A film about the heavenly angels in uniform of the Dharamsala police department in northern India. After weeks on the dusty roads of the country they were a sight for my sore eyes...
I have seen some strange things on my travels in India but nothing as mysterious as this bridge. Located in an empty Indus river valley in the Himalayas I came across it by chance and am still perplexed as to what it was all about. Was it cursed with some kind of voodoo magic or is there a simpler explanation?
I consider myself rather good at resisting a smooth tongued salesperson but on a warm day in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh I met my match. These two young girls hustled me and hustled me good. Watch how they did it.
I knew they were out there in India and I was determined to find one. Join me on a hunt for Delhi's hijras...
This is part one of a series of films about what is in my opinion the world's greatest road trip - The Himalayan Loop. The road trip follows the ancient caravan routes from Ladakh down to Himachal Pradesh and then up to Kashmir before crossing the roof of the world back into Ladakh and the end point in Leh.
It's amazing what you stumble upon whilst cruising around the backroads of India. Somewhere in Himachal Pradesh I saw a park full of thousands of colourfully dressed people and decided to go and make some new friends and practice my Hindi...
There I was riding up the steep hill towards Leh the capital of Ladakh in the north of India one day when in the distance I saw a guy pushing a food cart. I had to stop and investigate...
It was supposed to be a leisurely ride to a remote Buddhist monastery. But in India you should always expect the unexpected. Meet Hem Raj, the hitchhiker that wouldn't leave...
Here is my story about how I managed to learn Hindi and how I would like to help you learn it too and therefore get so much more out of the amazing country on your next trip.
You meet all kinds of interesting people whilst searching for a nice cup of tea in India...
A video dedicated to the gods who reside among us. The mighty Indian truckers who ply the roads and highways of the subcontinent, delivering our Limca and Lay's chips
In this video I tell the story of my first trip to India and why I have returned after an absence of over 20 years. And about my bro-mance with a blue god...
I stumbled across this abandoned place in the middle of nowhere and decided to go and investigate...
So whilst on a recent trip to Srinagar in the north of India I decided to investigate if Jesus really was buried in Kashmir. And like always, I made some friends on the way...
A review of the world famous Hotel Circus in Gomel, Belarus. It hasn't changed much since it was built in Soviet 1974, but that just adds to it's many charms.
Want to check out a Soviet restaurant? I heard there was one in the Belarus city of Gomel and decided to go take a look. Hope you are hungry!
Is there a cheaper country in Europe than Belarus? Where else can you get a delicious meal and a bottle of vodka for under $5??
You might not believe me but I am testament to the fact that if you want to learn Russian, throw away the grammar books and you'll make massive progress very quickly. Grammar holds you back in the beginning of your language journey so hold off until you are much further down the road towards Russian fluency.
Join me on a tour of the Hotel Cosmos. Built for the 1980 Olympic games it's staff have been servicing tourists ever since.
Oh the provinces of Russia! Here I am in the romantic southern city of Kyzyl, home of throat singing and violent murders, and...the infamous Hotel Mongoluk. Let's take a look around...
You won't believe the skills of these provincial parkour guys in Russia. I was mind blown and you will be too. Check it out.
Situated in Siberia, Kyzyl-Mazhalik is a Russian town town where the average wage is just 100 Euros a month. I travelled there to take a look around and see how life is in Russia's poorest town. Turns out is wasn't so bad...unless you support the local football team.
Everyone told me not to go to Ak-Dovurak in Russia's Tuvan Republic. Being officially Russia's most dangerous town they said I was guaranteed to be beaten up, or worse. Well that sounded like an adventure I could not refuse and so I went there to see if the town lived up to its reputation...
I had travelled across Russia to reach the world's greatest of lakes, the incredibly beautiful Baikal. But dreams do not always come true. Or do they...
Down in Tuva I was lucky enough to spend some time in the town of Ak-Dovurak and checked into a stunning old Soviet hotel without a name. At $5 a night it was the bargain of Siberia.
In preperation for my visit to Russia's most dangerous town I set out in search of a shaman in Kyzyl, the capitol of Tuva to receive blessings and protection. Here is what happened...
I recently visited a small town in western Tuva in the south of Siberia and was fortunate enough to spend time listening to a master of Tuvan throat singing, also known as Khoomei. Enjoy the sounds of Tuva!
So I finally was leaving Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva in southern Siberia and heading to Russia's most dangerous town, Ak-Dovurak. On board there were all kinds of characters, mostly drunk and including one who decided to teach me Khoomei, also known as Tuvan throat singing...
A story of how I was lost in a Siberian town in Russia and then somehow found... Thanks to Matvei, his friends and family for their warmth and generosity
Whilst travelling through Russia I was asked if I could help a guy out with a problem. It was an offer I could not refuse...
Well it's not every day you get a chance to stand in the gerographical centre of a continent. So when I had the chance to head to the centre of Asia I took it. But it wasn't easy...
Next weekend Khabib and Conor will fight for the UFC lightweight title and I thought why not go down to Dagestan and watch the fight there. The only problem is it seems like an easy place to die. Join me on a Caucasus adventure and if I'm kidnapped someone please pay the ransom. Cheers.
Inspired by a Ted talk on throat singing I recently made a journey across Russia to the small republic of Tuva to hear the native style of singing called 'Khoomei'. This is the story of that journey.
This series is about my journey along the north Caucasus towards Dagestan to watch Khabib fight in UFC 229. First stop the apparently dangerous Ingushetia.
There I was having a nice stroll around the Russian city of Nazran in the republic of Ingushetia when I heard a noise I recognised from war movies. I jumped in a taxi to investigate and suddenly found myself in a place I probably should not have been...Join me as I meet the militants
So I left Nazran and Ingushetia behind and headed to the bus station to find a ride heading east into Chechnya where new adventures awaited and possible dangers...
Join me as I visit a local cafe in Chechnya to eat some lunch. And their restaurants don't look like ours...
So I left Grozny and headed north into the mountains of Chechnya, slowly making my way to Dagestan...and making friends along the way.
I woke up in the stunning mountains of Dagestan and hitched towards the town of Botlikh and discovered the people were excited about the fight...
Whilst in the Caucasus I had to go and see the site of Russia's worst terrorist atrocity, the attack on school number one, Beslan.
The final instalment of my UFC Caucasus journey where I see the man I came to watch on tv, Khabib Nurmagomedov in Dagestan and much closer than I ever expected...
Whilst exploring the Thieves Market in Delhi I decided to try some of the local street food. Join me as I try Delhi's best Biriyani!
I was recently walking around the centre of Delhi where I bumped into a guy from Manchester in England who had been learning Hindi and so we decided to film a short conversation in the language.
On our first evening in Delhi myself and Harald Baldr headed to Paharganj night market in search of our first meal in India together. We found a small outdoor place and sat down to sample some of the dishes and speak to the workers. A big thanks to Harald Baldr on this one for keeping the conversation entertaining and flowing during the meal.
Whilst in Delhi my friend Harald Baldr and I decided to head to the Thieve's market in Old Delhi, also known as Chor Bazaar. There we found fake goods and all kinds of friendly people to mingle with. This is the video from that day.
Karl Rock is a popular foreign Youtuber making videos in India. However from the numerous videos he makes about scams in India it seems that he's trying to imply that his adopted homeland is a nation of scammers and cheats. Is Karl Rock right to portray Indians in this way? Myself and Harald Baldr discussed scamming in India and our own experiences on our way down to Jaipur recently and here is the discussion.
Myself and fellow Indian food aficionado Harald Baldr headed to the funfair at the Red Fort in the Indian capitol of Delhi to sample the sights sounds and most importantly the tastes. Join us on a night of fun as we try Indian street food at the Delhi funfair.
The first part of our road trip series in which myself and Harald Baldr rent Royal Enfields and head out into the countryside of Rajasthan to explore this great country. And meet a man with India's greatest hair.
On a hot afternoon in rural Rajasthan myself and Harald Baldr had to cross an infamous mountain path known to locals simply as 'the hill of certain death' due to the high number of Cobra strike fatalities there. Well with know other choice or route around it we set off on our trek through Cobra country...
Harald Baldr invited me to accompany him to watch the sunrise over the Indian desert city of Jaipur which he wanted to drone. So at 5 am we left the hotel and set off through dark streets in search of the fort that over looks the city. Join us on a motorcycle adventure with no headlights.
