO surveillance blimp overhead; always watching. The entire airport was surrounded by 15 ft concrete blast walls. Heavily armed soldiers were everywhere.

I met my local guide, Hadi, outside the airport. When I got in the car he warned me about keeping my window up so I wouldn’t get my phone stolen.

The streets were insane. So much traffic. And it was really hot in the car with the windows up.

I didn’t feel unsafe, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous being stuck in a mass of traffic in a city where bombs go off regularly.

We went by The National Museum, which used to be one of the most important in Central Asia but has been looted and hit by rockets and isn’t all that interesting anymore, and then we hit a few other sites and got some local clothes made before heading to the guesthouse.

Local clothes are necessary to avoid unwanted attention.

My guesthouse was entered via a restaurant, and behind multiple doors and gates with CCTV cameras. I felt safe and secure there.

To enter Afghanistan, I needed a Letter of Invitation. The person who signed that letter (Noor) was responsible for me while I was in country. My safety was his #1 concern. I was with my guide, Hadi, almost the entire time I was in Afghanistan.

Kabul was pretty much what I expected it to be. Chaotic, loud, and alive. Checkpoints everywhere. Rifles everywhere. At night, the smell of sizzling kebab flooded the smoky streets.

The people who live in Kabul are some of the most resilient in the world. Bombs go off; the people go on with their lives.

Road to Bamyan

When I inquired about visiting Afghanistan I was told I couldn’t visit Bamyan. The Taliban control more than half the country. Going through one of their checkpoints is not advised. Travel in Afghanistan is done by plane, and flights to Bamyan weren’t running anymore.

When I arrived, my fixer informed me he had ran cars on the long road (the short road is completely controlled by Taliban) and hadn’t had any problems, so they guaranteed it was 85% safe (the pinnacle of safety in country).

Bamyan is the most beautiful and safest part of Afghanistan, so I decided to go.

We left Kabul at 4am. Another car left 15 minutes ahead of us and would call if there was any trouble. The road is controlled by the government, but the 4 hour journey went through Taliban-supporting villages. And government troop loyalty isn’t exactly set in stone. Part of the road is protected by a local commander who controls 500 militia who hate the Taliban.

We got through without incident. I was told not to look out the window (or make eye contact with anyone) until we got to the Hazara zone safely. But wearing local clothes and having a scarf over my head helped me blend in. I wasn’t even asked for my passport at the checkpoints.

The risk was worth it. Bamyan and the surrounding area was a highlight of the trip (more on that later).

We returned to Kabul on the same route a couple days later without incident.

Unfortunately, there was a roadside bomb a few hours later, which caused a friend of mine (who had arrived a couple days later) to have to postpone his trip out to the region.

Band-e-Amir National Park

This is why I took the risk of driving to Bamyan.

Band-e-Amir is the one National Park in Afghanistan. It’s mindblowingly beautiful. It’s also always been safe, throughout all the wars. It’s a little piece of paradise in a country that’s been through hell.

My driver, Ali, was from the area and took me to all the best viewpoints.

I met locals, got a sunburn, and figured out how to turn my scarf into a turban to protect my bald skull.

I wish I had more time so I could’ve camped there.

Buddha Niches of Bamyan

The giant Buddhas of Bamyan were the historical and cultural highlight of Afghanistan. They stood (180 ft tall) for around 1,500 years before the Taliban blew them up in 2001.

I didn’t think visiting the niches would be all that exciting. It was amazing though.

Even before the Taliban destroyed the statues, they were shadows of what they were a thousand years ago, when “the golden hues sparkle on every side and the precious ornaments dazzle the eyes by their brightness”.

What I didn’t realize was that I’d be able to climb up into the space where they stood, and hang out in the monk caves, and experience the view from where their giant eyes used to watch over the valley.

This is the same place hippies sat, smoking hash, when Bamyan was part of the hippie trail in the 60’s. And the same place traders would travel on the ancient route between China, India, and Europe.

The crazy thing is, the Hazara people who live in Bamyan have been Muslim for over a thousand years. Buddhism doesn’t exit in Afghanistan. So why blow up the statues? So ridiculous.

Shahr-e Zohak

Shahr-e Zohak dates back to the 6th century.

The Ghorids built it to keep an eye on the valley.

Genghis Khan’s grandson was killed here, causing him to kill almost everyone.

The colloquial name Zohak is taken from the legendary serpent-haired king of Persian literature. Local legend is he was a vampire.

Shahr-e Gholghola

Shahr-e Gholghola (the City of Screams) is the place where Genghis Khan laid seige to Bamyan.

It’s also a great place to watch the sun set over the town and Buddha niches.

I met a few locals up there who asked to take photos with me. Bamyan is a lot less conservative than other parts of the country, but it was still surprising (and refreshing) to see young women up there with a male friend, and posing for selfies with a stranger.

Bamyan

The Bamyan area ended up being my favorite place on this trip.

The cooler weather, laid back atmosphere, and gorgeous surroundings made for a perfect respite from the busy cities and blazing heat.

One fun thing about Bamyan was just people watching. So many photogenic old men. I wish I would have asked to take portraits, but I didn’t want to impose.

There were also so many school kids. I loved seeing so many little girls, in blue uniforms, attending school every day. Much different than other parts of the country.

With the Taliban gaining so much territory recently, and the uncertain future of the country when all the forces leave, I really hope the people of Bamyan are able to continue to maintain peace in this amazing little pocket of Afghanistan.

Kabul

I survived the 4am drive back to Kabul and was able to meet up with Joan and a local photographer, Wasim, in the city.

Wazim took us to the famous bird market. Being with a local with a camera made it a lot more comfortable to take photos with my real camera.

Just like in Iraq, men like to pose with mean or grumpy faces, even if they were smiling right before the shot.

Hadi and I were supposed to fly to Mazār-e Sharīf (Mazar) from Kabul.

The domestic terminal was kind of a joke. No flight info on the monitors (just a Google search screen).

They told us our flight had been delayed a few hours, so we waited around.

When it came time to board, they told us it was a different flight and we didn’t have tickets. Our original flight had been cancelled.

At first I was pissed, but then we met three guys in wheelchairs all bandaged up. One of them was crying because of the cancelled flight. They had been injured fighting the Taliban a month or two earlier. They lost 50 of their friends . They have been convalescing in Kabul on their own dime.

The stories they told about the military commanders selling their guns to the Taliban just reinforced how corrupt everything is. So sad. My inconvenience didn’t seem so important anymore.

So, we ended up spending more time in Kabul.

That night, I found out from Joan that there was a roadside bomb on the road I had traveled that day. Then the power went out in my hotel room. The next morning I learned three bombs had gone off in Kabul. Two targeted prominent Hazara leaders; the other a power grid. Five people were killed.

Panjshir Valley

When COVID hit last year, and the future of travel was unknown, I started following some travel bloggers to live vicariously through their stories. One blog, ran by a Spaniard named Joan, blew me away. This guy was traveling to places I didn’t know were even possible; places like Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, etc.

A year later I would find myself climbing on old Soviet tanks in Afghanistan with Joan.

Because of the cancelled flight, I was able to make it out to the Panjshir Valley.

This is where the mujahideen fought the Soviets in the 80’s. It is also the site of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s tomb.

