Hey Bald, correction about the Sokh houses, that is just resting room for farmers while they are working in the field, not a real house where someone would live. They would use that for lunches or taking naps. Having these in the fields saves time.
Man, I feel that taxi driver, that's probably the best he could show of the place, since they barely have electricity. Loved that he invited you as guests to his home, that's such a nice hospitality and maybe he also felt a bit guilty on the poor tour. Cheers to him
they wanted to see the beautiful natural scenery, but he probably thought the Englishman wanted to see some architecture and technology, and did his best to show him that lol
@@franekbuczkowski2278 yes, sorry B n B, but you seemed a bit like a 1 man 'special operation', also a point knocked off for not having a closer up look at that motorbike, it would probably be worth a fortune, either way, i love old bikes, also the history, might of even been passed down from his grandfather, oh and i'm being really harsh now but a map of where you were and where you were going would of been helpful, ok now i will put a soc in it!
@@Adam-xl3mo the poor fella only got £20 or worse still $20 for all his efforts and took them to see his family, it looks bad, new years eve here in uk, £20 in a taxi might get you half a mile
Traveling in a old Soviet biplane to some random enclave in Uzbekistan. That is indeed what adventuring dreams are made of. Man you are living life. Love ya bald, you are top tier brotha.
Hello Mr.Benjamin. I am from Sokh. Thank you for visit to Sukh and I hope you come to Sokh again. Thanks for the video about Sokh. 🙌🙌I think you visited my village. our village name is Khushyar and we are happy about that
Who knew a middle aged British man would be my favorite RUclipsr of all time. I’ve been on this app for over a decade and nothing gets me like a bald drop. Will be a sad day when this man stops but he has done so well
''Tomcha" is not old babushkas house. It's summer garden resting area after agricultural work to take a break at peak heat hour usually between 1:00 p.m to 6 p.m. This people produce most of their own food due to remote location and conflicted border. All they want is peace as old men mentioned. Love it...
@@МагомедАжуфамунедов In the USA, they usually call "America" their country. For me (as a south american from Chile) that sounds ridiculous, because for us AMERICA IS A CONTINENT, NOT A FUCKIN SINGLE COUNTRY
I like how the old soviet train conductors look at every ticket as if it is the first they have ever seen. and then they walk away with it and you wonder if you ever see it again
Dear Ben!!! Well, how do you like the flight on the old AN2 ??? Hope you enjoyed your flight! If you remember, I myself accompanied you to this plane and told you that this plane is completely safe)))
It's crazy to see how far from this idea we have come in "modern Western society". We need everything and always need more. These people are truely living in peace with their lives being very basic for our standards.
Yep, that line really hit me--that man knows what is to not have peace so he understands how important it is. In the West we don't know anything else and take it for granted.
I believe this is one of Bald's most complete videos. You have local people, local interpretation of a Sokhian through muddy rivers, a bit of soviet action and finishs with a educational chat for english students. I laughed, I learnt and I really enjoyed it. Thanks Bald for another great adventure!
The word Sokh comes from "Sogdia", which was the name of the people living in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan before the Turks lived there. The people in Sokh are Tajiks because the Sogdians were Persian, unlike most of the Turkic inhabitants of modern Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Alexander the Great's wife Roxana was the daughter of a Sogdian noble. The Sogdians were the greatest traders of the Silk Road, and the Sogdian language was its lingua franca all the way to the Byzantine Empire. In the 8th century, a Sogdian general named An Lushan revolted in China, causing one of its worst civil wars in history - the An Lushan rebellion. It is believed that up to 2/3rds of the population may have died in the war, and as a result, the Chinese instituted a policy of Sogdian genocide once they regained power. All Sogdians in China were killed. This, coupled with the Turkic and Muslim conquests of Central Asia led to the decline and ultimate extinction of the Sogdian people, and now all that is left are places they once named.
th AN-2 is literally one of the safest planes ever made. It cannot stall. If the pilot tries to stall it which would make it sort of fall out of the sky, the engineering of that plane will make it drift gently to the ground. Amazing piece of aviation history. You should be happy when you see one on the runway if you were going to be flying in it
The one thing I have always taken from your travels Ben, is that those that seemingly have the least... always give the most.... the people you meet in many of these small, almost unknown places are true humans... good hearts and peacefull minds.... its a joy to watch
The guide showed them the orchards and potato field that Sokh is known for, the mines they have had disputation with the Kyrgis with, a traditional house with a leaky roof and then took them to his home. He was an excellent tour guide. Bald and Alina see them now and will learn why later. Then they'll think ooooh that is where the secrets lay..and nostalgically remember it.
The An2 is a very safe plane. Still used for crop spraying in former Soviet states. I saw one last year here in Romania, flying along the river spraying against mosquitoes. I'm a former pilot, and one of the fascinating things about the An2 is it doesn't have a published stall speed - no matter how much you pull back and try to make it, it will not stall. Just floats down to earth at about 40 knots. Soft landing and no drama! I must try and fly one soon.
My father grew up in a very small town in east Texas in conditions that were almost certainly more primitive and impoverished than what you see in this video. Despite his humble beginnings, he did very well for himself in life, and he was able to indulge his love for travel when he retired. He always liked to engage the local people wherever he went and was especially interested in their traditional methods of living as he said it reminded him of his own experiences when he was a child. The photo albums from his overseas vacations with my mother are full of pictures of him in some small village or along a road somewhere talking to a craftsman or farmer, asking them about their work and life. I think my father would have enjoyed this episode very much! He would have been 100 years old today.
cool little story about your father, I find it humbling to meet simple folk who work hard for their existence, they are usually extremely kind and hospitable despite not having much, why people travel to go and find malls and tourist operators I'll never understand
Yeah you see the pride they show of the construction projects, the reservoir -growing up in this area you assume these visitors want to see your town achievements. You may even hope they are looking for partnerships to help your community grow - you are eager to make impression. Bald shows real people and learns vs consumes. Your father I am sure is smiling.
Happy Birthday to your father, Paul. It sounds like he would of enjoyed joining Bald in that living room with the Taxi Driver / Tourist Gide’s family, dropping lumps of sugar in rose scented tea and finding out about the geopolitics of water stream annexations. Some places, just on appearances mind you, are so attractive that they give the illusion of peace and tranquility. Sox, and judging by the people we met there, seems like one of those places. I’d love Bald to take a trip through rural Japan, as I think his insights would be very illuminating. Thanks for sharing with us who your father was, as he sounds like he was a really nice guy. Best. ( I should add, that I wrote my response above in no way in competition with any other commenters - whose own responses I haven’t read - nor your own, as I genuinely found it touching that you shared a personal moment with which to contextualise Bald’s small journey for us, and that’s what had touched me and from the same place from which I chose to make my own response; in the small and simple kindnesses of others. Best again to you and for your father’s legacy here.)
I spent a little time in East Texas in the mid 90s, about 20 miles south of Lufkin. I found the people there very warm and hospitable. I am Canadian and we can be a little cold and aloof and some of the people and culture there rubbed off on me and influenced me. I was blessed to have had my eyes opened and to have been able to spend time there. Your Dad sounds like he was a great man!
That's gotta be the funniest tour I've seen so far. An abandoned quarry, a riverside power plant and some babushka's old leaky roof hut and field. Best video on the channel 😂.
The school part was so damn nice. They are learning English but normally most of them would never get the chance to speak to a native speaker in person. It had to be something really special for them. Spasiba Benjamin! And greetings from Germany!
These expeditions, and this one in particular, are a wonderful lens through which to view the overlooked corner of a world eager to learn about itself. Thanks for bringing us along. Cheers.
5:09 or so - very impressive grab! 25:07 Invited home, laid out snacks and served tea. Absolutely wonderful! All they want is peace just as what, 99.99999% of the planet. May seem mushy, but darn it, we all need to see or experience more of this type of living. Awesome stuff! This planet is big. Kindness and love are on a universal scale - and it shows.
The last stop where he takes you to his house is the experiences you really pay for. There's probably not a lot in Sokh so that's why he didn't show you much, lol.
@@bernadettemccarthyflahive5357 I can imagine some power station to be the most significant infrastructure project of the century there, so to others it might just be some muddy pond and a building, but to them it might be the most relevant thing out there. For them its construction could had been a massively big deal they are proud of. Some 1 MWh powerstation by the river could be their Hoover dam they worked years on to get built. But who really knows. I might just be another condescending westerner, and that guide really just had nothing to show, and not even the locals would see that mud pond as impressive.
The taxi driver did a great job choosing places that represent the real daily life of people in Sokh and not a post card location that shows a romanticized/ picturesque image. Thanks driver for allowing us to discover your land through Bald’s lens. Great bonus scene of prof Bald who despite his taxi complaints is a fine good hearted guy.
