Podcast appearances and mentions of Francis Tapon

Yooshita has traveled to 108 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  A giant Happy New Year to all of you country counters!  We are back today with a new episode after a small break.  Over the past year, you've likely heard me mention many times the Extraordinary Travel Festival on this podcast. In November, I had the privilege of organizing this incredible sold-out event in Bangkok, hosting 250 participants over four action-packed days. With 30 inspiring speakers and lively evening events and some amazing sponsors, it was a truly memorable experience. I'm excited to share that planning is now underway for the next festival in 2026. Stay tuned for updates! Today, we are speaking with Yooshita Fathi.  I had the pleasure of meeting Yooshita in Bangkok at ETF after seeing her for years on social media and having many common acquaintances.  Besides travelling to over 100 countries, Yooshita has lived in 9 different countries.  She shared many stories and experiences but I will definitely not forget her story travelling to Mozambique.  Thanks to Tembo for his guest introduction and whose role will become more clear during our conversation.  Tembo epitomizes the type of person we all hope to meet on the road.   Besides producing my own podcast, I also love binging podcasts.  I subscribe to dozens of them and listens to scores of them every week.  And I have also been fortunate to be a guest on many podcasts as well.  I want to thank Yulia Denisyuk for hosting me on her podcast, .  And I just met Yulia at a event in Chicago where I also ran into patron Ted Nims. I also want to mention and recognize three other podcasters who have all hosted me on their podcasts.  Of course I subscribe to Francis Tapon's , Palle Bo's , and Matt Bowles's .  All three also appeared at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Thanks guys and great to see all of you in person.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam Williams, and Scott Day for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Yooshita that you will not hear and be part of our members only FB group.  I also want to welcome Scott Day to our patreon community.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Scott a couple of times when he passed through Bangkok.  And I virtually connected with Scott after appearing on Francis Tapon's podcast several years ago.   A quick thank to Arvi Bahal who gifted me a stupendous gift, his book The Tireless Traveler.  Arvi has completed 193 as well as the South and North Pole, and is on the waiting list for Virgin Galactic.  This book is a true treasure.  Arvi did a limited run and is not even selling these but gifting his limited supply.  Check out his from the other year.   I was in Boston for this recording while Yooshita was in Spain.. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my - you rock!!  ….  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil Marcus, Sam Williams and Scott Day. And now you can listen to ! And Alexa! And write a review!About Yooshita Fathi Counting Countries Stay in touch with Yooshita:https://www.tiktok.com/@yooshitaaa About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler's Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post.  Yooshita Fathi Counting Countries    

Luisa Yu has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I am excited to have Luisa Yu on the podcast.  She is well known and beloved member to many in the community.  For those not in the know, Luisa just visited her last country this year.  She accomplished this goal as a 79 year old.  When many in her age group have retired to more placid and serene pastures, Luisa has demonstrated grit and determination.  And Luisa has not slowed down .. trips since she has completed the quest include Mogadishu, the north Caucasus, and the Kalash Festival in Pakistan.  Truly, she is an inspiration.  A quick show out to Phillipe for assisting in scheduling my conversation with Luisa.     A public service reminder, the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Discount code BANGKOK for $100, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . This $100 discount will be reduced starting September 1.  What I did not mention is at ETF we will be hosting a moderated conversation with Luisa and her multi-decade journey to every country in the world.  Luisa has a unique voice which is different than the traditional stereotype of a traveler in the extreme travel community.      Don't get #FOMO over 170 people are committed!  Including of course, Luisa.   I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam “one away” Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Gin, Philippe ‘JL' Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine OTB Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, and Sam Williams for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Luisa that you will not hear.  For those who listen a lot, I am a big fan of small world stories … and this is relevant when I introduce a new patron Ani Chaturvedi, who I randomly met while getting a Covid test in Armenia the other year.  Ani is originally from Mumbai but now is in San Francisco.  Regarding travel, Ani was inspired by his mom who made frequent trips to Mauritius and Singapore.  He is now Chasing 193 and nearing 70 countries. Welcome aboard!  And also a quick thank you to new patron, Craig, unknown last name at this time.     Besides hosting a podcast, I listen to a ton of podcast, including community favorites Palle Bo's , and Francis Tapon, WanderLearn.  In fact, you can check me out on WanderLearn with Francis speaking about the ETF. But, I am late to the dance with the Maverick Show podcast, hosted by Matt Bowles.  Maverick Show has nearly 300 episodes and is ranked in the top 1% of all podcasts.  I recently found out about this travel podcast and I have started binging episodes.  Matt is a great host who guides the conversation while naturally sharing his travel experiences adding to the conversation.  I have heard great conversations with people like Eriva Vivro, who has lived an incredible travel life, living in multiple countries like Qatar, Thailand, Zambia, and now has been wintering in Ghana with her family.  Very, very cool.  Of course, Counting Countries is all about Chasing 193.  Matt is more focussed on digital life and travel, but there are many interesting lessons and parallels within our community.  I was in Boston for this recording while Luisa was in Miami. Please listen in and enjoy.        Thank you to my - you rock!!  ….  Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Sam Williams, Aniruddh Chaturvedi, and Craig.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! Luisa Yu Counting Countries About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler's Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Luisa Yu Counting Countries 

In this episode of The Radio Vagabond, I catch up with my good friend, Francis Tapon, in Toronto. Francis is an American author, world traveler, and podcaster known for his work with Wanderlearn. We dive into his incredible journeys, including visiting all 54 African countries without leaving the continent, climbing the highest peaks, and picking up 3000 hitchhikers.   Francis has also completed the Triple Crown of Hiking and written a book, "The Hidden Europe." Tune in for an inspiring conversation about travel, culture, and the world around us. 

I denne episode af The Radio Vagabond møder jeg min gode ven, Francis Tapon, i Toronto. Francis er en amerikansk forfatter, verdensrejsende og podcaster, kendt for sit arbejde med Wanderlearn.   Vi dykker ned i hans utrolige rejser, inklusive besøget i alle 54 afrikanske lande uden at forlade kontinentet, bestigning af de højeste tinder og at samle 3000 blaffere op. Francis har også fuldført ”Triple Crown of Hiking” og skrevet en bog, "The Hidden Europe" om sin tur gennem Østeuropa. Lyt med til en inspirerende samtale om rejser, kultur og verden omkring os. 

Hayley has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I started to follow Hayley in the last year or two on Instagram.  And over the last several months we started sharing some messages.  She has just completed her journey to every country in the world and I wanted to learn about her adventures as well as her two physical disabilities and how she overcame these challenges.     The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  At the festival, we will have over 20 amazing speakers.  Sort of like the TEDx of travel.  Think Thor Pedersen, Francis Tapon, the Sultan Randy Williams, and so many more.  You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the .  If you have questions, just let me know.   I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Phil Marcus, Jorge Serpa, Per Flisberg, Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmerman, Lori Pastorelli, Carole Southam, Sunir Joshi, Philippe Izedian, Gin, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Steph Rowe, Thor Pedersen, Adam Hickman, Katelyn Jarvis, Ed Hotchkiss, and Barry Hoffner for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Hayley that you will not hear.  After the main interview with Hayley, I have a new series, called Meet The Patrons.  And I speak with Bisa Myles, my first supporter.  I have known Bisa personally since I get to see her occasionally on my visits to Chicago, but through our conversation, I got to learn a lot more about her and some of the challenges she has overcome.    I was in Bangkok for this recording while Hayley was in England. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. Phil Marcus, Jorge Serpa, Per Flisberg, Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmermann, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Barry Hoffner, Ed Hotchkiss, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Sunir Joshi, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian & Dale Wursten.          And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler's Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Hayley Kennedy Counting Countries 

I hop on the WanderLearn Podcast with Francis Tapon as a guest to discuss my personal tricks I used to get over the fear of moving and living abroad. Topics: #SouthKorea #LivingAbroad #ExpatLife #Expats FB/IG/YouTube/X: @ftapon