Mossoud is considered a national hero in Afghanistan. His photo is displayed everywhere. The man fought the Soviets, and then the Taliban as the leader of the Northern Alliance. He was also a warlord that wasn’t always on the right side of history.

He was assassinated two days before the September 11th attacks in 2001.

Joan joined us for the day because his trip to Bamyan was delayed due to the bombing.

It was a great day in a beautiful area and we were lucky to see it. The government closed the road between the Kabul and the valley the next day due to an increase in COVID cases

Mazār-e Sharīf

The fight ran the next day, on the infamous Kam Air. Takeoff was like nothing I’d experienced on a plane before. Almost nothing scares me while flying, but when I felt like we were decelerating when we should have been gaining altitude, added to the insane turbulence, I thought for sure we were going down. But we made it to Mazar safely.

It was 106 degrees when we landed at 5:00pm. It got up to 110 the next day.

Mazar was too hot to really do anything, but sunset at Shrine of Hazrat Ali (Blue Mosque) was worth the visit.

The shrine and mosque were secondary to watching all the families chill around the grounds. People watching at its finest.

Mazar was much more mellow than Kabul. No traffic. A real laid back feel. More beggars and determined kids asking for money though. If I wasn’t drowning in my own sweat, I probably could have enjoyed myself there.

Unfortunately, the situation of the ground changed not long after I left…

“In Mazar-e-Sharif, convoys of these anti-Taliban militias roamed the streets Wednesday as civilians mostly stayed at home. “I don’t see many ordinary vehicles. It looks like a city at war now,” said shopkeeper Sami Faizy.”

– Wall Street Journal, June 23rd, 2021

Leaving Afghanistan

When I was having lunch in Mazar I got an alert from the U.S. Embassy. COVID cases were spiking and hospitals were refusing foreigners.

They recommend all nonessential people leave the country. I was leaving the next day anyway, so we went for ice cream and then hit a couple other sites before flying back to Kabul.

I got my PCR test with results back in about 20 minutes. The rumor is that this place doesn’t give positive results. It’s just another money grab.

After one last night in Kabul, I was in the airport leaving Afghanistan. I almost bought my 3-year-old a teddy bear in a chadari, but decided I wasn’t ready to explain it.

Heading Home

My route home was through Dubai, with night in Istanbul.

When I arrived in Istanbul, there was a guy with a sign with four names listed. My name was on the sign, along with three others who had traveled from Afghanistan. He informed us we would need to quarantine if we left the airport.

My flight wasn’t until the next morning, so he said I would have to stay in the departures terminal until then.

I agreed, but when I went to get my bag (they made me check it) I realized I was outside the terminal. So, I caught a cab to the hotel where I spent the night.

My nerves were shot on the way back to the airport because my wife would have killed me if I got stuck in Turkey, but no one said a word.

There were questions at immigration in Denver, “You were there for vacation? I’ve never heard of that”, but it all went smooth, and I was home safe and with the girls that Saturday afternoon.

I haven’t stopped thinking about this trip since then.

The post Traveling Afghanistan 2021 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Touring Iraqi Kurdistan 2021

kmartini — Sun, 01 Aug 2021 22:07:00 +0000

Iraqi Kurdistan Expedition 2021

Against the Compass Expedition

I started following Against the Compass while on lockdown due to the pandemic. My travel plans had been put on hold and reading about Joan’s adventures was the next best thing to being out there myself.

Having always traveled solo, or with family or friends, I was hesitant to book a “group tour”, but I had to believe this “expedition” would be something special. I was not disappointed.

Joan brought together a diverse group of people, coming from very different places, but with the same mindset. Age, nationality, and background didn’t factor in at all; we were all there for the same reason…to absorb everything Iraqi Kurdistan had to offer.

The 8 days I spent with the group never felt like a group tour. It felt like traveling with friends. Our local guides became our extended family and Joan’s experience traveling the region in the past helped chart the best course.

Can Kurdistan be experienced solo?
Of course. It’s an extremely safe destination.

Would I have gotten as much out of it on my own?
Absolutely not.

There are places I wouldn’t have known existed or wouldn’t have gained access to without a local guide. And I would have missed out on meeting an amazing group of people (local and from abroad) whom I now consider friends.

Erbil

This is Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Kurdistan isn’t technically a country, as it’s part of Iraq, but the Kurds are very proud of their ethnicity and culture; they define themselves as Kurds, not Iraqis.

There are Kurds living in Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, but Iraqi Kurdistan is the closest thing they have to their own land. It was made possible when the U.S. enforced a no-fly zone in northern Iraq after the first Gulf War.

Kurdistan is a very safe place. It is the Iraq the U.S. envisioned for the rest of the country. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its issues with corruption, refugees (an Iranian Kurd immolated himself in front of the embassy a couple days before I arrived), inner strife (between the PUK, PDK, PKK, etc. etc.) and the occasional bombing, but statistically speaking, Erbil is much safer than most European cities. Petty crime is almost non-existent, and we were able to walk around at night and hail cabs without issue.

ISIS never got to Erbil, partly due to the Peshmerga (Kurdish military forces) holding their ground against the Islamic State.

The Kurds are extremely welcoming people, and their capital was a great place to start the Against the Compass Expedition around this small corner of the world.

Mor Mattai

Mor Mattai Monastery is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, dating back to 363AD. It stands on a mountain about 20 miles from Mosul.

The frontline between the Peshmerga and ISIS from 2015-2017 was that hill you see in the distance. If ISIS would have advanced, the monastery would not be standing today.

Our local guide used to escort foreigners (mostly journalists) to the frontline, but after coming face-to-face with ISIS fighters, as well as being in Mosul before they cleared the bodies and having a bomb go off dangerously close, he decided his life and family were more important than the risks he was taking.

Lalish

Lalish is the holiest place of the Yazidis. Every person of faith is supposed to make a pilgrimage here to visit the tomb of the Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir at some point in their life.

It is a beautiful, but extremely sad place. The Yazidis were victims of genocide by ISIL in 2014. Thousands of men were killed, and the women were kidnapped and force into sexual slavery.

The effects felt today cannot be understated, one of which is the bastard children, fathered by ISIL fighters, who are not accepted by the families and are forced into state ran orphanages.

Broke Down

If you journey out of Erbil, you need to make sure you have an experienced driver who carries an extra fuel pump and filter and knows how to change both.

The petrol in Kurdistan is shit, so fuel pump failure is a common occurrence.

Luckily for us, our driver was not only our comedy relief throughout the trip, he was also able to swap out a fuel pump in 15 minutes.

Our guide was apologetic for the short pit stop, but anyone who travels knows this comes with the territory and just adds to the experience.

One funny story that came out of this was when we were talking about the price of fuel and I explained how prices went up in the US due to the pipeline hack. I explained how ransomware works and Karwan translated my explanation to his cousin, Muhammed. That’s when they both started laughing and replied “here, they’d just use a bomb.”

Middle Eastern food is great. Kurdistan’s cuisine was no exception.

But after eating it every single day, I will be happy not to taste another kebab for the foreseeable future.

I do wish I could find the salty, sour yogurt drink here at home though.

Alcohol isn’t illegal in Kurdistan, but it is forbidden by Islam.

That didn’t stop us from hitting the “haram” shops in the Christian districts though.

Farida was a local beer (brewed in Baghdad) that was actually pretty good for a lager.

It wasn’t readily available though, because the Kurds aren’t exactly close with their Arab neighbors to the south.

