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This Botley Sunset Is How All Towns Should Welcome Train Travelers

by Anil Polat | Feb 10, 2015 | Pictures and Video, Train | 4

botley train station england

When I landed in London’s Gatwick Airport the immigration official routinely asked me where I was going. When I told him Botley, I was surprised to hear his reply of a question, “where is that”? I explained to him that from what I could recall it was about a two hour drive southwest of London. He said, “I know.”

“So why did you ask me,” the conversation went. “I wanted to see if you knew.”

I can see that security at the England‘s borders are really on their top game. Several hours later when the train rolled into the quiet Botley station I walked across the pedestrian bridge over the rails, ran back, and waited to snap this photo. A cheeky welcome to London but a warm one from Botley.

The Safest Places You Can Visit In These Countries With Dangerous Reputations

by Anil Polat | Feb 5, 2015 | Security | 18

bokur yemen soldier

Although international borders themselves aren’t very thick, they often outline the boundaries of security for whole nations in our minds. Typically, entire countries aren’t dangerous but once they’re associated with the word, booking a trip to one of them doesn’t seem like a sane decision. For those of you who enjoy adventure without risking your life, these are the regions I’ve traveled to that you can carefully visit, in countries that have an unsafe reputation.

Socotra Island, Yemen

I’ve written quite a bit about Socotra Island, because if there’s any reason to travel to Yemen, this archipelago is it. Socotra is technically a part of Yemen but it’s nearly 300 kilometers (~190 miles) off the mainland’s coast. There’s so little crime on Socotra that it doesn’t even have a police force. Despite this, due to its nominal connection to Yemen, Socotra remains one of the most neglected tourist destinations in the world.

socotra island yemen dragon blood tree

Kiev, Ukraine

Actually this advice goes for much of western Ukraine, which is unaffected by the conflict in Donetsk and other eastern regions. Here’s the longer version to the question: is it safe to travel to Kiev right now but in short, outside of the capital city’s Maidan, you’ll see life has returned much to normal.

kiev ukraine maidan

Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

Despite their proximity to Syria and territory captured by ISIS, these heavily fortified cities have stayed protected within the areas controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Both cities have international airports but before you go read more about safety in northern Iraq, what it’s like to travel there, and this digital pocket guide to traveling in Iraq.

sulaymaniyah iraq

Most Places South Of The Border, Mexico

Mexico is a country whose economy is booming and crime rate is falling in areas tourists are most likely to visit; though maintains a reputation of lawlessness. Much of this has to do with a series of highly publicized kidnappings as well as the murder of 43 students in 2014. A large percentage of these crimes are related to local drug trafficking, away from tourist areas so you can discover the ciudad under Mexico City and swim in enchanted cenotes without fear.

oaxaca mexico

Hurghada, Egypt

The political turmoil in Egypt has crippled the country’s tourism industry. You may be weary of visiting Cairo but the biggest worry anyone has in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada is whether there’s a good wind for surfing that day. (The answer is usually, yes.) Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul to this paradise town that might not look anything like you imagine when Egypt comes to mind.

hurghada kite surfing

Texas, United States

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States has a homicide rate on par with Yemen. The high murder rate in Yemen and the United States shouldn’t be entirely surprising as those two countries have the first and third highest gun ownership rates per capita in the world. The surprising part is that a quarter of America’s 20 safest cities are located in the Lone Star State known for its cowboy culture.

don't mess with texas

You Can’t Put A Border Around Safe

Just as you can’t put an imaginary line around dangerous, the same is true of safe. Although both the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan and Somaliland in the horn of Africa are considered safe, they’re not ideal places for inexperienced or unprepared travelers. Sometimes it’s best to cancel your travel plans because of unfolding circumstances in places that were safe or take a look back at somewhere like Sarajevo whose recent history might be keeping you away needlessly.

What are some of the safest places in “dangerous” countries you’ve visited? I’m curious to hear your comments below!

