Dmitry Vrangels Alphabet: Descending into the Heart of an Active Volcano

Belarusian TV host and showman Dmitry Vrangels has visited 59 countries worldwide. It’s no surprise that for his “Alphabet,” our interlocutor offered an unusual, “touristic” version. Each letter represents a city or country that left him with the most incredible impressions. Get inspired!

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a lost city. My wife and I traveled through Cambodia and were captivated by Angkor Wat. We brought back only warm memories. For the first time, I saw a civilization that was unfamiliar to me. It felt like I was on another planet.

As a child, I watched movies about travelers and thought it was impossible to visit such an unseen country. When you find yourself in the heart of the jungle and see how centuries-old tree roots break through thousand-year-old temples, it takes your breath away.

Fun fact: That’s where the movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” with Angelina Jolie was filmed. Of all the travels, I highlight this place that has touched my heart.

Vietnam

We traveled through Vietnam from north to south by car. It took us a whole month. An amazing trip. In Vietnam, we had the opportunity to live in a tribe that is on the verge of extinction.

There are red and black Hmong. They can live opposite each other across a rock but not understand each other due to dialect differences. We were interested in their way of life. We even helped clean the fields. By the way, we settled with the black Hmong.

I remember one interesting thing. Early in the morning during a walk, we noticed how an 80-year-old woman was crushing reeds on a special device. She did it so skillfully and quickly that there was no thought of her age. I was very surprised by the physical fitness of our neighbor.

And I was impressed that every day from 5 to 6 in the morning, Vietnamese gather and do exercises, stretching, yoga, and other physical activities. I was also impressed by the fact that Asians, in general, treat their culture with reverence. And I also believe that the Vietnamese have the most diverse cuisine.

Havana

Cuba is an amazing country. But it is changing rapidly and becoming extremely modern. You need to go there now while you can still catch the authentic atmosphere.

Havana is a unique city. The first association that comes to mind is tired chic. You feel that you see a golden crown, but the stones have already fallen out of it. There are beautiful charming people. And the old streets, walking along which day and night is a pleasure, give special impressions.

Dubai

Bright, expensive, and rich. I used to say that Dubai is just well-planned streets, and there is no history in it. I thought there was nothing there that could provide visual pleasure. But then I looked at it differently.

People, coming to the desert, made a stunning modern city from a small village. Isn’t that a miracle? It’s amazing what modern man is capable of.

Italy

Every person doesn’t necessarily have to visit Angkor Wat, Havana, or Dubai, but they must visit Italy!

Lebanon

Lebanon is a fantastic place! It is there that artifacts from the time of the Roman Empire have been preserved. And they are well preserved. In many tourist cities, you will stand 10 meters from the exhibit in a crowd, but in Lebanon, you are alone, having the opportunity to literally touch history.

There are 19-meter columns preserved, they are larger than in the Parthenon. And what about the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek! It is more impressive than the Roman Pantheon. And the cuisine, words cannot describe it! By the way, in Lebanon, the number of just national snacks varies around fourteen. That’s a lot.

Rome

The heart of Europe. History. As for our trip there, every day we walked about 25 kilometers. I paid attention to the cultural component of the city, looked at the buildings, walked on the cobblestones. First of all, Rome is architecture.

Tbilisi

For our compatriots, Georgia is understandable. And attractive to many. Including the cuisine. The phrase comes to mind: “I will eat everything because this is Georgia.”

From the mountain monastery in Nekresi with a stunning view of the Alazani Valley, we went to Shilda to collect grapes, try wine and chacha. We flew to Ananuri. And then about 120 kilometers to Stepantsminda, where we spent the night at the foot of Mount Kazbek.

This mountain is the calling card of the country, for which we woke up at six in the morning. The view is extraordinary. We were lucky: not many people see the top of the mountain.

Java

“Burner.” People literally live on gunpowder. On this island, we visited three active volcanoes and descended into the crater of one of them! We visited an acidic lake that formed after the eruption. And got unforgettable impressions!