Wow! It's Some Random Thoughts on This Week's Fast Five!

I ponder a lot.  Sometimes my list of a fast five is just what I've been thinking about lately, so here we go!

 

1.    Transnistria/Pridnestrovie/Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic.  This place has a lot of names, but its capital is Tiraspol.  Why is this on my radar?  Can you even go there?  What is it?

It's on my radar, because I hadn't heard anything about it in several years, so I quit thinking about it.  Then, I was reminded of it in a specific context.  The disputed non country sits between Moldova and Ukraine.  Seeing as one of the points of dispute that they have with their legal country is that they wish to be more Russian; well, isn't that special right now?

So, what is it?  When the Soviet Union broke up, many countries were redefined or born.  After a mild civil war, it was decided that Moldova didn't want much more to do with Transnistria than Transnistria wanted to do with them.  They had these serious differences, like Transnistria wanting to be a protectorate of Russia, so the solution was to go their different ways.  But, literally no one has recognized them as their own country, even though they self govern and even have their own money.

Can you even go there?  You can, but I would arrange a guide for this one.  The people of the country are a little leery of outsiders, and they speak three languages, but very little English.  If you speak Russian, Ukrainian, or Moldovan; you're all set.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18284837    

https://www.dark-tourism.com/index.php/transnistria-and-moldova    

https://againstthecompass.com/en/travel-transnistria/   

https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/transnistria-travel/     

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g3677614-Transnistria-Vacations.html    

2.    Turnstyle, the Underground Market at Columbus Circle.  I love New York, and I spend a lot of time there and a lot of time in the subway.  Unbeknownst to me, because I don't really go to Central Park all that often, this market is underneath Columbus Circle, right in front of President Trump's place.

It's an adorable spot to stop.  It is outside the subway station part of the underground.  If you stop for a while, you may have to pay to get back into the subway system.  With the OMNY card, there are weekly caps of $35 on fares, so it may be a non issue.

What's there?  Lot's of coffee, food, and pastry.  Since I'm normally out and about during the day it's perfect.  However, you can also shop.  I saw a florist, jewelry shops, gifts, collectibles, Manga, clothes, and more.  There's a lot to look at.  There's even a bar at the far end from the subway entrance if you want to hang out and have a beer.

The market is open 11 am to 7 pm 7 days a week.  Especially during inclement weather and winter; it's a great place to stop.  You'll be able to catch a video on my YouTube channel about this coming soon.  

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2025

   

https://www.turn-style.com/    

https://www.modernehotelnyc.com/things-to-do/turnstyle-underground-market    

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/highlights/7738    

https://www.mta.info/    

3.    Do you like immersive art?  I love it!  New York City has at least 15 of these exhibits.  I started out in Hartford, actually with a traveling Van Gogh exhibit.  I loved it and wanted to try some more.  I found out that New York City has an amazing variety.

You can visit the building dedicated to it; Mercerlabs.  Amazing show.  You can go to the basement of Chelsea Market; Artechouse.  You can pop up under the rock; HERO.  You can go up a tall building; Vanderbilt One.  These things are cropping up everywhere, and they're all cool.

Make sure you read your information on the website before you go.  HERO was all senses at different displays.  Artechouse was mostly one immersive show, but was super cool.  Mercerlabs is an entire building with different kinds of exhibits.  Just make sure it's the kind of exhibit you were looking for.

These exhibits and venues run anywhere from $30 up.  They last anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes on average.  It's a great bad weather day activity, and you can take all the pictures and video you like.  You can catch some videos about some of these exhibits on my YouTube channel and there will be more to come in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2025    

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/art/incredible-immersive-experiences-to-do-in-nyc-right-now     

https://anisahauduevans.com/new-york-immersive-experiences-nyc/    

https://www.artechouse.com/location/nyc/     

https://www.mercerlabs.com/    

4.    Windhoek, Namibia.  Told you my thoughts were random.  I watch a lot of YouTube.  We all should know that by now.  Namibia and its capital, keep coming up.  One reason is that Namibia is the least populated country in the world for people per square mile.  There's a lot of open space in that country.