You’ll Have A Gun To Your Head If You Don’t Follow These Rules When Visiting Area 51

by Anil Polat | Jan 27, 2015 | Advice, Security | 2

area 51 back gate

Although there isn’t a lot to see at from the back entrance of the United States Air Force’s not-so-secret military installation Area 51, it’s one of the many stops along the Extraterrestrial Highway that makes for fun photos. Point your lens in the wrong direction however and it could affect your life for years to come, starting with one very bad day.

There Are No Accidents

You could easy drive down Nevada State Route 375 (also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway) completely unaware of your proximity to Area 51. There’s no chance of you accidentally driving up or on to restricted government land because unsurprisingly, this covert base isn’t the easiest place to find.

extraterrestrial highway

Let’s be clear – you can’t really visit Area 51 – which covers nearly 1,500 square kilometers (~932 square miles) around Groom Lake. There are two entry points on to the restricted area, the main gate and the back gate entrances, which are located on desert roads cutting the Nevada sands several kilometers off State Route 375.

Those two gates are as far as you’ll get but it’s also where many people get into trouble every year. You don’t want to be one of them.

Advice From A Little Ale Inn

Extremely remote, most of the things worth seeing along the Extraterrestrial Highway stand out. Keep your eyes open for the Black Mailbox, which has become something of a pilgrimage stop for science fiction fans and UFO hunters. Next, halfway on State Route 375 is the town of Rachel, Nevada, the only one anywhere close.

Gas Up Before The E.T. Highway – There isn’t a petrol station within 161km, roughly 100 miles of Rachel.

little ale inn rachel nevada

Featured in the movie Paul, is the campy but cleverly named Little Ale Inn is where you should have a drink, purchase a map to Area 51, and remember to listen very carefully.

Paul

This Is What Happens If You Break The Rules

Little Ale Inn staff will tell you stories of the small but significant number of idiots who decide to not take top secret air bases seriously. Crossing in to Area 51 anywhere beyond the gate could seem innocent enough, especially since it’s in the middle of the desert, there isn’t a fence, and the gate isn’t manned. Violating the perimeter however means agents will detain you face down at at gunpoint, until the local sheriff picks you up, which usually takes a few hours.

ford unminivan area 51

In the meantime your vehicle is taken to a holding facility a two hour drive north but you’re sent to jail an hour south. Lots of forms will be filled out. As if this wasn’t bad enough, you’re also placed on the United States terror watch list, meaning you might not be allowed to fly, even though your pockets will be much, much lighter. The fines can total thousands of dollars.

When you hear all of this, it can be intimidating to head toward the gates at all. Keep in mind that there really is no way to unintentionally drive on to the base despite rolling over a lot of empty desert road before getting to the gates. You’re not going to haphazardly stumble upon an alien having tea with Barack Obama in front of a warp drive without some real (foolish) effort.

The Signs To Heed (Others You Don’t)

The gates of Area 51 denote government property, don’t pass, go beyond, or step around them. You will spotted by cameras (or that suspicious vulture that followed me the entire time) and picked up by someone before you get to the main highway. A few other guidelines:

White Vans – There might be vehicles around the gates, keeping an eye on you. Do not photograph them.
No Photos But You Can Take Photos – The signs that say photography is not allowed, mean for those who are actually in Area 51. You are on public land so you can take pictures of the gate all you want, keeping the rule above in mind.

nevada buzzard vulture

One thing you are free to do however is to conjure up all of the conspiracy theories you like. Still, I wouldn’t necessarily do it right outside the gates of Area 51, hanging around too long just feels creepy, even if you do take the advice above.

How Thick Are International Borders?

by Anil Polat | Jan 22, 2015 | Travel, Travel Unravel | 10

wagah border ceremony

We fly, drive, and occasionally walk right over lines that define boundaries between nations but you may have wondered how thick those markings on the ground actually are. Surely a border has some sort of width, especially since so many of them were drawn before GPS or highly accurate geographic measurements were possible. It turns out in many cases, borders aren’t very different from the imaginary lines Bugs Bunny would drawn in the sand to infuriate Yosemite Sam.