It's not easy finding love in India as I recently found out...I saw the woman of my dreams in Jaipur bus station and thought we would build a life together but alas dreams don't always come true. This is a sad tale of unrequited love...
I had just travelled 9 hours on a bus from Jaipur and arrived at night in the Indian city of Jodhpur, and didn't expect such a friendly welcome...
This morning I woke early and headed out into the back streets of the Indian city of Jodhpur for a look around and to take in the sounds and smells. Please join me on the tour of the beautiful named Blue city.
I recently headed out into the Indian city of Udaipur to search for Royal Enfield motorcycles to rent with my friend Harald Baldr. Whilst searching the streets for a hire shop we met all kinds of interesting people and tried some local foods. Join us on our search through the streets of Udaipur.
There we were, myself and Harald Baldr, driving through Rajasthan when we spotted something unseen in Europe since biblical times. I had to stop and investigate and fins out what this contraption was...
Whilst exploring the back alleyways near our hotel, myself and Harald discovered a small gym and decided to go and put some muscle onto our weak and flabby bodies. And best of all it only cost $1!
After driving in Mumbai the trading capitol of India on the country's western coast I decided to head straight to the Thieve's Market in search of interesting antique objects. Join me as I explore the alleyways and backstreet shops...
We had just arrived in the hustle and bustle of Mumbai and decided that instead of searching online we would hunt for a hotel in the downtown area of the intense city. Join myself and Harald Baldr on there mega hotel hunt through markets and alleyways of the great Indian city...
Myself and Harald, left sleepy Aarambol in northern Goa and instead flew north to the big daddy of India, the wild and sprawling city that never sleeps, Mumbai!!! Join us on the adventure...
I had just arrived in Ahmedabad at 7am after the worst journey of my life from Udaipur when I saw hundreds of men on the street corner. And so I went over and found myself in the street job market. Join me as we talk to the guys...
Whilst out exploring Mumbai I stumbled upon the old vegetable market and joined the city's bhabhis in a vegetable hunt.
I have visited all kinds of markets and bazaars on my trip through India and today I discovered an Islamic market situated under a noisy motorway bridge. Please join me on an Islamic market adventure hunt where we will discover the things Islamic women like to wear. You can have any colour, as long as it's black.
Who says Indian girls don't party? These two do! Join the party and meet some strange Indian characters at the wine shop.
Guess whose birthday it was? No not biscuit guy, but my travel partner and trap hunter, Harald Baldr! And so we decided to treat ourselves to a little luxury at Mumbai's greatest mall full of rich people and expensive shops. Join us for a look around..
I had read a lot about Dharavi, Mumbai's and the world's biggest slum. I had seen videos of the squalor and poverty to be found there but I wanted to go and see another side, I wanted to see if I could find some joy there, some happiness, some hope. And so whilst in Mumbai I set off in search of Dharavi intending to see for myself how life was progressing there. Join me on a wild adventure through the world's largest slum.
Fed up with Mumbai's traffic congestion I decided to jump onto the commuter train instead and ride it into the centre. Join me on an open door ride with the wind in my er, hair, all the way to the centre of the wonderful city of Mumbai.
They said it couldn't be done. They said no foreigner could learn the ancient secrets of the rickshaw wallah. But they hadn't reckoned on Mr. Bald and his desperation to escape bankruptcy...Join me as I begin my new career as Indias's greatest rickshaw wallah. Please tip generously!
Whilst in Mumbai I was told that the old Crawford market was the place to check out and so I set off in search of colonial architecture and market stalls. Join me on my exploration.
One month ago, before the cookies and Kingfeemer I flew into Delhi's Indira Gandhi airport to wait for Harald Baldr and begin our trip across the amazing country that is India.
As a foreigner in India you are often hassled by beggars but this one was like no otherI I had ever met. Join me as I try to escape the insane Mr. 100 Rupees who had the persistence and stamina of no other beggar before him.
There we were, myself and my blog brother Harald, walking through the Delhi fairground when suddenly in the distance we saw it towering above us. Join me on India's craziest ride where I feared for my life.
Ok guys I want your take on this... Were we scammed? Why did the price suddenly go up? Was it a misunderstanding or a scam? What's your take? Anyway as you see in the video we found it funny so no hard feelings towards our Jaipur bus dude regardless of scam or not. I liked him. Jai bhole ki!
I was travelling by bus across India, and so far had found Indian people to be very friendly, so I never expected to be so brutally attacked as I was by the roadside salad sellers of Rajasthan. I still have PTSD from the incident .
A word of advice to people...If you have been drinking desi daru all day never speak to someone with a camera as it might be put on television or the internet one day and you will have to live with your performance forever!
Whilst in Goa we headed to Aarambol in the north to find Goa's best beach and a hotel for our stay. It wasn't as easy as you might think. Join me on the Goa hotel hunt.
In the north of Goa is a secluded beach resort called Arambol which is full of Russian tourists and Russian speaking Indians. I went up there to meet some people and take a look around
Bloods, Crips, Cosa Nostra, MS 13, all think they are tough but compared to these guys from Udaipur in India they are nothing. This is what happened when I hung out with India's toughest street gang.
Goa, Agra, Manali...tourists all go to the same old places in India. But I decided to go and see the real India, away from the banana pancakes and cheap hostels. Join me as I explore rural India on a journey to Khumbalgarh fort.
I had just flown back to India to celebrate reaching 50,000 subs but I was soon reminded that in Delhi you can never relax with rickshaw drivers! Fortunately I was experienced enough to know what was happening. Please never let a rickshaw driver take you to a 'Government tourist office'. It's a scam!
Whilst in Delhi I wanted to go to the now infamous Kingfeemer Bar to once again sample the nations favourite 'funsip' drink. Whilst there I met some interesting locals and helped them with their sexual problems ???? Just another day in India! Enjoy!
I always dreamed of staying at the Lake Palace Hotel in India. Situated in the middle of a lake it seemed like an idyllic spot to spend a night or two and so we decided to swim over and check in. But we soon found out that the hotel's security were not very welcoming to say the least!
With the crazy hotel guards and Indian police hot on our tails after our attempted swim to the exclusive Taj Lake Palace Hotel we had to escape the city of Udaipur and seek shelter somewhere or else risk being thrown into an Indian jail...And luckily we found the perfect getaway driver for the job!
I have been to Delhi numerous times and yet I only recently found out that situated in the far north of the city on an isolated stretch of highway is a colony of Tibetan refugees who fled their homeland long ago...Intrigued, I went to explore it and found a community that has built their temples there and preserved their culture.
Whilst riding a rickshaw through the capital city of India I saw a dark tunnel through the other end of which was a market hidden from the road. And so I decided to investigate and soon discovered a hidden world of busy markets and a peaceful Ladakhi monastery.
I have always been fascinated by the wonderful turbans that men wear in the Sikh religion and so I travelled to Amritsar in the Punjab to try one on myself. How would it be wrapped on my head? How would it feel? Join me and find out....
Every evening the border between India and Pakistan is closed with a great ceremony of dancing and music and epic marches. I loved every minute of it, meeting new friends, singing songs and having the time of my life. Check out the video but it will make you want to go!
To celebrate the weeklySunday holiday I have uploaded the full unedited conversation with the Kingfeemer bar's most notorious patron, the legend himself Mr Master-Bator. The man with the strongest handshake in India. This gets weird quickly...
Whilst in the Indian city of Amritsar I saw lot's of places offering something called Kulcha and so I decided to go and try the quintessential Punjabi meal...
As an Englishman I love a cup of tea and on an early morning market exploration in Amritsar, India I met a lovely man who has been making tea in the same spot since 1979. Join me as I chat to him and the vegetable sellers by the side of the busy Indian street.
In this video I take you on a tour of one of India's most famous religious places, the magnificent Golden Temple. Whilst there I meet Sikhs and fans and all kinds of people and I explain the rules of Sikhism. Join me on a tour of the holiest place in the world for ????
In this video I am going to teach you how to speak the real Hindi, not the boring stuff you will find elsewhere. This will help you avoid the scams and cheaters who will try to prey on you as you traverse the great country. ???????? My arsenal of phrases and how to use them correctly has been learned over many trips to India, exploring the back streets and alleyways. Learn how to use Hindi like me and you won't just be another clueless tourist.