Duhok

We arrived in Duhok after a long day.

Woke up at 5:45am because I still wasn’t acclimated to local time. Went to a monastery, broke down on the side of the road, experienced the emotional rollercoaster of Lalish, had issues getting into Khanis (ancient ruins from 2500-3000 years ago in the time of the Assyrians), didn’t eat lunch until after 3:00pm, checkpoints, passport checks, etc.

So, when we got to the lookout over the city, where is was so much cooler than anywhere we had been, it was amazing to just sit…sit and look at the view and remind myself I was in Iraq.

Duhok was mostly just a place to grab dinner and spend the night.

An interesting thing happened while we were eating on the street. A young Muslim woman struck up a conversation with Nick while we were eating on the street. She did this in public, in front of her family, and was practically flirting. That’s pretty rare in these type of countries.

Saddam Hussein’s Winter Palace

This was Saddam Hussein’s Winter Palace; one of many palaces he had all over Iraq. It had a helicopter pad, views in every direction, and was very secure… that’s why it’s now a Peshmerga base. He’d be rolling in his grave if he knew it was now occupied by Kurds

Amedi

Amedi is the town I was most looking forward to in Iraqi Kurdistan.

It’s over 5,000 years old and sits on the flat top of a hill. It’s just cool looking.

They say it was the home of the the Magi priests know as Three Wise Men in the Bible, but who knows?

Gali Sheran

When I decided to go to Iraq, I figured there would be some dangerous aspects to the trip. I never would have expected the most dangerous thing I’d do would be walking on the narrow edges of an aqueduct, with a dead drop down a cliff on one side, for a half mile.

I never expected to be swimming in pristine turquoise water either.

Just another example of how you can never really know a country without going there yourself.

This is also where I realized we had been traveling in a Primary School van.

Koya

A museum, a fort, or something. Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention at Koya.

The only thing I remember is the Spanish speaking archeologist. The only reason I remember him is because he stalked one of the girls on in our group through WhatsApp for the rest of the trip.

Red Security Museum

The beauty of Kurdistan surprised me. The horrors did not.

The Red Security Museum was one reminder of the awful things that happened not so long ago.

Most of the museum, housed in a former Baa’th security (torture) facility, is dedicated to the Anfal campaign (genocide) perpetrated against the Kurds by Saddam Hussein. There is also a section dedicated to the brave (crazy) people who clear landmines, and another section showing the atrocities committed by ISIS/ISIL in the uncomfortably recent past.

It was a sobering experience on par with SR-21 in Cambodia and the Nazi concentration camps in Europe.

Sulay

Sulaymaniyah is the cultural center of Iraqi Kurdistan. It’s where all the poets and artists come from. It has a very different vibe than Erbil. It feels more open.

Sulay felt more modern as well, with high rise buildings and a hotel modeled off Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

The streets were alive at night.

I ran into a Kurd from St. Louis who hadn’t been back to Kurdistan in 8 years. He said St. Louis is much more dangerous these days.

I also attracted a creepy Iranian tourist who would not leave me alone. Really strange guy who kept asking me why I wasn’t wearing a mask, even though he was the only person among thousands on the streets who was.

We drove up to an overlook for sunset and were able to buy beers at a stand on the way up. We had music, great views, alcohol, and it cooled down enough that some of the crew needed “jumpers”. We all agreed it was one of those moments none of us expected to experience in Iraq. It was one of those perfect moments you only get when traveling

Baderkhan Amer Badran

One of my favorite Instagram personalities is from Sulay. He’s traveled to around 80 countries on an Iraqi passport.

The guy is hilarious and took us to a modern mall to sit at a restaurant and smoke shisha.

He drove us back to the hotel that night and gave us a makeshift tour of his city, including highlights like the park that acted as a killing field but then turned into a hookup spot, and the mosque with a brothel right next door.

Halabja

If you were alive in the late 80’s, you know the name Halabja. It’s the town in Iraq (close to the Iranian border) where Saddam gassed the Kurds in 1988.

Around 5,000 people died within minutes of the canisters hitting the ground; canisters of chemicals dropped from planes; chemicals that smelled like apples when released.

We arrived at the memorial on a special day. I think it was referred to as Global Day.

One thing that hasn’t been publicized as much as the deaths is the missing children. There was so much chaos after the attack, with people running to the hills to escape the poison, that people were lost. Some were taken to Iran, some to Saudi Arabia, never to be heard from again. A lot of these people were children. I am not 100% clear on why they were not returned, but there were women speaking about lost loved ones while we were there.

We also met a survivor who was 18 when the attack happened. He told us about trying to save people and how their limbs would fall off when being dragged. And about people who drank water from the river, which was poison by that point. He just kept talking about sadness.

This was another sobering experience.

Tawella

Two American tourists were arrested in 2009 for wandering into Iran from Kurdistan. Iran said they were spies. The Americans claimed they were just hiking and didn’t know they crossed into Iranian territory. They were held for about 2 years.

The Peshmerga solider at the checkpoint entering Tawella was very clear with us. “You are welcome here, but I cannot protect you on the other side. The Iranians may be nice people, they may be nicer than us, but I can only guarantee your safety on this side.”

Tawella is where you can supposedly stand in two countries at once. One foot in Iraq and one in Iran. It’s bullshit though. Google maps shows you’d need to hike a good mile or so from that spot to be in Iran.

My guess is those hikers knew what they were doing and just didn’t expect to get caught. As for me, I wasn’t taking any chances…even though the joke in our group was that we were there to drop me (“the American”) off for a hike.

Dukan Lake

The calm before the storm cut short our visit to the lake

“Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a start.”

Anthony Bourdain always said food was the great equalizer. That couldn’t have been more true than when Karwan invited us to his home for a meal prepared by his wife.

Cultural, religious, and ethic differences didn’t matter. Watching him interact with his wife and kids, I realized that although we come from different worlds, we all just want what is best for our families. I also noticed his kids watch the same Netflix shows as my girls; just one example of how we have more in common than we might think.

While we were sitting around after the meal, drinking tea, the conversation of multiple wives came up. Karwan only has one wife, but his grandfather has two. This might be shocking to someone from western cultures but believe me when I say some of our practices are shocking to them.

This meal in this home was a highlight of the trip.

Sick in Erbil

Joan and I had a conversation about the travel vloggers who make everything look amazing all the time, when we know that is not the case.

Travel is not always fun. Sometimes it is miserable. I experienced a little of that on this trip.

While the rest of the group was in the mountains making independent films with the handsomest actor/model/barber is Kurdistan, I was in a dark hotel room in Erbil worried I was one of those rare people who got infected with COVID, a second time, after being fully vaccinated. The things going through my mind while my head pounded, and my stomach rumbled, were enough to make me insane.

Luckily it was just a 24-hour thing. I missed the mountains, but Karwan’s dad picked me up the next day for a COVID test and dropped me off to catch a shared taxi to Akre to intercept the crew on their way back.

Akre

So, one minute I’m dying in a hotel room and the next I’m in a car with a group of men I don’t know, flying down the highway to Akre.

That car dropped me off on the outskirts of town, where I caught another ride into the city center. It felt good to be out on my own, and to meet up with the group, but I couldn’t eat lunch, or anything else, for another couple days.

This all comes with the territory though…and in reality, I got off easy. Being quarantined in Kurdistan would not have been a good thing, especially because I had a flight to Kabul in a couple days.