Borders Aren’t Created Equal

Originally most borders in the world were actually neutral zones called marshlands which evolved into the country lines we’re more familiar with today. Country lines separate sovereign nations but since there isn’t a convention on when or how a border should be drawn (usually they’re defined after a conflict of some sort) there are a lot of highly unusual international borders.

bugs bunny lines

Even Google Maps has created controversy before because they didn’t know quite where to draw a border – complicated by the fact that Costa Rica and Nicaragua can’t decide either.

Literally Lines On The Ground

At the daily Wagah border ceremony between India and Pakistan you’ll notice that guards from both sides enthusiastically march toward each other, only to turn facing away, several centimeters apart. Wagah’s elegant “I don’t like you” dance demonstrates that the line separating India and Pakistan is an infinitely thin marker denoted by a fence with white painted line on concrete.

Similarly, the much more friendly border between Belgium and the Netherlands is marked in some places by a few bricks or nothing at all which Mental Floss notes has caused some weirdness:

“The official border between Belgium and the Netherlands runs through living rooms, yards and cafes, so it’s possible – indeed, it happens more often than you’d think – to sit across a table having a cup of coffee with someone who is actually in a different country…For a while, a Dutch law requiring dining establishments to close earlier than they did in Belgium laid the foundation for an absurd, nightly charade in some Baarle restaurants. At closing time in the Netherlands, patrons would have to get up and move tables, over to the Belgian side.”

A lot like how embassies get their places in foreign countries, there isn’t a set way to draw up a border, they’re validity is only as good as the agreement between the sides involved.

Broader Misconceptions

You might be under the impression that international borders are defined by physical boundaries, like parts of the U.S.-Mexico that happen to be along the Rio Grande River. Although the physical barrier of the river defined where the border would be, there’s actually an (imaginary) line in the waters equidistant between both the Mexican and United States shores. That’s the real international boundary although determining where shores lines are has caused numerous disputed along borders around the world, even between the U.S. states of Texas and Oklahoma until as recently as 2000.

Where Borders Bloat

Now that we know most borders are literally just lines drawn on the ground, another misconception is that they have to be lines at all. In fact, air and seaports are all considered borders themselves, which is why you’re not legally in another country until you cross the immigration line. (Remember the movie The Terminal?) When you’re in an airport on a layover, you’re technically “on the border” – one reason why your electronics are be subject to searches without probable cause in Western nations.

The Terminal [Blu-ray]

Next time you get a passport stamp (yay!) notice as you walk past the immigration booth, there’s probably a tape line on the floor or a small gate of some kind. Now you know what it represents.

Define The Line

There’s a good reason borders are marked with signs, lines, and people standing guard: they’re all made up. International borders are human constructs that need to be labeled to exist. For a few of you traveling wouldn’t be quite as fun without borders but let’s be happy many borders are as thin as they are – it’s always fun to hop between countries or hemispheres as you can do in Quito, Ecuador.

How To Spend A Weekend In Riga, Latvia On A Budget

by Anil Polat | Jan 20, 2015 | Advice, Food, Lodging | 5

riga latvia monument

Sandwiched between Lithuania and Estonia, the Latvian capital city Riga retains a grittiness that’s been mostly polished in its two Baltic neighbors. Riga exists in the sweet spot of developed but edgy, leaving its hard history more exposed as the European Union’s fastest growing economy moves forward.

Despite Lativa’s switch to the Euro, it still retains a relatively low cost of living, even in Riga, the largest city in the country. That means you can see almost all of Riga on foot without blowing your entire travel budget. Whether you’re just passing through Riga or have plans for a longer trip, this is how the TL;DR version of visiting 2014’s European Capital of Culture cost effectively.

