As if writing about Expo 2020 is not enough (which is true), here am I with my favorite small pavilions within Expo 2020!
Small Pavilions inside Expo 2020:
I wasn't able to visit all the small pavilions at Expo 2020 no matter how I tried to visit as many as I can, unfortunately. However, I still had fun! My gallery is full of photos from the Expo 2020 but I won't bore you, promise! Broken down into a few categories, below are my highlights (and my favorites!) based on my point of view. Let's start!
'Stan' Countries
First on our highlight are two countries from Central Asia and part of the Silk Road. Yurts are very 'Central Asian' and I knew from the beginning that I will see a Yurt display at Expo. Indeed, I can't hide my excitement when I saw a display in Kyrgyzstan's Pavilion! Compared to what we normally see on the Internet, the display looks modern and the nomad culture is certainly well-represented.
And comes next is the neighboring country, Tajikistan, with its display of their national animal, the Marco Polo Sheep. The Marco Polo Sheep are found in the Pamir Mountains and the Wakhan Corridor (Afghanistan border), extremely remote locations that I wish to visit someday if visa issues and leave credits permits #fingerscrossed.
Remote & Off the Beaten Path Countries
Second, are two remote and off-the-beaten-path countries that very few get to see in real life. We have Mongolia, a country with a diverse landscape yet hard to reach (in terms of flight options and availability). While Kyrgyzstan Pavilion has a replica of a Yurt, I was so happy to see that Mongolia Pavilion sells a miniature display of a Yurt as a souvenir! It's how it should be, bringing home a part of Mongolia's nomad culture (although I didn't buy it because it's too expensive TT).
The Land of the Thunder Dragon comes next, a small landlocked country between India and China - none other than the Kingdom of Bhutan! And Bhutan knows exactly what to show off, the most iconic landmark, the Tiger's Nest Temple!
Former USSR Countries
Following on the list are two former USSR members which are remarkable to me because of their exhibits - authentic experience and eye-catching content. Out of all the pavilions I visited, it's only in Moldova Pavilion where I get to see and try a piece of traditional clothing.
The experience of trying out traditional clothes was probably not encouraged by Expo because of COVID, but seeing one pavilion with it is nice.
And who can forget the blue interior of Estonia? Not only the exhibit is inspired by data clouds, but I was also impressed with Estonia's tagline "If it's digital, it's probably Estonia", which makes me curious about Estonia's push for digital advancement. How digital can they be?
African Countries
Coming next on the list are two countries I recently discovered with their amazing geography, Uganda and Namibia.
When it comes to coffee and coffee beans, I still have a lot to learn. I only knew of Kenya AA coffee beans, but it's my first time learning about Mt. Elgon A+ and Uganda Bugisu AA. I'll try these beans in the future!
Namibia comes next, which I discovered from a South Korean Travel Show called Youth Over Flowers. The group of friends in the show traveled to Namibia and oh boy it blew my mind! An out of this world Sossusvlei, the animal safari at Etosha National Park, plus the desert and the dunes next to the Atlantic Ocean? Namibia is an underrated African country (at least to me) and it deserves a spot in my highlight! By any chance, do you know how to apply for Namibian Tourist Visa from the UAE? ๐
Latin American Countries
Then, of course, the list wouldn't be complete without the region of the Latin Americas. Let's start with a country I first heard of when I met a traveler named Gerry (she probably can't remember me now for sure) through my Chinese friend Hannah. Gerry runs a blog about the Dominican Republic called Dominican Abroad, where she writes almost everything about her country. Going back to Expo is her country's pavilion, Dominican Republic. Inside the pavilion are displays of their festivals and top exports like coffee, tobacco, and many more.
Then another Latin country with its display of their famed Amethyst, Uruguay. I am not sure if the display is a real one though. However, knowing Uruguay as one of the best sources of Amethyst piqued my interest right away.
Countries known through Media
Last but not the least (and my favorites) are these two far-flung countries which became close to my heart through the power of Media.
Finally is a country I've first heard upon the release of the 2006 Hollywood film called Blood Diamond. I don't have a favorite movie, but if there's one that I've watched a lot of times and I can still watch on repeat, it's the Blood Diamond. Since then, I can't forget how rich Sierra Leone is in Diamond yet remains as one of the poorest countries in the world until now.
Lastly, thanks to Amazon Prime, I get to watch the World's Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge in Fiji! It's an adventure race shown as television series released in 2020 that showcased Fiji's mountains, jungles, and oceans. And what a country it was! My urge to travel went off the roof while watching the race and I was totally reminded of wanting to visit Fiji after seeing their pavilion!
And that's the end of my list of the small pavilions inside the Expo 2020. If you want to read more about my other gallery/experience about Expo 2020, check out my posts below!
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