I'm actually kinda suprised he didn't enjoyed it since he's always going to old sometimes abandoned decrepit structures just to marvel at the SOVIET ingenuity
It really was a deeper look into the area and what it mean to locals than a tour would have given elsewhere. Had bald not been traveling a partner I think he would've indulged the taxi driver a bit more.
@@marcogarbin2977 italian? i thought he was a brit, he acts like one, speaks like one, thinks like one, the only discrepancy is that he is willing to go places and can handle non-bland food
Спасибо Мистер. Я живу в Сохе. Я посмотрел ваше видео и он мне очень понравилось. Я рад что вы посетили наш район. Думаю что вы тоже рад за путешествие. Предлагайте наш район многими другими туристами. Thank you very much 🥰
EN TL: Thank you mister. I live in Sokh. I watched your video and really liked it. I am happy that you visited our region. I think that you also liked your trip. Recommend our region to a lot of other tourists. Thank you very much (emoji)
@@DDN_1606 Hi, I'm watching from Australia. I like your region very much, it's a beautiful place and you are beautiful people. We are sending you our love. Привет, я смотрю из Австралии. Мне очень нравится ваш край, это красивое место и вы прекрасные люди. Мы посылаем вам нашу любовь.
It always amazes me that people who have so little always seem to give the most to complete strangers like Bald and Alinchick. Genuine and good people.
It's pity I wasn't able to guide you two guys, cuz I am from here. I work as an English teacher in one of the schools. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed your small trip. Looking forward to other guests from around the globe. ✌️
i wonder: what do most young people these days over there work as? do they stay in their villages or do they move to the towns and do they get more "modern" jobs? or do many even move abroad?
@@musictraining5071 they mostly go to Russia to make for their living. But recently the youth have started moving to cities for studying purpose of course
the driver wanted to show you the "developed" part of sokh, while you coming from a developed nation wanted to see nature and history. the difference in perspective haha
yea it seems lie he was showing their most modern infrastructure. like they are proud of having that capability. An appropriate response would have been... wow hydro power!
Dude, I have to say I was worried after seeing the story of you being detained in baikonur so absolutely brilliant to see you up to your old tricks. From Cormac - watching in Cork, Ireland. Keep em coming Ben! Top content from a top bloke
Wow, Bald, that was/is a 1947-era vintage An-2 biplane, Great plane actually. Alina is a real trooper and fellow traveler. Thanks for all your hard work and effort to show us another slice of how other people live. God Speed and good luck and Happy Trails. You're the Best!
@@vladimirstok149 Any man riding a WW2 soviet sidecar motorcycle around in a bomber jacket is gonna be a character, no question. all the taxi drivers seem to know each other too
I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this but Ferghana Valley is where India's famous Mughal Emperor's come from. The first to enter India was the ruler of Ferghana Valley who was ousted by his uncle. He roamed for years trying to recapture his birthright before giving up and heading to India. He was very lucky in that his adventure paid dividends, and the rest as they say is history !!
These days smiling from ear to ear is truly appreciated courtesy of your adventures Mr. Bald and Alina. Thank you for helping us enjoy vicariously through you both.
Bald: What's here? Why did you bring us here? Driver: Just to show you! That's an amazing statement, couldn't control my laughter after seeing the reaction of Elena, and Bald uttering the words "He's brought us to look at this field". Truly Priceless!
Those old Antonovs are about as safe as flying gets. You can kill the engine and let go of the controls and they will land themselves. Not the best looking or most comfortable but very safe!
It's always super interesting to hear Ben's stories. He takes us along for the travels with him, and unlike your local or world news. . . paints a more accurate picture of what it is like with much less bias. I love catching a glimpse of all these lands that I will likely never see. Thanks for being you dude!
Oh my gosh an Antonov2 still in service. What a fantastic piece of engineering. Great STOL capabilities. Like most Soviet era aircraft, slow but reliable.
Lots of AN-2's are still in use - also in the west. They are usually used to connect to isolated places and smaller islands, aswell as private use. In Germany they have (previously) been used as charter to smaller islands such as Sylt, Helgoland, etc. They are more reliable and robust than similar sized and similar aged Cessnas. AN-2's where made in two countries, in The Soviet and by polish Mielec. I believe the AN-2P in the video is actually not a soviet build, but rather a polish build - judging by the number of passengers. The polish build had a few extra seats fitted compared to the soviet.
There used to be a couple still in use in the U.K. I went in one at Cardiff Airport in Wales, during the 90’s. Very slow stall speed. About 38mph. We removed a big window in flight and stuck our heads out!! Awesome.
Это тот самолёт, который мы называли «кукурузник»? Помню почти 60 лет тому назад в аэроклубе мы прыгали с парашютом с « кукурузника»….P.S. that’s how to be bilingual - I read in English, think and answer in Russian.. lol
I trust an AN-2 with more than my life. Amazing airplanes, and incredibly simple. The take-off and landing speeds can be so slow, that they are still sought after bush planes and used in remote areas. The AN-2 actually has NO registered/published 'stall speed'. Pilots can handle these things, fully in control, at a mere speed of 35mph with a good headwind. Better yet, if the engine completely fails, you can pull the control column all the way back, and keep the wings level. At one point the plane will have a forward speed of a mere 25mph, paired with a 'parachute-like drop speed' vertically. You'll definitely crush the landing gear, but you will live!
bulllshit - my uncle use to be a test pilot on AN-2 in Mielec in 1970-1980) (licence AN-2) and i remember one he always said - this plane is not for begginers - it is really hard to safe flying in hot weather.
@@mikkei3532 it's designed as a crop duster, utility, and agricultural airplane. Accidentally they also made it a STOL airplane (short take off/landing). In extremely hot weather, air gets thinner. It's not so much the temperature or humidity, but air density that's the problem. And it mostly impacts smaller airplanes. The amount of lift that is created in "thin air" is a lot lower than normal, so your take off and landing speeds (and distances) become way longer. Something this airplane wasn't designed for.
1:36 The train in the background is a Spanish made Talgo 250 high speed train. They make up most of the rolling stock that's used for Alvia services here in Spain. Really nice bit of kit: can run on different gauge widths and change between them without coming to a full stop, there are hybrid versions to run on non-electrified routes and it can travel at 250 kph. Talgo describe it as the most interoperable train in the world.
This is some wild-ass stuff and a thoroughly ORIGINAL channel. Stepping out of the box for sure. Thank you. Keep up the good work and reaching out to people. Bravo
The moment the old guy said, "Yes we are at peace here, that's most important", it made my heart fill with so much of happiness & joy, but then a little bit of jealousy was there too... because of the bloody rat race track I have fallen-in, being a part of the flippin urban life.!!
and f you bro, don't be so judgmental ! It was such a great experience for you, and all because of that driver. XD we could have left too after watching the 1st 2-3 destination ;) , but we waited coz we trust you with the awesome content ! cheers
Seeing the English "lesson" at the end reminded me of several years ago when, as an American teenager, I traveled to Europe to teach modern slang in an "Advanced" English class with a group of other Americans from all over the country. It was the most appreciated class by the teachers and students because it was more about culture than language. I don't know if exchange student classes like that still occur but that was one of the most transformative times of my life.
@@questionasker5187 Technically there is no language of the Americans, It should be English in my opinion but the US government should've made it official long ago
Hi Ben and Alina - thank you for another wonderful adventure! So nice to see this part of the world as I look out of my window here in Central New Jersey , USA. Ben - be nice to Alina - she is a keeper!
It cracks me up that Bald isn't supposed to film in the departure lounge... and yet the cockpit door is wideopen and he gets to do an upclose shot if all the control panels and everything inbetween without anyone caring. Glorious.
Bald has helped me get through so many hard times over the years. I remember when he first started making videos in India. I was hooked. I wish him nothing but the best.
Did you see the outer village/the house he showed? The driver was proud of the electricity plant, the fields, his house. I'd probably be proud too if I lived there, it's seems like the most modern thing in the city!
In all of human history, in every language ever spoken, that was probably the first time anyone said, “of course it’s the capitol, there are ducks in the road.” Made me laugh.
The AN2 is possibly the best aircraft of it's type ever developed. It only needs to get to 35MPH in still air to take off at sea level at moderate temperature. Not even that unloaded or lightly loaded. Because it lands so slow it only needs a very short runway (by passenger aircraft standards) and they have been known to take off in less than 100m in ideal conditions.
I saw them at a small airport being tied down to the concrete in advance of heavy winds becasue those wings generate so much lift force they would lift off the ground. Amazing stuff.
Thank u for the description of the AN2..a few years back in Edmonton we were able to the very large transport Antonav parked at the airport...apologies if I misspelled it . Both planes are very impressive
Amazing stall speed? Dude, in the emergency landing procedure for engine out in poor visibility is to just pull back and it will "fall at parachute speed" according to the manual. I practically doesn't have a stall speed, probably one of the safest things to fly in.