In this episode, I hop on the WanderLearn Podcast with Francis Tapon to recap the first 40 episodes of the adventurers that have been featured on Travel Tribe X podcast. We discuss the common themes, challenges, and lessons that have come out of these stories. FB/IG/YouTube/X: @ftapon

Podcast Swap! Francis Tapon appeared on the Travel Tribe X Podcast and we're re-airing the episode on the WanderLearn Podcast feed! Enjoy this one-hour interview, where Jordan Chmiel Twardowski interviews Francis Tapon. Subscribe to the Travel Tribe X Podcast on any podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Or search for Travel Tribe X on whatever app you're using to read this!  More info To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.  Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Johnny Ward and Francis Tapon have traveled to every African country. Francis asks Johnny if he thinks an African region can catch up to Europe's standard of living. Watch his answer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsAezi23EJg  I also give an update on his Everest climb. He's on his way up now (May 12, 2023)! More info You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.  Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

This is The Radio Vagabond, and then today, it's not really. Because I have something special for you in this one. There's another podcast that I listen to, and I would like to introduce for you. It's hosted and produced by a good friend of mine, Francis Tapon, and his podcast is called “Wanderlearn”. It's a travel podcast, but so much more. Francis is an extreme traveller and I'm almost out of breath when I hear about all the crazy stuff he's done – like extreme hikes and travelling to every country in Africa without leaving the continent and attempting to climb the highest mountain in each of them, and so much more. The episode you're about to hear features me as a guest. Just to make it super meta… We recorded it when we met for the first time in Spain at the TBEX conference. Since then, we also met in Yerevan at the Extraordinary Travel Festival and then again at TBEX in Thailand. I also did an interview with Francis about hitchhiking, and you can find that one either here or by going to the Wanderlearn podcast. He published this episode in December, when he was in Morocco, just after Morocco was celebrating a win at the FIFA World Cup. So, you'll hear him talking about that. I'll be back after the Wanderlearn episode and give you a quick update about what I've been up to lately. Here's Francis Tapon and his episode of Wanderlearn. Enjoy. Make sure that you find Wanderlearn in your podcast app or go to ftapon.com to learn more about this extraordinary guy. A quick update about what's been happening in my life: I am still in New Zealand where I was, the last time you heard from me – and I haven't been publishing much apart from the Flashback episodes that you get every Friday. I haven't even done the diary entries that I normally put out on Saturdays, and part of the reason for that is I've been traveling so fast, making a road trip around this South Island. Also, I ran into some difficulties, like an SD card with some footage that all of a sudden didn't work. So I wasn't able to do a video. There was a ferry that was delayed, so I wasn't able to sit down and edit the episode. And then, when I finally had some time on my hands, I forgot the power cable to my Mac when I was in Queenstown visiting a friend there. But now I have the power, and I have the time. So, you will be getting some diary entries, and the first one is coming out very soon. Also, I plan to be working on some new episodes that you haven't heard before from some of the travels, I've been on. I'm in Christchurch, New Zealand, until May when I'm going to Greece to attend another TBEX conference. There's so much more to come, so stay subscribed, and you will hear from me very, very soon. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

Are you considering a trip to Eastern Europe? For this week's episode, I'm pulling one of my favorite shows from the archive! Francis Tapon has a travel resume that inspires all of us to get out there and explore. He is the author of many renowned books, is an avid backpacker and slow travel junkie, and someone who has never owned a television, couch, bed, or spaceship (and is most disappointed about the last one). In this episode, we dive into Eastern Europe, the beautiful benefits of slow travel, and why connecting with locals (not your phone) is so important to your overall experience. What hidden spots have you added to your list? I'd love for you to share them by sending me an audio message. Premium Passport: Want access to the private Zero To Travel podcast feed, a monthly bonus episode (decided on by YOU), exclusive content, direct access to me to answer your questions, and more? Click Here To Try Premium Passport For Only $1 Tune in to Learn: The meaning of 'wander learn' Who is Francis Tapon? Comfort zones and epic hiking trails Living below your means and choosing life Techniques for saving money Becoming a writer Hidden Europe Meeting locals through couchsurfing Why Eastern Europe? Where to visit in Eastern Europe and where Francis would live Married life and travel The writing process and Unseen Africa Relationship with technology Upcoming destinations to visit now And so much more Resources: Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport Subscribe to our FREE newsletter Check out fancistapon.com Follow Francis on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube Visit Africa54.com Listen to Wander Learn Podcast Grab a copy of Francis' books Couchsurfing RescueTime Camp Indie Want More? Tips for Travel to Europe this Summer How to Travel Europe on a Budget w/ Andy Steves How to Road Trip Around Europe Around the World Ticket: Is it Worth it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author of "The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us", travel film maker, and California Outdoor Hall of Fame global nomad Francis Tapon joins the Travel Tribe X Podcast to discuss his experiences backpacking, hitchhiking, and writing travel books. We discuss a range of topics including:

Welcome to another episode with a conversation from Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia. Already now, we've met Gunnar Garfors, Ildikó Szabó, and Charles Veley. Three of the few people who have visited every country in the world. One of them even did it twice. Today we will have a theme: Hitchhiking. Meet Francis Tapon and Daniel Shachory. Francis Tapon Francis did a talk at the Extraordinary Travel Festival called, “Five Years of Nonstop Overland Travel To All 54 African Countries: Picking Up 3,000 Hitchhikers & A Bride”. And with several TEDx talks, he knows what he's doing when he's on stage and we were in for a treat. His mother is from Chile, and his father from France, but Francis was born in San Francisco, so he was born with three passports – and almost destined to travel. He is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and claims that he struggles with Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Russian. But I have a feeling he's just modest. Having never been to Africa, he took a boat there and effectively burned it. He vowed not to return home until he had climbed the tallest peak in every African country. He expected that he could do it in three years, but his quest took five years to complete. He managed to get to the peak of 50 of the 54 countries. Also, he picked up 3,000 hitchhikers, found a bride, and nearly killed her and her brother. Now he's in the process of writing a book with 54 chapters – one for each country. He's also the author of Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe. And then he hosts a podcast called WanderLearn. Daniel Shachory From one person who has picked up a lot of hitchhikers to a guy you can find at the side of the road with his thumb in the air. Daniel Shachory from Los Angeles and MyThumbLife on Instagram and on YouTube. He's on a quest to hitchhike in every country in the world. He does that half of his time – and then the other half he spends back in the United States as an Uber driver. But not just that. Here he's trying to become the first Uber driver that has worked in every state. So, another crazy project. I met Daniel at lunch one day in Yerevan, and even though he's not the most travelled of the guests in this mini-series, I asked him to come on the show because not only is he totally likeable, but he's also got a cool story. And then when he's accomplished some of his crazy projects, I'm able to brag about being one of the first podcasts to have him on my show. Next episode The next episode you can meet Boris Kester, a Dutch traveller who has been to every country in the world and Gustav Rosted, a young Danish travel-YouTuber calling himself Gus1TheGo. My name is Palle Bo. See you.