Nowhere is perfect and as much as I love India there are of course things that I don't like. Here are my 10 things I hate about India. Let me know if you agree or disagree with any of them!
I had arrived in Varanasi in search of a hotel but first I had to fight my way through the crowds of touts and scammers. Learn how to deal with them by watching this video! Jai Bhole Ki!
Jai Bhole Ki from Varanasi and the might Mata Ganga ( Mother Ganges ) In the first of a two part episode I explore the winding back alleyways of the night market where people buy all kinds of religious symbols that help them perform their religious duties in the city. Join me as I explore the shops and talk to the store owners of this incredible city...
I continued my night market tour avoiding people spitting on me and then arrived at the ghats on the holy River Ganga ( Ganges ) to watch the spectacular Ganga Aarti ceremony. Incredible India!
I heard that in the north of Delhi was a camp that was set up for Hindu refugees that had fled persecution in Pakistan and so I headed there to see how their lives were progressing. As it turned out, not too well.
on't you just love massages! So relaxing right? Well not with this guy! Watch how I am beaten, twisted, vibrated and have my ears cleaned and then so much more in the backstreets of Delhi.
Don't go to Paharganj everyone said. It's dangerous and filthy everyone said. Why do you tourists stay in that horrible place everyone asked. Well today I want to take you on a tour of Paharganj main bazaar so you can see for yourself exactly what it is like and then form your own opinion. Join me on a tour of what could be India's worst bazaar. Or maybe it isn't...
GB Road at night is not a place to be hanging around and especially not a place to be lost. But we were... This first part of the series is a compilation of short episodes from my trip to India with Harald Baldr. Enjoy!
This is a compilation of fails and laughs and behind the scenes silliness from our recent India trip. Pour yourself a cup of masala chai, sit back and enjoy the ride!
???????? A few days ago I returned to the Hindu refugee camp in northern Delhi with the money that you guys raised for them. I handed over roughly 300,000 Rupees that will be used to bring clean water to the more than 100 people who live there. This is a quick video to show you what happened. I will make a longer video in the future. A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to the cause and those who helped behind the scenes in other ways. I could not have done it without you. The first video is here which shows how I originally met them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gqv4ZvWXLg
I had always been fascinated by the mysterious north eastern region of India and so I took a flight to Imphal the capital of Manipur to explore the city.
Do you like spicy food? If not then stay away from this fish curry thali I ate in North East India. Watch and see if I could handle that spice or not...
In the Indian city of Imphal is a market where only women are allowed to sell their goods. A unique place in India and the wider continent. I headed there to explore and to talk to some of the women venders who earn a living there. No men allowed!
Whilst in the North Eastern Indian state of Manipur I decided to take a journey to the very edge of the nation to a little known border town called Moreh that has been hacked out of the surrounding jungle just across from Myanmar. On the ride I was stopped at military checkpoints in what is a volatile area of the country but the scenery of mountainous jungle made it all worth it. Moreh has a reputation as a smuggling town and so I was intrigued to see what it was that lay there exactly. Join me on this first of a three part series as I journey to India's eastern edge...
Moreh is a town on the border with Myanmar. A town that is built on the smuggled exotic wood that has been cut from the endangered forests of Myanmar. I went there to have a look around...
Just across from the Indian smuggler's town of Moreh is Myanmar ( Burma ). I decided to walk across the border and see what life was like on the other side. Was it the same? Was it different? Watch and find out...
Ever wanted to try cold noodles for breakfast? No me neither, but I did it so that you don't have to! That's just the kind of guy I am! Check out the slimiest meal in Myanmar and feel lucky you never have to eat it
Whilst travelling in Burma I found a street barber shack and headed in to have a beard trim. I expected it to be cheap, but not this cheap! Amazing people in Burma...
My journey across Burma continued with a road trip to the mystical Asian city of Mandalay. A city whose name conjures up images of the Orient. But first I had to buy a bus ticket...
How do you find your hotel in a land where nobody speaks English and the nation's language is a collection of squiggles
Bald you must try Diablo when you are in Burma people said. Diablo is epic others promised me...Well I trust you guys, you watch my videos so you must be guys with refined tastes for the finer things in life. How wrong I was...
Whilst walking through the streets of Old Delhi I discovered a kiosk selling something I never knew existed. It was something that is unique to the country of India 'Bhabhi magazines'. I had to buy myself a copy and go and read it. Now I want a bhabhi
The question I am asked most by non Indians who watch my videos is 'Am I not afraid of having something stolen in India?' I always tell people that there is nothing to be afraid of in India from theft or violence but to prove my point I headed to the infamous Thieve's market in Delhi with a necklace made of real Indian Rupees. Would someone steal the necklace? Let's find out....
Do you complain about the traffic in your country? Well watch this video and you will never complain again! Milk sellers, crazy rickshaws, fake ambulances, pollution, bhabhis, Chinese tourists...It all happens at Delhi's craziest junction! Could you handle it???
The Tibetan Colony in northern Delhi is the place to try the foods of Tibet. I went there in search of the infamous spicy Laping noodles. Could I handle the spice? Find out...
In this the first of three short episodes that were filmed within 30 minutes on the same street I ask the question: Is you country this crazy? In the first episode we have street UFC... Let's welcome the contenders....and some Tony Ferguson jokes.
Do you like to read books? No me neither! But some old fashioned people do and so on a Sunday afternoon in Delhi I went along to see what these strange people were buying and it was mostly Stormy Daniels and German despots. Enjoy you the video you crazy bookworms!
Who will defend India's honour and finally defeat Pewdiepie? T Series have not managed it but there is hope: Meet India's future YouTube stars who will one day crush the second most popular vlogger in Brighton.
Can you believe that there are people in the world who have never tried Indian food?! Well I know two of them and so invited two of my Russian friends to try Indian food for the first time. Would they like it or not? Let's find out....
Wanting to escape Minsk for a bit I took a short trip to a provincial town in Belarus called Bobruisk in search of some of the nation's Soviet past. It didn't take long to find it...
This is part two of my journey to a provincial city in Belarus. In it we have Lenin statues, vodka and a strange pink sausage made of...Well I have no idea. Join me once again on my trip to Bobruisk. Part One of this series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X74KhXTAigs
Belarusian cuisine may not be famous but it certainly is good! I was invited by Dua Lipa to try some traditional recipes that fortunately did not include belly buttons. Join me as we try solyanka, vodka, kvass, draniki and perogi. Instagram for my restaurant companion is: tanya_smaltser
I wanted to take you on a journey with me in this episode to a village in rural Belarus. So I headed to Gomel and from there took an early morning bus out into the windswept provinces to see what life is like in a Belarus village. Hope you like bleak landscapes and Ladas. Attention! Don't forget to check out my book: The Burning Edge by Arthur Chichester ( available on all Amazon sites ). Full of crazy tales from Belarus. You'll love it!
I finally made it to the virtually deserted village of Horoshevka where only a few residents remained and was told that I had taken quite a risk in getting there... Attention! My book 'The Burning Edge: Travels Through Irradiated Belarus' is available on all Amazon sites. Check it out. It's cheap!
Meet Viktor. Viktor is 50 and likes to drink. I like Viktor. I also like to drink. And so we went to a Soviet apartment to drink vodka. And then he started talking about the War...The rest as they say, is history.
Always wanted to travel to Europe but can't afford it? Well I've discovered a place everyone can afford. Whilst travelling through the provinces of Belarus I stumbled upon a hotel that wouldn't break anyone's budget. Welcome to what must be Europe's cheapest hotel.
So many vloggers have made the trip to Pripyat to make Chernobyl films that it has become an embarrassing cliche. So I decided to enter the real unexplored Chernobyl zone instead. The one across the border in Belarus. No tour guides here. Just me and my knife ready to face whatever came my way. Join me on a solo journey across the Zone...
I had survived wolf country, radiation and Viktor but now I was being led into the windy swamps of Chechersk as night approached by a gang of tough looking dudes. Would I survive or had I finally met my match.... Don't forget to purchase your copy of my book about Belarus 'The Burning Edge' by Arthur Chichester. Available on Amazon.
