Back To The USSR | Lost In The Belarus Provinces ๐ง๐พ bald and bankrupt 2024-10-21 | Back To The USSR | Lost In The Belarus Provinces ๐ง๐พ
Solo In Asias Most Evil Place ๐ฐ๐ญ bald and bankrupt 2024-10-02 | Use my link bit.ly/Bald_and_Bankrupt to start a 14-day free trial and enjoy all the amazing features MyHeritage has to offer. ๐ฐ๐ญIn 1975 the Khmer Rouge rolled in to Phnom Penh to begin four years of brutal oppression in Cambodia. Although there were eventually defeated by the Vietnamese in 1979, Pol Pot and his army never went away completely. Hanging on in a northern village until the 1990s. I went to investigate and meet their descendants.Don't forget to check @BackpackerBen channel for his version of the trip.Insta@realbaldandbankrupt
I Visited India So You Dont Have To ( And offended 1 billion people ) ๐ฎ๐ณ bald and bankrupt 2024-09-18 | ๐ฎ๐ณIndia, it's a bit mental isn't it! I returned to there country after six years away to see how it had progressed ( or not ). Join me in the most frustrating place to travel in the world. Warning: Do not attempt to do this trip yourself unless you are a professional traveller.Instagram: @realbaldandbankruptCheck out @BackpackerBen for his side of the story.
Inside Rwanda: Where Britain Sends Its Illegal Migrants ๐ท๐ผ bald and bankrupt 2024-07-22 | ๐ท๐ผBuy a DNA kit here: bit.ly/baldandbankrupt Use the coupon code Bald for free shipping.As an added bonus, you can start a 30-day free trial of MyHeritage's best subscription for family history research.๐ท๐ผEver since Britain began sending its illegal migrants to Rwanda Iโve wanted to go and see what the country was all about. Were they being sent to a third world hell hole or is Rwanda in fact quite alright? Watch and find out. Oh, and who the flipping heck is Paul Kagame?!Insta: @realbaldandbankruptCheck out Benโs version of the trip @BackpackerBen
Investigating Ugandaโs Bride Market ๐บ๐ฌ bald and bankrupt 2024-07-15 | ๐บ๐ฌ GO TO https://SAILY.COM/BANKRUPT AND USE CODE BANKRUPT TO GET AN EXCLUSIVE 15% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE. AND THANK YOU TO SAILY FOR MAKING THIS TRIP POSSIBLE.๐บ๐ฌ Part Two: Well I left the capital city of Kampala and headed south on a long journey across Uganda where I eventually found a bus station which doubled as a flashy watch market and also a place where locals introduce you to women to marry. Unfortunately nobody wanted. Join me...๐บ๐ฌ Regarding raising money for the school. I will post about it on my Instagram @realbaldandbankrupt when Ben releases his video about the school next Monday. If anyone wants to throw $5 in it will be appreciated by those little shoeless future porridge drinkers.Check out @BackpackerBen for his version of events and what happened when I left him in the hotel. Instagram for all the behind the scenes photos and stories from trips is @realbaldandbankrupt
Inside Africas Most Feared Ghetto๐บ๐ฌ bald and bankrupt 2024-07-08 | ๐บ๐ฌ Part One: Whilst visiting Kampala, the capital city of Uganda I took a visit to the central market and met a collective of guys who look after an area called the Bermuda Triangle. They took me on a tour and explained exactly what happens when thieves are caught. Mob justice Uganda style. Join me in the ghetto.Instagram: @realbaldandbankruptCheck out @BackpackerBen who also filmed his trip with me and invited me to Africa
Holidaying In Scotlands Wildest Town ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ bald and bankrupt 2024-05-31 | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ What do you think of when you imagine the United Kingdom? Big cities? Football? Buckingham Palace? Well what if I told you there is another part of the UK which is culturally a million miles from those cliches. A place so wild that even most Brits have never heard of it. A place that doesn't even use the same calendar as the rest of the country and celebrates Christmas in January. Believe me? Well, watch and learn about it all for yourself as I take you to the edge of the nation.Up the Gers!Instagram@realbaldandbankruptCheck out @BackpackerBen for his videos from the trip
This Country Tried To Ban Me! I Went Anyway ๐น๐ฏ bald and bankrupt 2024-04-27 | ๐น๐ฏ Five times I applied for a Tajikistan visa and five times I was rejected without reason. Then someone told me they knew a way to 'cheat' the system and so despite the government seemingly not wanting me I managed to get in. Join me in our 13th former-Soviet republic as we see what exactly it was the Tajik government were trying to stop me from seeing...Instagram: realbaldandbankruptCheers to @BackpackerBen for joining me and Kat. And wide armed Joe for helping me with the visa.