Saying Goodbye

Iraqi Kurdistan was an amazing place full of surprises, but the biggest surprise was actually enjoying being on a tour.

Maybe it wouldn’t have worked if we were in a destination full of tourist attractions (where some people want to hang out in museums while others wanted to be active or drink, etc.) but we were all on the same page in Kurdistan.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say we all had a great time.

The post Touring Iraqi Kurdistan 2021 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Working from Brazil 2021

kmartini — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 22:09:00 +0000

Working from Brazil 2021

Working from Brazil during a Pandemic

After contracting COVID in the Miami airport in December 2019, I decided to take my antibodies on the road. Having been cooped up in my home for most of 2019, the thought of working from somewhere with a warm climate instead of a basement in Colorado felt like the best move.

Granted, Brazil was not doing well on the pandemic front, and Bolsonaro was competing with Trump for who could be the most controversial when it came how to the virus but having just recovered from a mild case and my plasma donations coming back antibody strong, I wasn’t worried about getting sick in South America.

Digital Nomad is a term referring to those who are location independent. Due to worldwide lockdowns, this small community has grown considerably. I work from home 75% of the time, even pre-pandemic. However, I do not consider myself a Digital Nomad. 25% of my meetings are face-to-face in the region I live, and I have meetings throughout the day (during normal business hours), so I can’t exactly pack up and move to Croatia for the year.

What I can do is work from abroad for a month or two, here and there, while we see how the pandemic is going to play out. I took advantage of this situation a few times.

What follows is my personal experience in Brazil. It is what I shard with friends and family while down there. I hope to follow this up with a logistical post soon.

Rio de Janeiro

My first full day in Rio was spent checking off all the major sites: Cristo Redentor, Sugarloaf Mountain, Maracanã stadium, Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião, Escadaria Selarón, and lunch at a churrascaria.

It was a nice day out and I didn’t have work, so I figured I should take advantage. Now I’ll have the rest of the time to just hang out in Copacabana and chill out when not working.

Out of all the countries I’ve been to since the pandemic, Brazil is the most lax, which is probably why they are #3 in the world in terms of COVID. I needed a negative test to get into the country, and masks are worn on public transportation and inside some public facilities, but if there are actual rules, they are not enforced. Thousands of people are out around Copa and many don’t have masks. Social distancing doesn’t exist. Beaches and bars are packed. The police (stationed on every corner) don’t care.

Technically it’s Carnival, but all the normal festivities have been cancelled.

I’m glad I came here armed with antibodies because it’s not a real safe place for those who haven’t had it already.

Overall I love this city. Giant urban pockets sprawl in valleys between monolithic granite hills and lush greenery. Concrete meets sand on beaches that stretch for miles in every direction. The people are pretty.

It’s a rough city though. Crime is a big problem here. The favelas are not far from the fancy tourists areas. I’ve felt safe so far. I’ve just got to keep my wits about me and my belongings close.

Rocinha

City of God has always been one of my favorite films. It came out before I was very well traveled and it scared me away from Brazil at the time. Today I went into one of the favelas that inspired that film.

My local guide was a 21 year old kid who was cast in another film about the favelas when he was 10. The film was called 5x Favela.

Pablo met me in Copacabana. We traveled through the tunnel and into what seemed like another city; a makeshift city situated on a hill to the south of Rio proper.

Rocinha has been around a long time and is the largest favela in Brazil. Footage of the place has been used in Marvel movies and Call of Duty video games. About 200,000 people call it home. Most of whom came from (or their parents or grandparents came from) other parts of Brazil in hope of more opportunity in the city.

We rode on the back of motorbike taxis to get up into the main part of the favela.

Rocinha didn’t feel like the place portrayed in City of God, but Pablo assured me the film was true to what the favelas were like in the past; even the very recent past. Power in Rocinha changed from the “blue mafia” (ADA) to the “red mafia” (Red Command) in a war fought on the streets just a few years ago.

Going into a favela the wrong way runs the risk of falling into the traps of dark tourism and being accused of “poverty porn”, but going in with a local organization and with a 1:1 guide who was raised in the favela is a positive thing. I spent money at the locals shops, ate at a local restaurant, and came out with a new perspective I can share with others.

The favela felt safe. The mafia is obviously bad (drug and arms trafficking, etc.) but they do take care of the community in a way the government has failed to. Pablo feels safer in the favela than in Copacabana because of the community. He also said no one will mess with tourists because they know tourism is good for the community.

After seeing all the tourist spots yesterday, and having settled in Copacabana, I felt it was important to see this part of Rio as well. I’m glad I did. Pablo and I talked about life in the favela, but also his life in general, his trip to Germany to act, Brazilian politics, and his dream of someday living abroad.

Churrascaria Palace

First real caipirinha and churrascaria since I’ve been here.

I made the mistake of saying yes to everything and then trying to keep up. I was stuffed within 20 minutes.

Everything was amazing except for the chicken hearts. At least I know what chicken hearts look like now. Won’t be making that mistake again.

I’m always open to new things but I have yet to find an animal organ that tastes better than flesh.

Copacabana Beach

First work day since I’ve been down here.
I am 4 hours ahead of Denver though, so work didn’t get started until noon.

I spent the morning walking Copacabana beach.

Thousands and thousands of people, letting it all hang out. Young, old, big, and small…families, couples, runners, and sunbathers.

Lots of vendors. They aren’t pushy, but it does get old telling them I don’t want their food, drink, marijuana, or coca. I understand they need to make a living though. And I am one of the few foreigners around.

It is the nicest city beach I’ve seen, although I doubt I’ll be spending much time there. Busy beaches have never been my thing.
Luckily there are plenty of other beaches in Brazil and things to do in and around this city in my off time.

Ipanema

Where the girl from Ipanema is from

Leblon

Found the happening nightlife spot. The one night I was out until past closing time

Iguaçu Falls

I woke up in a bad mood this morning. I experienced my first hangover in over a year on Friday. Then I flew to Foz early Saturday morning and was kicking myself to booking my flight, lodging, and transport as a package deal when I could have saved half by just doing it myself.

The resort I’m staying in is geared toward families and there are Monica’s Gang cartoon characters everywhere. The one bar in town I wanted to check out has closed down indefinitely due to COVID.

But then I got to the Falls and all that crap went out the window.

Pictures and video will never do them justice, but I’ll try anyway.

I’ve seen powerful falls before, mostly in Iceland, but never an entire complex of them. 200-300 falls on any given day. This is one of the new 7 wonders of the world for good reason!

Unfortunately, the Argentina border is closed, so I was only able to visit from the Brazilian side, but no complaints here.

Rio de Janeiro

Headed back to the apartment in Rio to finish out the work week.

São Conrado Beach

Got up early and flew off a mountain before work.
I’ve never been skydiving, but hang gliding is way better than bungee jumping or parasailing/gliding!
I would do this every morning!

Starbucks Brasil Copacabana

I woke up this morning to learn Denver had been covered in a foot of snow and Nick Cave had surprise dropped his latest album. It made me a little homesick. I wanted to put on headphones and listen to the new album while Isobel snuggled up and watched Frozen and Jamie snored (I mean slept) next to us. That wasn’t possible though, so I went for a walk and ended up in a Starbucks. I don’t even go to Starbucks on purpose at home, but it just felt right this morning. I found a couch, put earbuds in, listened to Carnage, and watched local students and professionals tap away at their laptops while enjoying free WiFi and subpar coffee.