Well that is the end of my trip to Belarus ( going back there after one month ), new adventures await in a brand new country next week... Here is a compilation of clips that didn't make the final videos. You will recognise some old friends in there...
Moldova is the least visited country in Europe. And so I came to its capital city Kishinev to see why...It did not take long to find the answer. Years of theft and corruption by politicians has left the locals of the country tripping up on broken pavements and walking past abandoned buildings on their way to collect their 40 Euro pensions.
Ever been to Ratus in Moldova? Me neither and so I decided to go and investigate the place so you don't have to. On the way I met some great Moldovan people and of course visited some abandoned Soviet buildings.
Look at a map of Europe and you won't see this thin sliver of a country but it's there and so I went to explore. Get ready to visit the country that does not exist...Welcome to Transnistria or as locals call it Pridnestrovie.
Moldova is famous for it's wine but I wanted to try the real stuff, the home-brew that people make so I set off for the villages in search of some wine and drinking partners. I soon found both. Meet the epic babushkas of Moldova...Oh and they want to find me a Moldovan wife
On my last day in Moldova I had invitations to hang out with some different people but there was only one dude I wanted to spend my final hours in the country with and that was my favourite Moldovan of all, the legend of Kishinev himself. Introducing my friend 'Vova'. Get ready English girls!
I have always admired the Russian gopnik lifestyle, the beer, the fashion, the freedom and so when my Slavic friend Alina arrived in Minsk I asked her to teach me the ways of the gopnik. Get ready for semechki, squatting and Adidas in a gopnik adventure!
Two months ago on a cold morning I headed into the radioactive Chernobyl forests north of the Belarusian town of Vetka. Now I was back to re-trace the people who had invited me into their home and generously shared their food with me. But this time I was bringing shopping... Original video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIC73xZPLgU
Whilst driving the back roads of the Belarus radiation zone an old man flagged me down and before I could say anything he had climbed into the car and started barking instructions. Soon we were heading down forest tracks towards the abandoned radiated village he called home. And what a home it was!
If you want to be accepted as a man in the Slavic world you have to know how to cook a good shashlik and make a vodka toast. In this video I wanted to show you how to do that but then the party got crashed by someone who was more expert than me at drinking the sweet juice of the Gods. After that it all went to shit...
With only a day left until my time was up in Belarus, I had one final mission to complete. To head back into the radiation zone and find an old friend of ours. But before that I headed down an old radiated road and found something interesting on the wall of an abandoned house.
In this film containing three parts we explore a fist derelict village, then an abandoned Soviet palace in a remote village and finally Object 1180 which was a Soviet nuclear bunker built in the middle of nowhere.
Travelling on Russian or Belarusian trains isn't like anywhere else. There are things to know and do. Here I'll show you on the Moscow to Grodno train...
Situated on a side street in Moscow is the grand Hotel Soviet. A place unchanged since Stalin and some of the world's worst dictators stayed there. I checked in to explore its corridors and tried to imagine what the walls had seen over the years...
When travelling into the centre of Moscow by train early in the morning we did not see a ticket machine. It will be ok we thought, nobody will check our tickets...Wrong!
Want to visit all the former Soviet republics on a scooter and without leaving Moscow? Well I will show you how....Welcome to Stalin's Soviet theme park in the heart of Moscow, the incredibly beautiful VDNKh.
New country time and I chose the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Straggling the Caucasus and hugging the Black Sea, Georgia is an ancient land of wine, incredibly friendly people and abandoned Soviet buildings...Get ready!
Tskaltubo is an abandoned Soviet spa resort nestled up in the sub-tropical hills of Georgia. Off limits to everyone and patrolled by a security team it is not an easy place to gain access to. However I thought it was important to see such a place and imagine what it was that went on inside its lavishly decorated rooms.
In an attempt to try something different I wanted to do a one take, zero edit film. Just press record and see what would happen in those 10 mutes or so. And when I saw a friendly looking taxi driver leaning on his Lada Niva in the Georgian town of Chiatura I had an idea. I gave him 10 Lari and said let's go somewhere...well let's just say there isn't much to see in Chiatura...
We had travelled up through the hills on an old bus to reach the town go Chiatura which was famous for its Soviet cable cars, something I had always wanted to do. But when we got there we found out some bad news. So instead we went out for a wander around town to meet some locals.
After the fall of the USSR ancient resentments and rivalries that had been kept in check for 70 years suddenly rose up leading to outbreaks of civil wars in various former Soviet Republics. Once such war broke out in the small sub-tropical region of Abkhazia on Georgia's north west coast. The Georgian people were forced to flee over the mountains leaving everything behind. I found some of those refugees still living in the empty shells of Soviet hotels some 25 years on and went to ask them about their story.
I have travelled to many places in the former Soviet Union but none quite matched the eerie strangeness of this semi-derelict former Soviet spa resort called Tskaltubo. I felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Georgia sits on the far eastern edge of the Black Sea and so we decided to head to the semi abandoned ex Soviet tourist resort of Kobuleti to try our hand at a spot of fishing to catch our supper. Well, we weren't the best...but we did see a dolphin. Oooh!
For years Alina has suffered with sinus infections. And so when someone in Georgia suggested there was a local way to cure it she was ready to try. Join us on the search for what I called a witch doctor but what locals probably just call' the lady who lives down the road who helps people out sometimes' . Oh and you will also get a taste of a lengthy Georgian toast...
Lunik 9 is an old communist era housing estate built on the outskirts of Kosice in the east of Slovakia. Now it is better known as being Europes largest gypsy slum. Everyone told us not to visit because it was dangerous and so I had to go and investigate to see if it was as dangerous as everybody told me or if it was something different. What I found surprised and shocked me. Welcome to the party at Lunik 9!
Buying a Soviet bicycle, climbing an abandoned Soviet tower, finding a snake in the toilet, buying village home brew, drunken motorcycle journey and much more....Welcome to what might be Europe's most fun country...Welcome to Ukraine!
Unfortunately I picked up a pretty bad chest infection and have not been able to film anything. I will go home to recover for a few weeks but before I do I have to ask...would you do this?
You can take trains from Moscow to all kinds of romantic sounding places; St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Beijing...Well I didn't do that, instead I chose to go to Saransk the capitol of the backwater republic of Mordovia. Yeah I have no idea why I did it either.
Whist travelling the backwaters of Russia I heard about the Mordvoian people who speak a language called Moksha. And so began my journey to a village deep in Europe in search of someone who could teach me a few words.
Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet Soviet...
Greetings from the republic of Chuvashia in deepest Russia where I went on a hunt for the little known European language of Chuvash. And as usual on the way I met some real characters. Get ready to meet Yuri Alexandrovich, Chuvashia's most dapper gentlemen.
What do you know about the republic of Mari El deep in Russia on Europe's eastern border? Probably not too much right. What about their language? Well you're not alone and so I went out to rectify that and on the journey there found some weird things...like Barbara Streisand.
What do you think of when someone says the word 'Europe'? Maybe Paris or Milan? Maybe the beaches of Spain or the mountains of Switzerland. Well there is another Europe that stretches out along the eastern border of the great continent. There you will find cities and towns the names of which we were not taught in the West but yet they are as much Europe as Manchester or Munich is. I took a trip to towns named after men with blood on their hands to see for myself...
Sometimes Russia throws up some crazy experiences and yesterday was such a day when I discovered an ancient church located somewhere on the edge of Europe. The building was beautiful but the inside was just weird... Oh and I had to escape from a Russian village.
I recently met the popular Russian YouTuber NFKRZ for a tour of his hometown, Chelyabinsk which is a city that doesn't have the best reputation in Russia to say the least. So could he change my opinion about his Asian city or was everyone who told me not to come here right? Let's find out... Here is his channel link so please check him out for Russian content in English https://www.youtube.com/user/MultiNfz
Not long ago the town of Karabash was declared Russia's most toxic town due got the heavy pollutants that a mining plant was pumping into the air over the region. And so with my friend Roman from the popular YouTube channel NFKRZ we decided to visit the town and see for ourselves just how life was progressing there. Join us on the road to Karabash...
Greetings from Kyrgyzstan where I decided to check out the famous lake Issyk-Kul. However I found more than I expected whilst searching an abandoned building in the town of Balykchy...Oh and warning: I say the word Soviet quite a lot too!