I Gave A Gypsy A Ride ( It ended in disaster ) ๐ง๐ฌ bald and bankrupt 2024-04-01 | ๐ง๐ฌ Bulgaria is a land nestled between sea and mountains on the southern border of Europe. Its location made it a target for invaders, however, although subjugated for 500 years, the Bulgarians never gave up their hope to one day be free again. Join me as we make our way towards one of the greatest examples of communist architecture as we explore the hidden ancient and communist past of this friendly nation on our way to...Buzludzha..
Offered Business On Englands Worst Street ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ bald and bankrupt 2024-02-25 | ๐ฌ๐ง Britain; the world's sixth biggest economy. But what is life like for the average Brit outside of the capital city? Well, I went to investigate and what I found wasn't too promising. Join me on a journey into the provinces of this once great country for what might be my most brutal adventure yet...Thanks to @BackpackerBen for driving me around and please check his channel for his version of the trip.
Solo In Pakistans Dodgiest Hood ๐ต๐ฐ bald and bankrupt 2024-01-22 | ๐ต๐ฐI have always wanted to travel to mysterious Kafiristan which is nestled in a couple of small valleys in the north of Pakistan. However to reach the northern mountains I would first need to pass through Balochistan, a region of the country that had been fought over for millennia but never quite conquered. In fact just the day before i arrived Iran bombed it. So let's just say, things didn't quite go as expected when I met the Pakistani military...Join me as we cruise the streets of Quetta.Follow @SimonWilson12 and @BackpackerBen for their updates from Pakistan.Edit: it seems Alexander the Great didnโt go through the Bolan Pass as I thought ๐ Ffs!
Clacton: Holidaying In Englands Most Deprived Town ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ bald and bankrupt 2023-12-18 | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ England, one of the world's richest nations. But not everyone gets to enjoy the benefits of being born here. Just 60 miles from the bright lights of London is Jaywick which is statistically the most deprived town in the nation. I visited with my friends @BackpackerBen and @TimmyKarter for a weekend by the beach. Join us!Thanks to the staff at the Black Rock restaurant in Clacton who looked after us and the great people of Clacton and Jaywick.
We Survived Being Trafficked By The Cartel ( Others Didnt ) bald and bankrupt 2023-12-12 | You have probably seen the videos of us walking through the Darien jungle. This is our story about everything that happened to us on that journey. All the planning that went into it, or lack of planning, and how we eventually met the cartel. Please watch our story.Timmy's video of the Darien youtube.com/watch?v=Zft0wAPxZnc&t=64sMy video of the Darien: youtube.com/watch?v=aswvkdCpZYcThe video was filmed and edited by our good friend Bill. This is his YouTube channel:@manbill8 Also thanks to future Hollywood director Franco for the book idea and asking the questions
Riding Mexicos Deadly Migrant Train: The Beast bald and bankrupt 2023-12-01 | ๐ฒ๐ฝ PART THREE: Ask any migrant heading north to the USA which part of the journey they fear most and they will all answer with two words: La Bestia. In English it is translated to The Beast and it deserves the name. Terrible things happen to people on The Beast, from kidnap by the cartel, robbery by immigration officers or just losing a limb below its rolling wheels. And yet myself and @TimmyKarter knew that if we wanted to really experience the Caminante lifestyle then we too would have to face the dangers and confront the very thing migrants fear most...Join us!@TimmyKarter YouTube channel is a place to find our journey from his own perspective. I highly recommend you check it out. Thanks again to him for inviting me on this journey and translating whenever I didn't understand something. Would have been ten times harder without him.