Real Gabinete Português de Leitura

Went to the library on my lunch break today. Couldn’t read anything there, but it was pretty.

Mural Etnias

“Coincidicing with Rio’s 2016 Olympic Games, Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra painted a 190-meter long wall in the city’s former port area. Entitled ‘Etnias’, the 3,000 square meters large mural shows five faces from five continents, relating to the olympic rings.”

Tchau Rio! Obrigado!

I only planned on staying in Rio for a few days. I ended up here for two weeks. One reason is because other places I wanted to visit were having a hard time with COVID, another is because I had the perfect work/live apartment here, but the main reason is I just like it here. There are good, bad, and ugly aspects to every city, and all three are extreme here, but I really like this place. Probably my favorite South American city yet.

Minas Gerais

“Chances are you have never been here. In fact, it is likely you have never even heard of this place. Tourists don’t really come here. There are few hotels, no major attractions. The state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It’s about the size of France, covered by farmland, mountains, and savannah. Belo Horizonte is the capital, a center for the Brazilian banking and tech industry. A planned city. Built in the late 1800s. Five million people live in the metropolitan area. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil, in the world in fact, yet it’s still relatively unknown to the outside world.”

– Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown 5 years ago.

“Sold!”

– Me, booking a flight and apartment 5 days ago

Mercado Central de Belo Horizonte

Sometimes I post photos of food while traveling. I rarely have anything to say about the food. But I also rarely come across something like this.

I am in the Mercado Central in Belo Horizonte right now. I ordered a Coke and some food. They brought me a large beer and a plate of tenderloin chucks large enough to feed four.

I experimented with the sauces and ended up overdoing it with the hot sauce, so I asked for a Pepsi because I saw a woman drinking one. They brought me a Heineken.

That’s when I decided to try mixing one of these little red peppers with the tenderloin.

Holy shit! Not what I was expecting!

It is a pepper. It’s full of little seeds. And the flavor is close to that of a habanero. When you bite into it, it pops and hot juices burst out. You brace yourself for the inevitable burn, but it never comes. It’s all the great parts about the hottest of peppers, but without the pain.

I love the hottest of hot, but I never realized you could have that flavor without the burn.

I don’t really eat tomatoes, but I have to imagine this little pepper would be the offspring of a habanero and a tomato, if said offspring inherited the best features of each.

Anyway, now I’m buzzed, uncaffeinated, and feeling like my visit to the market was successful, if a bit misunderstood.

Inhotim

Today I spent seven hours exploring the best modern art museum / botanic garden / park I’ve ever been to.

Situated on billionaire Bernardo Paz’s private land in the middle of the Atlantic Forest, Inhotim is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

5,000 acres of beautiful scenery, with 23 art galleries (most housing an exhibition by a single artist) and countless works in the least likely locations.

I don’t know why this isn’t one of the top tourist destinations in South America.

Oura Preto

The night before I went to Inhotim, I didn’t know how I was going to get there. It was about an hour outside the city and I didn’t have a car. I took an Uber Black to dinner that night and decided to ask my driver if he’d want to take me there and back for a flat fee. He didn’t speak English, but we worked it out.

It was a mutually beneficial arrangement and he is now my driver.

He took me to Oura Preto this morning. It’s an old colonial mining town with an extremely rich history, including the first (failed) rebellion against the Crown. It was one of the most visited tourist spots in Brazil pre-COVID. I was the only tourist in town today. By the looks I received, I may have been the first tourist in quite some time.

Minas Cuisine

This is the rest of the quote by Anthony Bourdain…

“But if you travel through Brazil and you talk about food, which I have and I do, you hear about this place. You hear about it seemingly a lot. I’ve been told time and again, this is where the best chefs come from. The question is, why don’t you hear that outside of Brazil? Why hasn’t the cuisine of Minas caught on worldwide?”

I’ve ate well here. And I’ll probably eat well here tomorrow. But tonight I wrapped work too late and everything is closing down earlier due to COVID restrictions. So tonight I will be ordering in.

I’ve had a great experience this week in Minas Gerais, but tomorrow night I head to São Paulo for my last stop before going home

Belo Horizonte

My last day in Beagá.

While COVID is on the decline is many parts of the world, it is rapidly getting worse in Brazil.

There are new restrictions going into effect this weekend in many states.

I have avoided hot spots throughout this trip and I just made a last minute change to hang out in the Hilton in Rio for my last couple days.

I can’t avoid a little time in São Paulo first though, so I’ll just be doing my best to avoid crowds and indoor spaces.

My antibodies should still be strong, but I’m also all about being responsible and following the regional rules when it comes to this stuff.

São Paulo

São Paulo is the 4th largest city in the world, with over 21M people. It’s the New York City of South America. It’s also known for traffic and violence. I’ve never had a desire to come here. It’s intimidated me ever since I saw aerial footage prior to having traveled.

Today was a strange day to be here. If you’ve ever been somewhere preparing for a hurricane (or any sort of natural distaster), you can imagine the mood. By the time I get done with work tonight, this city will be on lockdown. And people are pissed! A lot of the small businesses that have survived the past year are not sure they will survive the next couple weeks.

An extremely volatile political situation, the high violent crime rate (the woman who showed me around today did so in a rented car because her car was just stolen and then she was robbed when taking photos of where her car was), mixed with the anxiety about the lockdown, and a group of truck drivers who are blocking highways and trying to shut the city down in protest of new fuel taxes, makes for an interesting place.

The old town area, which would be the cool spot in most cities, was real bad. We drove through homeless encampments and open air markets for stolen goods in front of an abandoned cathedral…and by people defecating on the street. Although I’m hearing that area is paradise compared to the area they call Crackville.

There are cool neighborhoods too; safe neighborhoods. The Japan Town area was happening. And Vila Madelena, where I’m staying, is the artsy hipster area with lots of cool bars and restaurants, but it’s pretty quiet right now.

I’m glad I was able to see the city. I learned a lot in the 6 hours I was out today, but it’s not a good time to be here. I’ll be flying out tomorrow.

Rio de Janeiro

I’m back in Rio.

No true lockdown here, but bars and restaurants have to close at 5pm. There is an 11pm curfew.

I decided to forgo the Airbnb experience and checked into the Hilton instead. They have a bar and room service open until 10:30pm. I’m here until 11:30pm tomorrow night, then I start the journey home.

Sounds like everything is gradually getting back to normal in Colorado, so this will probably be my last “work from abroad” trip.

Just gonna enjoy the view from my room for awhile so I can remember it when I’m back working from the basement.

Casa da Feijoada

Feijoada is a popular dish in Brazil. It’s a bean and pork stew that uses every part of the pig.

It’s usually served on Saturday, but this place has it all week. They say this place is a tourist trap, but because of the prices, not the food.

The food is legit.

While it’s much more flavorful than Colombia’s bland Bandeja Paisa, it shares all the gluttonous characteristics.

I believe the kale is just there to make you feel less like the animal you’re consuming.

I just arrived back in Colorado.

There were some back-and-forth conversations between the American Airlines agents in Rio because I didn’t have a negative test result (I had my positive test result from late December and a letter from a doctor saying I had recovered), but it only took a couple minutes to work out.
I was never asked for proof of recovery or test results in Miami. The immigration agent asked me quite a few questions about why I was in Brazil, and about my other travels since October, but no real issue there either.