As I flew on them a couple of times (they are still used by the general aviation in my country for cropdusting and spraying insecticide to kill mosquitoes during the summer), I can testify that it is an awesome experience to fly on these. It's loud, it's shaky (if you fly into a turbulence, you'll feel like going over potholes at a high speed), it's smelly... but it's definetly a great experience. Unfortunately, less and less of these are flying in my home country (due to EU regulations and stuff), but whenever I see one coming in at rooftop levels, or only hear the characteristic roar of the Shvetsov radial engine, I still get goosebumps.
I wrote my Master Thesis about Ferghana Valley at University of London! :) There are Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Tajik enclaves in all these three countries. The borders during Soviet Union never considered any ethnic differences as none ever expected that the USSR will collapse and the borders will actually mean anything so the division brought lots of conflicts about the natural resources and till now there are regular ethnic clashes within Ferghana Valley. The biggest riots were in Jalal Abad and Osh in Kyrgyzstan in 2010 causing displacement of Uzbek minority who tried to run away to Uzbekistan but were not let inside the country.
Shohimardon comes from Persian words Shah=King, Mardan= Men or simply King of Men. These areas before they were soviet territories they belonged to greater Iranian cultural sphere. Even suffix "ISTAN" is Persian word for state. All ex-soviet republics are called in the same fashion.
thank you for the information. I paused the video when the women in the airport were Tajik to look up their language. It is a Persian language as you probably know! Seems it is a part of the world where the Turk influenced world meets the Persian influenced world. But I don't know much about this area what you wrote fits with what I have read. Sokh enclave is Tajik so they would be Persian family I assume?
Great adventure. Being a pilot I truly enjoyed your trip in the AN2 and the "low and slow" flit...so much fun having an aerial tour. Alina was great too. On my trip to Ukraine, I had some young local girls escort me around and they had a great sense of humor like Alina. Sokh looked a little desolate but the people seemed friendly. Tour guide sharing his home is always a nice touch.
My heart leaps every time I see a Bald upload. Such wholesome, genuine videos from far flung parts of the globe which I never knew existed. I love how you engage the locals everywhere you go.
27:27 “oh OOOH FUCKING HELL” this is what I’m here for just some entertaining and talented Englishman travelling all across the world, reminds me why I love this channel
I hope you are not quitting RUclips , your channel is the most entertaining ( and educational ) content on RUclips . I always look forward to your latest video ! Please please please keep on with the awesome content !!!
Hi. I live in Sohk,too.Thank you for visiting our region I am so happy, because you shoved people our amazing nature and beautiful place.There were a lot of good looking places, but unfortunately you didn't visited there.
blame the cab driver. bald just walks into town. he doesn't find things to visit. he just walks in like an NPC and wanders around until he finds something
What an incredibly strange tour. It’s almost like he didn’t understand what you would want to see so he just showed you places that were part of his own personal life that would have little to no significance to anyone else. It seemed like he truly wanted to give you a good tour but without any explanation those were some really odd places to take you.
That's not true at all. He showed them the orchards and potato field that Sokh is known for, the mines they have had disputation with the Kyrgis with, a traditional house with a leaky roof and then took them to his home. He was an excellent tour guide.
@@DingDingTheRUclipsBuddy "but without the explanation it doesn't make any sense" Corrent. And still Bold went with a guide that did not speak his language. Not the fault of the guy.
Ben, please don’t stop doing this. My wife and I could seriously watch you ride the train back and forth between the same two cities. It’s just so cool seeing these parts of the world.
I second this. His instagram seems to be indicating the end is near for this channel. I don’t care where he is visiting he always make it fun and interesting!
You might not have had the best guided tour but you'll remember the taxi driver for a long time because of it! Also he was very hospitable taking him to see he family and eat with them. Such a cool trip and love the Antonov plane!
Alina's sense of humor is very funny and wow that flight was great. The motorcycle driver seems to give a better tour than the first guy however it was funny to sit here and watch you go to 'bad' places for once.
This is truly fascinating! I wish I had just a tiny fraction of his communication skills to talk to total strangers. I wonder how many times he tried to talk to people who were not as positive towards him as he shows in his videos. Does that happen to him at all? His videos show only the most "exciting" events. What happens when the camera isn't rolling or he doesn't decide to share the scenes with us? Anyway, nice video from nice country with nice peoples! Keep up the good work, Benjamin, to show the viewers that people can be and mainly are wonderful! Kind regards from Germany.
Bald has the audacity to call that blokes tour rubbish when he himself frequently shows us mundane things too like soviet bus stops and sinks! I thought this would be right up his street!
I am a fan of aircraft, and I can confirm that the Antonov An-2 is one of the safest aircraft ever built. The Soviet Union needed a plane, so simple and so safe. If people had a tenth of the sense of freedom and respect that this fantastic traveler has, there would be fewer wars and hatred in these beautiful lands .... Thanks for your great videos Benjamin.
Iirc, the AN2, a 1947 design, has one of the lowest stall speeds of any plane in the world, think it can still fly at 70km/h...some of them are still used in eastern european countries for tasks such as parachuting, spraying anti mosquito stuff, crop spraying, etc
Ah Ben, there is a bloke in England that owns one of these planes, its the original soviet paint job aswell, he comes to our skydiving place and let's us jump out! The take off and landing speeds are scarily slow, and when it's windy you barely feel like you're moving, jumping out almost feels like you're jumping from a balloon with the dead air!
I was born in Fergana and lived there till I was 25. Now I live in the Netherlands. Thank you for the video! Haven’t been to Uzbekistan for ages and miss it a lot
I think Alina and Ben deserve to get a medal for showing the world what beautiful places there are and without giving up I might say, not even stopped by borders! Thanx Bald and Bankrupt for showing us the world we never get to see 🙏
@@arnavmathur7646 Alina is the woman who he sometimes travels with, they even rescued a cat from Cuba... the cat's name is Fidel hahaha you have to see that episode
@V Absolutely NO! Their habitat may be on the borders of Tajikistan with Afghanistan, which is much further south and separated by mountains with many mountain ranges. Btw, for eco-tourists, these border guards are more radical than Islamists. They are not ceremonious and shoot at border crossings.
You can't believe how great this makes me and most likely others feel when you produce these videos, you sure brighten my day and really take the daily grind feelings away. Thank you so much Benjamin!
When I'm depressed and nothing gives me any colour in life I put on bald and bankrupt. It feels like that friend trying to show you life is worth living, and it all melting away in genuine human interactions
absolutely love how the first guy in the chevrolet took you to some boring, drab, random spots outside town, and the second guy on the makeshift sidecar motorcycle took you to the beautiful and unique spots around town
Hey Benjamin glad u are ok (after hearing recent news) and that u get to spend time with Alina. You two make the best of any situation it seems, true friendship. Great episode
Hey Bald! My name is Jarek from Toronto, Canada .Please youtube search the name Henryk Prokop. He was my father that I lost in the beginning of covid to a stroke at 69. He was a hero that stole an Antek (Antonov AN-2) and flew 12 people and a dog from Gdnask to a farm in Sweden in 1982 with minimal experience flying a large aircraft.He was my hero. I was the youngest communist refugee on the plane at age 2. We flew low . Meters from the Baltic so radar wouldn't detect us in the middle of winter. I'm not very good at translating Polish to help spread his story.
That's one of the best personal stories I've ever heard! Thanks for sharing it. Your father was clearly a legend, and a hero for helping people escape from communism. You should write a book about him, I would bet he has had a lot of incredible adventures in his lifetime. And l will search Henryk Prokop!
Hello Bald. I must say I liked the video's about the former Sovjet areas very much! I learned a lot with it and I watched them almost all. Great work. Thanks.
In Russia, this aircraft is called the "кукурузник" or "cornhusker". Well, by analogy with a four-winged aircraft that sprays fertilizers in the fields. Just a peasant tin can that flies for some reason😄
Me after watching most travel youtubers: "That place is cool, I want to go there." Me after watching bald and bankrupt: "That place is cool, I'm glad I don't have to go there."
Mate, you can't be that mad with your tour. You spent less money in a week of traveling than a single flight across the Atlantic, you're with a beautiful woman, and you've surrounded by the friendly people of Sokh!
Exactly and there introducing them to his home that’s the hugest respect of you ask me to be greeted in a house there lonely over there so they love tourists and showing passionate love like you get off you’re mother amazing place he’s growing on me Abit money get to there heads
@@slayerbllade He doesn't study these places. He travels there and wanders around. He knows nothing about it. If you spent hundreds of $$$$ to fly across the Atlantic and lay aside a week of your life to do this, you would be pissed too. Also the cab driver never said a word, just drove around silently .