I Was Trafficked Through The Worlds Deadliest Jungle bald and bankrupt 2023-11-11 | ๐จ๐ด PART TWO: The Darien Gap is known as the world's most dangerous jungle. I had heard of the Darien many years ago through National Geographic and it had both fascinated and intimidated me. I knew one day I would have to visit...When the word Darien started appearing in the news in recent years by way of the migrant crises I decided that now was the time to explore it for myself. And so myself and my good friend @TimmyKarter headed north from Medellin in search of a way across the infamous jungle, avoiding cartel and bandits, injury and tropical diseases, on an adventure with migrants from all over the world where national laws don't apply. Only the laws of the jungle.Join us as we enter...the Darien.
I Joined The Worlds Most Dangerous Migrant Trail๐บ๐ธ bald and bankrupt 2023-11-02 | ๐ป๐ช PART ONE: The migrant crises along the USA's southern border has become a hot topic over the last few years with what seems to be an endless stream of people flooding across the border. But where are those migrants coming from, and why? I decided to go to the source of the issue, Venezuela, a country on the verge of collapse, and travel with the migrants north through Central America to understand the issue better. Join me on what will be my most dangerous and longest journey ever undertaken as we cross the infamous Darien Gap and other areas most people avoid unless escaping poverty.Joining me on this journey is my good friend @TimmyKarter Please check out his channel to see his version of the trip too.Instagram: realbaldandbankrupt
I Train Surfed In Bangladesh ๐ง๐ฉ bald and bankrupt 2023-09-10 | ๐ง๐ฉ You must have seen the photos online of all the people riding on top of trains in the country of Bangladesh. Well on my last day in the country I decided I'd try and do it myself for the quintessential local experience. Everyone told me not to but because it was extremely dangerous, but sometimes you got to take a chance. Join me on my most dangerous journey yet!
I Took The Worlds Cheapest VIP Cruise ๐ง๐ฉ bald and bankrupt 2023-09-08 | ๐ง๐ฉ Bangladesh is a country of mighty rivers and some dodgy river boats. Myself and @BackpackerBen decided to jump on one and ride down the river in style in my own VIP cabin. Check out what you can get for the princely sum of $12! And on the way I made some friends. Join me on the world's cheapest VIP cruise!Instagram: realbaldandbankrupt
Nobody Visits This Country...Find Out Why You Should! bald and bankrupt 2023-09-04 | ๐ง๐ฉ There are few countries in the world with a bigger image problem than Bangladesh. I mean, just tell me the last time you heard a good news story from the nation? Exactly! Well, I thought I'd go and see if it really was just a place of monsoon floods and outbreaks of disease or, if there were some good reasons to visit the country. And what I found might surprise you so much that you might want to come visit too...Welcome to what is perhaps the world's friendlist nation: Bangladesh!
This Is Mongolia! ๐ฒ๐ณ ( Asiaโs Nation Of Madlads ) bald and bankrupt 2023-06-02 | ๐ฒ๐ณ There aren't many countries as unknown and as mysterious as the one called Mongolia. All we know is the name Chingis Khan and nothing else pretty much. Well I wanted to fill in the blanks in my mind and travel to the vast remote country slap bang in the middle of Asia to see what it was like. And unlike the few other YouTubers who are had visited Mongolia and just ridden a horse or stayed in a tourist yurt, I was going to go to the mean streets of the cities and to meet the people. And, well, see for yourself what happened...Cheers to backpacker ben for driving us around the country. Check out his channel @BackpackerBen Special thanks to my friend Paul who lives in Mongolia and who took me under his wing when I arrived. Without his help I'd still not have a SIM card or had been able to hire a car. See you in the South of France mate ๐Also thanks to Olivia 'Dogecoin' who took me to the worst transexual bar in Mongolia.
