Oscillating in Transdniester: A Conversation about Travel

When we last caught up with travel-fanatic Rus Margolin, he had  just been to over 100 countries.  Well, he just ticked off his 200th.  I met Rus at Arctic Watch, one of the highlights on The Great Canadian Bucket List, and the kind of remote shore where rather interesting people wash up.  For example, former-bond traders from New York who decide to visit every country in the world.    Many years ago, I remember telling a girl in Hungary that I was travelling around the world, and without missing a beat, she asked me:   So, what have you learned?”   I caught up with Rus for a conversation about travel, experiences, highlights, some places you might not have heard of, and what he has learned himself.   Check out some of his incredible photos in the slideshow above.  ​

RE: I bet a lot of people ask you what your favourite country is.  Does it drive you crazy?

RM: It's pretty much the most common question. And the less travelled people ask it even more. And my typical answer is: It depends.  Are you interested in culture, history, nature, landscapes, people, food?  And so on…

RE: Travel is so personal. I always tell people, “just because I had a great time in X, doesn’t mean you will.”   Perhaps folks just want reassurance.  I do like throwing in amazing countries they wouldn’t have thought of much, like Sri Lanka, and Cook Islands. ​

RM: I do the same and go a step further - Mauritania, Greenland, Turkmenistan, Iran, Vanuatu. See how their eyes open wide in disbelief. Djibouti as well.

RE: At this point, you could just start making names up!   I’ve got a text box in my new Global Bucket List book about the amount of countries in the world.  “The United Nations currently has 193 members; the US State Department recognizes 195. FIFA has 208 members because it takes into account countries that are governed by other countries but can still kick a soccer ball. Most sources give the number at 196.”  How do you define a country?  How many are on your list?

RM:  I have my own list of countries. To me a country is not a UN entity but more like a unique destination - with it's own culture, nature, people, history, geographic isolation, and its own government. You start with a UN list, add various former colonies and islands and territories, add a bunch of de facto independent countries and you get close to 300.  Greenland, Cayman Islands, Transdniester, New Caledonia, Galapagos, Easter Island, Canary Islands - these are all countries to me.   Here’s my full list of countries.

RE:  And is your goal to visit all of them?

RM: Not the primary objective. I am interested in seeing the most incredible and unique places in the world, having incredible experiences while doing it, and meeting people from all over the world. Plus I like contrasts - one day you are trekking Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda, next week you are in Norway seeing Northern lights, next week you are clubbing in NYC and next week you are in the South American jungle.  I am also still trying to see every possible animal migration and mammal species there is.

RE:  I found the richness of the experience can become overwhelming, like eating too much dessert.  How do you keep it fresh?  How do you prevent becoming a jaded traveller?

RM: Alternate the experiences.  When I got to "chateau-ed out" in France, I went hiking in Pyrenees. When the Western European democracy gets under your skin - you try Russia or Egypt. ​

RE:   I’m sure many readers will be asking themselves: how the heck does this guy afford it?   Were you a Wolf on Wall Street?   Do you have to make personal and professional sacrifices to travel with such dedication?

RM: The fact is that travelling is actually often cheaper then living in a big metropolitan city. In many countries you can survive on $50 per day in relative comfort. The biggest expense of travel is airfare - which you minimize of you country to neighboring country, or allow for flexibility in finding cheap flights. You could lease a car in Europe for a long-term lease as cheap as 20 euro a day. South America, Asia, Middle East are all relatively cheap. Professionally it's definitely a huge sacrifice - but I’d rather look back at my life and think about incredible experiences than stare at a bank account or remember sitting in front of monitors and watching markets oscillate.

RE:   Oscillating in Transdniester.  That’s a good title for a book.  And I confess I’d never heard of Transdniester until you mentioned it!

RM: In Transdniester you actually experience time travel. It's like going back to USSR - Lenin statues, rubles with hammer and sickle on them, beer in metal barrels sold in the streets.  It's a completely independent country with its own government, money, military and police, language, sports teams. Just not recognized by UN

RE: I just looked it up on Wikipedia just in case you were making it up!  OK, so what country did you find the most welcoming, and what country was the most hostile?

RM:  For the most part I have to say that pretty much every country is welcoming. You always meet people who are proud of their country and want to show it to you.  Iran was probably the biggest surprise in how open and friendly people were. Same for Cuba. Slovakia, Rwanda, the Pacific Island nations, Central Asia.  Different culturally, definitely, but open arms everywhere. Perhaps maybe the Gulf Countries were a bit stuffy. But so are some states in USA.

RE:  Have you noticed any universalities among the nations?  Is  globalization as prevalent in the cultural sense as the media would have us believe?

RM:   Well, there’s cell phones. No matter how poor or isolated the country is - everybody has iPhones or smart phones of some sort, and most places have wifi. It was easier or find wifi in Egypt then in New York.

RE:  Even in Transdniester and Djibouti?

RM: Transdniester absolutely. Djibouti, in the capital city. When I was camping in the desert, not so much.

RE:   You’re chasing migrations and mammals too.  What’s your favourite mammal?  Some of them can be quite elusive.  Like the virtuous and honest politician (or so I’m told...)

RM: I haven't met a virtuous and honest (or even either/or) politician yet. In the animal world - gorillas, orangutans, whales, grizzlies, elephants, lions are much easier and more enjoyable to deal with.

RE:   You take some incredible images (some of which I’ve used in my books).  Do you have a favourite?  The pic that always brings a smile to your face?

RM:  My top 3 stunning places, visually:  Danakil in Ethiopia, Kamchatka in Russia, the Icefjord in Greenland.   Most pictures bring incredible memories. That's the beauty of travel. Every country and city gets a real feel and taste and color,  rather than just being a name on the map. Some of my favorite pics were from most insane experiences - like hugging a white baby seal in Canada, standing on top of Mt Kenya, stretching my arm toward a gorilla or whale shark, dancing my ass off in Ibiza during fluorescent spray-paint night. It's an endless list really.

RE:   So, you travel around the world.  What have you learned?

RM: Be open to other people and their views of life; be respectful of their cultures and traditions; try every food you can; take on all physical challenges; learn about everything and anything. Enrich yourself with knowledge and experiences, and then continue to repeat the process. The sky truly is the limit.

RE: I totally agree.  And what’s next?

RM: A small trip to British Virgin Islands, then back to New York for DJ classes. And then:  West Africa, Polynesia, Mongolia, India, more of Brazil and Russia

You can catch up to Rus on Facebook and Instagram. ​