Hi Phileck , I hope you have a better day tomorrow , I also have been feeling a bit down this last while with everything going on in the world , i'm sure things will get better ~
AN-2, fantastic and reliable old aircraft. I have some time flying those myself. 1000HP radial engine upfront and fabric wings... Doesn't get more Soviet that that! These aircraft were also used for military paratroopers and today, very popular for skydivers.
Someone asked me if I'd like a free flight in an An-2 Colt some years ago. No way was going to lose that opportunity. Such a wonderful aircraft with so much character.
"We Have the spring! You don't! Unlucky!" is possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen on this channel lol. This was great, thanks for continuing to make cool stuff and risk your life on motorcycles boards for people like me who don't do anything.
Time to do something then, everyone can have adventures. 2 Years ago I was in Cambodia, I don't speak Khmer except for the phrase "I have no money so I'm walking" there were some people sitting on the banks of the Mekong river so I smiled and said my phrase and they invited me on a fishing tour. Got invited to a wedding and to a funeral lol. If you stay away from the tourist stuff you going to meet local people everywhere that think it's fun to show you special places.
I`m so grateful to you, Ben. I`m Russian, but thank to you I have a great opportunity to see so many Russian and other post-Soviet regions which I most probably will never visit. And you do it in such a humane way. I hope the sht will be over soon and you`ll be able to come to Russia again. You are always welcome here, brother. Peace to all, fck the war!
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
This man is living the best life. This is 100% what the internet was made for and is good for. Cheers Ben from New Zealand
I have to disagree ...the internet was made for naked females but this video is good as well
You're wrong. The internet was made for pornhub, instagram posts and sky news. ;) :P
He needs to stop bringing Elenchik to places she doesn't want to go, though
Ah a fellow Kiwi! I love his content too
@@tevarinvagabond1192 how tf do you know she doesn't want to go?
Hey Bald, correction about the Sokh houses, that is just resting room for farmers while they are working in the field, not a real house where someone would live. They would use that for lunches or taking naps. Having these in the fields saves time.
Great idea.
Piss house 🏠
They have the same idea all over Thailand. They are called _"Sala"._
that's exactly what my partner said when she saw them. seems common in eastern block countries of old
R/whooosh
Man, I feel that taxi driver, that's probably the best he could show of the place, since they barely have electricity. Loved that he invited you as guests to his home, that's such a nice hospitality and maybe he also felt a bit guilty on the poor tour. Cheers to him
they wanted to see the beautiful natural scenery, but he probably thought the Englishman wanted to see some architecture and technology, and did his best to show him that lol
Now his family history divided between "Before Bald"s visit" and "After Bald"s visit".
@@franekbuczkowski2278 yes, sorry B n B, but you seemed a bit like a 1 man 'special operation', also a point knocked off for not having a closer up look at that motorbike, it would probably be worth a fortune, either way, i love old bikes, also the history, might of even been passed down from his grandfather, oh and i'm being really harsh now but a map of where you were and where you were going would of been helpful, ok now i will put a soc in it!
Poor guy.
@@Adam-xl3mo the poor fella only got £20 or worse still $20 for all his efforts and took them to see his family, it looks bad, new years eve here in uk, £20 in a taxi might get you half a mile
Traveling in a old Soviet biplane to some random enclave in Uzbekistan. That is indeed what adventuring dreams are made of. Man you are living life. Love ya bald, you are top tier brotha.
A new Bald video means another confirmation that he’s alive
😄
He does post daily stories on his insta tbf
Yes and I really needed that confirmation. It's always a mystery
Not really someone could use his equipment to post them. To certain point...
@@ryangreenhalgh5513 ok I don't use insta so I was not informed nice to see him back
Hello Mr.Benjamin. I am from Sokh. Thank you for visit to Sukh and I hope you come to Sokh again. Thanks for the video about Sokh. 🙌🙌I think you visited my village. our village name is Khushyar and we are happy about that
@@Галина-с6ф6к почему?
You cant be from there. This is no man's land with no internet or electricity.
@@beckslemon10090 I think you don't know about Sokh. Am I right?
@@beckslemon10090 You come to Sukh first, then talk about Sukh.
@@beckslemon10090 are u joking?😂 Fortunately,More than 80% people in Sokh can speak Russian and English and yes we have an Internet 🤣
Who knew a middle aged British man would be my favorite RUclipsr of all time. I’ve been on this app for over a decade and nothing gets me like a bald drop. Will be a sad day when this man stops but he has done so well
Thank you very much
I am from Uzbekistan
I live in SOKH and I study at UNIVERSE school 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇿
''Tomcha" is not old babushkas house. It's summer garden resting area after agricultural work to take a break at peak heat hour usually between 1:00 p.m to 6 p.m. This people produce most of their own food due to remote location and conflicted border. All they want is peace as old men mentioned.
Love it...
That's really interesting! Thanks
When the internet really is awesome - someone taking us around random places, and a guy filling in the blanks with correct info. Thanks for sharing
thank you for explaining
Greetings from the Sokh exclave. Thank you for your attention. Our people are such a hospitable people
thank you all for your attention.🇺🇿🤝
Do you know the IATA or icao Code for sokh Airport
Your exclave is beautiful. I do hope to visit someday. With love from America.
@@CaptCovfefe515 what country in America
Greetings from Chile!!!
@@МагомедАжуфамунедов In the USA, they usually call "America" their country. For me (as a south american from Chile) that sounds ridiculous, because for us AMERICA IS A CONTINENT, NOT A FUCKIN SINGLE COUNTRY
I like how the old soviet train conductors look at every ticket as if it is the first they have ever seen. and then they walk away with it and you wonder if you ever see it again
then they'll ask for your western passport, just to realize they only can read cyrillic
Dear Ben!!! Well, how do you like the flight on the old AN2 ??? Hope you enjoyed your flight! If you remember, I myself accompanied you to this plane and told you that this plane is completely safe)))
Hello my friend. You were right, it was safe ))
Poor guy, he was probably showing the places he visits regularly and where he gets all of his excitement.
:(
"Most important we have peace." I always feel like I've come away from these videos with a philosophical appreciation of the world.
highly agreed!
It's crazy to see how far from this idea we have come in "modern Western society". We need everything and always need more. These people are truely living in peace with their lives being very basic for our standards.
Yep, that line really hit me--that man knows what is to not have peace so he understands how important it is. In the West we don't know anything else and take it for granted.
I believe this is one of Bald's most complete videos. You have local people, local interpretation of a Sokhian through muddy rivers, a bit of soviet action and finishs with a educational chat for english students. I laughed, I learnt and I really enjoyed it. Thanks Bald for another great adventure!
they were just missing the part where there was a duck smuggled out of the capital, un Alinchik's bra.
I loved the callback to the first time they tried to go to Sox. Like, not only does he seem like he has a plan.... he actually does have a plan!
The word Sokh comes from "Sogdia", which was the name of the people living in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan before the Turks lived there. The people in Sokh are Tajiks because the Sogdians were Persian, unlike most of the Turkic inhabitants of modern Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Alexander the Great's wife Roxana was the daughter of a Sogdian noble. The Sogdians were the greatest traders of the Silk Road, and the Sogdian language was its lingua franca all the way to the Byzantine Empire.
In the 8th century, a Sogdian general named An Lushan revolted in China, causing one of its worst civil wars in history - the An Lushan rebellion. It is believed that up to 2/3rds of the population may have died in the war, and as a result, the Chinese instituted a policy of Sogdian genocide once they regained power. All Sogdians in China were killed. This, coupled with the Turkic and Muslim conquests of Central Asia led to the decline and ultimate extinction of the Sogdian people, and now all that is left are places they once named.
That's so tragic.. .
Thank you for sharing.
how do u know abt so deep history of central asia? since u live in Albania
@@Blackbirdz2000 I like to read.
@@forestforthetrees7173 may i ask which book and who is the author?
I thought Alexander the greats wife Roxana was Bactrian ?
th AN-2 is literally one of the safest planes ever made. It cannot stall. If the pilot tries to stall it which would make it sort of fall out of the sky, the engineering of that plane will make it drift gently to the ground. Amazing piece of aviation history. You should be happy when you see one on the runway if you were going to be flying in it
Amazing aircraft for sure
Good to know, my very first plane ride was with an AN-2... I didn't feel very safe in it though, but I trust Soviet technology :D
The bi-plane is not An-2
Most of soviet AN-2 were produced in Poland...
Amazing airplane, but it can't fly in rain?
The one thing I have always taken from your travels Ben, is that those that seemingly have the least... always give the most.... the people you meet in many of these small, almost unknown places are true humans... good hearts and peacefull minds.... its a joy to watch
The guide showed them the orchards and potato field that Sokh is known for, the mines they have had disputation with the Kyrgis with, a traditional house with a leaky roof and then took them to his home. He was an excellent tour guide. Bald and Alina see them now and will learn why later. Then they'll think ooooh that is where the secrets lay..and nostalgically remember it.
