5 Fun Things to Do in “Dangerous” Places (Part 2)
Your biggest fear should be fear itself. If our first installment of Doing Fun Things in Dangerous Places wasn’t thrilling enough, we dug up a little more fun with a lot more danger. OTP’s Doing Fun Things in Dangerous Places, Part 2 shows you how to have a damn good time living on the edge.
Kite Flying in Pakistan
THE DANGER: Pakistan has constant bloody land battles along their borders with India and Afghanistan. Run mostly by a military dictatorship, the country is battling numerous Islamic insurgent forces and struggles to survive as an independent state.
THE FUN: Kites are way fun. To mark the beginning of spring, the Basant Festival (a kite flying event of extreme proportions) brings thousands of people to Lahore to fly shimmering kites, play music and party together. It’s a time of promoting the true Pakastani spirit of freedom and community. Although this event pisses off plenty of Muslim extremists every year, the danger actually lies in the kites. themselves. People are so mesmerized by the spectacle of the festival that they get caught in kite cords (often illegally made of electrical wires) or fall off roof tops.
Scuba Diving Colombia
THE DANGER: That white powdery stuff has put Colombia on the ‘no go zone’ list for ages. Cartels have a lot of power and American kidnappings have been widely publicized.
THE FUN: While some advisories are still in place for Bogota, several regions in Colombia are pretty safe, including Taganga, a small fishing village over the hill from Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast. Getting scuba certified here is cheap and easy, but not without a little danger. High quality scuba equipment is prohibited to prevent cartels from getting too far out underwater to traffic cocaine. This leaves you with equipment that’s functional but not at all fancy. While you’ll still see some great tropical fish using their gear, take some extra precautions and do your research (like reading this thread) before you go.
Motorcycle Riding Across Mexico
THE DANGER: Border towns between Mexico and the U.S. have been taken over by drug cartels, most notably in Tijuana and Juarez. Cartels are violent toward the government, civilians and amongst themselves. Deadly shootouts are amassing and being in the wrong place at the wrong time is pretty easy to do here.
THE FUN: Mexico is dangerously beautiful: rolling hills speckled with colorful little houses, open dirt roads, beaches and kind people. Dive into it’s culture on your motorcycle by heading out to Highway 1 down through Baja where you will encounter remote taco stands, miles of dirt road and a great cafe called Coco’s Corner run by an excruciatingly nice legless man named Coco.
Canoeing in Burma (Myanmar)
Boat on Irrawaddy River at Sunset (Image: © Nevada Wier/CORBIS)
THE DANGER: A country between India and China run by an authoritarian military regime. A place where deviating from the government’s opinions gets you killed quick (as evidenced by the government attacks of 2007 on peaceful organizers).
THE FUN:The Mekong River runs for miles through Burma complete with rapids and waterfalls. Jumping in a canoe and getting tossed around is the best way to experience it. Keep an eye out for freshwater dolphins,150 lb carp and fishing cats (they’re a little cross-eyed but fierce). Make sure to get a valid visa before visiting (the government is not a big fan of journalists so tell them you’re a brain surgeon) and have your passport on you at all times.
Mountain Climbing Nepal
THE DANGER: Politically, Nepal is relatively stable and safe (minus a few landmines here and there). It’s dangers are more altitude related. Home to the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest stands about 29,000 feet high and you better believe this thing will give you a nasty nose bleed if you’re not careful.
THE FUN: Climbing the highest peak in the world is exhilarating. You are on top of the world and get a simultaneous sense of accomplishment, conquest and humility. Up there, the rules are different and it changes you. But, altitude sickness (as lame as it sounds) feels as though your days are numbered and your skull is ready to crack. Like a combination of the worst hangover in the world and carbon monoxide poisoning, altitude sickness sinks in at about 8,000 feet. Everest is high enough to put you in a head spin 3 times over. Your best bet is to go up the beast slowly, giving your body time to acclimate to the changes in pressure. Leave some air in your lungs to scream your face off at the top.
Bonus: Getting Mind F*cked in North Korea
Word on the street is if you can befriend a Korean escort (or go on a guided tour), you can enter North Korea. For decades, this communist nation had sealed its borders to tourism and is known for testing nukes all over the place. Inside the country, all phones, television programs and the internet are strictly monitored by the government. Visitors are given very planned out tours, only visiting government-approved places and being told censored things. This trip will be like The Twilight Zone, except with a bunch of commi Koreans.
Living safely and carefully will bring a lot of could-haves, should-haves and would-haves (better known as regret) later in life. Do your research but get out there and start living, fear free.
Head Writer/Editor-in-Chief of Off Track Planet. Pescatarians are not just cheating vegetarians; we're our own breed and the extra protein makes us more feisty! Rawr
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Thanks for including Coco’s Corner! Mexico is a great place to come and explore by motorbike!
Wow, guys
You are getting more interesting political and tourism info here.
Thanks
And I’m glad you included Colombia, it’s a fantastic country. I got scuba certified, didn’t feel unsafe at all. Amazing reeves. Moreover, I stayed in the most beautiful apartment. Enjoy south america!
Kite flying in Pakistan. You guys sure know how to party! Seriously though, awesome list and some great ideas to compliment the first list. You guys know what travelling is all about.