After finishing all 193 UN Member states last September, I was at a bit of a loss for what would come next. I told myself that I was just going to do fun trips for a while. Spend some time at home. Not worry about having lists.
Well that lasted all of a month or two.
Earlier this year, I took a
first class trip around the world, just for the fun of it. Spent time in some of my favourite cities along the way, but something was still missing.
FlyIgglesFly had a one-way back to Moscow that he was planning to use in April, so a plan was hatched. I decided it was time to start visiting semi-recognized countries. No, Alaska still doesn't count even if Sarah Palin and the TCC disagree, but I decided to start defining countries as places recognized as independent by at least one UN member...or places with their own border controls. I haven't finished the list yet, but Moscow presented the opportunity to tick off at least three such places: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Unfortunately, due to some personal commitments, I had to bail on South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh at the last minute, and was only able to do Abkhazia. This was fine anyways, as two days before the trip we still hadn't received permission to enter South Ossetia. Of course, the permission came just 24 hours before departure, and I looked for any way at all to still cram it in...but couldn't make it work. Still hoping to use the permit later this year.
Plans were re-hatched and rebooked, and after paying the change fee at least I would get the small consolation prize of an overnight in Moscow and Frankfurt as well as a trip home in Lufthansa First.
All in all, it was an absolutely amazing trip. First, if you want to check my previous trips:
I. London to Iran and Afghanistan in a mix of C, F, and LCCs
II. Above the Arctic Circle with UA/CO/LH and SK in whY, C, and F
III. Around the World in 40 Days for 40 Years
IV. 8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head Do Not Spend New Years
V. 12 Countries, 10 Airlines, 4 Islands, 27,080 miles, 11 Days
VI. 6 Countries in 6 Days - Caribbean Island Hopping and first AA Experience
VII. Guyana, Suriname, and French Guyana with an unexpected sidetrip to Caracas!
VIII. To Haïti - for vacation and a milage run!
IX. Around Senegal and West Africa
X. 4th Annual New Years in Dangerous Places - Libya Edition
XI. Kosovo and FYR Macedonia - Milage Run in United Business + TK/LH
XII. Washington to Peru and Machu Picchu on COPA and TACA
XIII. To Johannesburg...for 36 hours!
XIV. Here a Stan, there a Stan, everwhere a Stan Stan....
XV. Air Burkina, Air Cote d'Ivoire and 7 countries in West Africa
XVI. Turkey for Thanksgiving....with a side of Tajikistan, Serbia, Montenegro, and Moscow
XVII. Into the Heart of Darkness... Congo, Angola, Gabon, OH MY!
XVIII. HI! Four Islands, Lots of Planes, Beaches, and Convertibles
XIX. Plenty of Salt, Not Enough Oxygen...a Trip to Boliva, Colombia, and Ecuador
XX. Learning to Relax - Long Weekend in St Christopher and Nevis
XXI. You're spending New Years WHERE? IRAQ? (2009-2010)
XXII. Pineapples, croissants, and neon OH MY! A trip to Hawaii, Paris, Andorra, and Vegas
XXIII. South Pacific, Israel, Lebanon - 6 weeks - 71,500 miles - 24 countries
XXIV. Sundae bloody Sundaes...a 2014 United Year in Review
XXV. Lakes, Lemurs, and Lithuania: Horton Hears a Houthi!
XXVI. First Americans tour to North Korea 2005 - Arirang Mass Games
XXVII. Doing the Needful - Lufthansa Business US to Chennai
XXVII. C-ing things: Canada, Curry, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Camels, Chengis Khan and China!
XXVIII. Learning my ABCs: Algeria, Bahama, Cuba and the Cubana IL-96
XXIX. Exploring ZMapp of West Africa...or how I got detained by the CDC
XXX. Transatlantic to Bangkok with United, Austrian, Air Canada, and Thai
XXXI. Being Lazy in Belize
XXXII. Quick Trip to Cape Town with United, SWISS, South African, and Lufthansa
XXXII. FUNny thing happened going to and from Tuvalu...Cathay F, Etihad Apts, Fiji Biz
XXXIII. Achievement Unlocked: AFRICA! Visiting Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal
XXXIV. FIN. (and thanks for all the fish)
XXXV. What do you do after visiting every country? RTW in First with NH, TG, SQ, QR, EK, LH
This trip will be roughly split into these parts:
I. DC to Sochi with American, FinnAir, and Aeroflot
II. Overnight in Sochi and Sochi to Sukhumi, Abkhazia
III. First day in Abkhazia
IV. Full day driving around Abkhazia
V. Abkhazia to Sochi by car and flight to Moscow with Rossiya Airlines
VI. Overnight in Moscow, Moscow to Frankfurt with SWISS and Lufthansa, overnight Frankfurt
VII. Frankfurt to DC in Lufthansa First
Trip is over, so I'm going to aim to crank the report out over the next week. Enjoy!