Velkommen til endnu en episode med samtaler fra Extraordinary Travel Festival i Jerevan, Armenien. Vi har allerede mødt Gunnar Garfors, Ildikó Szabó, og Charles Veley. Tre af de få mennesker på kloden, der har besøgt alle lande. Og en af dem har ovenikøbet gjort det to gange. I dag har vi et tema, der handler om at tomle, når vi taler med Francis Tapon og Daniel Shachory.   Francis Tapon Vi havde fornøjelsen af at opleve et foredrag med Francis på Extraordinary Travel Festival som havde den mundrette titel: “Five Years of Nonstop Overland Travel To All 54 African Countries: Picking Up 3,000 Hitchhikers & A Bride”. Og med adskillige TEDx taler, så ved han, hvad han gør, når han går på scenen, og det var en udsøgt fornøjelse. Hans mor er fra Chile, hans far fra Frankrig, men Francis selv var født i San Francisco, så han blev født med tre pas – og det lå nærmest i kortene, at han skulle rejse. Han er flydende på engelsk, fransk og spansk, og påstår selv, at han kæmper med at tale italiensk, portugisisk, arabisk og russisk. Men jeg har på fornemmelsen, at han bare er beskeden. Da han aldrig havde været i Afrika, besluttede han sig for at gøre det – og som altid gik ”all-in”. Han lovede sig selv, at han ikke ville forlade kontinentet før han havde besøgt alle 54 lande og forsøgt at bestige det højeste punkt i alle lande. Han regnede med at det nok ville tage tre år, men der skulle gå fem inden han var færdig. Det lykkedes ham at bestige det højeste punkt i 50 af de 54 lande, og så valgte han at samle 3.000 afrikanske blaffere op. Han fandt også sin hustru og var næsten skyld i at hun og hendes bror blev dræbt. Nu er han i gang med at skrive en bog med 54 kapitler – et for hvert land. Han har allerede skrevet andre bøger: Hike Your Own Hike og The Hidden Europe, og er vært på sin egen podcast, WanderLearn.   Daniel Shachory Fra en person, der har samlet en masse blaffere op til en fyr, der står i siden af vejen med tomlen i vejret. Daniel Shachory fra Los Angeles og MyThumbLife på Instagram og YouTube har et mål om at blaffe i alle lande i verden. Det gør han halvdelen af tiden, og den anden halvdel er han hjemme i USA for at tjene penge som Uber chauffør. Men også her er han ret anderledes. Han arbejder på at blive den første, der har kørt som Uber chauffør i alle amerikanske stater. Så endnu et vanvittigt projekt. Jeg faldt i snak med Daniel over frokost en af dagene i Jerevan, og selvom han måske endnu ikke er den mest berejste i denne miniserie, så spurgte jeg ham, om han havde lyst til at være gæst hos mig. For ikke alene er han en super-sympatisk ung mand med et meget smittende smil, så har han nogle spændende historier. Og så, når han har gennemført et af sine tossede projekter, vil jeg kunne blære mig med, at jeg var en af de første, der interviewede ham. Næste episode Den næste episode er med Boris Kester fra Nederlandene, som har været i alle lande i verden og Gustav Rosted, en ung dansk YouTuber, der kalder sig Gus1TheGo. Mit navn er Palle Bo. Vi ses.

Velkommen tilbage til endnu en samtale med en meget spændende person. Da jeg var i Jerevan i Armenien, havde jeg fornøjelsen af at møde nogle af de mest berejste personer i verden, og i denne miniserie her i december, kan du møde en masse af dem. Charles Veley er en amerikansk ekstrem-rejsende. Der er dem, der kalder ham “The Godfather of Extreme Systematic Travel”, og ifølge Wikipedia, kan han bryste sig af titlen som verdens mest berejste person. Men det er noget han selv er lidt i tvivl om, for det kommer lidt an på, hvordan man tæller det op. Han har været i alle 193 FN-nationer, og han var den yngste nogensinde, der havde fuldført Travelers' Century Club's officielle liste over lande og territorier. Dette er bare to af de lister, der er – FN-listen og TCC, men der er flere. Nu er der også Nomad Mania listen, som blev startet af en tidligere Radiovagabond-gæst, Harry Mitsidis, og så Charles Veleys egen liste Most Traveled People (kendt som MTP). Næste episode fra Jerevan På søndag kan du møde Francis Tapon, som har besøgt alle lande i Afrika uden at forlade kontinentet. Her forsøgte han blandt andet at bestige det højeste punkt i alle lande, og så samlede han 3.000 blaffere op. Vi taler mere om at blaffe med den unge amerikaner Daniel Shachory. Han har et mål om at blaffe i alle lande i verden, og vil dele en masse gode råd om, hvordan han bærer sig ad med det. Mit navn er Palle Bo. Vi ses.

Welcome back to another conversation with an extraordinary traveller. When I was in Yerevan, Armenia, I met some of the world's most travelled people, and in this mini-series, all in December, you can get to meet many of them. Charles Veley is an American extreme traveller. Some people call him “The Godfather of Extreme Systematic Travel”, and according to Wikipedia, he can claim the title of the world's most-travelled person. But even Charles himself says that it depends on how you count it. He's been to every UN Nation in the world and was the youngest ever to complete the Travelers' Century Club's official list of countries and territories. That's two of the lists out there – the UN list and TCC, but there are more. Now there's also the Nomad Mania list, founded by a previous guest on The Radio Vagabond, Harry Mitsidis, and then Charles Veley's own list, Most Traveled People (known as MTP). Next episode from Yerevan On Sunday we're joined by Francis Tapon who visited every country in Africa without leaving the continent and tried to climb the highest peak in each country. And then he picked up 3,000 African hitchhikers. And more about hitchhiking when we speak with Daniel Shachory. He's on a quest to hitchhike in every country in the world, and he will share some good tips and tricks on how to get a ride. My name is Palle Bo. See you.

I'm back with fresh material. I know that I've been away a lot on that front this year, but now I'm back with new episodes from exciting destinations in the beginning of January. We start with a miniseries recorded in Yerevan, Armenia, in October. Here I attended the first-ever Extraordinary Travel Festival and got a chance to speak to some extraordinary travellers. You will get eight episodes between now and the new year. Two episodes every week – and you'll still get flashback episodes every Friday. So, we're going to be busy. Here are the people you can meet in the miniseries: Boris Kester, Charles Veley, Daniel Shachory, David Yang, Francis Tapon, Gus Rosted, Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen, Odette Ricasa, Paul Barbado, Romaine Welds, Slawek Muturi, and Tony Giles. But we start with Hungarian, Ildikó Szabó and Norwegian, Gunnar Garfors.   Ildikó Szabó She was born and raised in the countryside of Hungary and was a late starter in travelling. She was 18 years old when she first left her home country for the first time, and it wasn't until she was almost 22 when she first set foot on a plane. At the age of 25, she went on my first solo trip outside of Europe when she backpacked in China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. And then, she really caught the travel bug and decided to persuade a career in aviation. In 2018, at 36, she achieved her goal of visiting every country in the world as the first Hungarian and amongst one of the youngest female travellers achieving this milestone without any sponsorship.   Gunnar Garfors Apart from being an anagram for Ungarn (Hungary), Gunnar is a journalist, public speaker and bestselling author who has visited every country twice. And he was the first person in the world to do that. He holds many records, but an interesting one is a Guinness World Record that he set in 2012 with Adrian Butterworth by being the first to visit five continents on the same day. Gunnar has written several books, with the first one called “How I ran Out of Countries.” Garfors also writes on his travelblog, garfors.com. Like me, he's worked in the radio industry for many years – in fact, we found out that we've attended the same radio conferences in the past. Now he's funding his life and travels as a writer and a public speaker. He grew up as the oldest of seven children in the tiny village of Naustdal on the Norwegian West Coast. Currently, he lives in Oslo – when he's not on one of his many journeys because he still feels there's a lot to see.   Extraordinary Travel Festival As mentioned, I met Gunnar and Ildikó at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan, Armenia. It was the first conference of its kind, and we all agreed it was an incredible event. It's still up in the open where the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be, but according to Ric Gazarian, who is in charge of organising it, he's working on doing the next one in 2024. I did so many interviews in Yerevan, and in the next episode, we will feature another extreme travel legend, Charles Veley. He did something not many people have done: He got a chance to visit the world's most remote island, Bouvet.   LINKS: GUNNAR GARFORS: Blog: www.garfors.com Facebook: facebook.com/gunnargarfors Instagram: @garfors Twitter: @garfors Watch Gunnar's TEDx Talk   ILDIKÓ SZABÓ: Facebook: Ildikó Szabó Instagram:  @endlesstravelcoma & @endlessgastrocoma Pinterest: @ildikoszabo