Brazil was amazing but I probably wouldn’t recommend going right now. New restrictions went into effect in most places a few days ago. Bars and restaurants in Rio have to close by 5pm and there is an 11pm curfew. Bars and restaurants in São Paulo are delivery only for at least the next two weeks.

I didn’t make it to Salvador because I was advised it was pretty bad there. Brasilia was on lockdown too.
I spent my time in Rio (when it was wide open), Foz, Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Inhotim, Oura Preto…all were wide open), and São Paulo (for a couple days before lockdown).

Masks were required everywhere indoors and on public transportation and in Ubers. Most people wore masks outside as well, except for on the beach.

I’m lucky to have gotten through my trip with most things open. I feel so bad for those in the service and tourism industries who are being hit hard, again, as well as the very sick and those caring for them. And for the entirety of people who live in Brazil, because they are all suffering in a game of extreme politics on both sides.

The post Working from Brazil 2021 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Working from Colombia 2020

kmartini — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 22:15:00 +0000

Working from Colombia in 2020

Working from Colombia during a Pandemic
After breaking out of “hermit mode” for seven months, I did a solo trip to Southeast Europe. When I got back, I couldn’t stand working from my basement office anymore, so I booked a flight to Colombia.

What I can do is work from abroad for a month or two, here and there, while we see how the pandemic is going to play out. I took advantage of this situation a few times.

What follows is my personal experience in Colombia. It is what I shard with friends and family while down there. I hope to follow this up with a logistical post soon.

This will be my office in Medellín, Colombia for the next 18 days.

I have a friend living here, so I rented an apartment in his building in the nicest part of the city.

It’s very cheap here.

El Poblado, Medellín

I honestly don’t have a real feel for Medellin yet because I haven’t journeyed out of the affluent neighborhood I’m staying in.

I’ve only been here a few days and I’ve been working. Tomorrow that will change. Getting out for awhile in the morning.

They take COVID very seriously here. Masks everywhere. They sanitize your hands (and sometimes even your shoes) before you are allowed in anywhere.

My friend who lives here has been key in giving me a good understanding of the city though. We are literally next door neighbors in the same apartment complex. He’s made sure I’ve been eating well and have a good handle on El Pablodo.

This is a huge city and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it mañana.

I’m going to start Spanish lessons this week, because not speaking Spanish is something I’ve always kicked myself for and being here has reminded me why it’s something I need to do. English is just not common in Colombia.

Medellín

Medellin has an incredible metro system. It includes trams, buses, and cable cars. These were the first cable cars ever to be used for everyday public transportation. Before they existed, the people who live in the comunas had to hike up and down the mountain every day.

The people here respect their public transportation. You could literally eat off the floor of the cable cars, if you were to eat in them. The locals don’t.

It’s crazy to see these modern looking pods hovering above these shanty towns, but it’s also pretty cool. I can’t say everything the government has done here has been in the interest of the people, but this was a huge gift and it changed lives for the better.

Comuna 13

Comuna 13 used to be the most dangerous neighborhood in Medellin.

The guerrillas were in full on war with the paramilitary in 2012.

Many innocent people were killed by bullets that would pierce their brick homes.

Today it’s a place of hope.

A lot of tour groups advertise a “graffiti tour”, but this isn’t graffiti. It’s street art. And it all has a message, meaning, and purpose.

Pablo

The jury is still out as to whether Pablo tourism is a good or bad thing for Medellin.

Colombia has done its best to erase this part of its dark past; repurposing his self-built prison as a elderly home, his ranch as a zoo, and the property where his family mansion stood as a memorial to victims of narcoterrorism.

My guide told me the story of how a group of guides fought the mayor for over a year to legitimize what they were doing. The argument against this type of tour had to do with narco tourism and glamorizing Pablo’s reign. The argument for it was based on a history that cannot be buried or ignored…and to teach, in order not to repeat.

I lean toward the latter, but I understand the wounds are still fresh.

Outside of a few select barrios, Pablo is remembered as a terrorist.

My guide did not glamorize him. He talked about the good Pablo did for some people, but never shied away from the violence and damage that will take generations to recover from.

One interesting thing I learned is that a lot of people don’t believe he was killed by the police. There are multiple theories, but the one that seems to stick is that he killed himself to avoid extradition to the US.

It doesn’t really matter how he met his end though. He died on that roof that day in 1993, but he was just a man, and the violence continued for many years after.Pab

Envigado

I was going to take a quick walk and grab some tacos last night. I was exhausted and was going to call it early. My friend decided to join me and suggested we walk 3 1/2 miles to Envigado to get empanadas and beers instead. I hated him a little about 3 miles in, but it ended up being a great experience.

Having an apartment in the wealthy part of the city and having visited the poorest part of the city, it was great to hang out in a normal Colombian neighborhood. Envigado is technically another city (municipality) but Medellin flows right into it. They are both part of a large metro area within the valley.

We met up with my friend’s buddy who has lived in the area since 2014. We drank beers on the street until about midnight. Lots of stories about what it’s like to be an American living in Colombia.

I only took a couple pictures while out there. It just felt weird to take pictures of people out living their lives, so I snapped a couple shots of the Christmas decorations.

I just finished up work for the week and am off to Cartagena for the weekend. I’ll come back to the apartment Sunday night.

Alcohol sales are prohibited for the weekend starting tomorrow because Monday is a holiday and they don’t want large groups of people partying and spreading the virus.

Cartagena

Cartagena is all about the sea, the walled old town, food, and nightlife. I picked the wrong weekend to be here.
Going out on a boat, or doing anything around the water, was not an option. The rains and winds from Iota made the sea much too dangerous. Really hoping that storm calms down and doesn’t hit an already devastated Nicaragua and Honduras. Those people need some good luck.

I stayed in a very cool boutique in the old town and was able to explore the streets, with wet shoes and umbrella in hand, but it was very quiet during the day and some parts were flooded. The barrios outside of town are under a state of emergency.

The food was amazing.

I was connected with a El Salvadoran who has lived here for years. He had recently connected with a girl from L.A. and they took me for some of the best sushi I’ve ever had the first night and for grilled steak and seafood, with live music, the second night.

As for nightlife, it did exist on Friday night. Lines of impossibly curvy girls wrapped around the street to get into clubs, even though dancing isn’t allowed and social distancing is in place. We found a nice rooftop with good cocktails and a dj when the rain took a break.

Saturday night was a dry night. Alcohol prohibition was in place to avoid mass gatherings and mass spread over the holiday weekend. We were able to get around it a bit though, so I got to enjoy a couple beers while watching the band play.

It wasn’t the ideal weekend I had imagined, but I’m still glad I came. I can see how this place would be great under different circumstances. It is very different than Medellin. It feels like a “vacation” spot. That said, I’m looking forward to getting back to my apartment.

Homemade traditional Ajiaco Bogotano tonight, made for us by a local friend of a friend who knows what she’s doing.

I found this pretty insect in my hallway today. I showed this photo to the girl who made us dinner. She didn’t speak English, but the translation was “it will piss on you and it will burn like a candle.” I’m glad I caught it and showed it the door before it had the chance.

Medellín

The obligatory walking tour of the central district.

