Asia is a big, fascinating continent with a lot of interesting cultures, traditions, and people. Most of you heard some crazy things like the fact that you can buy a can of fresh air in China or that people in Thailand eat fried insects. Well, here are ten interesting and fun facts about Asia that you probably haven’t heard before!
Central Asia is often a destination that many people skip when traveling. We think that’s a big shame. We traveled through whole Central Asia by doing The Mongol Rally, and we fell completely in love with it. This part of the world has so much to offer, from the hospitality of the people to the vibrant markets and its beautiful nature. When you like to travel off the beaten path, Central Asia should be on the top of your list! There is still so much to discover. Maybe we can convince you with these awesome things in Central Asia that need to be on everyone’s bucket list.
A few weeks ago, there were some problems at the Mongolian border. Because a lot of teams from the previous years have left their broken cars somewhere in Mongolia, all the Mongol Rally teams now had to pay a $6000 deposit upon entering Mongolia. This deposit was for the Mongol Rally teams only. The authorities managed to suspend this rule just a week before we entered, but the organization warned us that we needed to be very friendly and patient because they would otherwise reintroduce the rule.
Entering Kyrgyzstan went pretty easy. Most European nationalities don’t need a visa if they intend to stay less than two months. The border guards of Kyrgyzstan were super friendly. They stamped our passport, we paid for the car insurance and gave them a sticker to put on their locker. They checked the car very briefly and wished us good luck for the rest of the Mongol Rally.
It’s freezing outside and it’s already after dark. There is nothing to see in the far distance. We are literally in the middle of nowhere. If there’s one place where we never wanted to get stuck, then it would be this place. The car just died on a small road, away from the main road, at the height of 4000m. Now we’re facing a really cold night in the car. Luckily, we can laugh about our own stupidities. The Pamir Highway is really testing our car to the max.
Right now, as I’m writing this, I am at work. I can’t concentrate and I am constantly looking out of the window. Because I feel trapped. Is this the real meaning of our existence? Getting up, having breakfast, going to work, going back home, making dinner, watching TV, a little bit of scrolling on Facebook in between all of that, and eventually going to sleep. Living in a rat race, day after day, 5 days in a week. And then 2 days of spending almost all your money you’ve earned that week.