Are you from sokh?
@@tito6121 are you from Yugoslavia? xD
@@thebastian1769 yes
@@tito6121 the nick gave it away bro!
I think so. The driver was showing what his homeland is 'really' like.
The An2 is a very safe plane. Still used for crop spraying in former Soviet states. I saw one last year here in Romania, flying along the river spraying against mosquitoes. I'm a former pilot, and one of the fascinating things about the An2 is it doesn't have a published stall speed - no matter how much you pull back and try to make it, it will not stall. Just floats down to earth at about 40 knots. Soft landing and no drama! I must try and fly one soon.
Yeah... Safe... There is no way that plane is getting proper inspections. The pilots didn't even have seatbelts on. They give no shits.
@@gary_neilson1896 Safest in ze world
@@killdizzle yeah, and for the pilot is more of an obstruction really.
I haven't watched the video yet but assuming you mean the Bi plane? I've jumped out of one in England, time to watch the video ha
When I heard soviet biplane I knew it would be an An-2. It is a really cool airplane and it seems to be extremely reliable/low maintenance
My father grew up in a very small town in east Texas in conditions that were almost certainly more primitive and impoverished than what you see in this video. Despite his humble beginnings, he did very well for himself in life, and he was able to indulge his love for travel when he retired. He always liked to engage the local people wherever he went and was especially interested in their traditional methods of living as he said it reminded him of his own experiences when he was a child. The photo albums from his overseas vacations with my mother are full of pictures of him in some small village or along a road somewhere talking to a craftsman or farmer, asking them about their work and life. I think my father would have enjoyed this episode very much! He would have been 100 years old today.
cool little story about your father, I find it humbling to meet simple folk who work hard for their existence, they are usually extremely kind and hospitable despite not having much, why people travel to go and find malls and tourist operators I'll never understand
Yeah you see the pride they show of the construction projects, the reservoir -growing up in this area you assume these visitors want to see your town achievements. You may even hope they are looking for partnerships to help your community grow - you are eager to make impression. Bald shows real people and learns vs consumes. Your father I am sure is smiling.
Happy Birthday to your father, Paul. It sounds like he would of enjoyed joining Bald in that living room with the Taxi Driver / Tourist Gide’s family, dropping lumps of sugar in rose scented tea and finding out about the geopolitics of water stream annexations. Some places, just on appearances mind you, are so attractive that they give the illusion of peace and tranquility. Sox, and judging by the people we met there, seems like one of those places. I’d love Bald to take a trip through rural Japan, as I think his insights would be very illuminating. Thanks for sharing with us who your father was, as he sounds like he was a really nice guy. Best. ( I should add, that I wrote my response above in no way in competition with any other commenters - whose own responses I haven’t read - nor your own, as I genuinely found it touching that you shared a personal moment with which to contextualise Bald’s small journey for us, and that’s what had touched me and from the same place from which I chose to make my own response; in the small and simple kindnesses of others. Best again to you and for your father’s legacy here.)
I spent a little time in East Texas in the mid 90s, about 20 miles south of Lufkin. I found the people there very warm and hospitable. I am Canadian and we can be a little cold and aloof and some of the people and culture there rubbed off on me and influenced me. I was blessed to have had my eyes opened and to have been able to spend time there. Your Dad sounds like he was a great man!
So touching...
That's gotta be the funniest tour I've seen so far. An abandoned quarry, a riverside power plant and some babushka's old leaky roof hut and field. Best video on the channel 😂.
He brought them to places that need foreign investment, then took them to his home to bribe them with KitKat. The guy's cleverer than they thought!
The babushka told Bald "don't take my picture. Get your bald ass outta here!"
Its a good video BUT nothing will ever come close to the "Chernobyl Village BBQ Gone Wrong" video, thats the best video on the platform.
The school part was so damn nice. They are learning English but normally most of them would never get the chance to speak to a native speaker in person. It had to be something really special for them. Spasiba Benjamin! And greetings from Germany!
These expeditions, and this one in particular, are a wonderful lens through which to view the overlooked corner of a world eager to learn about itself. Thanks for bringing us along. Cheers.
There's actually 2 exclaves called Sokh. "A pair of Sokhs" if you like
As Basil Brush said
Cute.
Approved
😂😂, don't give up the day job just yet 😄
@@awhisperinthewind4253 Oh c'mon, I lightly chuckled at that. I laughed harder at your comment though 🤣
5:09 or so - very impressive grab! 25:07 Invited home, laid out snacks and served tea. Absolutely wonderful! All they want is peace just as what, 99.99999% of the planet. May seem mushy, but darn it, we all need to see or experience more of this type of living. Awesome stuff! This planet is big. Kindness and love are on a universal scale - and it shows.
The last stop where he takes you to his house is the experiences you really pay for. There's probably not a lot in Sokh so that's why he didn't show you much, lol.
his selection of places was probably because its far away to drive, what alse to do 3 hours he thought
Maybe there’s some sort of historical significance to the sites that was lost on Bald.
I bet he LITERALLY paid to goto the guys house.
@@bernadettemccarthyflahive5357 I can imagine some power station to be the most significant infrastructure project of the century there, so to others it might just be some muddy pond and a building, but to them it might be the most relevant thing out there. For them its construction could had been a massively big deal they are proud of.
Some 1 MWh powerstation by the river could be their Hoover dam they worked years on to get built.
But who really knows. I might just be another condescending westerner, and that guide really just had nothing to show, and not even the locals would see that mud pond as impressive.
The taxi driver did a great job choosing places that represent the real daily life of people in Sokh and not a post card location that shows a romanticized/ picturesque image. Thanks driver for allowing us to discover your land through Bald’s lens. Great bonus scene of prof Bald who despite his taxi complaints is a fine good hearted guy.
If the highlight of the place is the electricity sub station he did pretty well
I'm actually kinda suprised he didn't enjoyed it since he's always going to old sometimes abandoned decrepit structures just to marvel at the SOVIET ingenuity
It really was a deeper look into the area and what it mean to locals than a tour would have given elsewhere. Had bald not been traveling a partner I think he would've indulged the taxi driver a bit more.
This was really funny. I don't laugh much but this tour was a joy.
The only issue was the language and communication Not being too fluent
Only with a Bald video does 30 minutes feel like 5 mins. If it was 2 hours long I would watch without hesitation, the only RUclipsr I'd do it for.
for an italian he speaks a very comprehensive english, do you know why ?
@@marcogarbin2977 good question. maybe it's related with being from brighton, in the south?
@@somekindofaperson ok thanks....next time in uk Brighton only
Bald and Harald the best
@@marcogarbin2977 italian? i thought he was a brit, he acts like one, speaks like one, thinks like one, the only discrepancy is that he is willing to go places and can handle non-bland food
Спасибо Мистер. Я живу в Сохе. Я посмотрел ваше видео и он мне очень понравилось. Я рад что вы посетили наш район. Думаю что вы тоже рад за путешествие. Предлагайте наш район многими другими туристами. Thank you very much 🥰
EN TL: Thank you mister. I live in Sokh. I watched your video and really liked it. I am happy that you visited our region. I think that you also liked your trip. Recommend our region to a lot of other tourists. Thank you very much (emoji)
@@stefs2512 ну спасибо
Nice place very clean
@Dizhere приезжайте
@@DDN_1606 Hi, I'm watching from Australia. I like your region very much, it's a beautiful place and you are beautiful people. We are sending you our love.
Привет, я смотрю из Австралии. Мне очень нравится ваш край, это красивое место и вы прекрасные люди. Мы посылаем вам нашу любовь.
I watch everything with Alina. She is so fun and happy. You work so well together.
It always amazes me that people who have so little always seem to give the most to complete strangers like Bald and Alinchick. Genuine and good people.
And people with money are incredibly greedy , from my experience 🤣
Those who have less gives more. 👍🏼
Poor is not he who has little, poor is he who needs infinitely much!
That's why beggars beg by 99c Only! and not by Bloomingdales
they just wanna be on youtube bro
It's pity I wasn't able to guide you two guys, cuz I am from here. I work as an English teacher in one of the schools. Anyhow, hope you enjoyed your small trip. Looking forward to other guests from around the globe. ✌️
i wonder: what do most young people these days over there work as? do they stay in their villages or do they move to the towns and do they get more "modern" jobs? or do many even move abroad?
I will go to Sox and visit the field that Bald and Alina went to. That was a classic field.
@@musictraining5071 they mostly go to Russia to make for their living. But recently the youth have started moving to cities for studying purpose of course
@@lefroy1 of course. I will personally show you those places
Wow man, Internet is fantastic, a local from such small place showed up! What are the chances?? Hope you're doing great man, cheers from Spain!
the driver wanted to show you the "developed" part of sokh, while you coming from a developed nation wanted to see nature and history. the difference in perspective haha
Was surprised how he kept bitching about everywhere the guy was showing him. Like what exactly was he expecting?
wait that kinda makes sense lmao
Such a pleasant observation.
yea it seems lie he was showing their most modern infrastructure. like they are proud of having that capability. An appropriate response would have been... wow hydro power!