One of the best in South America.

Tejo / Sabaneta

We had the Anthony Bourdain experience tonight. Tejo (bowling meets cornhorn, but with mud and explosives) in Envigado, with 83 cent beers.

Then street food (fried intestines, blood sausage, and other stuff I can’t explain) in Sabaneta.

Then a $3.00 cab ride home.

Fun night out. Now it’s time for Spanish homework.

Jardín

Jardín is a town in coffee country where I spent the weekend.

There were a surprising number of tourists there. They were all local tourists though; mostly from Medellin.

I didn’t do much.

It was a great spot to relax. I just hung out, finished Gabriel García Márquez’s “100 Years of Solitude” (highly recommend), rode a cable car that looked like a porta potty, and did some hiking in the country around town.

Cueva del Esplendor

I hiked to a cave in the jungle today.

The cave had a hole in it. There was a waterfall in the hole.

Guatapé

Climbed a rock this morning, in a touristy town with no tourists.

Was back in time for work.

Tested, packed up and ready to meet my family in Costa Rica.

The post Working from Colombia 2020 appeared first on Tattered Atlas Tales.

Solo Travel in Western Balkans 2020

kmartini — Sat, 02 May 2020 22:13:00 +0000

Solo Travel in the Western Balkans 2020

Travel During a Pandemic

October 2019

I haven’t said much about this trip yet because
a) I was pretty sure it would just get cancelled and
b) I know some of you will not agree with my decision to travel.

It’s happening though. My flight to Belgrade takes off in 24 hours.

Serbia does not require a PCR test to enter, but I got one anyway. I should have my results back by the time I land.

I am expecting them to be negative, but if the test comes back positive, I will do the responsible thing and quarantine myself.

I don’t have an itinerary because the travel rules can change with very little notice. I just know six countries are all possibilities. I also know I have a flight back home from Albania.

I’m hoping to rent cars and explore on my own; spending little time in big cities and avoiding crowds.

This is not a part of the world that’s ever been high on my list, but every country is on my list and the Balkan countries have a good handle on the virus and are one of the few regions that are open to Americans, so the Balkans it is.

I’ve followed all the rules, stayed home more than the average person, and plan on following all the rules while abroad. I’ll also take another test when I get home. That said, I’ve gotta live my life.

Flying the Friendly Skies

First flight in 224 days!
Feels pretty good.

The check-in process was easy: Scan passport at kiosk, United agent comes over and verifies you have everything needed for the countries you’re traveling to (she scared me when she asked for my Serbian visa before realizing I won’t be staying over 90 days), then print boarding passes.

Security with TSA Pre was a breeze.

No social distancing happening at the airport though. Train was packed. Restaurant area was packed. Boarding area was packed.

I am on a flight to D.C. now, then I fly through Frankfurt to Belgrade. Americans are not allowed in Germany (or anywhere in the EU), but we can transfer through certain airports.

United is selling middle seats, but they text yesterday warning me the flights would be pretty full. The gave me the option of changing at no charge. I stuck with my flights but upgraded to Premium Plus seating for the long flight to Germany.

Belgrade

Getting into Serbia was a breeze. The agent didn’t even say hi. Just stamped the passport, no questions asked.

My PCR test results had not come in yet, and I had been traveling for 24 hours on little sleep, so I (over)paid a taxi to take me to a $14 Airbnb studio.

Took a nap, woke up to my negative results, booked my flight to Montenegro, and walked the streets a bit.

People here are not the mask-wearing kind (driver told me “you can take that off, welcome to the land of the free”). It’s a rule on public transportation, but even that isn’t followed by all. A bad day is when more than 1 person dies of COVID though, so they just are not as concerned.

Lots of people out and about, but pretty mellow for a Friday night…at least where I am. Most were eating and drinking at outdoor tables. I hear there is a happening club scene in this city, but I’ve hated that shit since way before COVID.

Montenegro is a little more locked down, so it’ll be interesting to see how it is there. It’s also supposed to rain quite a bit the next few days, so we’ll see how that is.

I am going to rent a car and head to Kotor as my base. I booked a 3 room penthouse overlooking the bay for $77 a night.

Montenegro

Getting into Montenegro was easy, but only with proof of a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old.

Social distancing in a country with a population of around 600,000 isn’t very hard, especially when there are very few tourists, no cruise shippers flooding in each day, and plenty of Airbnbs and markets to get food to make at home.

There is nothing better than having a home base, renting a car, and exploring a foreign country with no itinerary. That’s exactly what I’ve done here. I’ve setup in the Bay of Kotor and have been exploring from here. It’s amazing how much there is to see in this tiny place.

Such a gorgeous country. Just need to watch out for wild boars. I stopped to take a photo of an old Soviet statue and a couple of them came out of the woods. Scared the shit out of me!

There are not many people around and a lot of businesses are closed, but I’m not sure if that’s because of COVID, or because I’m here on a shoulder season, or what, but I can’t recommend coming to this country in the fall enough. It’s the perfect place to be this time of year.

People wear masks in stores but COVID isn’t a big topic of discussion around here. Roads are mostly well maintained, but are very steep and very narrow when you get off the main highways, especially in the small towns around the bay.

Private PCR Brain Swab

Had a nurse come to the Airbnb to give me a PCR test so I could travel to Bosnia. I messaged the clinic on WhatsApp, they sent out the nurse for the swab (evidently they needed to swab my brain, via my sinuses…this was much more invasive than the test I got in the US), then I received my negative results about 11 hours later. I am COVID free and fit to travel.

Yesterday (or today for those in the US) wasn’t the best. I was tired, felt worn out, made a mistake on Airbnb dates that cost me money, had to argue with the rental car agency about some scratches on the car, had to fly with a yapping dog, had my brain swabbed…

But it all worked out. I’m back in Belgrade for a couple nights before heading into Bosnia.

Back in Belgrade

My initial impressions of Belgrade were wrong. This city is very much alive. Being here for a full day and a couple nights made me realize that.

I’ve only seen a handful of tourists, but the locals are out living. It’s a busy place. About 20% wear masks on the street. There doesn’t seem to be any logic as to who wears them (young, old, etc.) so I think it’s just a matter of “wear one if you feel you need to.” They are mandatory indoors in public places though.

Belgrade isn’t an extremely pretty or interesting city, but it’s a very walkable and comfortable city. I walked 8 miles of it.
The city been around a very long time, but it’s also been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The building which held the Ministry of Defense, before Clinton had something to say about it, still stands in ruins.

I enjoyed my 36 hours here. I’m ready to move on though. With a few exceptions, big cities are not my thing when traveling.

People don’t go out of there way to engage, but are extremely friendly when there is a reason to. My Airbnb host was one of the best I’ve ever had; always going out of her way to make sure I had everything I needed to experience the city in the best way possible. My CarGo (Serbian Uber) drivers have been extremely talkative and friendly. Wait staff have been nice too (acting almost embarrassed if they didn’t have a English menu for me). Google translate said I had chicken with bread sauce and rockets for dinner last night.

Most of the younger people (under 60) speak English. The very young speak perfect English.

Everything is cheap. Post-war Serbia is poor, but doesn’t feel poor. It’s in Europe, but only kinda feels like Europe. It also reminds me of Ukraine.

They are very proud of Nikola Tesla and Tito here.

Novi Sad

A quick stop in the capital of Vojvodina, Serbia on my way to Bosnia.

