Day 158 - Singapore 🇸🇬

Singapore is the only place I’ve ever been where chewing gum is illegal. I didn’t know this as I innocently chewed some gum on the immaculate Singapore MRT. Luckily I got away with it.

I’ve visited Singapore twice, both times while travelling to and from Australia. It’s the perfect place to break up the trip to Australia, and the mix of cultures makes Singapore a really fun place to spend 24 hours. You can be transported from Little Delhi to the Buddha Tooth Relic temple in minutes. Every imaginable type of cuisine is on offer and the mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures lends Singapore a feeling unlike any other city on earth.

I spent the rest of my time in Singapore eating delicious chicken and rice and sipping refreshing Singapore Slings at Raffles. I even got to enjoy the sunset from the top of the dazzling Marina Bay Sands skyscraper.

Singapore is a great place to spend a few days, but I was really surprised to learn about its politics. The People’s Action Party has been in power for six consecutive decades and Singapore is often described simultaneously as a technocratic dream state and a thinly veiled dictatorship.

I really recommend taking a look at this Polymatter video exploring the political situation in Singapore.

Day 157 - Sierra Leone 🇸🇱

Sierra Leone is a West African country that’s marginally bigger than Ireland located in-between Liberia and Guinea. Sierra Leone Means "Roaring Mountains" in Portuguese. It earned its name thanks to the Portuguese explorer Pedro da Cintra who, in 1462, sailed into what is now the Freetown Peninsula during an intense thunderstorm.

Development has been stunted by political instability since its independence from the UK in 1961. Sierra Leone has endured civil war, multiple military coups and the ebola epidemic.

Most people have probably heard of Sierra Leone due to its reputation for diamond mines, blood diamonds, or at least the Kayne West song. Diamonds still actually make up 29% of Sierra Leone’s official exports although it’s thought many diamonds are exported unofficially. Aluminium and titanium ores account for a further 16% of exports. In short, Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources.

Recently the situation in Sierra Leone has been improving with a more stable political situation the economy has started to grow and there’s been a rapid rise in the growth in hydroelectric energy production.

Anyway, it’s Friday, I’m off out for a beer - sadly I don’t think it will be a Star Beer.

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Day 156 - Seychelles 🇸🇨

Today’s destination is Seychelles. Another tropical, palm tree-fringed island nation. One thing I’m learning along this journey is there are a surprisingly large number of picture-perfect tropical destinations.

Seychelles is located in the Indian Ocean around 1,500 km from mainland Africa. Seychelles have the smallest population of any African country with an estimated population of around 98,000 people.

Known for their pirate past (and also current threats) the Seychelles are also home to a giant tortoise named Esmeralda. Esmeralda is the heaviest tortoise in the world at 304kg and the second oldest at a remarkable 177 years old. She probably has a few pirate tales to tell.

Apparently, Seychelles is home to the vast hidden treasures of French pirate Olivier Levasseur. If only Esmeralda could talk.

Talking of large natural wonders, the coco de mer, or sea coconut, or even “love nut” is native to Seychelles and is the largest nut in the world.

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Day 155 - Serbia 🇷🇸

Today we head to the Balkan nation of Serbia. I’ve not been to Serbia, but I have transferred through Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport. Incidentally, Nikola Tesla wasn’t actually from Serbia but was born in modern-day Croatia.

I’d love to visit Belgrade, and also Serbia as a whole. It also sounds like I’m not the only one as Serbia was voted the number one emerging travel destination in Europe for 2019. Admittedly, this was only on a small blog called Travel Lemming, but as it fits today’s narrative, who am I to argue? 

Anyway, I’d love to visit Belgrade as I’ve heard only good things from everyone I know who has visited. It’s a city known for its gritty culture and fantastic nightlife. For example, it has a large number of “splavs”, or river clubs. As far as I can tell splats are basically floating bars and nightclubs. 

Serbia is also home to what must be the world’s largest trumpet festival, the Guča Trumpet Festival which regularly attracts up to 600,000 visitors. That’s a lot of trumpet fans.

You’ve probably heard of Kosovo, a breakaway region of Serbia. Kosovo is home to mostly ethnic Albanians and wants to be independent, declaring independence 2008 after a brutal conflict in the late 90s. Yet Kosovo is still in limbo as it was unable to get a two-thirds vote to be recognised as a nation by the UN. Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo persist to this day as Serbia still views Kosovar territory as a key part of Serbia.

Serbia tops the global raspberry export tables and claims that in 2012, 95% of the world’s raspberries came from Serbia. I’m dubious of this.

I’ll leave you with a final fact before escaping to watch the England - Denmark game - most Serbian surnames end in “ić“. This is certainly true of the Serbian people I know.

Mala Reka, Serbia

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Day 154 - Senegal 🇸🇳

I’m back! And it feel’s great! A week in Crete was exactly what I needed. Joe and I mostly spent the week lazing on Southern Crete’s quiet, unspoilt beaches.

Anyway, today we’re heading to Senegal, a North-western African country I know very little about. Most of what I do know about Senegal is that it’s the end-point for the legendary Paris to Dakar Rally. Dakar is the most western city in continental Africa, and Senegal itself is the westernmost country in Africa. Another geographical  and Senegal also totally encases The Gambia. 

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Was a former French colony and gained independence in 1960. After a few decades of independence, Senegal and The Gambia agreed to merge into one country in 1981 in response to threats of uprisings and political instability. However there was little appetite from citizens of either country in further integration and the project eventually withered into nothing in 1989. For me it’s almost a shame this didn’t happen, it seems that countries nowadays are splitting up more than they are unifying and joining forces. If life has taught me anything, it’s that our actions have more impact when we cooperate as nations.