Nobody Visits This Country Anymore ( Find Out Why ) ๐ป๐ช bald and bankrupt 2023-04-06 | ๐ป๐ช Venezuela, the name conjures images of a country synonymous with economic collapse and violence. But is that reputation deserved or is there another side to the country that the media don't show? Well, despite being nervous for my safety and that of my camera, I flew into Caracas on my own to investigate. Oh, and whilst there of course I had to visit the infamous Petare barrio, known as Venezuela's most dangerous hood. Would I survive? Join me and find out. Vamos a Caracas chamos!Shout out to @BackpackerBen for accompanying me all the way from Cusco to Colombia and thanks to my chama Lucy for her help with the translations on the trip ๐ซก
Solo On Bogotas Dirtiest Street ๐จ๐ด bald and bankrupt 2023-03-03 | ๐จ๐ด Having checked into my hotel in the centre of Bogota I decided to go and take a walk around and see what the city had to offer. What I found was a place littered with rubbish, toxic smells and well, let's just say the world's oldest profession. However despite all that the people were extremely friendly and we met some Venezuelans who told me what to expect on my journey to their country. Join me on a street tour like no other...This is part four of the Latin America journey from Cusco to Caracas.Gracias a mi chama Lucy para ayudar con translations.Instagram: realbaldandbankrupt
The Amazons Mysterious Chinese Village ๐ต๐ช bald and bankrupt 2023-03-01 | ๐ต๐ช I was hitching a ride on a transport ship down the Amazon River in Peru when I started noticing people among the passengers who looked distinctly like the descendants of Chinese people. Many boarded and disembarked the ship at the various little jungle towns the ship stopped at until we reached the town of Alto Monte which was like something from a Hong Kong kung Fu movie. But who were these people and why were they dressed in robes and gowns? I disembarked to find out...Thanks to my amiga and chama Lucy for helping with subtitles on this journey ๐ป๐ช
The Amazons Weirdest Village ๐ต๐ช bald and bankrupt 2023-02-22 | ๐ต๐ช Welcome to the Jungle! I sailed down Amazon tributaries from the Peruvian town of Pucallpa in search of adventure on my way to Iquitos, a town hacked out of the rainforest, passing villages where foreigners don't stop. And there in a small village on the banks of the Amazon I met the legendary turtle man. Join me.Sponsored by Life For MenThanks to Lucy and her brother for helping me translate the drunken conversations in Pucallpa
Visiting South Americas Troubled Nation ๐ต๐ช bald and bankrupt 2023-02-15 | ๐ต๐ช Peru is currently experiencing a lot of civil unrest due to a political crises. Sixty people have been killed by the police and many hundreds injured. The country has been brought to a standstill by road blocks and protests. And so youโd think I would avoid visiting the country. However no, I wanted to visit and see what was happening on the ground and meet the Peruvian people. And practice my Spanish. Join meโฆThank you to Lucy my teacher and chama for patiently helping me learn Spanish this last year. Without her help this trip would have been completely different and only half and interesting.
Tourists Dont Cross This Border ( Find Out Why )๐ฑ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2022-12-13 | ๐ฑ๐ฆ I've met some interesting characters on my travels but not many like Mr. Suck. But before we get to him and his questionable Google translation skills myself and @BackpackerBen had to cross into a mysterious country called Laos. We entered a world not seen by many and in some ways untouched by modern life. Join us on an adventure where my other mate @TimKyoutube will also be with us on our way south to Saigon.Please check out both ben's and Tim's channels for another side to the trip.Channel names:Tim KBackpacker Ben
The Nation That Defeated America ๐ป๐ณ bald and bankrupt 2022-12-10 | ๐ป๐ณ It's miraculous that the nation of Vietnam even exists because for over 1000 years mightier neighbours have been trying to invade and subjugate it, be that the Mongols, Chinese, French or USA. Yet the Vietnamese held on and defended their land thanks to leaders like Ho Chi Minh. Well I flew in with two friends to explore this proud nation and to re-visit some of its darker past. Join me in this the first part of the journey.To seer other versions of this journey please visit @BackpackerBen and @TimKyoutube who both recorded this journey for their channels called Backpacker Ben and Tim K.