Windhoek keeps coming up because it's German.  That's right; German.  The buildings are German.  The churches tend to be German.  The people there speak at least some German.

In the late 1800's the area was colonized by Germany.  They remained in charge there until after World War I ended.  During those decades, a lot of German culture was brought into the area.  Even though the Germans were no longer in charge after the war; the culture has become somewhat ingrained.  To this day, there's a little bit of German in Namibia.  

So, in addition to places like The Skeleton Coast, the capital of Namibia is a unique spot to visit.

https://africantravelinc.com/content/windhoek-namibia     

https://www.namibiaexperience.com/places-to-visit/windhoek/      

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/namibia/windhoek     

https://www.audleytravel.com/namibia/places-to-go/northern-namibia/windhoek       

https://www.windhoekcc.org.na/     

5.    There's a Blue Hole in the Caribbean.  You've all probably heard that.  It's a great diving spot, and it's like a bucket list destination if you're into scuba.

But, what if you're like me, and you've done a little scuba, but it's just really not your thing?  At the Blue Hole, you have options.  Besides, one thing you don't get to do all the time when diving in this locale, is see it from above.

There are numerous operators, mostly out of Belize, that will take you flightseeing for this natural wonder.  They'll also show you a lot of other cool stuff from the sky.  There are varying companies that work out of planes or even helicopters.  So, if you're in the area and don't want to dive; don't think you have to miss out.  You can book a flyover.

https://www.mayaislandair.com/the-great-blue-hole-tour/   

https://www.tropicair.com/tropic-air-tours/the-great-blue-hole-tour/       

https://theworldtravelguy.com/great-blue-hole-belize/     

https://www.astrumhelicopters.com/blue-hole-adventure     

https://travel.usnews.com/Belize/Things_To_Do/Blue_Hole_62503/      

That wraps up my random thoughts for this week.  My mind has turned to travel spots, because I'm trying to book my own trips for the year, and that leads to a lot of research and a lot of places and things to do.  If you'd like to see what I'm doing right now; check out my YouTube channel; Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon.

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2025     

Get out there, get planning for the season and enjoy!

News of the Weird on This Week's Fast Five!

 It's one of those weeks, and I've found some ideas and thoughts that you might just appreciate.  Spring is coming and that means vacation planning.  Winter is here, which means there might be some service issues.  Let's go!

1.    Where to go on vacation?  It's about that time to decide where to go and what to do, so I have some ideas that most people haven't thought of yet.  Like you, I like to go on vacation at least once a year when I plan something more than a few days away and get to go to another country.

Here's my suggestion.  I'm doing it.  Try that middle area in central Europe.  There's a little mystique left to this area, and some people avoid it, because they still associate it with the Soviet Union or a warring Yugoslavia.  It's been so long since I've been to the area that it was Czechoslovakia the last time I was there.

Places like Bulgaria, Armenia, Albania, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and so on are still getting fully into the tourism business and that leads to a lot of perks for travelers.  Lower prices, smaller crowds, authentic culture, and on and on, make it a great place to go and experience something completely different from the places we all visit in western Europe.

So, consider the idea of going to the places less traveled, and have a great time!

https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2025/02/balkans-travel-tips                   

https://www.tomhentystravel.co.uk/balkans/balkans-seven-must-visit-destinations                  

https://visitbulgaria.com/     

https://www.romanianfriend.com/blog/first-time-visitor    

https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/Europe/montenegro-travel          

2.    Try camping on the Great Wall of China.  I know, this sounds crazy, but it's a thing.  It's not fully sanctioned by the government, but no one is getting in trouble for it, so why not?  It's possible to find guides to take you for a multi day adventure along the wall, with home meals along the way and camping at night.