Cool perspective!
Alina on top form. She needs her own channel.
Dude, I have to say I was worried after seeing the story of you being detained in baikonur so absolutely brilliant to see you up to your old tricks. From Cormac - watching in Cork, Ireland. Keep em coming Ben! Top content from a top bloke
Wow, Bald, that was/is a 1947-era vintage An-2 biplane, Great plane actually. Alina is a real trooper and fellow traveler. Thanks for all your hard work and effort to show us another slice of how other people live. God Speed and good luck and Happy Trails. You're the Best!
Interestingly, Wikipedia says the AN-2 variants were manufactured up until 2001.
@@craigsunderland2070 It is still in production in China.
That one looks '90s vintage.
You know the tour driver meant well, when he takes you to his house and breaks out the Kitkats.
he meant well, but the contrast was painful when they got on the motorbike.
Now that was looking like good fun ;p
@@vladimirstok149 Any man riding a WW2 soviet sidecar motorcycle around in a bomber jacket is gonna be a character, no question. all the taxi drivers seem to know each other too
I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this but Ferghana Valley is where India's famous Mughal Emperor's come from. The first to enter India was the ruler of Ferghana Valley who was ousted by his uncle. He roamed for years trying to recapture his birthright before giving up and heading to India.
He was very lucky in that his adventure paid dividends, and the rest as they say is history !!
These days smiling from ear to ear is truly appreciated courtesy of your adventures Mr. Bald and Alina. Thank you for helping us enjoy vicariously through you both.
Alina seems annoying these days. I think bald wanted some fun, but now it seems like exhausting trouble for him.
Bald: What's here? Why did you bring us here? Driver: Just to show you! That's an amazing statement, couldn't control my laughter after seeing the reaction of Elena, and Bald uttering the words "He's brought us to look at this field". Truly Priceless!
@ Rajesh R. LOL, That's so funny!!! Well put.
Not everyone can be like Rami
Those old Antonovs are about as safe as flying gets. You can kill the engine and let go of the controls and they will land themselves. Not the best looking or most comfortable but very safe!
It's always super interesting to hear Ben's stories. He takes us along for the travels with him, and unlike your local or world news. . . paints a more accurate picture of what it is like with much less bias. I love catching a glimpse of all these lands that I will likely never see. Thanks for being you dude!
Oh my gosh an Antonov2 still in service. What a fantastic piece of engineering. Great STOL capabilities. Like most Soviet era aircraft, slow but reliable.
and burns tonns of fuel because its aerodinamic equall to aerodinamic of winged fridge =) Love this plane tho
😊👍
Lots of AN-2's are still in use - also in the west. They are usually used to connect to isolated places and smaller islands, aswell as private use. In Germany they have (previously) been used as charter to smaller islands such as Sylt, Helgoland, etc. They are more reliable and robust than similar sized and similar aged Cessnas. AN-2's where made in two countries, in The Soviet and by polish Mielec. I believe the AN-2P in the video is actually not a soviet build, but rather a polish build - judging by the number of passengers. The polish build had a few extra seats fitted compared to the soviet.
There used to be a couple still in use in the U.K. I went in one at Cardiff Airport in Wales, during the 90’s. Very slow stall speed. About 38mph. We removed a big window in flight and stuck our heads out!! Awesome.
Это тот самолёт, который мы называли «кукурузник»? Помню почти 60 лет тому назад в аэроклубе мы прыгали с парашютом с « кукурузника»….P.S. that’s how to be bilingual - I read in English, think and answer in Russian.. lol
I trust an AN-2 with more than my life. Amazing airplanes, and incredibly simple. The take-off and landing speeds can be so slow, that they are still sought after bush planes and used in remote areas. The AN-2 actually has NO registered/published 'stall speed'. Pilots can handle these things, fully in control, at a mere speed of 35mph with a good headwind.
Better yet, if the engine completely fails, you can pull the control column all the way back, and keep the wings level. At one point the plane will have a forward speed of a mere 25mph, paired with a 'parachute-like drop speed' vertically. You'll definitely crush the landing gear, but you will live!
If its so awesome why cant they fly in the rain or wind. Why babushka was walking around before landing 😄
Jumped from an AN 2 - a nice 9 star cilynder propelled plane . The ride was bumpy as hell 🤣🤣🤣
bulllshit - my uncle use to be a test pilot on AN-2 in Mielec in 1970-1980) (licence AN-2) and i remember one he always said - this plane is not for begginers - it is really hard to safe flying in hot weather.
Tell us about your experience with the AN-2
@@mikkei3532 it's designed as a crop duster, utility, and agricultural airplane. Accidentally they also made it a STOL airplane (short take off/landing). In extremely hot weather, air gets thinner. It's not so much the temperature or humidity, but air density that's the problem. And it mostly impacts smaller airplanes. The amount of lift that is created in "thin air" is a lot lower than normal, so your take off and landing speeds (and distances) become way longer. Something this airplane wasn't designed for.
Hotel room has 3 beds:
Bald: Will anyone else be in here?
Concierge: Whatever you prefer
Alina: One more stranger please
🤣🤣🤣 GOOD ONE!!!
1:36 The train in the background is a Spanish made Talgo 250 high speed train. They make up most of the rolling stock that's used for Alvia services here in Spain. Really nice bit of kit: can run on different gauge widths and change between them without coming to a full stop, there are hybrid versions to run on non-electrified routes and it can travel at 250 kph. Talgo describe it as the most interoperable train in the world.
That plane was actually well designed. Very difficult to stall. Any problems with an engine, it’ll just float down safely.
..provided there's no wind shear, the pilot finds a nice long and straight area to land on with no trees etc.
@@ExcessCongruence Even still, it's a famously durable aircraft
150 kg/hour of fuel
They try and fail to replace AN-2 - an old work horse with wings made of textile :) My dad has flown those in Polar Region.
Most Antonov are and were. RIP AN225
This is some wild-ass stuff and a thoroughly ORIGINAL channel. Stepping out of the box for sure. Thank you. Keep up the good work and reaching out to people. Bravo
plus i always learn something new, outstanding!
Forget that he’s alive. A new bald video means I’ve found the light to continue on.
actually laughed out loud at "He's just showing us some old rocks!"
Thanks for the amazing content!
...'''You get nothing but chat from Elena_Chick....''
LoL
The moment the old guy said, "Yes we are at peace here, that's most important", it made my heart fill with so much of happiness & joy, but then a little bit of jealousy was there too... because of the bloody rat race track I have fallen-in, being a part of the flippin urban life.!!
and f you bro, don't be so judgmental ! It was such a great experience for you, and all because of that driver. XD
we could have left too after watching the 1st 2-3 destination ;) , but we waited coz we trust you with the awesome content ! cheers
Seeing the English "lesson" at the end reminded me of several years ago when, as an American teenager, I traveled to Europe to teach modern slang in an "Advanced" English class with a group of other Americans from all over the country. It was the most appreciated class by the teachers and students because it was more about culture than language. I don't know if exchange student classes like that still occur but that was one of the most transformative times of my life.
an American teaching English in Europe 😂
@@adgeyuk9803 English is the language of Americans, not only europeans speak english.. why is that funny to you
@@questionasker5187 Technically there is no language of the Americans, It should be English in my opinion but the US government should've made it official long ago
I taught English in Japan and Bald did it better
@@zombiedude2319 being "official" means nothing.. Americans speak English.. that is what it is
Hi Ben and Alina - thank you for another wonderful adventure! So nice to see this part of the world as I look out of my window here in Central New Jersey , USA. Ben - be nice to Alina - she is a keeper!
Hahaha alina dump bald before for banksy
Baldy dump Johnny for Alina….🤣🤫🤫🤫
It cracks me up that Bald isn't supposed to film in the departure lounge... and yet the cockpit door is wideopen and he gets to do an upclose shot if all the control panels and everything inbetween without anyone caring. Glorious.
Well it is just the plane cockpit. Nothing is secret there.
What goes on in the cockpit stays in the cockpit!
@@raymondleggs5508 lol
that plane does not have a cockpit door lol thats before closed cockpits were invented
Bald has helped me get through so many hard times over the years. I remember when he first started making videos in India. I was hooked. I wish him nothing but the best.
Inside the traxi driver's mind, he was proud of such a tour he gave to you, guys! :(
It is ok. He got paid. (:
Dude, he did his best. Its the outlands, what do you expect, lmao!
He only knew places he'd take ladies for some privacy
It reminded me of Borat giving a tour of his village lol
Did you see the outer village/the house he showed? The driver was proud of the electricity plant, the fields, his house. I'd probably be proud too if I lived there, it's seems like the most modern thing in the city!