The JAPAN You Never Knew Existed ๐ฏ๐ต bald and bankrupt 2022-11-27 | ๐ฏ๐ต We are all a bit fascinated by Japan aren't we. So distant and yet so modern and futuristic. I'm no different and have always wondered what the country was like however what really intrigued me was what it had to offer beyond the huge metropolis of Tokyo. Was the whole country wealthy and modern and full of robot restaurants and Harijuku fashionistas? Or were the provinces something else? A place that suffers from the same economic and social problems that much of the rest of the world does? Well to find out I set off across Japan with my mate @BackpackerBen to see for ourselves, choosing a random town called Itaigowa from the map. What we found was not the Japan we knew existed.Join us because I think we're turning Japanese, I really think so...Thanks to Chris from @AbroadinJapan for all his advice behind the scenes. If you don't know his channel yet then definitely check it out for mad Japanese content that is ten times better than anything I could make.Also check out @GabrielTravelerVideos who has lots of Japanese videos from his recent tripAlso I misspoke about Megumi Yokota. Her school wasnโt there but further up the coast
Visiting The Worlds Most Dangerous Country ๐ฆ๐ซ bald and bankrupt 2022-10-08 | ๐ฆ๐ซ What do you think of when you hear the word 'Afghanistan'? Probably not very good things and that isn't surprising. Afghanistan seems to have been in a perpetual state of war since recorded history began. But with the new government in place and the country supposedly somewhat safer now than at any time in the last 20 years I decided to go and investigate the mysterious landlocked country for myself to see how life was progressing. It was quite the adventure. Welcome to Taliban Land...Please check out Backpacker Ben's YouTube channel for his Afghan videos.
The Journey Is Over ๐ท๐บ bald and bankrupt 2022-09-01 | ๐ท๐บ This journey that started for me aged 17 in Annaโs Russian class has now come to an end. I have been officially banned from Russia for a period of three years. What great memories were created. From the villages of the Komi republic to the mountains of Dagestan, to the Siberian forests and Baikal, we have experienced so many adventures. I'll always remember the amazing Russian people I met with great fondness but it's time to to bring the curtain down. Glory to the USSR!
Solo Through Romanias Dark Past ๐ท๐ด bald and bankrupt 2022-08-05 | ๐ท๐ดDeep in the heart of Eastern Europe lies the nation of Romania. A mysterious land to many with its own history of villains and heroes. And it was in search of one such polarising figure that I began a journey across this land ( by the worldโs greatest train ) in the footsteps of Ceaucescu. Join me on this personal journey which I have long dreamed of making as we trace the leaderโs final days in power and his ultimate demise. Shoutout to all the friendly Romanian people I met on the journey. The prequel to this video can be found on the Daily Bald channel.
The Greatest YouTube Video Ever Made! bald and bankrupt 2022-07-31 | ๐ท๐บSince we began exploring the former USSR we have discovered all kinds of wonderful examples of Soviet art and technology. However this time I went in search of the biggest prize of allโฆI just didnโt realise it would cause such a fuss as it did. Glory to the Soviet space engineers and cosmonauts! Glory to the Buran!Check out the Instagram @lanasator for some great photos from Buran and other areas of the former USSR. Without her advice and knowledge this video wouldnโt have been possible.