Is this something that will get you in trouble?  No.  I thought it would, but it doesn't.  The theory is that sooner or later it will be sponsored by the government, therefore now may be the best time to try it.  There's over 13,000 miles of wall to explore.  Choose your spot!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294212-d7918211-Reviews-Camp_The_Wall-Beijing.html     

https://travel-shark.com/camping-on-the-great-wall-of-china/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ6etVHsEtM    

https://greatwalladventureclub.com/introducing-camping-tours     

https://www.nomadasaurus.com/camping-on-the-great-wall-of-china/    

3.    What is it about Chongqing, China?  China is opening up more and more all the time to American travelers, and that means that we don't have to limit our visits to Beijing and Shang Hai.  There's something special about Chongqing.  It's the most populous city in the world at 32,000,000 and the largest at 31,000 square miles.

But there's more to it than that.  It's largely vertical and it seems as though things are stacked on top of one another.  Ironically, there's still places that don't feel crowded.  If you want to see some things that you just don't see every day, it's a great unusual spot.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/chongqing-china-tourism-cyberpunk-city-intl-hnk    

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g294213-Chongqing-Vacations.html   

https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2025/apr/27/chongqing-the-worlds-largest-city-in-pictures    

https://parametric-architecture.com/worlds-most-complex-city-chongqing/?srsltid=AfmBOopqFCi1A-TvvOhd_gVcCVSslUNyAbNi23ZT_4imHAYH8xMMBWZN    

https://www.chinahighlights.com/chongqing/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19965181198&gbraid=0AAAAADti9vjwZfp3dINyaBqdtd3zFsXya&gclid=Cj0KCQiAp-zLBhDkARIsABcYc6sef5aRlskAP6gaUPcSvTkS7upGWgISBw6Yi2-27EoA51I2ZW1C17EaApk1EALw_wcB    

4.    The New York City Ferry in the winter.  This is some news.  It's cold.  We're having an extra cold season on the East Coast and it's causing some disruption in the world of ferries.  It's not bugging the Staten Island Ferry because it's huge.  A little bit of ice isn't stopping it. 

However, most of the ferries in New York aren't that big, and there's been some disruption; particularly  along the Hudson River and into that part of the harbor.  Ice forms upstream and flows downstream and you get icebergs in the harbor.  It happens.  Just remember that if you visit the city, don't count on all ferries running normal schedules.  Spring will come, and things will return to normal.

https://www.ferry.nyc/   

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-nyc-ferry-just-suspended-service-as-rivers-turn-into-ice-012826   

https://www.amny.com/nyc-transit/nyc-ferry-system-suspended-ice-conditions/    

https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-ferry-suspended-due-to-icy-rivers-nj-transit-back-to-normal-schedule   

https://www.nyctourism.com/transportation/nyc-ferry/   

5.   It's called the city of statues; Skopje, North Macedonia.  There are at least 200 statues in the one town.  There's a statue of Alexander the Great that's 72 feet tall!  Is it a tourist trap of sorts?  Maybe, but if you like the weird and unusual, you might truly enjoy it.

This country has all that old world charm and a lot of scenic wonders.  It's old Soviet land, so it's definitely Eastern Europe.  If you love old world charm and great Slavic food, it's a great spot.  If you enjoy statues and sculptures; even better.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/statues-of-skopje-north-macedonia    

https://www.anadventurousworld.com/skopje-statues/    

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-north-macedonia    

https://jaywaytravel.com/north-macedonia/skopje    

https://www.passportsandpreemies.com/what-to-expect-in-skopje/    

There you have it.  A little news and some different ideas.  It's great to visit the world's most popular places, but if you want some great stories to tell; you should consider traveling outside the lines.  I like to go to the places less traveled.  It's a true adventure, because I don't know what to expect any more than anyone else does.

And if you'd like to see what I'm up to right now, check out my YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2025

Enjoy!