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!

Leave it to the News to Give Me Great Ideas for This Week's Fast Five!

 Man, the news in the winter is weirder and more entertaining than it is most of the rest of the year.  Here we go!

1.    Dandong, China.  This seems like a normal city in China.  It sits in the south part of Liaoning in the Northeastern part of the country.  About 2 million people, with high rises and so forth.  Doesn't seem to be anything abnormal going on here.

But throw in the beginning of that end of the Great Wall, and a tedious border with North Korea, and all of a sudden; you have something interesting.

In Dandong, you'll find a lot of North Korean culture because of that border.  Remember, not everyone has the same relationship with that country as we do, so they have trade.  They have minor amounts of travel.  There's a bridge that goes across the waterway to North Korea.  You can buy North Korean products and food there.  You can eat at North Korean restaurants.  Everywhere you look, you see flags from both North Korea and China.  It's pretty eerie for us Americans.  North Korea is a country we are not allowed to visit.

So, if you want to take a look at North Korea, this could be for you.  If you like to travel to off the beaten path places and do things like walk on the beginning of the Great Wall; this may be for you.

https://www.youngpioneertours.com/living-dandong-chinas-dangerous-city/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303754-d3158299-Reviews-North_Korean_border_at_Dandong-Dandong_Liaoning.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25452941

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dandong-china-north-korea-gateway

https://www.travelawaits.com/2976659/forbidden-peek-into-north-korea/

2.    Skiing in Bulgaria.  Bet you snow bunnies never thought of that, and if you did, good for you!  With mountain ranges like Rila, Pirin, and the well known Balkans; they've got some hills and in the winter; they've got snow!  Bulgaria is hoping to really start cashing in on some tourism, and this is one of the ways that they are.  Skiers are starting to arrive from all over the world.

You can vacation at great resorts at Bansko, and Borovets, and more, and have a great time.  They have varied runs for all levels of skiers and everything you might find at your other favorite ski resorts.  Throw in the fact that it's still a bit exotic and isn't real expensive, and you've got a great find.

So, if you're a winter person; check out skiing in Bulgaria.  You won't regret it.

https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/bulgaria/

https://www.ontheluce.com/whats-it-like-skiing-in-bulgaria/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/guide-to-skiing-in-bulgaria

https://www.weski.com/en-us/guides/skiing/bulgaria/highest-mountains

https://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-resorts/bulgaria-ski-holidays/

3.    The Aurora Borealis in America.  I went a couple of years ago to Iceland in January, because I wanted to see the northern lights.  Since then, I've seen them all over where I live in the northeastern United States.  I'd heard of sightings in Canada and Alaska for years, but never saw anything in my neck of the woods.  

Recently, as in the last couple of years, there have been several times that geomagnetic storms have allowed people way farther south than normal see the northern lights.  There are a couple of sites where you can follow the daily predictions for the storm event nights.  Winter is the perfect time for viewing in general.  Dark and cold seem to really bring those lights out.

So, check your websites and see what's predicted for your area.  If you have a clear night and the heavens have a geomagnetic storm; you could see some great lights!

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental

https://www.aurorasaurus.org/

https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast

https://www.softservenews.com/

https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/advice/northern-lights-us-2024/

4.    The great snowpocalypse, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, 2026.  Less than two months.  Over 18 feet of snow.  When I saw all the videos on Instagram, I sent them to my friends reminding them that if they thought they were having a bad day; it could be worse.  Some of them were AI, but some of them were the real deal.  They all were pretty dramatic.

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a remote area off the east coast of Siberia.  It hangs out into the Pacific Ocean nearly in the Bering Sea.  It gets cold there and winters are harsh, but wow.  It hasn't seen this much snowfall in over 100 years.  The most amazing part was that I saw several videos of people sliding down massive drifts and tunneling out of buildings as though it was almost entertaining.  What a resilient people.  And don't forget; they also have 29 volcanoes on that peninsula.  Most of those are active, even if they aren't erupting right now.

So, if you thought you were having a bad day, imagine how you'd feel with that, even though a tiny smidge is AI.  Enjoy that snow the way the Siberians do.

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/snow-buries-kamchatka/

https://www.dw.com/en/russia-snow-apocalypse-kamchatka-photos-pictures-snowstorm-victims/g-75580716

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/01/21/russia-snow-2026-photos/88281213007/

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TdDe5GoSzUI

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c8e5901727zo

5.    Paris has a cable car and it's called C1!  What's the big deal you might ask?  Overall, it's not.  Porto has one, as does London, Gibraltar, and most of Switzerland.  However, this wasn't a gimmick.  Paris wanted to extend their public transit, but in the area that was designated; they couldn't dig more metro or build more tracks for trains.  There was a bus, but they wanted something else.

Paris is always trying to extend their public transportation amidst their sprawling metropolis, so they did something easier than tunneling or fighting residents and zoning boards.  They built the longest urban cable car in Europe.  It's nearly three miles long and takes 18 minutes to ride from one end to the other.  It's part of the mass transit system in the city and so far it's been a success.

Sure there have been some complaints about the potential for people to look through windows and stuff, but there will always be complaints with change.  Lots of people are using it, and the city is already considering making more.  You can ride it for the price of a metro ticket, so all aboard!

It's on the Creteil Route from Pointe du Lac to Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and it has five stops and connects to Metro Line 8.

https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/greater-paris-frist-urban-ropeway-cable-c1-opened/

https://www.the-independent.com/travel/news-and-advice/paris-europe-longest-cable-car-location-b2886104.html                                            

https://www.dw.com/en/france-the-metro-of-the-skies/video-75455821                          

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqP4QipFCkc                         

https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20251228-public-transport-takes-to-the-skies-in-greater-paris-with-first-urban-cable-car                           

There you have it.  Some things from the news on this week's fast five!  Hope you enjoyed it!  If you'd like to see what I'm up to right now, check out my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon."

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

Keep adventuring!  Like & Subscribe!  Enjoy winter!