See Everything: Girls on Extreme Travel
For many, traveling is comfortable hotels, good weather and standard places like the Louvre or the Colosseum. But all the interesting things often begin outside the usual places where tourists are gathered with cameras. On such trips it is important to see and experience the maximum. Therefore, together with the Acuvue brand of contact lenses, we spoke with three girls who went on extreme trips to Africa, Colombia and the mountainous regions of Tajikistan.
Irina Sidorenko
Went on a world tour in a car with a dog. Drove 48 countries, the last eight months - in Africa
I wanted to go on a long journey for many years - at some point I had already decided, but I was offered a good job and had to be postponed. And so several times. And in December 2014, I received my rights, a year later I bought a car and tested it all of 2016, and in May 2017 I finally went to the Around the World. I had fears and doubts - in fact, I quit an interesting job and took a step into the unknown. But I never had a clear plan - in my travel format it is absolutely impossible, and in Africa nothing can be planned at all. It was scary, but at one point I just put the dog in the car and drove off.
I did not have a clear plan, and in Africa nothing can be planned. It was scary, but at one point I just put the dog in the car and drove off
The machine is equipped so that for several days we can live independently - there is a tent, and a mini-kitchen with dishes, three gas burners, a set of products for extreme conditions. Just in case I even have an evening dress and high heels. We spent a maximum of two days without civilization - it was in the Western Sahara and Mauritania, in the absolute desert. Supermarkets in Africa are there, toothpaste and shampoo are sold there. The dog feels fine - I always have air conditioning turned on in the car.
I have already lost count of how many countries have traveled - I have been traveling around the world for ten months and Africa is not a goal, but only part of a world tour. Sometimes my road looks like Mad Max: Guinea, Sierra Leone, and the Congo are terrible roads. I was pulled out many times - both with a cable and human force, I was towed several times. But the most extreme situation is the crossing of the border from Sierra Leone to Liberia, there is no 40 kilometers of the road as such, and we just drove during the rainy season and everything blurred. I still do not understand how I was able to pass this road - they also towed and pulled me out there more than once.
Once in Ghana, I exceeded the speed - only 4 km / h. But I have a tactic - I always carry a minimum of cash with me so as not to pay bribes myself and not tempt others to extort. The police, as a rule, ask for cash, and if you take nothing from you, they quickly let go. Once, also in Ghana, I turned in the wrong place, I was stopped and escorted to the station. The boss looked at me, realized that I had nothing with me, heard that I was from Russia and immediately released me.
After Africa, I want to move to South America - but it will depend on whether I can find a suitable transport. About the fact that I went on a trip, I did not regret it even once. Yes, it was difficult, there were moments of despair. But I did everything correctly and in a timely manner - on this journey I feel real, happy and in my place.
10 months - 48 countries
Visa to most countries in Africa can be issued at the consulates of neighboring countries, and not at the border
Anastasia Konstantinovich
Went to Colombia - not only in dangerous Bogota, but also in the jungle with spiders and piranhas
From the point of view of organizing a trip to South America is not an easy one - some cities in Colombia cannot be reached by anything except on an airplane, everywhere impassable jungle. Neither the highway nor the train. But I always like to choose a hotel, and to get acquainted with the locals through the Internet in advance, to look at some cool places together, and find someone who will show us the jungle. Before the trip, I vaccinated against yellow fever and stocked up with the necessary: first aid kit, lenses, etc.
In Bogota, it is not as scary as many people think, but after dark it is better not to go out on the street, and you should not wear jewelry and bright clothes. It is better to just wear a hoodie and try to merge with the locals. Sometimes, you go through a very good area - and in a couple of minutes you find yourself in slums with disassembled cars and boarded up windows.
In Amazon, we swam with piranhas - it just seems like something scary, but if there is no open wound, then they don’t react to you at all
After Bogota, I went to the jungle for six days. Every night we moved from place to place, rafting on the Amazon. In the river we swam with piranhas - it only seems to be something scary, but if there is no open wound, then they don’t react to you at all. We then caught them with a bait and ate - it doesn’t taste much like a regular fish, only a bony one.