Talking of international cooperation,  Senegal will be the first African nation to host an Olympics event when it hosts the 2022 Youth Olympics next year. 

Senegal is also a key member of the Great Green Wall project. The Great Green Wall is planned forrest described as a 8,000km natural wonder crossing the entire width of Africa. It’s designed to prevent climate change, and halt desertification and the expansion of the Sahara desert. 

Senegal’s Capital Dakar is home to the African Renaissance Monument, the tallest statue in Africa. The statue represents a family rising up from the ground and was built by North Korea and cost over $27.7m USD. Thousands of people reportedly protested against its construction. That’s kind of understandable really in a country where almost 40% of people live in poverty. Perhaps less symbolism, and more concrete acts would be a bigger crowd pleaser?

Anyway, enough complaining, Dakar is certainly a city I’d like to visit one day.

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Day 154 - a brief intermission 🇬🇷

I’m going to be taking a brief intermission. Well just over a week actually. 

The purpose of this project was to fill some of the void that covid had left in my travels. Well, tomorrow I’m lucky enough to be going to Crete for a week. 

I’ve decided I’d much rather spend all of my waking hours in Crete being present and getting the most out of the trip.

Therefore we’ll take a week’s break, and normal service will resume when I get back from Crete refreshed, revived and full of taramasalata!

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Day 153 - Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

Today we head to Saudi Arabia, the largest in Western Asia and second largest in the Arab world after Algeria. Saudi Arabia is situated on the Arabian peninsular, and if you’re in the mood for superlatives, the Arabian peninsular is the world’s largest peninsular. Oh and Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the world without a river.

Saudia Arabis is a country I’ve always associated with harsh laws, such as not allowing women to drive, or performing public beheadings. Saudia Arabia also has a reputation for human rights abuses against the LGBT community. For example, in March 2017, two transgender people were forced into bags, beaten with sticks, and tortured to death. I’m going to have a tough time seeing past this.

That said, Also Saudi Arabia has long been a strategic ally of the West, cracking down on religious extremism and serving as a staging post for the Gulf War. More recently, Saudi Arabia is opening up. As of 2019, women are now allowed to drive, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has introduced several headline-grabbing social reforms. As of 2019 Saudi Arabia has launched a tourist visa allowing foreigners to visit Saudia Arabia for tourism for the first time. 

Saudi Arabia is a country which has for a long time existed on a knife-edge between the prospects of oil wealth and highly conservative values. As climate change reduces our demand for fossil fuels this is likely to have a disproportionate affect on Saudi Arabia, a country where the majority of the population does not currently work. I very much recommend checking out this VisualPolitik video on the subject. Saudia Arabia is really in for a decade of change.

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Day 152 - São Tomé and Príncipe 🇸🇹

I know absolutely nothing about São Tomé and Príncipe, so here’s a quick-fire collection of facts.

São Tomé and Príncipe is located off the coast of Gabon and is a bit smaller than the Faroe Islands and consists of two archipelagos. In terms of population, São Tomé and Príncipe is the second smallest African nation.

The islands were completely uninhabited until they were discovered by Portuguese explorers in the 1400s. São Tomé and Príncipe then became a centre for the Atlantic slave trade before becoming a hotspot for sugar cultivation. Nowadays cocoa is the main crop of the island nation and it represents 95% of the country’s exports. 

São Tomé and Príncipe eventually gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and has since transformed into one of Africa’s most politically stable countries.

São Tomé and Príncipe is known for its huge rock monolith, Pico Cão Grande. Pico Cão Grande is a needle shaped volcanic plug that rises 663 metres into the sky. Apparently it’s particularly difficult to climb due to all of the snakes who call it home, but that hasn’t stopped groups of adventurers trying. Still, I bet the view’s good.

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Day 151 - San Marino 🇸🇲

Today, we head to San Marino, the world’s oldest surviving republic. San Marino is also Europe’s third smallest country and only one of three countries to be completely landlocked within a single other country. Weirdly, if you’re from San Marino, you’re known as “Sammarinese”.

San Marino has taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest eleven times and most recently made it to the finals of Eurovision 2021 by entering a song bizarrely featuring Florida native, Flo Rida. If San Marino had actually won, it wouldn’t have had a venue big enough to host the following year’s event.

Other strange It’s democratically elected grand council must elect two heads of state every six months. These heads of state are known as Captains Regent and as you probably guessed only get to serve a six month term.

Talking of short terms, it’s time I made some dinner.

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Day 150 - Samoa 🇼🇸

Today’s destination is another tiny island nation, this time in the Pacific.  To me at least, Samoa is bigger than I expected as it is larger than Hong Kong. 

Despite the fact that Samoa is only 125 km from its nearest neighbour, American Samoa, it is 24 hours ahead. It’s only been this way since 2011 when Samoa moved west. Samoa is now the first country to start the New Year as a whole.

Samoa has recently been ravaged with an epidemic of obesity as diets have changed. More and more imported, processed foods have resulted in rising levels of obesity and one in three residents suffering from Type 2 diabetes.

One more positive thing about Samoa is that it has for a long time recognised a third gender, or “faʻafafine”, people who recognise themselves as having a non-binary gender role. Now that’s something I can drink to. If only I could get hold of a Vailima in Copenhagen…

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