🌏 Which countries have you been to? 🌍 🌎

[LilWoodyToodelly]

Happy to answer any questions about the countries that I’ve been to.

[AQOS]

where did you go? It is really high on my list, I’d love to go.

[pervo]

Transnistria

• I have been to this sort of country
• I have not

[AQOS]

JEL

[anon67149139]

Cornwall

• I have been to this wishes-it-was-a-country
• Rather eat my own shit, with cream on top

[pervo]

Goal of going to every country in Europe before I’m 30 was meant to be completed by September/October. Nothing like a pandemic to set you back.

Good thing I’m not 30 until May 2022. Probably going to have 9 months or so to squish in Russia, Belarus and Turkey. (Not happy though, already lost £200 on visa + visa related expenses like a peak rate train ticket to London because the bloody visa centre is open at stupid times if you live outside of London )

[pervo]

We did loads of research and were nervous at ‘border control’ that our passports might get ripped up or we might be made to give them bribes. They were really pleasant and asked if I spoke Russian, I said “немного. Привет” which made them laugh.

Then after a day of walking around Tiraspol we got on the bus to Chisinau (their bus station is next to the train station, which is lovely) and some Irish lads got on the bus and they’d done fuck all research on a day trip from Odessa. So little research in fact that they hadn’t bothered checking there was a bus to get them home that night (there wasn’t). They didn’t realise it was fully illegal to come into Chisinau via Transnistria and we had to tell them they needed to find the embassy to sort it out.

One of them had also had a piss in a bush and been caught by a policeman and had had to talk his way out of being fined/arrested/whatever. We couldn’t believe how flippant they were being. MEN.

Also a Transnistrian man who was walking next to us in the street asked me on a date and said he liked the shape of my body. It was a good day out. Would recommend. (And Chisinau generally is great fun, wildly cheap and you can do a day trip to the world’s largest underground wine cellar)

[pervo]

@pervo

It was a good day out.

The visit to Tiraspol, not the date (I said no to him)

[anon67149139]

@pervo

We did loads of research and were nervous at ‘border control’ that our passports might get ripped up or we might be made to give them bribes. They were really pleasant and asked if I spoke Russian, I said “немного. Привет” which made them laugh.

[AQOS]

@pervo

I said “немного. Привет” which made them laugh.

HAHAHAHA, classic

[pervo]

Ngl, I thought this was going to be the Thunderbirds laughing gif

[AQOS]

what posesses a load of lads to go to Moldova in the first place?

[Zygotic]

Once this craziness is over, definitely go. It’s just beyond words. As it’s evolved in isolation since the '79 revolution, it’s so far removed from anything I’ve veer experienced travel-wise.

Went with a girl who I met in Israel, so we had to wait for new passports that didn’t have Israeli stamps. Once we got new passports we flew into Tehran, spent a couple of days there - big mistake as it’s needs far more time - then we flew internal down to Shiraz, hired a car then drove onto Persepolis and the Necropolis, ended up in Yadz, which is on the way to Afghanistan, so met lots of Afghanis, who were very conservatively dressed. Then we drove inland to Isfahan - fuck, what a city! - and Kasham, then it all got a bit hazy after that, driving countless miles into villages, visiting millions of mosques and bazaars, up into the mountains and ended up in Goran on the coast of Caspian Sea, which is the most beautifully desolate place I’ve ever been. Then back to Tehran for the flight back to London.

Driving almost killed us but I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Iranians are the most hospitable people you will ever meet and traditional Persian food…wow!

It’s a bugger to get a visa, but if you get the chance go!

[anon67149139]

@AQOS

what posesses a load of lads to go to Moldova in the first place?

I’ve thought about this a lot tonight. I’ve Moldova it, and still don’t know.

[AQOS]

ah man, Yadz with the lads, that’s the dream

did you go to that sick mosque with the stained glass windows?

[pervo]

I had top banter with a taxi driver (the one who took us around the wine cellar) who only spoke Russian in Chisinau. Maybe I should move to Moldova and become a Russian language comedienne??

He was amazing, he rubber banded his mobile to his internal mirror and was texting on another mobile while driving on the main road and wouldn’t let me put my seat belt on until he saw the police in the distance. Said “polizia…” then rubbed his fingers together and added “money”. I was quite drunk but I think he’s the best person I’ve ever met in my life, he had a really wicked laugh but was so happy when I used my limited Russian with him. Dunno what his name was. He had gold teeth and I named him Frank. My friend and I had a blazing row on our way to the water tower about whether his name was actually Frank or not.

Also also Moldovan Kiss FM is the most amazing Eurovision sounding radio station I’ve ever heard before.

Big fan of the Moldovan lads.

[AQOS]

was gonna pop in while I was driving around Romania, very sad both are shelved for now, maybe next year if the Euros get rearranged in the same format as they were supposed to be. Sounds ace.

[pervo]

Tbf they couldn’t get back to Ukraine and they also couldn’t stay in Transnistria (you have to register with the police if you’re staying more than 10 hours, might also have to mention it when you cross the border?) so it was the only option but… still.

[pervo]

I really want to do one of the Yomadic Untours but realistically it’s going to be at least a couple of years. Bah.

[jordan_229]

It’s a country