Jeg er omsider tilbage med nyt materiale. Jeg ved, at jeg har været væk længe – ud over flashback fredag episoderne, men nu er jeg tilbage med nye episoder fra spændende destinationer. Vi starter dog med en slags julekalender, en miniserie med samtaler, jeg har optaget i Yerevan i Armenien i oktober. Her deltog jeg i den Extraordinary Travel Festival og fik muligheden for at tale med nogle fantastiske mennesker. Du får i alt otte episoder og alle sammen inden Rådhusklokkerne ringer det nye år ind. Og du får stadig flashback episoder hver fredag, så der kommer til at ske en masse. Her er hvem du kan møde i denne miniserie: Boris Kester, Charles Veley, Daniel Shachory, David Yang, Francis Tapon, Gus Rosted, Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen, Odette Ricasa, Paul Barbado, Romaine Welds, Slawek Muturi og Tony Giles. Men vi starter med ungarske Ildikó Szabó og norske Gunnar Garfors. Mit navn er Palle Bo, og dette er Radiovagabond, episode 284. Velkommen til Armenien.     Ildikó Szabó Hun er født og opvokset ude på landet i Ungarn og var faktisk ret sen til at starte med at rejse. Hendes først tur udenfor landets grænser var, da hun var 18 år gammel og hun var næsten 22 inden hun var i et fly for første gang. Da hun var 25 var hun på sin første solotur udenfor Europa, da hun med rygsæk tog til Kina, Thailand, Sri Lanka og de Forenede Arabiske Emirater. Og det var her hun for alvor fik rejsefeber, og startede en karriere i rejsebranchen. I 2018 opnåede hun sit mål om at besøge alle lande i verden, og det var som den første fra Ungarn og som en af de yngste kvinder nogensinde – uden sponsorer. CLIP Gunnar Garfors Udover at være et anagram for Ungarn, er Gunnar journalist, foredragsholder og bedst sælgende forfatter. Han har besøgt alle lande i verden to gange, og han var den første i verden, der gjorde det. Han har mange rekorder, men en af de mere specielle er en Guinness World Record, som han satte i 2012 sammen med Adrian Butterworth. De var de første, der besøgte fem kontinenter på samme dag.   Gunnar har skrevet adskillige bøger, hvor den første har titlen, “How I ran Out of Countries”. Du kan også følge hans skriverier på rejsebloggen, garfors.com. Som mig har han arbejdet i radiobranchen i mange år – og faktisk fandt vi ud af at vi faktisk har deltaget i de samme radiokonferencer flere gange gennem årene. Nu tjener han sine penge som forfatter og foredragsholder. Han voksede op som den ældste af syv børn i en lille landsby, Naustdal på den norske vestkyst. I dag bor han i Oslo – når han da ikke er på en af sine mange rejser, for som han siger, der er stadig så meget af verden han ikke har set endnu.   Extraordinary Travel Festival Som nævnt mødte jeg Gunnar og Ildikó ved Extraordinary Travel Festival i Armeniens hovedstad, Yerevan. Det var første gang konferencen blev afholdt og vi var alle enige om, at det var en fantastisk begivenhed. Det er endnu ikke afgjort, hvor den næste Extraordinary Travel Festival skal foregå, men ifølge arrangøren Ric Gazarian, så planlægger han at afholde den næste i 2024. Jeg havde fornøjelsen af at lave mange interview i Yerevan, og i den næste episode kan du møde endnu en rejse-legende, Charles Veley. Han er en af de få personer i verden, der har besøgt verdens mest fjerntliggende ø, Bouvet.   LINKS: GUNNAR GARFORS: Blog: www.garfors.com Facebook: facebook.com/gunnargarfors Instagram: @garfors Twitter: @garfors Watch Gunnar's TEDx Talk   ILDIKÓ SZABÓ: Facebook: Ildikó Szabó Instagram:  @endlesstravelcoma & @endlessgastrocoma Pinterest

Sym Blanchard, who listens to more news podcasts than any man alive, discusses who might win the 2024 USA Election for President. Francis Tapon struggles to get an answer out of him, but we have a fun discussion. Feedback Leave an anonymous voicemail on SpeakPipe.com/FTapon Or go to Wanderlearn.com, click on this episode, and write a comment. More info You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Tiktok Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken or FTX.us Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear

Paul Barbato has traveled to over 70 countries Paul AKA Barbs and I met through Gus Rosted.  Gus is one of the attendees at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Gus recommended Barbs as speaker at the festival. I knew Barbs and his YouTube channel, Geography Now! and thought he would be a great addition in Armenia.  Barbs agreed to participate in the festival and also to join me on Counting Countries.   Barbs has had tremendous success with his YouTube channel with over 3 million subscribers.  Barbs's success was not overnight but nearly a 10 year grind of perfecting his craft and attracting new followers.  Barbs is also on a quest to travel to every country in the world, but at his own pace.  Unsurprisingly, he also enjoys the oddities of geography during his travels, including salients.  As many of you have heard, Stefan Kraswoski and I have teamed up to host the Extraordinary Travel Festival, the world's largest gathering of accomplished travelers. This will take place in Yerevan, 2022.  We are excited to produce this event to help grow our community while organizing great events, and hosting some amazing experiences. You will see and meet former guests from this show like Francis Tapon, Debjeet Sen, Per Besson, and Audrey Walsworth in Armenia.   Please go to ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com to see our speakers, our sponsors, and some of the trips we are hosting.  Check back often since there are frequent updates.  If buying a ticket, please use code ETF to save $50.  Hope to see you in Yerevan.      I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons:  Lucy Shoe, Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting this podcast. They help pay for the production of this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries.  You can also support Counting Countries be writing a review or sharing this podcast with a travel lover.  My patrons hear extra content, like an additional 35 minutes of my last conversation with Lucy Shoe and with this conversation with Barbs, only for you.    You will also hear from Thor at the end of the Barbs interview.  For the last 2 years plus, I have been interviewing Thor to track his progress in traveling to every country in the world without flying.  My patrons hear this fascinating interviews at the time of the recording.  You will hear only a snippet at this time.   And as a side note, Barb's mom makes a brief appearance while I attempt to say hello in Korean and not impress his mother.   I was in Chicago for this recording while Barbs was in LA.  Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my Patrons …. Lucy Shoe, Phillip Jones, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!    And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa!  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi.  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia.   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions.  SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world.   Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori.   Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if from some of these links like if you order from Amazon/Agoda/etc. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS  Thanks!  

Ric Gazarian (Global Gaz) is on a quest to travel to all 193 UN countries. He is the host of the Counting Countries podcast and a co-founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival. Ric is humble about it, but he's one of the most well traveled people in human history. He also contributes to his own travel blog (globalgaz.com), Nomad Mania, and Travel Massive.

In this episode we speak with Francis Tapon who is an extreme traveler. He spent five years visiting every country in Africa – and climbing the highest mountain in each country. Now he's writing a book about that journey. You can see more about him on ftapon.com and follow him as ftapon on social media. We also have Michael Collins from TravelMedia.ie back for a conversation about social media. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Europe in Marbella, Spain and hosted by TBEX CEO, Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

Francis Tapon rejected his normal Harvard Business school life and instead chose to hike the Appalachian trail and travel in Africa for 5 years. He hosts the Wander Learn podcast where he talks about the benefits of being a wanderer. Top 3 Takeaways: "Sometimes I think the best way to learn is just to forego college and then just go travel the world and spend a few years going traveling around. This probably costs you even less than college." "That is a more important question than how to make a billion dollars is what you do once you have a billion dollars, because once you have a billion dollars, how you spend your time is extremely telling it shows whatever you're spending your time at that point is your passion is what you really want to do." "The protest during the Occupy Wall Street and people are saying like "the top 1%, the top 1%, top 1%." And I felt like walking into that crowd and just saying "You guys are all in the top 1%, every single one of you protesters, because compared to most of this planet, which lives in India, China, Asia, and certainly Africa, you guys are way wealthier than most people out there."" 0:45 "Do you want to do a brief synopsis of all the travel you've done and then why you think why you like this name wander learn?" 7:45 "Have you continued doing robotic vision stuff or have you done only the travel stuff?" 13:45 "So you haven't grown tired of this?" 16:15 "Let's talk about Wander Learn" 21:45 "Sounds like you like hiking" 23:45 "So what's the point of walking so much for weeks and months? What do you get out of it?" 30:30 "How about you for the meditative hiking stuff? Does time go by quickly?" 38:15 " Is there anything that you wanted to talk about that you wanted to cover?"