In all of human history, in every language ever spoken, that was probably the first time anyone said, “of course it’s the capitol, there are ducks in the road.” Made me laugh.
They are probably the first tourists ever thats not from that region
@@KristianDabeski Probably not
The AN2 is possibly the best aircraft of it's type ever developed. It only needs to get to 35MPH in still air to take off at sea level at moderate temperature. Not even that unloaded or lightly loaded. Because it lands so slow it only needs a very short runway (by passenger aircraft standards) and they have been known to take off in less than 100m in ideal conditions.
I got to fly one a few years back, awesome plane, flies like a dump truck and even has air brakes, LOL
I know nothing about planes and I immediately loved the look of that plane.
I saw them at a small airport being tied down to the concrete in advance of heavy winds becasue those wings generate so much lift force they would lift off the ground. Amazing stuff.
My flight club has one of those, they don't fly it often, but god damn is she beautiful.
Thank u for the description of the AN2..a few years back in Edmonton we were able to the very large transport Antonav parked at the airport...apologies if I misspelled it . Both planes are very impressive
This plane that your flying in is one of the best planes ever built. It has an amazing stall speed and can land just about anywhere. I’m jealous!
Amazing stall speed? Dude, in the emergency landing procedure for engine out in poor visibility is to just pull back and it will "fall at parachute speed" according to the manual. I practically doesn't have a stall speed, probably one of the safest things to fly in.
except it isnt is it
As I flew on them a couple of times (they are still used by the general aviation in my country for cropdusting and spraying insecticide to kill mosquitoes during the summer), I can testify that it is an awesome experience to fly on these. It's loud, it's shaky (if you fly into a turbulence, you'll feel like going over potholes at a high speed), it's smelly... but it's definetly a great experience. Unfortunately, less and less of these are flying in my home country (due to EU regulations and stuff), but whenever I see one coming in at rooftop levels, or only hear the characteristic roar of the Shvetsov radial engine, I still get goosebumps.
name of the plane?
@@proper_noun436 Antonov An-2
I wrote my Master Thesis about Ferghana Valley at University of London! :) There are Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Tajik enclaves in all these three countries. The borders during Soviet Union never considered any ethnic differences as none ever expected that the USSR will collapse and the borders will actually mean anything so the division brought lots of conflicts about the natural resources and till now there are regular ethnic clashes within Ferghana Valley. The biggest riots were in Jalal Abad and Osh in Kyrgyzstan in 2010 causing displacement of Uzbek minority who tried to run away to Uzbekistan but were not let inside the country.
we need more people like you.... willing to travel and meet with local people..... promoting peace and understanding....
wtf ? promoting peace ? peace with who ? who is fighting who ?
He sleeps with anyone he wants. You would be safe though
@@sagbysag3025 So i noticed YOU have not actually watch this video
He literally just makes fun of poor people in small countries lol.. peace and understanding?
@@uwu-qb1cj BULLSHIT comment
Shohimardon comes from Persian words Shah=King, Mardan= Men or simply King of Men. These areas before they were soviet territories they belonged to greater Iranian cultural sphere. Even suffix "ISTAN" is Persian word for state. All ex-soviet republics are called in the same fashion.
thank you for the information. I paused the video when the women in the airport were Tajik to look up their language. It is a Persian language as you probably know! Seems it is a part of the world where the Turk influenced world meets the Persian influenced world. But I don't know much about this area what you wrote fits with what I have read. Sokh enclave is Tajik so they would be Persian family I assume?
Not all, just the ones in the old Persian sphere of influence.
Iran for 8 ages was ruled by Turkic kings and even now ayatalla of Iran is Azeri Turk
@@SJ-bl3uw An absolutely correct statement
Iranian imperialist😂
Great adventure. Being a pilot I truly enjoyed your trip in the AN2 and the "low and slow" flit...so much fun having an aerial tour. Alina was great too. On my trip to Ukraine, I had some young local girls escort me around and they had a great sense of humor like Alina. Sokh looked a little desolate but the people seemed friendly. Tour guide sharing his home is always a nice touch.
My heart leaps every time I see a Bald upload. Such wholesome, genuine videos from far flung parts of the globe which I never knew existed. I love how you engage the locals everywhere you go.
They are rightfully proud of their hydroelectric dam. This was a great destination, if you would only appreciate it from their perspective.
If you seen how the babushka lived, electricity is likely very very new for most.
They were looking for beautiful places, not an industrial tour. Yes, dams are nice, but I think he wanted to visit the top of mountains or something.
@@MichaelDavis-mk4me and how should the tour guide know this?🤦♂️ Obliviously he showed the most developed places there
@@MrWolfSnack Yeah, that was rough. Poor lady. Our cat has it better.
27:27 “oh OOOH FUCKING HELL” this is what I’m here for just some entertaining and talented Englishman travelling all across the world, reminds me why I love this channel
and Alina just hopped in like the driver was her boyfriend. hahahahahahahhaha I love this episode so much!
He went all Yorkshire for some reason!
I hope you are not quitting RUclips , your channel is the most entertaining ( and educational ) content on RUclips . I always look forward to your latest video ! Please please please keep on with the awesome content !!!
Hi. I live in Sohk,too.Thank you for visiting our region I am so happy, because you shoved people our amazing nature and beautiful place.There were a lot of good looking places, but unfortunately you didn't visited there.
Looked very beautiful to me. Everyone Bald met seemed really nice & friendly. Greetings from Canada.
But he did show the beauty of Sohk, the people.
blame the cab driver. bald just walks into town. he doesn't find things to visit. he just walks in like an NPC and wanders around until he finds something
sadly that is the result of a terrible tour guide.
You seem to be very kind and welcoming people! Hello from Kazakhstan.
Loved the whole episode, but the ending was special. Taking the time to visit the school and presenting your story to the class. Nice job!
What an incredibly strange tour. It’s almost like he didn’t understand what you would want to see so he just showed you places that were part of his own personal life that would have little to no significance to anyone else. It seemed like he truly wanted to give you a good tour but without any explanation those were some really odd places to take you.
this made me go 🥺🥺🥺
That's not true at all. He showed them the orchards and potato field that Sokh is known for, the mines they have had disputation with the Kyrgis with, a traditional house with a leaky roof and then took them to his home. He was an excellent tour guide.
he's a GOOD KID
part of his life, out of context lmao
@@DingDingTheRUclipsBuddy "but without the explanation it doesn't make any sense" Corrent. And still Bold went with a guide that did not speak his language. Not the fault of the guy.
Bald and Alina is the proof that whatever you manifest can happen as long as you put it into action
Ben, please don’t stop doing this. My wife and I could seriously watch you ride the train back and forth between the same two cities. It’s just so cool seeing these parts of the world.
I second this. His instagram seems to be indicating the end is near for this channel. I don’t care where he is visiting he always make it fun and interesting!
@@tootsboots1 why do you say that his insta shows his channel is close to its end?
@@rotisseriechickenlover-jb4cc it was on his insta stories a couple weeks back. He was basically saying he’s retiring soon.
You might not have had the best guided tour but you'll remember the taxi driver for a long time because of it! Also he was very hospitable taking him to see he family and eat with them. Such a cool trip and love the Antonov plane!
Alina's sense of humor is very funny and wow that flight was great. The motorcycle driver seems to give a better tour than the first guy however it was funny to sit here and watch you go to 'bad' places for once.
I mean I think he goes to 'bad' places quite often, most of the places he visits are definitely quite far from touristy haha. Bald is a legend
Rewatching in 2024. I miss Alina. For someone that is not a native English speaker, she has impeccable cometic timing. Alina you are missed....
Did she die?
I truely love how this handsome bald man always manages to put a smile on everyones face, Keep it up and lots of love from Australia!
Gosh I'd love to show him the Bronx of Perth lol
@@jeffyzefrench Midland?
This is truly fascinating! I wish I had just a tiny fraction of his communication skills to talk to total strangers.
I wonder how many times he tried to talk to people who were not as positive towards him as he shows in his videos. Does that happen to him at all? His videos show only the most "exciting" events. What happens when the camera isn't rolling or he doesn't decide to share the scenes with us?
Anyway, nice video from nice country with nice peoples! Keep up the good work, Benjamin, to show the viewers that people can be and mainly are wonderful! Kind regards from Germany.
@@jeffyzefrench Lol i feel like it would be interesting just seeing him anywhere in AUS.
Airlines youtubers and flight reviewers can only dream of what you've flown there. Kudos, my man!
Bald has the audacity to call that blokes tour rubbish when he himself frequently shows us mundane things too like soviet bus stops and sinks! I thought this would be right up his street!
If that tour had wastelands of SOVIET sand he would have loved it.