In the jungle, we sometimes made night raids to look at animals that are afraid to go out during the day. In front of us was a 23-year-old Indian, our guide, with a huge machete hanging on his shoulder. Goes, goes, comes to some tree, several times inserts a machete into the ground and a tarantula with shaggy paws crawls out. In general, there it is important to be alert and see everything, in some places it is not the most friendly space for an unprepared person. In the jungle most lianas are thin, fast-growing stems, the length of which reaches 100 meters. And also palm trees - here is the real kingdom of palm trees, nowhere else is there such a variety of these plants as here. They create an amazing landscape, not repeating anywhere in the tropics.
There were a lot of cool moments that I learned about the country: for example, the air temperature in Bogota does not change at all, it's all year round there plus 18. Neither hot nor cold. And I also remember the tea from coca leaves, which helps when climbing in mountainous areas, immediately easier to adapt to the height. In such trips you need to move away from the usual patterns, show a little courage, then the trip will be unforgettable. Outside of the usual routes, you will always discover new horizons for yourself and feel emotions that you would never have received.
Visa for citizens of the Russian Federation is not required
Bogota is located at an altitude of 2,800 meters above sea level.
About 60% of the population of Bogota has no education
Colombian jungle can reach 70 meters in height
Sasha Fist
Was in Tajikistan, where there is no civilization at all, but only sheep, goats and shepherds
The best trips - those that are almost without preparation, just took and went. In Tajikistan, my friend and I decided to complicate our task, inventing rules. For example, do not spend more than $ 20 a day for two. So they did not live in hotels, but in some yards. Hitchhiked, sometimes slept in waggons with truckers traveling to China. We also tried to stay with people so that there was as much communication as possible. Despite the fact that the Tajiks live in very harsh places, they turned out to be very hospitable hosts. For three years now, the thought of how to go there again leaves me alone.
We also wanted to get to the Pamirs - this is a mountainous part of Tajikistan, which is very different from other regions of the country. There are emerald lakes, hot springs, untouched nature. According to legend, this is where the yeti lives - the snowman. Mountains occupy almost the entire territory of the country - 93%. There we trailed on a very slow wagon, because on the one hand there is a cliff, and on the other a mountain. We drove almost all our way on these waggons - when one broke, we transferred to another. On these roads deliver food to the most remote areas. They arrived at the end point, which is located somewhere at five thousand meters above sea level.
There were days when we never paid anywhere - in the morning we were fed by some people, then we traveled and had dinner in a completely different house
And when they reached the Dzhavshangoz River, which is far from civilization, I came down with a fever, and the locals went to a nearby village, bought medicines and gave me injections. I was lying sick, and my friend at this time found a huge flock of sheep and goats behind the mountain. And there, in a very small house with one light bulb, lived shepherds. When I recovered, we began to take pictures of them every day - every day they came to them at six in the morning, when they drove the cattle out into the street, and spent the whole day with them. When they went to bed, we just went to our place. They never even had questions, what are we doing here and why are we shooting them.
Problems with communication with the local was not at all. Of course, in remote areas almost no one speaks Russian — all Russian-speaking Tajiks are leaving for Moscow to work. But they were pleased that we were interested in their country and came to them.
We ate in the cheapest eateries and canteens, bought fruit on the markets. But there were also days when we never paid anywhere - in the morning we were fed by some people, then we traveled and had dinner in a completely different house. In the Pamirs we were treated to very tasty grumble - this is tea with salt, butter and goat milk. We bought water at bus stops, otherwise there is a risk of poisoning.
It didn’t work very often - if the night was in a place where we paid for an overnight stay, like a hostel, there was always a shower. And so there was almost no such opportunity. But the matter is not at all in the soul, the result of the trip always depends on expectations - and if there are none at all, we perceive everything that is happening exactly as it is. It was a very interesting and sure journey, because at first there were no expectations from him. And it turned out amazingly - you get so many impressions with which usual tourist experience can never be compared.
Tajikistan visa not needed
It is better to drink water only from bottles, otherwise there is a risk of contracting cholera.
It is better to go to Pamir in the summer, from July to September.
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