Delving into an unexpected journey across the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and explore the profound transformation the region has undergone since the discovery of oil.

Beyond the travel stories, we try to reflect on a question every traveler must face at some point: What kind of reality are we truly seeking when we venture into unfamiliar lands and cultures? How do we navigate the delicate balance between the preconceived images we carry, the knowledge we’ve gathered, and the experiences that await us on the ground?

If you're passionate about history, travel, or understanding the cultural evolution of this region, this edition is for you.

Lost on the way - newsletter

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Dear readers,

I have a quite specific question and I’m wondering if anyone in this subreddit can help me. For a previous project I visited Ukerewe Island. An island in Lake Victoria (Tanzania) where a group of people with albinism live. As you might know, people with albinism have a history of being persecuted cause of prejudices surrounding albinism. Because this island is relatively safe, a lot of hopefuls initiatives emerged that contribute to the safety of people with albinism and initiatives that are focused on educating communities about albinism. 

I’m looking for more places like this: remote places in the world that provide refuge to minority groups. I’m curious to find out if there are more comparable places in the world that give home to these groups and therefore provide a more suitable environment for hopeful initiatives to emerge.

Is it possible to be a YouTuber focused on remoteplaces? I am considering telling stories on remoteplaces.

The problem is how do I insert some relevant information into the videos. Text information is easy to solve. Google Earth is also helpful. However, it is difficult to obtain authorization for those easily found network pictures that visitors have taken. Without those pictures in videos, I can't imagine how my video can attract the audience.

I’ve been cycling from the top of Alaska to the bottom of Argentina for the past 14 months. Hidden a few hundred miles into the Colombian backcountry lies El Cocuy Parque Nacional and el Páramo, a rare alpine desert ecology found only at specific altitudes within equatorial South America. A quiet gravel road connects the two, alternating between loose rocky shrapnel and hard packed clay as it snakes over 13,500ft (4,100m) into a paradisiac Altiplano wasteland.

Alien frailejones tower against the mountainsides like something between lamb’s ear and Joshua trees. Whipped ribbons of fog veil the peaks in eery silence, with the only signs of traffic being indigenous farmers on horseback or páramo deer leaping between flora. It was the first time I needed a coat since northern Canada.

The descents were what pushed my bike to its limits. I was burning through brake pads every two days, and the delicate springs between them imploded for the third time this year. I dragged my foot on the front tire in lieu of brakes when the road was most vicious, asking around for secondhand parts in small towns when I could find them.

Nearing Ecuador and bracing for the Andes ahead.

I've seen an image of this statue of Queen Zenobia circulating online, it is officaily in Latakia Sea, Syria. And I'm wondering if it exists at all. The reason I'm doubting its existence is because there are no other images circulating online of this statue besides for this and one other photo from a different angle. It seems very suspicious to me. It doesn't appear on Google maps or locations, or on tripadvisor and the likes. Neither are there any videos of the statue. Wikipedia does not have this image either on the Queen Zenobia page.

For comparison: If I Google for example Kópakonan, or the Seal Lady (located in the Faroe Islands), I get a ton of images, and its listed everywhere. So something's smells very fishy here.

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Most isolated road in North America, Transtaïga road.