1984 Olympics Site

We drove up to see the abandoned bobseld course above Sarajevo, but couldn’t access it.

Sarajevo

Being in Sarajevo was surreal. It’s like another world coming from Belgrade.

There are no Serbs in Sarajevo and it has a very middle eastern feel. There are signs everywhere of the hell the city went through while it was under siege for 1,425 days in the mid-90’s.

A Sarajevo rose is a spot on the ground where the concrete, scarred by motar shells, is filled with red resin as a memorial to those killed.

I wish I would have spent more time in Sarajevo, but I didn’t expect it to be so interesting.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

I hired a driver to take me from Belgrade to Mostar, with stops in Novi Sad and Sarajevo. He was 41 years old and spoke perfect English. He had a PCR test yesterday and was proved to be COVID free.

We had no problem crossing the border, but I had to present my negative test.

We hit it off immediately and I learned so much from him. He is a Serb who lived in Bosnia during the war. He experienced a lot. I was glued to every word as he explained the history of the region from the Serb point of view. “Every war has to have the good guys and the bad guys, even though sometimes there are no good guys or bad guys.” It was eye opening.

One of my favorite quotes didn’t have anything to do with Serbia though. He said Trump is good for Serbians because he forces Americans to focus on themselves so much they don’t have time to focus on anyone else.

He took me to his favorite local restaurant for Ćevapi with kajmak, which I inhaled…while leaving the onions on the plate.

We also worked out a deal (off the books) for him to get me to Macedonia next week. I hadn’t thought that far ahead and had no clue how I was getting there. He offered to take me to his hometown where they do quick PCR tests and invited me to stay at his parents’ home for a night. You might think that sounds strange, but it’s not out of character at all. People here are just that nice.

Mostar

Bosnia and Herzegovina is an interesting country. It’s kind of two countries in one, neither of which are called Bosnia or Herzegovina.

Republika Srpska has a Serb majority, while the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a Bosniak majority.
Part of each “entity” resides in both the Bosnia and the Herzegovina regions.
This all used to be part of Yugoslavia.

Confused yet?

In the city of Mostar; the Croats, the Bosniaks, and the Serbs all live in different sections and shop at different stores and send their kids to different schools.

Most Bosniaks are Muslim, but not all of them.

They all used to live together (and had inner marriages) before the war, but then neighbor fought neighbor in a bloody civil war and everything changed.

Religion and Nationalism!

Anyway, it’s beautiful in Mostar. It’s like a fairytale town with bullet holes.

More COVID Testing

I ended up getting a blood test (vs. PCR test) in Mostar before crossing back through Montenegro

Trebinje

My new friend and driver, Vlad, took me to his hometown.

I explored the city center while he got the car serviced, then he took me to dinner at his favorite lamb spot before taking me to his parents’ house for the night.

We drank homemade wine and rakija for a couple hours, then he went to meet friends. I was too exhausted to join him.

Such a cool local experience. Exremely nice town.

Kosovo

A beautiful day in sunny Kosovo.

Not at all what I expected.

People were out. Lots of people. Thousands of people on the streets, wearing their Sunday best.
Families with kids eating ice cream. Guys drinking beer on patios. Older people enjoying coffee or tea.
The only masks to be found on these crowded streets were hanging around people’s necks.

Out of the 5 countries I passed through today, this is the only one I hadn’t been to (or will be going back to) on this trip.

Didn’t spend much time because it is the one place my travelers insurance is void because of the Level 4 Travel Advisory.

Why is it I’ve always felt safe in countries my government says are unsafe? Could those advisories be political?

Skopje

I don’t know what to say about Skopje; the capital of North Macedonia. It’s a city that doesn’t know what it wants to be; a city, in an extremely poor country, where the government decided to spend millions on putting façades on old run down buildings, while peppering the place with gigantic statues and pirate ships that have nothing to do with Macedonia.

The main square is entered via a giant arch with this quote from Mother Teresa “The greatest threat to world peace is abortion!!!”

Strangest place I’ve ever been.

Roger’s Apartment

The most bizarre Airbnb in the most bizarre city I’ve ever been to.

Evidently, Roger and his family were quite famous in Skopje, before they were ran out of the country by the government or mafia or something.

They left portraits and photos and a Dalí meets Gaudí apartment though.

The Road to Orhid

I haven’t considered more than 2 days in advance on this trip, so I decided to rent a car in Skopje I could return in Tirana. That way I’d have 6 days of freedom when it came to where to go between that oddball city and my flight home.

Orhid

Ohrid Lake has been my home base the past couple days. It’s been a relaxing retreat from the rest of this crazy country. Having a car here has allowed me the freedom to explore, but it has also been a hassle when trying to drive around the narrow, cobblestone streets of the old town. I almost got myself into trouble with the car tonight. The freedom is worth it though.

Macedonia seems to take COVID more seriously than the other countries I’ve been in. Most people wear masks and it sounds like it might be mandatory soon. Along with many countries in Europe and the UK, stricter measures are coming or are already in place.

The weather is changing as well. I had the heat on in my room for the first time the last night. It’s getting darker earlier. And the leaves are falling.

Tomorrow afternoon I head into the first country that wasn’t a part of the former Yugoslavia.

Albania is a country I know nothing about, but am looking forward to. I don’t have much time there, so I’m going to limit myself to Berat and Tirana (the city I fly home from).

It’s gonna be hard to leave Orhid. I’m very comfortable here. But it’s time to start heading in the direction of home.

Ilinden in Kruševo

Cool town, bizarre monument dedicated to all the fighters and revolutionaries who participated in the Ilinden uprising of 1903.

Because why not, Macedonia? Nothing seems to be off the table in this country.

Berat

Been here a couple days. It’s been relaxing. Extremely cool Ottoman architecture, interesting (in a good way) local cuisine, and slow pace of life.

There was a storm last night so I took advantage of the nice apartment I rented. I made dinner, had a few beers, and watched movies for the first time since I’ve been gone. It was nice to chill out after a 16 days of travel.

Another first tonight: An American friend I met in Skopje and I were walking in old town when we were stopped by the police and told to put on masks. At first I thought it was because we were foreigners, but then they started telling everyone to. Things are tightening up a bit.

The crowds died down pretty early out there, so I’m back to watching movies.

Tomorrow I will drive to the coast to see the Adriatic before heading to the capital to fly home early Sunday morning.
The trip is winding down.

Durrës

First time at the sea this whole trip. Didn’t spend much time, just grabbed some food with a view.

It was hard to be so close to Italy, yet so far away.

If the U.S. goes back on lockdown, I’m gonna have the girls pack a bag. We can go live in Italy for the winter. We just have to spend 14 days in Croatia before we can cross the border.

Tirana

Albania is an interesting country with a dark past; a country that was cut off from the world for about 40 years.

They love George W. Bush here almost as much as they love Clinton in Kosovo.

The capital was much bigger and busy than I expected. Driving into the city center tested my abilities and patience.

It all worked out though.

I walked its streets, climbed its derelict pyramid, drank its raki, and ate its food with the few other Americans in town.

I didn’t even scratch the surface of this country, but now it’s time to head home.

USA
They let me back in!

Got an earlier connection out of Frankfurt and just got an earlier connection out of Newark.

Should be home about 5 hours earlier than expected, which means before Isobel goes to bed

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