This Is Britain! ๐ฌ๐ง ( Nation of Madlads ) bald and bankrupt 2022-06-21 | ๐ฌ๐ง Having travelled to weird and distant locations over the last four years I thought it was finally time to visit my own nation, Great Britain. A land with a rich history and as you'll see if you watch this video, some absolutely great people who are as funny and friendly as you'll find anywhere else in the world. Join me and my mate @BackpackerBen as we drive the length of Britain visiting towns unknown to outsiders and where we meet some true characters. Rule Britannia!
Slavic Girl Takes Me Somewhere Youve Never Heard Of... bald and bankrupt 2022-05-17 | Earlier this year myself and Alina tried entering an Uzbek exclave surrounded entirely by Kyrgyzstan. If you saw the video you will know that we were not allowed in. But we don't give up that easy...And so when we discovered that there was a new flight route started up from Uzbekistan to the unknown exclave of Sokh we decided we would have to investigate and try to get in somehow to see what lay there beyond the mountains. Oh and it just happened to mean flying on an old Soviet bi-plane. How could anyone resists such an adventure?!Buckle up for a Soviet adventure in the mysterious land called Sokh.First exclave video can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=dmKRNQfp_Y0&t=2296s
The Syria The Media Wont Show You ๐ธ๐พ bald and bankrupt 2022-04-24 | ๐ธ๐พ I always thought the Middle East was just rock and sand and full of fanatical nutters. I mean that's all the media ever show us isn't it. And so to cast off my ignorance and prejudice I travelled down to the country with probably the worst reputation of all, Syria. I was joined by Wales's most famous culinary expert @SimonWilson12 ( check out his channel for his videos from the trip ) and our new Syrian mate Rami for a journey that both educated and surprised us. Maybe it will surprise and educate you a little bit too and next time you watch some depressing news report from the country you will be able to better draw your own conclusions. Watch this ( the longest video I have ever made ) and find out for yourselves. Shukran habibis.๐ธ๐พ I used an independent tour agency to travel to Syria. www.marrota.com I highly recommend them if you are considering visiting. The manager can be contacted here: ayoub@marrota.com
Leaving Kyiv On A Refugee Train ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2022-02-28 | ๐บ๐ฆ With reports that the city of Kyiv was soon to be closed off I decided the best thing to do was to join the crowds and leave for the border before being stuck. Whilst it was a sad to see the people leaving their homes behind and taking their kids and pets with them towards an uncertain future it also showed the best of the people. Spirits were high, nobody panicked, people shared food and drinks with each other. It was humbling to be a part of it. withukraine.org
Solo Along The Ukrainian-Russian Border ( One Day Before Invasion ) bald and bankrupt 2022-02-27 | ๐บ๐ฆWho could have predicted the horrors which were about to befall on Ukraine. I went there like so many others thinking an agreement would be reached at the last moment. Alas...
Avoid this Soviet Exclave! bald and bankrupt 2022-01-15 | If you look at a detailed map of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia you will see some strange shapes appearing in the very south of the country. These are the Soviet formed exclaves belonging to both Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They were formed in the 1950s to answer the question of what to do with small regions which were ethnically diverse from the Kyrgyz Republic the people had found themselves living in due to Stalin's map making. These exclaves had always intrigued me and I wondered what life was like in them. However there is zero information online about visiting them. However I am always up for a wasted journey so I hired a car in northern Kyrgyzstan and drove 1000kms to one of these exclaves to see if foreigners were allowed to enter or not.Join me on a wild adventure towards the mysterious mountain exclave of Shohimardon...