Africa's population will grow from 1.3 billion to over 4 billion by 2100. It already has a housing shortage. Glen Jordan hopes to solve that with blockchain technology. Glen is the CEO of Empowa, the first DeFi property platform on the Cardano blockchain. Empowa combines emerging technology, sustainable building, and decentralized financial inclusion. You can watch this interview on YouTube. Glen Jordan and Francis Tapon discuss the following: 00:00 Intro 00:40 Structural issues 03:00 What is the scope of Empowa? 04:15 Mozambique example 06:00 Lease to buy vs. Mortgage 07:30 NOT for sale sign 11:40 Currency risk - EMP Token 14:00 How to pay rents 15:00 NFTs 21:00 Pensions for informal sector 23:00 Circular building 25:00 Housing shortage in Africa 27:45 Cinder block savings 30:30 Cardano 36:00 Impact investing 37:00 NFT Revenue Stream 39:20 Is Empowa too ambitious? 42:30 ISPO Oct 2021 44:00 Benefits of staking ADA 45:00 Future of Empowa Cardano ISPO Stakepools EMP1 (Smiles on Africa) ID: d27af8f35c3d336500ff190011cd01edd1f84254002fad053 d326356 EMP2 (Proof of Africa) ID: 4c419cdf15bae400b98aa9ec9a7d3de6dafc9eb258b31f 172c891dd5   Record Feedback for this episode https://speakpipe.com/ftapon   More info If you like this, subscribe and share! If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  Gossamer Gear sponsored this show! On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on: http://facebook.com/ftapon http://twitter.com/ftapon http://youtube.com/user/ftapon http://pinterest.com/ftapon http://tumblr.com/ftapon My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Start your own podcast with the same company I use, Podbean, and get one month free! https://www.podbean.com/ftapon  In the USA, trade crypto with Kraken   https://r.kraken.com/c/2226643/687189/10583  Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!   ISPO Stakepools: EMP1 (Smiles on Africa) ID: d27af8f35c3d336500ff190011cd01edd1f84254002fad053 d326356 EMP2 (Proof of Africa) ID: 4c419cdf15bae400b98aa9ec9a7d3de6dafc9eb258b31f 172c891dd5  

What's the fuss about game hunting, meat-eating vs. laboratory-made, plant-based food, the pandemic and the food industry, and the Tao of Food? Listen to Francis Tapon, WanderLearn podcast host and author of Hike Your Own Hike and make up your own mind.

How do food, culture, and travel intersect? Listen to Francis Tapon, podcast host of WanderLearn and Hike Your Own Hike. We volley questions at each other and catch up on the two decades in which he traveled to more than 120 countries.

Have you ever hiked across Madagascar? And what is it like to grow up with three cultures and languages? In this online interview I was talking to Francis Tapon, the author of Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe. He has walked across America 4 times, Spain twice, and Madagascar once. From 2013-2018, he travelled overland nonstop to all 54 African countries. In 2019, he was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. Find out more here: https://francistapon.com What an inspiration!

Evolved idiots welcomes Francis Tapon, the author of Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe. He has traveled to 120 countries. He has walked across America 4 times, Spain twice, and Madagascar once. From 2013-2018, he traveled overland nonstop to all 54 African countries. In 2019, he was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. 0:00 - Opening 1:42 - How Travel Changes You 8:15 - Travel Preparation 10:52 - The Study of Religion 17:09 - How 2020 May Affect the Future of Travel 20:13 - Obtaining Visas 22:00 - Choosing a Nontraditional Path 24:22 - Overcoming Challenges 28:47 - Hiking with Essentials Only 31:30 - Developing Humility Through Struggle 35:44 - Living Your Passion 37:44 - Mind Expansion with Psychedelics 53:28 - Travel Tolerances 55:40 - Dangerous Travel 1:00:49 - Montenegro 1:02:13 - Are We Alone in the Universe? 1:10:20 - Life Advice 1:12:10 - Closing

In this episode we discuss:How Francis manages to hike through snow without a warm jacket (or underwear)Practicing discomfort and gratitudeThe two traits Francis learned from spending five and a half years in Africa and traveling to all 54 African countriesFalling in love and getting married in AfricaThe benefits of growing up with exposure to multiple culturesCollecting "cultural souvenirs" as we travelWhy the idea of "cultural appropriation" makes no senseHow the weather changes culture from Africa to Europe to SE AsiaWhat Eastern Europeans Can Teach UsThe role of history in American, European, and African culturesHow the Moors shaped modern SpainSlowing down in Spain and reevaluating what's important in lifeFrancis provocative writing style and why it's so hard to write a book about AfricaReverse culture shock on returning to America after a long time awayThe East Coast mentality and "default question"What the rest of the world thinks about Americans that we don't realizeThe three areas where America is hands down the greatest country in the worldWhere Francis plans to go next and making the most of life before we move onWhat it means to "Hike your own hike"Links:Francis' Website (https://francistapon.com/)Francis' First Book Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America (https://francistapon.com/Books/Hike-Your-Own-Hike/)Francis' Second Book The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us (https://francistapon.com/Books/The-Hidden-Europe/)Francis' Patreon Account (https://www.patreon.com/ftapon) - Get access to "The Unseen Africa" book as Francis writes it Francis' TEDx Talk "How and why travel transforms you" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2Bd8pNYH8A)Francis' TEDx Talk "Bring Out Your Inner Black Sheep" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVfADBIsgB8)Francis' TEDx Talk "7 surprising lessons from picking up 3,000 African Hitchhikers" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WxfRLByD60)The Jacks R Better sleeping bag that Francis uses and recommends:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CfBrJX5zoU)Francis' gear list from hiking the Continental Divide Trail (https://francistapon.com/Travels/Continental-Divide-Trail/CDT-Gear-List)The Time Paradox book by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Paradox-Psychology-That-Change/dp/1416541993)

Francis Tapon is an adventurer, author, and Harvard MBA who's been to all countries in Africa and also in Eastern Europe. He was on a quest to learn what ideas he could bring back to America from these different parts of the world Francis also climbed the highest mountain in every African continent during his trip and met his wife Rejoice in Western Africa. What you'll learn in this episode: What happened on Francis' multi-year trip around AfricaLearn about the laws and borders in Africa What kind of vehicle do you need to drive all over Africa?The story of how Francis got lost with his wife and brother-in-law in the dessertHow Francis met his wife in Africa Quotes "We underestimate how hard it was for the explorers in the 19th Century who went to places." - Francis Tapon "Wealth is a relative thing. Africa doesn't feel wealthy to outsiders, but my wife felt rich growing up in Africa"- Francis Tapon "The thing that hurt Africa's self-esteem more than anything else is the media; the television."- Francis Tapon "You'll feel blessed [when you visit Africa] because it's a wonderful place to remind you [of your blessings]."- Francis Tapon "One thing we can learn from Africa - Africans are super good at forgiving." - Francis Tapon "In general, borders [in Africa] had never been easier to travel." - Francis Tapon Continue the Adventure Francis Tapon's website Francis Tapon on Facebook Francis' YouTube Channel

