A Life of Travel: How to Survive a Flight Without AC

A Life of Travel: How to Survive a Flight Without AC
Current location: Bucharest, Romania
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A Life of Travel

Hello
 
It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter!
update
 
Leaving Iraq
It's now been 2 weeks since my trip to Iraq ended. And every day, I still think about it. Visiting a destination that few people visit as travelers, comparatively speaking, definitely offers a glimpse of something a little more real than the more popular destinations of the world.
 
Whenever I do end up in such a less-visited destination, I feel alive in a different way. The interactions are always so genuine, the wonder is uncontrollable and the opportunity for education is infinite. Maybe I love it because it feels exactly how travel felt when I first started in 1999.
 
Now I'm not saying everyone should rush to get on the next flight to Baghdad of course. But when it comes to travel, trying to do something a little different than what everyone else is doing is rarely a bad idea. The good news is that this can be done even in some of the world's most popular destinations if we seek out neighborhoods, sights and activities that are not on the typical travel itineraries!
 
A Flight Without AC
On another note, the flight from Baghdad to Istanbul was quite a HOT experience. My very short video from inside the plane has now picked up 1.2 million views and it shows how the passengers coped with the 40C+ temperature on board the aircraft.
 
Bucharest
After Iraq, I flew to Bucharest, Romania. The idea was to take 2 weeks to chill out and not move around, and it was much needed. And by chill out, I really mean, get into a solid routine of catching up on work, meeting up with friends and having some down time to simply rest.
 
The reason I chose Bucharest is because I'll be leading a tour here in Romania starting in a few days. As always, I'm very much looking forward to traveling around this country.
 
It's going to be 12 days full of specially-designed activities that will bring our tour guests together with our wonderful local friends. We'll visit such a diverse range of towns and villages, participate in local workshops, eat homemade food, drink homemade wine and tuica and basically have a blast every day!
 
How can I not be excited about that?

state of the world

The best explanation for what is going on in the world
Video

snippets

 
USA Covid Testing Requirement
The US has announced that they no longer require a negative Covid-19 test when entering the country.

 

Japan Starts to Open
Japan is now open for travelers on an organized tour arranged by a Japanese tour operator or agency.
 
Point.me
This service is very useful for those who want to maximize their airline and credit card points when traveling. It does cost money but they show you the best and often hard-to-find reward deals out there based on your travel plans.

around the globe
 

Reunification Express
The Reunification Express train journey in Vietnam seems to be an excellent way to travel along the entire length of the country. It stops at 150 stations en route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and offers a cultural experience that would be hard to beat!  
 
Ancient City Discovery in Iraq
Due to a drought in Iraq, an ancient 3400-year old city was discovered as water from the Tigris River dropped to very low levels. The city is believed to be from the Mittani Empire.

 

Small Town USA
For those in the US, or visiting the US, here are some visit-worthy small towns to check out. Most of us might have never heard of these places but they offer that laid-back, small town charm that is hard not to like.

 

A Tiny Capital City
Victoria, the capital of the island nation of the Seychelles, is one of the smallest capital cities in the world and actually has no room to grow any larger. But of course, it has its own unique history and culture that make it a place worth visiting.

 

83-Year Old Crosses the Pacific Ocean Solo
Kenichi Horie just crossed the Pacific Ocean solo, at the age of 83. And he's now ready for even more adventure.
 
Life Next to an Active Volcano
Meet the communities around the world that coexist with active volcanoes as their neighbors.
 
Unlike Any Other Mausoleum
The 19th-century Mahabat Maqbara Palace is a unique mausoleum in the town of Junagadh, in the state of Gujarat, India. It was built with a wild combination of Indo-Islamic, European, Hindu and Neo-Gothic architectural styles.
where in the world?
Image

This week I want to congratulate Steve, Neama and Barret for correctly guessing the location of the above photo!
 
The image is of the Imam Ali Holy Shrine in Najaf, Iraq.
 
If you ever do travel to Iraq, this place MUST be on your itinerary. The structure is believed to hold the tomb of Mohammed's cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib. The gold, silver and crystal was out of control, both outside the complex, in the courtyard and in the shrine itself. And there were at least 50,000 pilgrims from around the world at the complex while we were there. I have never seen another place as extravagant as this one!
 
And now...
 
Image
 
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 :)
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Thank you so much for reading!

Derek
(my middle name is Earl)
 
 
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