I Got Drunk With Lithuanias Most Notorious Gangster ๐ฑ๐น bald and bankrupt 2021-11-23 | ๐ฑ๐น As the USSR entered its final stages, law and order began to break down and there began a period which has since been called the period of 'Bandit Capitalism'. This was a period when gangs protected by tough sambo fighters and boxers from the different republics began to form and to exploit the new riches that were to be found in the burgeoning capitalist era. One of those gangs was known as the Vilnius Gang which had a fierce reputation in Lithuania and further afield. I have always been fascinated by that short period of history and how those gangs operated and so when I was invited into a former member of the Vilnius Gang's home, well I of course accepted. Fortunately my bodyguard @JohnnyFD was with me. This would possibly be the night he would earn his usual $7 fee.Thanks to everyone at Azerai cafe in Vilnius who allowed us to film the evening ( best food in Vilnius and Soviet vibes ) and huge thanks to Tadeus and Anastasia for their hospitality and the Soviet presents. Was a pleasure meeting you all.Instagrams:johnnyfdj ( Mongolian bodyguard )realbaldandbankrupt ( me )azerai ( best kebab place in the former USSR )tadeusvasilevskij ( the big man )
Visaginas: Lithuanias Nuclear Town ๐ฑ๐น bald and bankrupt 2021-11-19 | ๐ฑ๐น Since Lithuania gained it's independence in 1991 it has removed as much of its Soviet past as it possibly could unlike in other post-Soviet republics where there are constant reminders of the USSR around every corner. However in the north of the country lies the town of Visaginas where I was told I could find the last remaining Soviet mosaic ( kind of ). Join me as I head north to see how life is in Visaginas which was built to house the workers from the nearby atomic power station and maybe meet some babushkas on the way. Check out @JohnnyFD's channel here: http://youtube.com/johnnyfd
The BAM: Russias Unknown Trans-Siberian Train๐ท๐บ bald and bankrupt 2021-10-27 | ๐ท๐บ We have all heard of the Trans-Siberian, Russia's mega train journey that crosses Siberia as it skirts the Chinese border. But few have heard of the even more impressive B.A.M ( Baikal Amur Mainline ) which passes through virgin forest in the middle of Siberia. Built in the 1970s by young communists, the BAM is the greatest construction project of the 20th Century. And yet it is unknown in the West.I decided to go and ride this unknown journey across northern Siberia and speak to the people who came to build it. Join me as we ride 'The Bam'!The journey route: Tayshet-Severobaykalsk-Novi Uoyan-TindaInstagram: realbaldandbankrupt
Looking For A Drink In Deepest Siberia ๐ท๐บ bald and bankrupt 2021-10-22 | ๐ท๐บ What does a man have to do to get a beer around here? Well if you're in the Siberian town of Taiga then the answer is quite a lot. I searched everywhere for a beer and met legends on the way. Welcome to the towns other bloggers don't show you, where everyone is a character with a twinkle in their eye. For you guys searching on a map for the towns I visit in this film, they are: Novosibirsk-Bolotnoe-Tomsk-Taiga-TaishetThis is part three of my journey across Siberia. Follow my Insta for trip photos @realbaldandbankrupt
Inside Perm 36: The Last Gulag bald and bankrupt 2021-10-07 | ๐ท๐บ Under Stalin the G.U.LAG ( Main Administration of Camps ) system spread out across what was the former Soviet Union, swallowing up citizens and foreigners from all corners of the empire. Ukrainians, Estonians, Kyrgyz etc. were taken from their homes and sent north in box cars to the camps to work away their stretches. Millions passed through the camps and many never returned home. Those camps have long been dismantled or converted into regular factories and work places and you'd be hard pressed to know that you were visiting a former camp. However Perm 36 logging camp has been preserved and so I travelled to the very edge of Europe to a village called Kutchino to visit the last Gulag and to see how the prisoners lived.
Solo On The Worlds Longest Train Journey ๐ท๐บ bald and bankrupt 2021-10-05 | ๐ท๐บThe Trans-Siberian train, who hasn't dreamt of taking it across this leviathan of a country? Well not me to be honest but somehow I decided to override my dread of endless train rides to show you what nobody has shown you before. The real Trans-Siberian. This isn't a package tour, nothing is booked in advance. It's just me on my own hopping from town to town on whichever train is leaving next, meeting locals, drinking vodka, avoiding snorers, exploring Russia. Join me!
