Current location: Istanbul, Turkey A big welcome to the 29 new subscribers who signed up! |
Hello,
It's Tuesday and it's time for a newsletter! As this newsletter is being sent out, I should be touching down in Istanbul, Turkey.
I left on Monday night at 9:10pm, on a direct flight from Miami with Turkish Airlines.
The preparation for this trip was quite easy. First, I had to apply for a Turkish e-Visa. But the online process only takes 3 minutes, costs $51.50 and my visa was approved instantly. Second, within 72 hours of my flight, I had to fill out an online Form of Entrance on Turkey's Ministry of Health website. This was a very basic form and only asked for my passport details and where I would be staying in Istanbul. I submitted the form and instantly received a QR code that I would need to show when entering the country. Apart from that, I showed my vaccination card when checking in for the flight and there were no issues at all. So, why Istanbul? It's probably my 20th time to this great city and I often stop here for a few days while traveling in between other destinations. I just love the vibe and I've now built a solid list of favorite places to explore, eat, drink tea and so on (I'll share more about this next week). It's an incredibly comfortable city for me as a result. This time around, I'm stopping in Istanbul for 10 days in order to lay the groundwork for the Wandering Earl Tours to Istanbul that I have scheduled in 2022. In early August, I'll head up to Bucharest, Romania, on a very short one hour flight with one of my favorite budget airlines, Pegasus Airlines. Once in Romania, I'll actually be running my first Wandering Earl Tour since early 2020. It's a 10-day craft and culture-focused trip around the country and I'm super excited for it to begin! That's the plan. But right now, I'm probably stumbling through the Istanbul airport, completely exhausted and ready to reach my hotel so that I can get some real sleep. The more I travel, the more I struggle with long flights! It's time to use your travel knowledge and research skills! Previous photo Well, for the first time, nobody guessed the correct location of the above photo. But in all fairness, it was a difficult one as it could have been from any number of locations around the world. My apologies for that! The correct answer is: Diamond Head and Rocky Mountain National Park, just outside of Wanaka, New Zealand. And this region is spectacular! The combination of waking up in our wonderful glamping yurt and heading off into the mountains each day was a major highlight of our NZ road trip. The photo above was taken as we were leaving a viewpoint over Lake Wanaka, with a mesmerizing view that I will never forget. This week's photo Where in the world is it? The Rules
1. Try to figure out where the above photo was taken. 2. Reply to this email with your guess.
3. The more specific the guess, the better!
4. The location will be revealed in next week's newsletter.
Good luck :) Travel-related (usually) tidbits that appeared in my inboxes Split-Flap No MoreOne part history, one part ode - this article nearly had me in tears as I reminisced about those beautiful, meditative split-flap airport displays (Solari boards) that have all but disappeared these days. Tribal People ReactAfter hearing about the Reactistan Youtube channel, I've been hooked. Sponsored by a social enterprise, it shows villagers from Pakistan trying various food items from around the world. And their refreshingly genuine reactions are well worth watching! A Multilingual World
Here's a fun fact I learned from a friend: 60% of the world's population is fluent in more than 1 language. |
A Peaceful World (Global)
The Global Peace Index has released its 2021 list of the most peaceful nations. Congratulations to Iceland for topping the list for the 13th straight year!
That's a Ton of Mud (Iran)
Simply put, the Citadel of Bam is the world's largest mud building, and it's 2500 years old.
A Heart, Fingerprint and Fish (Croatia)
There seems to be a decent amount of odd shaped islands in Croatia. My favorite is definitely the one that looks like a fingerprint!
The Insane Pool (Dubai)
I guess it's no surprise that Dubai is now home to the deepest pool on Earth, at 65 meters (196 feet). It didn't seem completely crazy until I read that you can play chess and explore an abandoned city while underwater.
Nothing But Magic (New Zealand)
Michael Shainblum shares his incredible 8k time lapse highlighting the impressive natural diversity he also found while visiting New Zealand. The Story of a Simple Sandwich
We walk by so many people while traveling, without ever thinking what their story may be. And everyone has a story to tell. In Damascus, Syria, Mohammed Suleiman al-Nasri has sat at his very simple sidewalk stall every day, selling the same egg and potato sandwich, for over 30 years. He inherited the business from his father and takes great pride in offering the best sandwiches he can possibly make for his dedicated customers. Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Derek (my middle name is Earl) *If you received this email from someone else and want to sign up to A Life of Travel, simply click the button below: |
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