Three days ago I travelled to Belarus to drive back into the radiation zone there and deliver supplies to some of the last remainers on that contaminated piece of land. I also bumped into an old friend you may recognise...
The bus driver told me I could get off and walk to the airport. The only problem was it meant walking along a busy highway for miles. Was it even legal?? I don't know. Oh and then I flew to a country where I could not breathe. What a journey.
South America has a reputation for danger and violence. And so whilst on my short stay in Bolivia I decided to take a cable car up to El Alto which is a part of La Paz known by locals as a place for theft and violence. Would I survive with my camera? Watch and find out...
Not every endeavour can be a work of art. David Bowie wrote the song Heroes but also The Laughing Gnome...Take this upload for example. Literally nothing interesting happens in it, just me being miserable in the rain and I'm even somewhat ashamed to upload it, but it's 3am in Bolivia and I can't sleep due to the jet lag. Even the shitty Adam Sandler movie I just watched on Netflix has not helped me fall sleep. So I thought why not stick something up and read some comments. Maybe someone will love it and think it's the greatest video ever made on youtube or maybe you have jet lag too and want to kill 10 minutes of your time instead of just lying there staring at the ceiling all night wondering if you will ever nod off and what the meaning of life is. Or maybe you are on the toilet having your morning pooh before going to work and would like to see a bald man randomly buy a bowler hat in South America to pass the time. I don't which one of those is you know but there you go. Have a great day/night/pooh everyone. Oh and in case you want to know, the f*king hat cost me $65!!! Unbelievable.
When I order a taxi I don't want much. I don't need a fancy car or even decent music. What I do expect however is that the driver will at least know where he is going! And then not overcharge me at the end of the ride. Unfortunately I met this guy and, well see for yourself...
Whilst in Boliva I thought it would be fun to go and check out a village somewhere and meet some locals. I randomly chose a place on the map called Patamanta and naively headed off expecting to make friends and be invited into people's homes just like I had done in the former Soviet Union...Well Bolivia isn't Belarus...
After being kicked out of the Bolivian village a few days before I decided I had to return and try to visit a village home again, but this time I had switched things up that would help me...A tweed jacket and briefcase. What could go wrong.
It was my last day in Bolivia and there was one thing that had been playing on my mind...what exactly was in the village beyond the church that I had been warned to stay away from? There was only one way to find out. Operative Babushka Boy would have to investigate.
I decided to head south to the snowy peaks of the Caucasus that divide Europe from Asia. But before I could board my train to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, I had to work out what exactly a bloody 'put and platform' is. Fortunately a one legged local helped me...Yes I'm back in Russia!
'Don't go to Chechnya!' the UK government website says. For sure you will be kidnapped and killed. Well, it turns out that they don't know what they are talking about. All you will find here is beautiful landscapes, friendly people and great shashlik. Oh, and very persuasive taxi drivers! Big thanks to Ruslan for the tour. Muzhik!
One year ago I was stranded on a mountain top in Dagestan when one guy saved me. We kept in touch and he invited me to return to his mountain village in Dagestan called Gagatli. Everything was great, except his car...
It's no secret that I have a somewhat over excited reaction every time I see something remotely Soviet, so imagine what I thought when I saw a Soviet barber shop in Makhachkala's old bus station...Yes I had a Soviet beard trim. Oh and where the bloody hell is Kalmykia?!
People often ask how I get around Russia, well often I hitchhike from town to town. Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes I discover a weird place I'd rather not be in...
Just over 400 years ago a tribe left their homeland in western Mongolia and made their way to Europe. They settled on the windy steppe lands of southern Russia and continued their way of life. I went in search of them and discovered a Buddhist republic living in the heart of Europe. Oh and it is VERY windy there.
With the Russian winter slowly moving in I bought a ticket on the international train heading across Russia's southern border into the country of Azerbaijan and it's surprisingly modern capital of Baku. Join me as we skirt the banks of the Caspain Sea and head into Asia.
The truth is I did not know anything about Azerbaijan before I arrived except that it was rich with oil money and had an incredibly modern capital city called Baku. But I wanted to see beyond that and get to know the country beyond the glitz a little bit better. And so I hired a car, bought a map and set off in search of Ganja. Join me!
Whilst exploring an old Soviet village in Azerbaijan I was stopped by a polite old gentleman who asked for my documents. Who was he? Why did he want them? Who did he work for? Did I do the right thing? Who knows but I think I just me the Azerbaijan version of the KGB.
A couple of months ago I went into the Belarus Chernobyl radiation zone to visit a man who lived alone there called Kolya and gave him some money I had raised. I was now going back to check up on him. The only thing I had not considered however was this: What if he wasn't home?
I had been searching the radiated forests of the Belarus Chernobyl zone for my friend Kolya but with no luck. Then I drove to the nearest village where there was one last. inhabited house. I knocked on the door and waited....
After all of my trips to the Belarus side of the disaster it was finally time to travel to the source of the tragedy itself, Pripyat and the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Whilst there my guide Igor treated me to the world's greatest invention, 'Vodka cakes'. Oh and we also heard some stories from the re-settlers. I used a tour company for my trip called Solo East. This is their website. I can highly recommend them. https://www.tourkiev.com
In Mauritania there is a train journey that is legendary for being so brutal on the body and spirit that few can make it to the end of the line. Open box cars full of iron ore dust, freezing nights and scorching desert days...I decided to jump on board an open boxcar and see just how brutal it was...
As a vlogger you are always a little nervous about filming in public. Occasionally people ask you politely not to photograph them, occasionally they throw vegetables at you, but nowhere is quite like the capital of Mauritania where filming yourself gets the locals screaming at you! What a bunch of Mauritanian madlads! Fortunately the people got a lot more chill on the road to Nouadhibou.
If you would like to visit Chernobyl and explore Pripyat then please visit SoloEast travel at https://www.tourkiev.com These guys are the best at what they do and will take you where others won't Not far from the Chernobyl reactor is the town of Pripyat which housed the plant's workers and was abandoned due to high levels of radiation not long after the disaster. I went there on a miserable winter day to see what traces of the past remained...
What do you think of when you hear the name Cuba? Well for me it brought up romantic notions of revolutionaries, rum and steamy tropical nights. But what was life like on the island for the common man living in modern day Cuba? Well myself and Alinchik flew there to find out. Join us on a small town Cuban adventure that nobody else has shown you...Viva the revolution!
Do you hate the morning commute to work? Well I doubt you have it as bad as Cubans we joined on their morning commute. An hour standing in what is basically a cattle truck that rattles over broken roads that even locals struggle with. Bring your sick bag!
Most of us have access to the basic essentials in life. We take being able to use an ATM for granted, that the trains won't run out of petrol and be cancelled or that milk will be available in a shop when you visit. But the people of Cuba are not so lucky. They live under a different system and to be honest, it's not working out well for them...So tell me, could you handle live under that system?
Cuba; land of cigars and rum and random nutters who throw your beer on the floor. Join me as I show you the behind the scenes from our trip through this perplexing, frustrating but friendly and fascinating country.
Whilst travelling through Cuba we saw a malnourished kitten walk under a speeding truck. Somehow it survived and so we adopted the kitten and named him Fidel. For the next two weeks we travelled together across the country with the kitten and despite the food shortages in shops where even milk was hard to find, we nursed him back to strength. But then the holiday was over and we had to fly home to Europe. But what about our little cat who had been our constant companion? Leave him alone on the streets again? Well we did the only thing we could do, we headed to the airport for our flight home and hoped our cunning plan would work...Join us in the greatest action adventure since Papillon. Fidel now has his own Instagram page so you can follow his adventures @furry_bandito and Alina has started a little merchandise shop to raise money for Fidel's veterinary fees: https://teespring.com/stores/la-chica-de-fidelcat
The western world is in panic at the invisible enemy out there, holidays are being cancelled and people are being forced to stay home in self quarantine. And so I thought it would be the perfect time to head off on holiday to the Caucasus and board the midnight train to Georgia. And then I realised that it's not just the west that is worried about the big Corona...Oh and I discovered an abandoned military base too. Random vlog time.
It's Soviet adventurising time again and we are in a new republic for this episode: the ancient mountainous land of Armenia where I heard some stories from the past and up in the mountains discovered the holy grail for Soviet explorers...Join me on the journey.