Looking For Love In A Ukrainian Village ( Isnt Easy ) ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-08-29 | ๐บ๐ฆ We all want to find that special someone, the person who will accept us and love us despite our madness and idiosyncrasies. We all hope that that person is out there somewhere waiting to be found. And so when myself and Johnny met a woman on a provincial bus journey who told us of the mythical village of Sofiivka, a place supposedly full of fair village maidens all searching for husbands, we decided that we would have to travel there and investigate for ourselves to see if we could find true love. Get ready for the feel good movie of the year...Subscribe to romantic Johnny here: youtube.com/user/JohnnyJ3N
Dodgy Burgers And Gopnik Dogs In Ukraine ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-08-23 | ๐บ๐ฆ Greetings from beautiful Ukraine. Myself and my bodyguard Johhny FD left the capitol city Kyiv on a provincial adventure to the town of Pereyaslav in search of a Soviet Cosmic church I had tried and failed to visit last winter. On the way we learnt some more about this great country, for example: to always avoid Burger City, how not to serenade babushkas and that even dogs have bad reputations and are banned from shopping at some places. Join us on a trip to what might actually be Ukraine's friendliest little town, Pereyaslav.The first video about Pereyaslav from the winter can be found here: youtube.com/watch?v=ETHMzJmgz1kJohhny FD channel is here: youtube.com/user/JohnnyJ3N
Ukraines Frustratingly Long City: Kryvyi Rih ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-08-10 | ๐บ๐ฆ Doing the simplest of tasks like popping to the shop for a loaf of bread is no simple thing in Kryvyi Rih. That's because it's seemingly the longest city in the bloody world and going anywhere takes a bloody eternity and ends in sweaty frustration. However I was on a mission to seek out its Soviet past so I stopped complaining and set off on an adventure in search of an old dude with a Lada. Join me as we go back in time to good old Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine's most frustrating city.Check out my other channel 'Daily Bald' for shorter videos.
KhTZ: Ukraines Most Dangerous Hood ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-08-05 | ๐บ๐ฆ I hadn't been in Kharkiv very long before I started hearing about the dodgy gopnik filled suburb called KhTZ ( Kharkiv Tractor Plant ). None of the people I spoke to had actually been but they all told me stories of a region known for its fights and muggings. Well I decided to go check it out with my good mate Johnny. Join us both on a gopnik adventure in Ukraine's dodgiest hood.You can follow Johnny here at his YouTube channel: youtube.com/johnnyfd
Solo Through War-Torn Donbass ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-03-08 | ๐บ๐ฆ In 2014 the Ukrainian part of the Donbass erupted into war. Separatists from the Lugansk and Donetsk regions took up arms and took control of Ukrainian towns all along the eastern region of the country. Eventually they were pushed back until they controlled just the cities of Lugansk and Donetsk and some surrounding villages. I went off to visit some of the towns that the Ukrainian army had re-taken along the front lines to see how life was progressing and to hunt for the ultimate Soviet mosaic...
The Ukraine Youve Never Seen before ๐บ๐ฆ bald and bankrupt 2021-03-01 | ๐บ๐ฆ There are plenty of videos on YouTube about Ukraine and they all show the same things; pretty churches in Kyiv, beaches in Odessa or Lviv's incredible town square. But did we really learn about the country from those generic films? I don't believe so. And so I wanted to travel off the beaten track and show you the real places and meet the real people of Ukraine away from the cliches. Oh and we will search for some Soviet mosaics too. Join me on an adventure in what may well be Europe's friendliest and least understood country.
Solo In Estonias East ๐ช๐ช bald and bankrupt 2021-02-04 | ๐ช๐ช We all know about Tallinn the vibrant capital of Estonia with its tech start-ups and modern infrastructure. It's lauded as a miracle of the post-Soviet sphere and rightly so. But what about the rest of the country? Is that reaping the benefits of EU accession too? I jumped on a train heading east to find out...