Key Links Untamed Borders Group Trip To Madagascar  Support Counting Countries, and check out these trips from G Adventures  Support Counting Countries at Patreon Counting Countries Apparel    Francis popped up on my radar about a year ago, when former guest Fabio Cao brought him to my attention.  I hit google up and quickly realized Francis was an accomplished traveler, including a five year continuous journey across every country in Africa.  He seemed like a great fit for Counting Countries, but I neglected to reach out.  Then a recent email from listener, Francois Xavier, suggested that I have Francis on the podcast.  This email served as a catalyst for me to finally reach out to Francis and we promptly agreed upon a time to speak.  And I was really happy I did.       We recorded this episode back in February and obviously so much has changed since then.  I have been self-sheltering in Bangkok since my trip to West Africa was prematurely canceled on March 17.  I am recording this opening bumper on May 3 and things in Bangkok will be slowly opening up this week.  I hope everyone who is listening is safe and sound.     Also, I would like to introduce Counting Countries Mini.  I am hosting live interviews with  Country Counters on my Instagram account, GlobalGaz.   Support your content creators during this time of self-sheltering. Support Counting Countries on patreon.com.  And thanks to my other patrons, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, Stephen Rothwell, and Adam Hickman. My conversation with Francis is a long and rich one, but you will not be able to listen to the entire talk.  My patrons will hear 30 more additional minutes of our conversation. Untamed Borders our sponsor, regularly guides systematic travelers who are completing lists whether it is chasing 193, TCC, MTP or Nomad Mania.  So when travel situation improves please consider this great company.   The TCC has recently expanded their list to include South Ossetia where Untamed Borders has been guiding fans of unrecognized countries since 2014. Nomad Mania recently added the state of Jubbaland, an autonomous region in Somalia as a new region. Untamed Borders can take you to Kismayo, the capital of Jubbaland. This is in addition to their trips to Somaliland, Puntland and Mogadishu. And don’t forget for runners, Untamed Borders is also partnered with the Mogadishu and Somaliland Marathons. Finally, recent security improvements mean Untamed Borders can now guide you to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in Pakistan, Kandahar in Afghanistan and the Hadramout region of Yemen. These are all regions on the Nomad Mania and MTP lists that have been tricky for travellers to reach in the past. For more information visit their website at www.untamedborders.com or drop them a message at info@untamedborders.com. Francis veered left at the fork on the road.  Going left was a life of freedom, independence, and passion.  Going right, meant continuing down the path of the startup Silicon Valley rat race with his Harvard MBA.  Francis has trekked the Appalachian trail, the Continental Divide, and the El Camino.  He spent months exploring Eastern Europe.  And really spread his wings as he drove overland in Africa for five years.  Besides chasing 193, he is even chasing a more exclusive lis, which you will hear about.          I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, or Spotify and write a review, even better when it is 5 stars.     Francis and I met up online, with Francis in San Francisco while I was in the Bangkok studio of Counting Countries. Please listen in and enjoy.      Thank you to my Patrons …. Stephen Rothwell, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims & Ryan Gazder.   Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!  You can purchase them today on Amazon. And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa!   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friend: Large Minority.  They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon.  And watch my full length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority.      Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi.  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia.   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com More About Francis: Born in: USA Passports: Chile, France, and USA Instagram: FTapon Podcast: Wander Learn Podcast Website: Francis Tapon    Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1281 regions.  SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world.   Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori.   Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS  Thanks!      ----- Produced by Simpler Media

Author, Harvard MBA grad and world-renowned backpacker Francis Tapon is on a 4-year journey to all 54 African countries. How can he turn this into a 4-season TV series? By going a non-traditional route, of course! The TV landscape continues to divide into thousands of channels, and it seems there's a new online distribution player every month. More channels means less advertising per channel, and budgets are shrinking. Higher budget shows may be in trouble, but there's a veritable gold rush for independent producers who can produce great content more cheaply. The challenge is that the funding models are different, and very few have a handle on the best strategy to stay ahead of this rapidly changing field. Francis Tapon, a successful author and world traveler, has a promising idea for an episodic documentary series, called The Unseen Africa. But like Corinna Mendis, who shot her own scripted pilot, Francis has decided to forego the traditional pitch process and produce a full pilot himself, assisted by a Kickstarter campaign for part of the budget. Will he be successful? Is this a viable path to getting your own reality or documentary series off the ground? Find out on this week's podcast! A little more about Francis: Francis Tapon is a world-renowned author and world traveler, author of The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us and Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America. He walked across America four times: he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and in 2007, became the first to do a round-trip on the Continental Divide Trail. In 2009, he was one of the finalists for the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, which “features nominees who are world-renowned for their skills and who have helped inspire thousands of others to take part in the great outdoors.” Though he speaks several languages due to his South American and French ancestry, Francis hails from San Francisco. More info on The Unseen Africa Kickstarter campaign: CLICK HERE Follow Francis Tapon on Twitter: @ftapon Francis Tapon's blog and website: francistapon.com The Unseen Africa website: theunseenafrica.com Buy Gray's book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews. Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray's YouTube channel. First published May 25, 2014.

Author, Harvard MBA grad and world-renowned backpacker Francis Tapon is on a 4-year journey to all 54 African countries. How can he turn this into a 4-season TV series? By going a non-traditional route, of course!The TV landscape continues to divide into thousands of channels, and it seems there’s a new online distribution player every month. More channels means less advertising per channel, and budgets are shrinking. Higher budget shows may be in trouble, but there’s a veritable gold rush for independent producers who can produce great content more cheaply. The challenge is that the funding models are different, and very few have a handle on the best strategy to stay ahead of this rapidly changing field.Francis Tapon, a successful author and world traveler, has a promising idea for an episodic documentary series, called The Unseen Africa. But like Corinna Mendis, who shot her own scripted pilot, Francis has decided to forego the traditional pitch process and produce a full pilot himself, assisted by a Kickstarter campaign for part of the budget.Will he be successful? Is this a viable path to getting your own reality or documentary series off the ground? Find out on this week’s podcast!A little more about Francis:Francis Tapon is a world-renowned author and world traveler, author of The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us and Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America.He walked across America four times: he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and in 2007, became the first to do a round-trip on the Continental Divide Trail. In 2009, he was one of the finalists for the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, which “features nominees who are world-renowned for their skills and who have helped inspire thousands of others to take part in the great outdoors.”Though he speaks several languages due to his South American and French ancestry, Francis hails from San Francisco.More info on The Unseen Africa Kickstarter campaign: CLICK HEREFollow Francis Tapon on Twitter: @ftaponFrancis Tapon’s blog and website: francistapon.comThe Unseen Africa website: theunseenafrica.comBuy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.First published May 25, 2014.

As individuals, humans are infinitely powerful once their minds are set to it. But working as a community is a whole different ball game because there is so much to consider. Jono Bacon, the Founder of Jono Bacon Consulting, gets down to brass tacks about the importance of finding a way to work as a community, because you get to harness the power of infinity multiplied. Struggling to lead or work with a group beyond yourself? Let this be your beginning! Travel is often seen as a luxury, and in most ways, it is, but what you can potentially get out of travel is absolutely unexpendable and something no one can ever take away from you. Prolific world traveler Francis Tapon sits down with Dr. Diane Hamilton to talk about the ways in which travel can enrich you, and how to start traveling on a budget. Francis shows that travel, at the end of the day, is for everyone. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Take The Lead community today:DrDianeHamilton.comDr. Diane Hamilton FacebookDr. Diane Hamilton TwitterDr. Diane Hamilton LinkedInDr. Diane Hamilton YouTubeDr. Diane Hamilton Instagram

Jono Bacon Jono Bacon is a leading community and collaboration speaker, author, and podcaster. He is the founder of Jono Bacon Consulting which provides community strategy/execution, workflow, and other services. He previously served as director of community at GitHub, Canonical, XPRIZE, and OpenAdvantage. His clients include Huawei, GitLab, Microsoft, Intel, Google, Sony Mobile, Deutsche Bank, Santander, HackerOne, Mattermost, SAP, FINOS Foundation, The Executive Center, data.world, Creative Commons, and others. He is the author of ‘People Powered: How communities can supercharge your business, brand, and teams’ and The Art of Community, a columnist for Forbes and opensource.com, founder of the Community Leadership Summit, founder of Conversations With Bacon, and co-founder of Bad Voltage. He is an advisor to AlienVault, Moltin, data.world, Mycroft, Open Networking Foundation, and Open Cloud Consortium. Francis Tapon Francis Tapon has hiked across America four times, walked across Spain twice, and Madagascar once. He has traveled to 120 counties. He has written two books, Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe. He is creating a documentary and a book called The Unseen Africa, which is based on his five-year nonstop overland journey across all 54 African countries. He is a 3-time TEDx speaker. He has a Religion BA from Amherst College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Please welcome the amazing Francis Tapon to today's show! Francis has a travel resume that inspires all of us to get out there and explore, he is the author of many renowned books, is an avid backpacker and slow travel junkie, and someone who has never owned a television, couch, bed, or spaceship (and is most disappointed about the last one). Today we are diving into Eastern Europe, the beautiful benefits of slow travel, & why connecting with locals (& not your phone) is so important to the overall experience of your time wherever you are.What hidden destinations have you been to that you think others should visit? What locations mentioned in today's episode are now on your list to visit? Let me know in the comments on the episode page! 