Where To Stay Without Spending Much

For a cozy spot that will cost you about $12 a night for a dorm or $24 for a private room, take a look at Central Hostel Riga. Located in a residential neighborhood a 7 minute walk from the city’s major sights, Central Hostel Riga is clean, has a full kitchen, helpful staff, plus offers free wireless.

riga latvia downtown

Remember Your Schengen – Lativa is a part of the Schengen Area so if you plan to be in Europe for more than a few weeks, you should read this crash course and learn how long you can stay legally in a Schengen member country.

Central Hostel Riga is not the easiest place to find but easily accessible from Riga International Airport (the hub of Europe’s most punctual airline) by shuttle bus or walking distance from both the train and bus stations. You can read my full review of Central Hostel Riga here.

One Place You Have To Eat

There are a lot of good places to eat in Riga (a city which likes to bizarrely combine sushi with anything) though you can’t leave without visiting Lido. Yes, Lido is a chain of about 9 restaurants located mostly in Latvia, but its a la carte selection of local dishes is an inexpensive way to eat too much and only feel guilty about your waistline.

lido riga latvia

For a quiet drink, thoughtful ponder, or place to meet new friends, near Lido’s Vermanitis location is the little wine bar Burbulnica. They offer a good selection of locally produced wines in colors red, white, and slightly in between which might be hard to choose from – except that Burbulnica’s staff can tell you the right boozy flavors for your particular taste.

Munch At Central Market

Riga’s Central Market doesn’t really give a damn if you’re a tourist which made it refreshing to get yelled at every time I took a photo. (Officially, it’s allowed, snap at your own risk.) Though it’s probably not a good idea to climb scaffolding as I did to get the shot below:

riga latvia central market

Eye candy for market lovers plus real candy if you’re hungry, the Central Market is massive, something that makes sense when you learn it used to house non-musical zeppelins.

riga latvia central market

There’s an Uzbek bakery along the path joining two of the hangars where locals pick up brick oven breads. Along the left side of the left most hangar there are homemade plates Latvia’s over-50 crowd seem to especially enjoy. Hearty foods heavy on the stomach, light on a traveler’s wallet.

riga central market

Historically Interesting Museums

A lot of museums around the world have the archaic design of “let’s put a bunch of old stuff around” and expect you to be impressed. Seeing enough of these can turn you off to museums in general, which would be a shame in the case of Latvia’s Museum Of The Occupation. Latvia is a country which has spent most of the past 500 years under foreign occupation. The Museum Of The Occupation gives a glimpse into what setbacks the country has overcome, enlightening for any visitor. Entrance is free of charge with optional donations taken.

riga lativa monument to the riflemen

Right outside the museum, on the hour most working hours you can watch a guard change in front of the Monument To The Riflemen, free for all.

Public, Local Advice For Free

There are plenty of other things to see and do in Riga. Concentrated in the Old Town are your usual European sampling of impressive churches like Saint Peter’s. (entrance ~$8.10 USD). A bit north of there is the Art Nouveau district with free architecture for the eyes. Although all of the main sights in Riga are within walking distance, during winter average high temperatures don’t go above freezing.

st peters church riga latvia

In case chills aren’t your thing, plan a trip during the busier summer months or cut your transportation costs with a Riga Card. Personally, I don’t think 20 Euros (~$23) for the Riga Card is worth the discounts it offers; except the perk of 24 free hours of public transportation if your feet get tired.

You can get a lot of great local recommendations in the frequently updated Like A Local Map to be found just about everywhere remotely traveler-focused in Riga. (As well as at the Central Hostel Riga.) Even better, it comes in free, offline app form on both Android and iOS.

Finally, chances are if you’re in Riga, you’ve been to or are going to one of the other Baltic states. Here’s how to spend a short trip in Vilnius, Lithuania which is only a 4 hour, 20 Euro, border-less Lux Express bus ride away.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More