Soviet pile of rocks lol
Who wants to see a rock quarry.. guide should have shown something with a bit more history in the area
The dude was probably a fan of the channel and wanted to show the soviet hydro plant and soviet fields
@@xMithras nah there was just nothing there. Like bald said earlier it was hard to do any research on the area before going there
I am a fan of aircraft, and I can confirm that the Antonov An-2 is one of the safest aircraft ever built. The Soviet Union needed a plane, so simple and so safe. If people had a tenth of the sense of freedom and respect that this fantastic traveler has, there would be fewer wars and hatred in these beautiful lands .... Thanks for your great videos Benjamin.
Iirc, the AN2, a 1947 design, has one of the lowest stall speeds of any plane in the world, think it can still fly at 70km/h...some of them are still used in eastern european countries for tasks such as parachuting, spraying anti mosquito stuff, crop spraying, etc
@@Darkestestmatter Exactly as you say ... A simple and very balanced plane, even at his venerable age .....
Nothing compares to Tondi for sure!
are you from Tondi or what? 😂
The legendary “rock” of Tondi.. songs have been written and great toasts 🥂 have been made.
Tondi in Estonia is most random place to go to :D We actually do have more exciting places :D
@@martinpennaste But Tondi has an ambiance all its own… “He who climbs the Rock of Tondi is worthy and will have many adventures”.
@@chrisarnett1394 That is totally true! Anything that comes after climbing the Rock of Tondi, is an adventure.
Ah Ben, there is a bloke in England that owns one of these planes, its the original soviet paint job aswell, he comes to our skydiving place and let's us jump out! The take off and landing speeds are scarily slow, and when it's windy you barely feel like you're moving, jumping out almost feels like you're jumping from a balloon with the dead air!
confirmed! Jumped out of that thing twice. It wasn't even capable to get us to 4000 meters, it only got us to 3000. That took amazing 40 minutes :D.
Where in England is it?
We have one in Denmark too, it is owned by a bloke at the airport where i work, he made it into a flying bar.
@@andersandersen6295 I feel like I need to visit a soviet flying bar
Which dz is this mate?
That was your funniest video ever! Exceptional. Plus it's always more fun when Alina accompanies you, she's awesome. 🥰
I was born in Fergana and lived there till I was 25. Now I live in the Netherlands. Thank you for the video! Haven’t been to Uzbekistan for ages and miss it a lot
I think Alina and Ben deserve to get a medal for showing the world what beautiful places there are and without giving up I might say, not even stopped by borders! Thanx Bald and Bankrupt for showing us the world we never get to see 🙏
Alina deserves much more than a medal - so Benjammmeeen and here are married? That’s what they were saying on the “news”
@@xancypillosi9497 I couldn't tell you that but they would make a great looking couple 😉
@@ArnieC1974 who is Alina? I just saw this video after a long time and can't figure out who's the chick
@@arnavmathur7646 Alina is the woman who he sometimes travels with, they even rescued a cat from Cuba... the cat's name is Fidel hahaha you have to see that episode
@@ArnieC1974 wow that's cool, are they in a relationship cause they seem to be
I could watch this guy for hours! He inspired me to travel to India, one of the most amazing life experiences I had!
I want to go there, and Pakistan as well. Life is too short. I don't want to spend money to be around other westerners on vacation.
He inspired me to never ever go to India, lol.
You are from?
@V And most importantly, foreigners there strengthen their immunity. For, it's totally UNSANITARY !!!
@V Absolutely NO!
Their habitat may be on the borders of Tajikistan with Afghanistan, which is much further south and separated by mountains with many mountain ranges.
Btw, for eco-tourists, these border guards are more radical than Islamists. They are not ceremonious and shoot at border crossings.
You can't believe how great this makes me and most likely others feel when you produce these videos, you sure brighten my day and really take the daily grind feelings away. Thank you so much Benjamin!
When I'm depressed and nothing gives me any colour in life I put on bald and bankrupt. It feels like that friend trying to show you life is worth living, and it all melting away in genuine human interactions
absolutely love how the first guy in the chevrolet took you to some boring, drab, random spots outside town, and the second guy on the makeshift sidecar motorcycle took you to the beautiful and unique spots around town
Hey Benjamin glad u are ok (after hearing recent news) and that u get to spend time with Alina. You two make the best of any situation it seems, true friendship. Great episode
What happened?
What’s the news, what happened to Benjamin?
@@moisesperez4605 He and Johnny got a divorce.
He got arrested by the Russians
Hey Bald! My name is Jarek from Toronto, Canada .Please youtube search the name Henryk Prokop. He was my father that I lost in the beginning of covid to a stroke at 69. He was a hero that stole an Antek (Antonov AN-2) and flew 12 people and a dog from Gdnask to a farm in Sweden in 1982 with minimal experience flying a large aircraft.He was my hero. I was the youngest communist refugee on the plane at age 2. We flew low . Meters from the Baltic so radar wouldn't detect us in the middle of winter. I'm not very good at translating Polish to help spread his story.
That's one of the best personal stories I've ever heard! Thanks for sharing it. Your father was clearly a legend, and a hero for helping people escape from communism. You should write a book about him, I would bet he has had a lot of incredible adventures in his lifetime. And l will search Henryk Prokop!
Ah thats your dad? What a guy. Terrific story he has.
Amazing story, thanks for sharing and kudos to your heroic Dad.
Your father was a legend. I'm a native Polish speaker so I can help you translate some things if you'd like.
There’s a movie just waiting to be made….👍
Hello Bald. I must say I liked the video's about the former Sovjet areas very much!
I learned a lot with it and I watched them almost all. Great work. Thanks.
They call the Antanov AN-2 the "tractor of the sky".
They are extremely rugged bi planes apparently.
I would love to fly on one
I have a little aerospace exp in airframe structures, and I was thinking that's a tank of a plane.
That sucker could blow down my granny
In Russia, this aircraft is called the "кукурузник" or "cornhusker". Well, by analogy with a four-winged aircraft that sprays fertilizers in the fields. Just a peasant tin can that flies for some reason😄
That's not a tin can bud
Me after watching most travel youtubers: "That place is cool, I want to go there."
Me after watching bald and bankrupt: "That place is cool, I'm glad I don't have to go there."
He travels so we don't have to!
Really? It more makes me want to go to these places, actually
Lmao
That first driver just took them to all his favorite places. I loved it!
Mate, you can't be that mad with your tour. You spent less money in a week of traveling than a single flight across the Atlantic, you're with a beautiful woman, and you've surrounded by the friendly people of Sokh!
True. He def went here not with an open mind. What he expect the locals to show him when there's literally no tourist attraction there?
Exactly and there introducing them to his home that’s the hugest respect of you ask me to be greeted in a house there lonely over there so they love tourists and showing passionate love like you get off you’re mother amazing place he’s growing on me Abit money get to there heads
@@slayerbllade He doesn't study these places. He travels there and wanders around. He knows nothing about it. If you spent hundreds of $$$$ to fly across the Atlantic and lay aside a week of your life to do this, you would be pissed too. Also the cab driver never said a word, just drove around silently .
I've been having a bit of a rough time today, but seeing another upload from Bald just made me so happy. Thanks man, I highly appreciate your content.
Hi Phileck , I hope you have a better day tomorrow , I also have been feeling a bit down this last while with everything going on in the world , i'm sure things will get better ~
AN-2, fantastic and reliable old aircraft. I have some time flying those myself. 1000HP radial engine upfront and fabric wings... Doesn't get more Soviet that that! These aircraft were also used for military paratroopers and today, very popular for skydivers.
Someone asked me if I'd like a free flight in an An-2 Colt some years ago. No way was going to lose that opportunity. Such a wonderful aircraft with so much character.
"We Have the spring! You don't! Unlucky!" is possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen on this channel lol. This was great, thanks for continuing to make cool stuff and risk your life on motorcycles boards for people like me who don't do anything.
Time to do something then, everyone can have adventures. 2 Years ago I was in Cambodia, I don't speak Khmer except for the phrase "I have no money so I'm walking" there were some people sitting on the banks of the Mekong river so I smiled and said my phrase and they invited me on a fishing tour. Got invited to a wedding and to a funeral lol. If you stay away from the tourist stuff you going to meet local people everywhere that think it's fun to show you special places.
Bald taking some lessons from Jeremy Clarkson
I`m so grateful to you, Ben. I`m Russian, but thank to you I have a great opportunity to see so many Russian and other post-Soviet regions which I most probably will never visit. And you do it in such a humane way. I hope the sht will be over soon and you`ll be able to come to Russia again. You are always welcome here, brother. Peace to all, fck the war!
What do you think woud have happend when they would the USA have there way?
Z
@Juznik 4th SS Motorized Police Division
shit is no going to finish for another 5 years at least
Until the nazi Ukrainians stop this war won't be stopping