With my flight out of Armenia cancelled and finding myself with an unexpected extra few hours left in the city of Yerevan I jumped in a taxi and headed to the centre to look at some sights and try some local wine and food...I kind of wish I skipped the food part!
The whole world is taking precautions, keeping people safely inside, practicing social distancing, right? Well no...In Belarus they do things differently. Bars and restaurants are open, few wear face masks outside and today they had a big celebration with crowds. So I went to take a look...Join me in the country that does things its own way.
There are six towns in Belarus which have their own breweries. They are Brest, Lida, Vitebsk, Rechitsa, Bobruisk and Minsk. And so I decided to go on a grand tour and try them all...in the cities where they are brewed. Join me on the no lockdown grand Belarus beer hunt.
'Would I like to go and visit an abandoned Soviet pioneer camp?' my friend Niall asked me. Well what a daft question. Of course I would! And so we set off across no lockdown Minsk in search of a bus out of town and ended up completely lost. But that's a good thing because it meant we met some random Belarusians on the streets of the capitol including a certain famous actor...
Allow me to share with you some of Belarus' history; Khatin and the story of the village the invaders wiped off the map, Studenka where Napoleon's Grande Armee met a watery end and the story of the European Stork who call Belarus home every summer. Oh and of course we found time for a quick look at a small town's 'wall of hotties'. This is part 1 of a two part journey.
Whilst wandering through a remote forest in Belarus I saw an old gate post and then soon after stumbled into an abandoned cottage where the inhabitants had seemingly left in a hurry leaving their belongings behind. Well I did what anyone would do; opened a bottle of Soviet champagne and took a look through the things I had found.
Dobri den from Prague, the world's greatest city where the beer is cheap but the apartments aren't. I came here to recover from my recent illness and have not been filming but when a friend invited me to play football-golf I thought I would film the experience. I didn't know it would be so humiliating. Also get ready to meet a ginger celebrity you may remember... Check out my blog for behind the scenes photos and stories. Here: lostgopnik.com Fidel the cat is on Insta @furry_bandito
When I was growing up I became fascinated by the mysterious and little known country of Albania on the southern edge of Europe. A land which at that time few outsiders had visited due to the paranoid Stalinist leader Enver Hoxha. Well things have changed now and the borders are open so I decided to head there and to see where state paranoia can lead...
I don't usually make food videos but whilst in Albania I met a couple of good lads who invited me to try some Albanian specialities at their restaurant and so how could I refuse? Join me in the sunny town of Vlora as we try some delicious, and not so delicious local specialities... Blog: lostgopnik.com Instagram: realbaldandbankrupt
Welcome back to beautiful Prague, capitol of Czechia and now known as the city of Vietnamese alcohol shops and the region of Pankrac, known as the Venice of Central Europe. I have returned to look after a Cuban cat for a few weeks and whilst here was invited to chat to a very nice chap called Thomas about...well all kinds of things. Oh and he took me for a ride in a weird contraption you have possibly not seen before. I hadn't. Enjoy!
Hola Señor y señoras from Mexico City. I have flown here for a week of tacos and tequila with my YouTube friends Harald Baldr and Simon Wilson. Join me on what is bound to be some random drunken adventures in the big daddy of Central America. Viva Mexico!
Ask any resident of Mexico City where they would avoid visiting and the answer always come back: Tepito. A barrio of counterfeit markets and dark alleyways where the hoodlums run the streets, the Barrio Bravo ( Ferocious neighbourhood ) is a place I was told not to go to if I valued my life and possessions. But could it really be that bad? There was only one way to find out. I had to go and investigate.
Sinaloa; the word alone conjures images of cartels and violence. A place that anyone with an ounce of sanity would avoid, especially a bunch of tourists who would stand out like a sore thumb. Well fortunately me and my friends don't have much sense so we decided to head deep into cartel country disguised as Mexicans. Join me in part one of a drunken adventure to the home of El Chapo...Culiacan, Sinaloa. Please check out Harald Baldr's and Simon Wilson's YouTube channels for their films from Mexico.
We all love Mexican food, right? Tacos, enchiladas, tequila...but whilst in a small village north of Guadalajara I ordered a local beverage of unidentifiable flavour...we decided to call it the Mexican blood pint. Join me on a trip deep into cartel countryside...
After a journey down from the altitude of Mexico City, we finally reached the tropics of Sinaloa. Home to the Sinaloa Cartel it is a place we had been warned not to visit, but I wanted to see Sinaloa behind the headlines. Was it as bad as we had been told or not? Join me on a road trip through Mexico's narco state...
Ever wanted to know what life was like in mysterious Central Asia? Want to see what kind of hotel rooms a couple of $ will get you? Well join me as I drive across Kyrgyzstan in search of a town called Miley Suu and on the way meet a host of characters in the semi-abandoned villages of the country. Oh, and I found a nice apartment block for us all to move into. Instagram: realbaldandbankrupt
️ The Soviet Union had a policy of closing towns and cities of strategic and military importance off to the outside world. Even Soviet citizens couldn't enter Maylisuu due to its Uranium mines which were so important to the nuclear weapons program. Well I decided to head to deepest Kyrgyzstan to see what a formerly closed city looked like back then and see how life was progressing now. Join me as I become one of the few foreigners to ever enter Maylisuu.
I left Kyrgyzstan's worst hotel and headed towards the high peaks of the Ala-Too mountain range on my way towards the radiated town of Mailuu-Suu. And for once I had a friend with me. Join me on a Central Asian road trip...
In the 1960s American spy satellites photographed a huge leviathan craft docked in the Caspian Sea. The CIA dubbed it the Caspian monster. It was however a top secret Ekranoplan that was built for war. It remained in a naval dockyard under lock and key after the USSR collapsed until recently when it broke free and washed ups on a beach a few hours to the south near the Russian city of Derbent. I flew to Rostov and set off across the varied landscapes and cultures of Southern Russia in search of the infamous Caspian monster. Kalmyk song on radio is called Eejin Duun by Okna Tsahan Zam and is on YouTube if you search it.
Hola todos! Culiacán, city of the Sinaloa cartel, cocaine and for a brief period, Diego Maradona. But the one thing they never tell you about is the orgasmatron lady of the city centre or the terrible table manners of Simon Wilson who barges into cafes throwing his Jugo Chavez all over the place. So if you see him coming to your restaurant and you are a waitress then avoid this man.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region which had been quiet for the last decade recently boiled over again when Azerbaijan mounted an attack which led to it conquering much of the territory it had lost in the previous war. I flew into a bitterly cold Yerevan in early January with the intention of heading down to the capital Stepanakert to see what was happening there since the war. Would I make it or not?
We all know about Tallinn the vibrant capital of Estonia with its tech start-ups and modern infrastructure. It's lauded as a miracle of the post-Soviet sphere and rightly so. But what about the rest of the country? Is that reaping the benefits of EU accession too? I jumped on a train heading east to find out...
There are plenty of videos on YouTube about Ukraine and they all show the same things; pretty churches in Kyiv, beaches in Odessa or Lviv's incredible town square. But did we really learn about the country from those generic films? I don't believe so. And so I wanted to travel off the beaten track and show you the real places and meet the real people of Ukraine away from the cliches. Oh and we will search for some Soviet mosaics too. Join me on an adventure in what may well be Europe's friendliest and least understood country.
In 2014 the Ukrainian part of the Donbass erupted into war. Separatists from the Lugansk and Donetsk regions took up arms and took control of Ukrainian towns all along the eastern region of the country. Eventually they were pushed back until they controlled just the cities of Lugansk and Donetsk and some surrounding villages. I went off to visit some of the towns that the Ukrainian army had re-taken along the front lines to see how life was progressing and to hunt for the ultimate Soviet mosaic...
I hadn't been in Kharkiv very long before I started hearing about the dodgy gopnik filled suburb called KhTZ ( Kharkiv Tractor Plant ). None of the people I spoke to had actually been but they all told me stories of a region known for its fights and muggings. Well I decided to go check it out with my good mate Johnny. Join us both on a gopnik adventure in Ukraine's dodgiest hood.
Doing the simplest of tasks like popping to the shop for a loaf of bread is no simple thing in Kryvyi Rih. That's because it's seemingly the longest city in the bloody world and going anywhere takes a bloody eternity and ends in sweaty frustration. However I was on a mission to seek out its Soviet past so I stopped complaining and set off on an adventure in search of an old dude with a Lada. Join me as we go back in time to good old Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine's most frustrating city.