Francis Tapon spent five years traveling to all 54 African countries picking up hitchhikers from locals, to police and military men, pushing boundaries to capture great stories and create memories.Explore your boundaries and discover your next adventure with The World Nomads Travel Podcast. Hosted by Podcast Producer Kim Napier and World Nomads Phil Sylvester, each episode will take you around the world with insights into destinations from travelers and experts. They'll share the latest in travel news, answer your travel questions and fill you in on what World Nomads is up to, including the latest scholarships and guides.World Nomads is a fast-growing online travel company that provides inspiration, advice, safety tips and specialized travel insurance for independent, volunteer and student travelers, traveling and studying most anywhere in the world. Our online global travel insurance covers travelers from more than 135 countries and allows you to buy and claim online, 24/7, even while already traveling.The World Nomads Podcast is not your usual travel Podcast. It's everything for the adventurous, independent traveler.

To say Francis Tapon is a traveler is an under-statment. He’s more of a guru whose committed his life to seeing every little corner of the world. Mostly by foot. He’s walked the two major trails in North America, one of which took him 5,000 miles south into Mexico, and he spent five years walking through Africa, stopping along the way in various areas in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the human condition that exists elsewhere than from where he was born. While on his journey he met his wife and realized that he had found his calling. Now, Francis has dedicated himself to traveling the world, writing and hosting a podcast on which he discusses his exploits and provides advice for those looking to embark on trans-continental journeys.

Joining me today is the author of one of my favorite books, The Hidden Europe, creator, producer, star and everything else of The Unseen Africa, and a man who has probably had more adventures in the last 3 days than I’ve had in my entire life, Francis Tapon of WanderLearn Podcast. I am so happy to have him back on the show since we last spoke almost exactly 4 years ago or 275 episodes but who is counting. Today, we are diving deep into The Unseen Africa project which includes a book and a video series and is a must see for everyone!   Check out the full show notes

Global nomad Francis Tapon is the first person to yo-yo hike the continental divide (their and back), has walked across America 4 times, hiked over 10,000 miles visiting all 54 African countries. He is a published author of Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Lessons From Backpacking Across America, a TEDx speaker and founder of a silicon valley robotics company. We chat hiking, pushing your comfort zone, setting up your life to do trips, religion, and more!

Hear about travel to Chad as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about his travel to Chad as part of a 5 and a half year journey to all 54 countries in Africa.

Hear about travel to Chad as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about his travel to Chad as part of a 5 and a half year journey to all 54 countries in Africa.

Hear about travel to Chad as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about his travel to Chad as part of a 5 and a half year journey to all 54 countries in Africa.

This Week in Travel - Travel News Podcast. Regular hosts Gary Arndt, and Jen Leo are joined by this week's guest travel author Francis Tapon from francistapon.com, and host of the WanderLearn Podcast

Officially, Couchsurfing is free, but it's really only free for inconsiderate guests.  Polite guests and anyone with common sense will give back to their host.  When I wrote "How To Be A Good Couchsurfing Guest and Host," the response was overwhelming: It hit the Top 2 in Google when you search for "Couchsurfing guest" - it's even above Couchsurfing's own website! Dozens of Couchsurfing hosts linked to the article in their profile saying, "Please follow this Francis Tapon's advice." Couchsurfing.com itself syndicated the article on their website. So I struck a nerve.  In this podcast, I hit some of the same points I hit in the article. I recommend that anyone who wants to use Couchsurfing listen to this podcast and read the article.  I love Couchsurfing because it's helped me gain cultural insights for my books. I highly recommend Couchsurfing, as long as you follow my advice.  More info You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this, subscribe and share! I made this as a YouTube episode too. On social media, my username is always ftapon. Follow me on: http://facebook.com/ftapon http://twitter.com/ftapon http://youtube.com/user/ftapon http://pinterest.com/ftapon http://tumblr.com/ftapon Snapchat Claim your reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $1/month!

We're ending this eight week series of shows on a very special note, with some awesome guests and fun surprises! First, have you ever groaned while paying the same debt payment over and over every single month? Sure you have! Today we'll talk to our guests Chelsea Brennan from Mama Fish Saves and her reader Megan Grossi who hatched a BRILLIANT plan to make paying down student loans (or any loan for that matter) more fun. We can't wait for you to hear it. But that's not all we can't wait for you to hear. Pam Andrews' son grabbed over $700,000 in scholarships and completely avoided student loans. How did he do it...and can you do it too? Pam believes you can, and that's why she created her company the Scholarship Shark. She'll walk us through the process today. AND in our Friday Fintech segment, you've heard Emperor Investments on our shows lately...but exactly how do they work? We invited the co-founders, Brenna Casserly and Francis Tapon to join us with a quick walkthrough of how they work. Thanks to MagnifyMoney.com for sponsoring Stacking Benjamins!

We check in with author and long-distance walker Francis Tapon after his five-year journey to all 54 countries in Africa. And we hear how a widespread love of Shakespeare played a key role in shaping Africa's newest nation, South Sudan. Plus, tour guides from France offer tips for exploring the countryside of Normandy, including the monuments to WWII battles fought there. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This is part two of our conversation with Francis Tapon about Russia. We not only talk about visiting Russia, but we also talk about its culture, its politics, its relationship with the west and so much more. Francis is the author of The Hidden Europe - What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, Hike Your Own Hike and he is currently working on a book entitled The Unseen Africa due out in 2020. Francis Tapon’s Websites: http://francistapon.com http://TheHiddenEurope.com http://Africa54.com Links to things mentioned in the episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masha_and_the_Bear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/?lng=en https://www.rt.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yekaterinburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Railway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamchatka_Peninsula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladivostok https://www.couchsurfing.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Land https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard

On this episode we are going to be talking with Francis Tapon about Russia. We not only talk about visiting Russia, but we also talk about its culture, its politics, its relationship with the west and so much more. Francis is the author of The Hidden Europe - What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, Hike Your Own Hike and he is currently working on a book entitled The Unseen Africa due out in 2020. Francis Tapon’s Websites: http://francistapon.com http://TheHiddenEurope.com http://Africa54.com Links to things mentioned in the episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masha_and_the_Bear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliningrad http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/?lng=en https://www.rt.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yekaterinburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Railway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamchatka_Peninsula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladivostok https://www.couchsurfing.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borscht https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Josef_Land https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard

Have you ever wanted to go out and pursue something that other people would think is crazy?  Yet you held back because you worried about what others would say if you fell short of expectations. This did not stop Francis Tapon.  Rather than settle in his life, he lived like a monk for a few years so he could go out and pursue his dream of backpacking across the world. Learn about all the crazy adventures Francis has had as he pursues the things he is most passionate about every single day.  In addition to talking about his craziest trips to date, he touches on the following topic areas: How to push through pain Not giving in when close to quitting How to follow your bliss Live like a monk so you can pursue your dreams This episode is all about inspiring you to go out and pursue the things you love.  Be willing to take a risk so you can live a life you are charged about! If you enjoy the episode, please be sure to share it with friends so we can help them reach their full potential and make the world a MUCH cooler place!  Also, be sure to get a copy of my "Impressions: The Power of Personal Branding in Living an Extraordinary Life" book on Amazon.

Burkina Faso had a coup. It suppressed the coup. But the rest of the country is so much more interesting. Francis Tapon guests.

Hear about travel to Cameroon as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon and Rejoice Mubarak from TheUnseenAfrica.com about Rejoices' native country and Francis' recent trip to this West African country on his quest to explore every country in Africa.  

Hear about travel to Cameroon as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon and Rejoice Mubarak from TheUnseenAfrica.com about Rejoices' native country and Francis' recent trip to this West African country on his quest to explore every country in Africa.  

Hear about travel to Cameroon as the Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon and Rejoice Mubarak from TheUnseenAfrica.com about Rejoices' native country and Francis' recent trip to this West African country on his quest to explore every country in Africa.  

Francis Tapon is a Harvard MBA who left the tech world with the mission to visit every country in the world and share their unique lessons. Since then, has walked across America four times via its three major mountain ranges. He has walked across Spain twice. He was the first person to do a round-trip, backpacking [...] The post BITW 037: How to Find An Original Point of View as a Travel Writer with Francis Tapon appeared first on Break Into Travel Writing.

Francis Tapon is a Harvard MBA who left the tech world with the mission to visit every country in the world and share their unique lessons. Since then, has walked across America four times via its three major mountain ranges. He has walked across Spain twice. He was the first person to do a round-trip, backpacking [...] The post BITW 037: How to Find An Original Point of View as a Travel Writer with Francis Tapon appeared first on Break Into Travel Writing.

Francis Tapon checks in with Rick at the halfway point of his goal to explore each of Africa's 54 countries. African historian Martin Meredith explains the lasting impact of the continent's colonial legacy. Also, Sasha Martin shares how to introduce your family to the favorite foods of every nation on earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

This episode features an intercontinental talk that I had with Francis Tapon.  Francis is in the midst of a 4-year adventure in which he will visit the 54 countries of Africa.  Part of his mission involves creating a television show that will depict unique features concerning life, culture, and experience throughout Africa that might otherwise be missing or is seldom presented in mainstream programming. Wilderness hiking, car camping, and travel backpacking are essentially the ways in which Francis immerses himself into The Unseen Africa.  Along the way, he's actively working on his goal to climb the highest mountains in each African country. He's experiencing Africa life like the locals - eating bread baked in the desert sand and bathing in urban rivers.  Francis is full of stories of adventure that you are likely to hear only from him. Each country he visits will bring a wealth of things for him to share. Listen in to discover more about his journey and some of what he's experienced so far. There is also a bonus audio available for download on the Practical Backpacking™ Podcast website titled Adventure Financing in which Francis shares how he funds his trips.

This Week in Travel - Travel News Podcast. Regular hosts Gary Arndt, Jen Leo and Chris Christensen are joined by this week's guest: Francis Tapon author of "The Hidden Europe" and "Unseen Africa"  

Six years ago, Francis Tapon set out to pull back the curtain on Eastern Europe and entice travelers around the world to explore the “hidden” side of Europe. 25 countries later, he documented his experience in the amazing book, “The Hidden Europe.”

Hear about travel to the Western Sahara as the Amateur Traveler  talks to Francis Tapon about this disputed region as part of his trip to every country in Africa. 

Hear about travel to the Western Sahara as the Amateur Traveler  talks to Francis Tapon about this disputed region as part of his trip to every country in Africa. 

Hear about travel to the Western Sahara as the Amateur Traveler  talks to Francis Tapon about this disputed region as part of his trip to every country in Africa. 

Francis Tapon describes his three-year excursion into every country in the eastern half of Europe. He shares how the Balkans and the former Soviet states are the next travel frontier, where tourists don't outnumber the locals. Also, listeners check in with Rick for help in finalizing their vacation plans. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Most of the specialists in Eastern Europe I know first got truly interested in the region after a trip, which then triggered applications to grad school, years spent reading books, and a year or two in the particular country or region of choice researching a dissertation. Francis Tapon‘s story is different. While he visited Prague in the late 1990s, it did not trigger an academic obsession. Still, he got interested enough in the region and the fact that he knew so little about it that he decided to devote several years traveling to every country to get to know the people. The result is The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us (WanderLearn, 2012), which is a travelogue tracking his travels starting in Finland and down through the Baltic states and Central Europe, and then the Balkans, and ultimately into the European Russia. He has some great stories, and if what he learns may not surprise specialists, his view is always fresh. Consequently I was happy to talk to him about his journeys and what he learned recently, and I invite you to listen to our conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the specialists in Eastern Europe I know first got truly interested in the region after a trip, which then triggered applications to grad school, years spent reading books, and a year or two in the particular country or region of choice researching a dissertation. Francis Tapon‘s story is different. While he visited Prague in the late 1990s, it did not trigger an academic obsession. Still, he got interested enough in the region and the fact that he knew so little about it that he decided to devote several years traveling to every country to get to know the people. The result is The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us (WanderLearn, 2012), which is a travelogue tracking his travels starting in Finland and down through the Baltic states and Central Europe, and then the Balkans, and ultimately into the European Russia. He has some great stories, and if what he learns may not surprise specialists, his view is always fresh. Consequently I was happy to talk to him about his journeys and what he learned recently, and I invite you to listen to our conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the specialists in Eastern Europe I know first got truly interested in the region after a trip, which then triggered applications to grad school, years spent reading books, and a year or two in the particular country or region of choice researching a dissertation. Francis Tapon‘s story is different. While he visited Prague in the late 1990s, it did not trigger an academic obsession. Still, he got interested enough in the region and the fact that he knew so little about it that he decided to devote several years traveling to every country to get to know the people. The result is The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us (WanderLearn, 2012), which is a travelogue tracking his travels starting in Finland and down through the Baltic states and Central Europe, and then the Balkans, and ultimately into the European Russia. He has some great stories, and if what he learns may not surprise specialists, his view is always fresh. Consequently I was happy to talk to him about his journeys and what he learned recently, and I invite you to listen to our conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Regular hosts Gary Arndt, Jen Leo and Chris Christensen are joined by: This week's guest Francis Tapon author of The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us.  

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon from WanderLearn.com about Albania which has gone from a totally closed society 20 years ago to a destination that Lonely Planet ranked as the #1 destination for travel this year (that was before some of the recent protests. Francis says the because it was isolated for so long it created an exotic and unique culture. Abandoned bunkers still line the country from back when their fear of invasion had nothing to do with tourists. He recommends we start in the capital of Tirana and from there go to Krujë and its legendary Skanderbeg castle.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon from WanderLearn.com about Albania which has gone from a totally closed society 20 years ago to a destination that Lonely Planet ranked as the #1 destination for travel this year (that was before some of the recent protests. Francis says the because it was isolated for so long it created an exotic and unique culture. Abandoned bunkers still line the country from back when their fear of invasion had nothing to do with tourists. He recommends we start in the capital of Tirana and from there go to Krujë and its legendary Skanderbeg castle.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon from WanderLearn.com about Albania which has gone from a totally closed society 20 years ago to a destination that Lonely Planet ranked as the #1 destination for travel this year (that was before some of the recent protests. Francis says the because it was isolated for so long it created an exotic and unique culture. Abandoned bunkers still line the country from back when their fear of invasion had nothing to do with tourists. He recommends we start in the capital of Tirana and from there go to Krujë and its legendary Skanderbeg castle.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon from WanderLearn.com about Albania which has gone from a totally closed society 20 years ago to a destination that Lonely Planet ranked as the #1 destination for travel this year (that was before some of the recent protests. Francis says the because it was isolated for so long it created an exotic and unique culture. Abandoned bunkers still line the country from back when their fear of invasion had nothing to do with tourists. He recommends we start in the capital of Tirana and from there go to Krujë and its legendary Skanderbeg castle.