Greetings from beautiful Ukraine. Myself and my bodyguard Johhny FD left the capitol city Kyiv on a provincial adventure to the town of Pereyaslav in search of a Soviet Cosmic church I had tried and failed to visit last winter. On the way we learnt some more about this great country, for example: to always avoid Burger City, how not to serenade babushkas and that even dogs have bad reputations and are banned from shopping at some places. Join us on a trip to what might actually be Ukraine's friendliest little town, Pereyaslav.
We all want to find that special someone, the person who will accept us and love us despite our madness and idiosyncrasies. We all hope that that person is out there somewhere waiting to be found. And so when myself and Johnny met a woman on a provincial bus journey who told us of the mythical village of Sofiivka, a place supposedly full of fair village maidens all searching for husbands, we decided that we would have to travel there and investigate for ourselves to see if we could find true love. Get ready for the feel good movie of the year...
The Trans-Siberian train, who hasn't dreamt of taking it across this leviathan of a country? Well not me to be honest but somehow I decided to override my dread of endless train rides to show you what nobody has shown you before. The real Trans-Siberian. This isn't a package tour, nothing is booked in advance. It's just me on my own hopping from town to town on whichever train is leaving next, meeting locals, drinking vodka, avoiding snorers, exploring Russia. Join me!
Under Stalin the G.U.LAG ( Main Administration of Camps ) system spread out across what was the former Soviet Union, swallowing up citizens and foreigners from all corners of the empire. Ukrainians, Estonians, Kyrgyz etc. were taken from their homes and sent north in box cars to the camps to work away their stretches. Millions passed through the camps and many never returned home. Those camps have long been dismantled or converted into regular factories and work places and you'd be hard pressed to know that you were visiting a former camp. However Perm 36 logging camp has been preserved and so I travelled to the very edge of Europe to a village called Kutchino to visit the last Gulag and to see how the prisoners lived.
What does a man have to do to get a beer around here? Well if you're in the Siberian town of Taiga then the answer is quite a lot. I searched everywhere for a beer and met legends on the way. Welcome to the towns other bloggers don't show you, where everyone is a character with a twinkle in their eye.
We have all heard of the Trans-Siberian, Russia's mega train journey that crosses Siberia as it skirts the Chinese border. But few have heard of the even more impressive B.A.M ( Baikal Amur Mainline ) which passes through virgin forest in the middle of Siberia. Built in the 1970s by young communists, the BAM is the greatest construction project of the 20th Century. And yet it is unknown in the West. I decided to go and ride this unknown journey across northern Siberia and speak to the people who came to build it. Join me as we ride 'The Bam'!
Since Lithuania gained it's independence in 1991 it has removed as much of its Soviet past as it possibly could unlike in other post-Soviet republics where there are constant reminders of the USSR around every corner. However in the north of the country lies the town of Visaginas where I was told I could find the last remaining Soviet mosaic ( kind of ). Join me as I head north to see how life is in Visaginas which was built to house the workers from the nearby atomic power station and maybe meet some babushkas on the way.
As the USSR entered its final stages, law and order began to break down and there began a period which has since been called the period of 'Bandit Capitalism'. This was a period when gangs protected by tough sambo fighters and boxers from the different republics began to form and to exploit the new riches that were to be found in the burgeoning capitalist era. One of those gangs was known as the Vilnius Gang which had a fierce reputation in Lithuania and further afield.
If you look at a detailed map of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia you will see some strange shapes appearing in the very south of the country. These are the Soviet formed exclaves belonging to both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They were formed in the 1950s to answer the question of what to do with small regions which were ethnically diverse from the Kyrgyz Republic the people had found themselves living in due to Stalin's map making. These exclaves had always intrigued me and I wondered what life was like in them. However there is zero information online about visiting them. However I am always up for a wasted journey so I hired a car in northern Kyrgyzstan and drove 1000kms to one of these exclaves to see if foreigners were allowed to enter or not. Join me on a wild adventure towards the mysterious mountain exclave of Shohimardon...
A week now seems a lifetime ago in terms of the rapidly changing events in Ukraine. I arrived in the country thinking to myself 'Putin isn't mad enough to invade because the Ukrainian people will fight to the death for their country. It will be like Stalingrad.' And yet I was completely wrong to underestimate his insanity. Now as I write this the people who I met in this video are living under bombs and bullets. Unbelievable how much suffering Ukrain e has gone through in its history. I could write so much but I will leave that until my next video. In the meantime I wish the people of Ukraine well and hope for their safety in this terrible war
With reports that the city of Kyiv was soon to be closed off I decided the best thing to do was to join the crowds and leave for the border before being stuck. Whilst it was a sad to see the people leaving their homes behind and taking their kids and pets with them towards an uncertain future it also showed the best of the people. Spirits were high, nobody panicked, people shared food and drinks with each other. It was humbling to be a part of it. I have made plenty of films in Ukraine and so I will be making a sizeable donation to help some people there.
I always thought the Middle East was just rock and sand and full of fanatical nutters. I mean that's all the media ever show us isn't it. And so to cast off my ignorance and prejudice I travelled down to the country with probably the worst reputation of all, Syria. I was joined by Wales's most famous culinary expert @Simon Wilson ( check out his channel for his videos from the trip ) and our new Syrian mate Rami for a journey that both educated and surprised us. Maybe it will surprise and educate you a little bit too and next time you watch some depressing news report from the country you will be able to better draw your own conclusions. Watch this ( the longest video I have ever made ) and find out for yourselves. Shukran habibis.
Earlier this year myself and Alina tried entering an Uzbek exclave surrounded entirely by Kyrgyzstan. If you saw the video you will know that we were not allowed in. But we don't give up that easy...And so when we discovered that there was a new flight route started up from Uzbekistan to the unknown exclave of Sokh we decided we would have to investigate and try to get in somehow to see what lay there beyond the mountains. Oh and it just happened to mean flying on an old Soviet bi-plane. How could anyone resists such an adventure?! Buckle up for a Soviet adventure in the mysterious land called Sokh.
Having travelled to weird and distant locations over the last four years I thought it was finally time to visit my own nation, Great Britain. A land with a rich history and as you'll see if you watch this video, some absolutely great people who are as funny and friendly as you'll find anywhere else in the world. Join me and my mate @Backpacker Ben as we drive the length of Britain visiting towns unknown to outsiders and where we meet some true characters. Rule Britannia!
Since we began exploring the former USSR we have discovered all kinds of wonderful examples of Soviet art and technology. However this time I went in search of the biggest prize of all…I just didn’t realise it would cause such a fuss as it did. Glory to the Soviet space engineers and cosmonauts! Glory to the Buran! Check out the Instagram @lanasator for some great photos from Buran and other areas of the former USSR. Without her advice and knowledge this video wouldn’t have been possible.
Deep in the heart of Eastern Europe lies the nation of Romania. A mysterious land to many with its own history of villains and heroes. And it was in search of one such polarising figure that I began a journey across this land ( by the world’s greatest train ) in the footsteps of Ceaucescu. Join me on this personal journey which I have long dreamed of making as we trace the leader’s final days in power and his ultimate demise. Shoutout to all the friendly Romanian people I met on the journey. The prequel to this video can be found on the Daily Bald channel.
This journey that started for me aged 17 in Anna’s Russian class has now come to an end. I’m glad that you were there to see a huge part of it. From the villages of the Komi republic to the mountains of Dagestan, we have experienced so many adventures ( and Soviet sinks ). I'll always remember the forays into the hinterland and the people I met with great fondness but it's time to to bring the curtain down. Glory to the USSR! Top B
What do you think of when you hear the word 'Afghanistan'? Probably not very good things and that isn't surprising. Afghanistan seems to have been in a perpetual state of war since recorded history began. But with the new government in place and the country supposedly somewhat safer now than at any time in the last 20 years I decided to go and investigate the mysterious landlocked country for myself to see how life was progressing. It was quite the adventure. Welcome to Taliban Land... Please check out Backpacker Ben's YouTube channel for his Afghan videos.
We are all a bit fascinated by Japan aren't we. So distant and yet so modern and futuristic. I'm no different and have always wondered what the country was like however what really intrigued me was what it had to offer beyond the huge metropolis of Tokyo. Was the whole country wealthy and modern and full of robot restaurants and Harijuku fashionistas? Or were the provinces something else? A place that suffers from the same economic and social problems that much of the rest of the world does? Well to find out I set off across Japan with my mate @BackpackerBen to see for ourselves, choosing a random town called Itaigowa from the map. What we found was not the Japan we knew existed.
It's miraculous that the nation of Vietnam even exists because for over 1000 years mightier neighbours have been trying to invade and subjugate it, be that the Mongols, Chinese, French or USA. Yet the Vietnamese held on and defended their land thanks to leaders like Ho Chi Minh. Well I flew in with two friends to explore this proud nation and to re-visit some of its darker past. Join me in this the first part of the journey. To seer other versions of this journey please visit @BackpackerBen and @TimKyoutube who both recorded this journey for their channels called Backpacker Ben and Tim K.
I've met some interesting characters on my travels but not many like Mr. Suck. But before we get to him and his questionable Google translation skills myself and @BackpackerBen had to cross into a mysterious country called Laos. We entered a world not seen by many and in some ways untouched by modern life. Join us on an adventure where my other mate @TimKyoutube will also be with us on our way south to Saigon. Please check out both ben's and Tim's channels for another side to the trip. Channel names: Tim K Backpacker Ben
Peru is currently experiencing a lot of civil unrest due to a political crises. Sixty people have been killed by the police and many hundreds injured. The country has been brought to a standstill by road blocks and protests. And so you’d think I would avoid visiting the country. However no, I wanted to visit and see what was happening on the ground and meet the Peruvian people. And practice my Spanish. Join me… Thank you to Lucy my teacher and chama for patiently helping me learn Spanish this last year. Without her help this trip would have been completely different and only half and interesting.
Welcome to the Jungle! I sailed down Amazon tributaries from the Peruvian town of Pucallpa in search of adventure on my way to Iquitos, a town hacked out of the rainforest, passing villages where foreigners don't stop. And there in a small village on the banks of the Amazon I met the legendary turtle man. Join me. Thanks to Lucy and her brother for helping me translate the drunken conversations in Pucallpa
I was hitching a ride on a transport ship down the Amazon River in Peru when I started noticing people among the passengers who looked distinctly like the descendants of Chinese people. Many boarded and disembarked the ship at the various little jungle towns the ship stopped at until we reached the town of Alto Monte which was like something from a Hong Kong kung Fu movie. But who were these people and why were they dressed in robes and gowns? I disembarked to find out... Thanks to my amiga and chama Lucy for helping with subtitles on this journey.
Having checked into my hotel in the centre of Bogota I decided to go and take a walk around and see what the city had to offer. What I found was a place littered with rubbish, toxic smells and well, let's just say the world's oldest profession. However despite all that the people were extremely friendly and we met some Venezuelans who told me what to expect on my journey to their country. Join me on a street tour like no other... This is part four of the Latin America journey from Cusco to Caracas. Gracias a mi chama Lucy para ayudar con translations.
Venezuela, the name conjures images of a country synonymous with economic collapse and violence. But is that reputation deserved or is there another side to the country that the media don't show? Well, despite being nervous for my safety and that of my camera, I flew into Caracas on my own to investigate. Oh, and whilst there of course I had to visit the infamous Petare barrio, known as Venezuela's most dangerous hood. Would I survive? Join me and find out. Vamos a Caracas chamos! Shout out to @BackpackerBen for accompanying me all the way from Cusco to Colombia and thanks to my chama Lucy for her help with the translations on the trip.
There aren't many countries as unknown and as mysterious as the one called Mongolia. All we know is the name Chingis Khan and nothing else pretty much. Well I wanted to fill in the blanks in my mind and travel to the vast remote country slap bang in the middle of Asia to see what it was like. And unlike the few other YouTubers who are had visited Mongolia and just ridden a horse or stayed in a tourist yurt, I was going to go to the mean streets of the cities and to meet the people. And, well, see for yourself what happened... Cheers to backpacker ben for driving us around the country. Check out his channel @BackpackerBen Special thanks to my friend Paul who lives in Mongolia and who took me under his wing when I arrived. Without his help I'd still not have a SIM card or had been able to hire a car. See you in the South of France mate. Also thanks to Olivia 'Dogecoin' who took me to the worst transexual bar in Mongolia.
There are few countries in the world with a bigger image problem than Bangladesh. I mean, just tell me the last time you heard a good news story from the nation? Exactly! Well, I thought I'd go and see if it really was just a place of monsoon floods and outbreaks of disease or, if there were some good reasons to visit the country. And what I found might surprise you so much that you might want to come visit too...Welcome to what is perhaps the world's friendlist nation: Bangladesh!
Bangladesh is a country of mighty rivers and some dodgy river boats. I decided to jump on one and ride down the river in style in my own VIP cabin. Check out what you can get for the princely sum of $12! And on the way I made some friends. Join me on the world's cheapest VIP cruise!
You must have seen the photos online of all the people riding on top of trains in the country of Bangladesh. Well on my last day in the country I decided I'd try and do it myself for the quintessential local experience. Everyone told me not to but because it was extremely dangerous, but sometimes you got to take a chance. Join me on my most dangerous journey yet!
The migrant crises along the USA's southern border has become a hot topic over the last few years with what seems to be an endless stream of people flooding across the border. But where are those migrants coming from, and why? I decided to go to the source of the issue, Venezuela, a country on the verge of collapse, and travel with the migrants north through Central America to understand the issue better. Join me on what will be my most dangerous and longest journey ever undertaken as we cross the infamous Darien Gap and other areas most people avoid unless escaping poverty.
The Darien Gap known as the world's most dangerous jungle. I had heard of the Darien many years ago through National Geographic and it had both fascinated and intimidated me. I knew one day I would have to visit...
PART THREE: Ask any migrant heading north to the USA which part of the journey they fear most and they will all answer with two words: La Bestia. In English it is translated to The Beast and it deserves the name. Terrible things happen to people on The Beast, from kidnap by the cartel, robbery by immigration officers or just losing a limb below its rolling wheels. And yet myself and @TimmyKarter knew that if we wanted to really experience the Caminante lifestyle then we too would have to face the dangers and confront the very thing migrants fear most...Join us! @TimmyKarter YouTube channel is a place to find our journey from his own perspective. I highly recommend you check it out. Thanks again to him for inviting me on this journey and translating whenever I didn't understand something. Would have been ten times harder without him.
You have probably seen the videos of us walking through the Darien jungle. This is our story about everything that happened to us on that journey. All the planning that went into it, or lack of planning, and how we eventually met the cartel. Please watch our story.
England, one of the world's richest nations. But not everyone gets to enjoy the benefits of being born here. Just 60 miles from the bright lights of London is Jaywick which is statistically the most deprived town in the nation. I visited with my friends @BackpackerBen and @TimmyKarter for a weekend by the beach. Join us! Thanks to the staff at the Black Rock restaurant in Clacton who looked after us and the great people of Clacton and Jaywick.
I have always wanted to travel to mysterious Kafiristan which is nestled in a couple of small valleys in the north of Pakistan. However to reach the northern mountains I would first need to pass through Balochistan, a region of the country that had been fought over for millennia but never quite conquered. In fact just the day before i arrived Iran bombed it. So let's just say, things didn't quite go as expected when I met the Pakistani military...Join me as we cruise the streets of Quetta. Follow @SimonWilson12 and @BackpackerBen for their updates from Pakistan. Edit: it seems Alexander the Great didn’t go through the Bolan Pass as I thought ???? Ffs!
Britain; the world's sixth biggest economy. But what is life like for the average Brit outside of the capital city? Well, I went to investigate and what I found wasn't too promising. Join me on a journey into the provinces of this once great country for what might be my most brutal adventure yet... Thanks to @BackpackerBen for driving me around and please check his channel for his version of the trip.
Bulgaria is a land nestled between sea and mountains on the southern border of Europe. Its location made it a target for invaders but the although subjugated for 500 years, the Bulgarians never gave up their hope to one day be free again. Join me as we make our way towards one of the greatest examples of communist architecture as we explore the hidden past of this nation on our way to...Buzludzha.