Podcasts about ric gazarian

We Married Adventure have been to 149 & 148 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I met Angela and Michael Ballard, the couple behind We Married Adventure, who I met at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok.  Angela and Michael at times pushed and pulled between a 9-5 lifestyle and travel.  A wedding vow, an insane travel sabbatical and a retirement from work propelled them fully into the world of extreme travel.  I am fortunate to have these amazing conversations to learn about my guest's amazing and unique lives.  Angela and Michael did not disappoint.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” 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,  Scott Day, and Dana Mahoutchian for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Angela and Michael that you will not hear and you can be part of our members only FB group.     Also, please remember if you are interested in traveling to Papua New Guinea to partake in your own private Sing Sing to meet scores of tribes in an intimate setting, check out our friends Tribes of Papua New Guinea.  Reach out to me to learn more about this experience and how to get a 10% discount or look here .   Remember to keep up to date with the Extraordinary Travel Festival by joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the on our  ETF will be sometime, somewhere in 2026 around October/November, destination unknown.     A public service announcement, for those in the UK, go to Amazon and order your copy of the Impossible Journey, Thor Pedersen's book on his nearly 10 year journey to every country in the world.     I was in Bangkok for this recording while Angela and Michael were in France. 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, Scott Day, and Dana Mahoutchian.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! More About We Married Adventure Counting Countries Instagram: Website: 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. We Married Adventure Counting Countries   

Sam Goodwin has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  This conversation was a long time in the making.  In fact, this interview was originally scheduled in 2020.  But as we say, better late than never.  Sam Goodwin back in the day was just one of us … Chasing 193.  But his life was changed forever during his visit to country 181, Syria.  As 193ers, we are constantly pushing the envelope.  What we consider standard or normal travel is to others somewhere between poorly conceived to outright insanity.  Soon after entering Syria, Sam was imprisoned by the Assad government and spent over 60 days in prison.  This is the real deal, the stuff of nightmares.  This is an incredibly, compelling conversation, and a reminder of the risks we take in the community.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” 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 Sam that you will not hear and you can be part of our members only FB group.     And … I want to introduce a new patron, Dana Mahoutchian.  She has been close to 70 countries and grew up in Kobe, Japan! Think of how much steak she got to eat. Thanks for joining.       Also, please remember if you are interested in traveling to Papua New Guinea to partake in your own private Sing Sing to meet scores of tribes in an intimate setting, check out our friends Tribes of Papua New Guinea.  Reach out to me to learn more about this experience and how to get a 10% discount or look here .   Remember to keep up to date with the Extraordinary Travel Festival by joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the on our  ETF will be sometime, somewhere in 2026 around October/November, destination unknown.     This episode could have easily been double in length.  I had so many more questions.  You can read the full story with his book, . (affiliate)   I was in Boston for this recording while Sam was in St. Louis. 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, Scott Day, and Dana Mahoutchian.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! More About Sam Goodwin Counting Countries Instagram: Website: Born In: US Lives in: US 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. Sam Goodwin Counting Countries   

Hey now, this is your host, Ric Gazarian.  And today, we have a special episode.  The mission of this podcast is to speak to travelers who have been to every country in the world or who are in the process of completing that goal.  And, this is an amazing community of individuals which I am fortunate to get to speak with. This episode is a bit different since Vance is not Chasing 193, but he is very well traveled.  He comes more from the 2nd passport / permanent residency world, which overlaps here and there with some members of the 193 community. Vance has been a virtual friend of mine for several years.  I have been hosted twice by Vance on his podcast, My Latin Life.  You can check out on your favorite podcast player in February.   I wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about Vance and his world. I was in Boston for this conversation while Vance was in Portugal.  Please listen in and enjoy.

Sandy Cohen has traveled to 102 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  We are back with a new guest, Sandy Cohen.  I have known Sandy for years on social media, and I was fortunate to meet her at both Extraordinary Travel Festivals.  But, this conversation was my opportunity to learn more about Sandy, her life and travels, and I found it to be a fascinating conversation.  Sandy shared tales of her life, from being a chocolatier to hosting a top travel TV show for over a decade to running drugs in Guinea-Bissau.  Well, not exactly.      I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” 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 Sandy that you will not hear and be part of our members only FB group.  You also get swag … Ted Nims and Barry Hoffner just received Counting Country T-shirts.    Also, please remember if you are interested in traveling to Papua New Guinea to partake in your own private Sing Sing to meet scores of tribes in an intimate setting, check out our friends Tribes of Papua New Guinea.  Reach out to me to learn more about this experience and how to get a 10% discount.   I was in Boston for this recording while Sandy was in Panama City. 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! More About Sandy Cohen Instagram: Born In: Colombia Lives in: Panama 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. Sandy Cohen Counting Countries 

Ric Gazarian aka GlobalGaz is on a quest to travel to all 193 UN countries. There are so many great travel content creators sharing advice on traveling to amazing places all around the world. But Ric's goal is to help travelers visit locations that are less visited with less actionable information; countries like Afghanistan, Algeria, Mauritania, or Pakistan. Or places, that people love to debate if they are even a country like the Principality of Sealand, Transnistria, or Abkhazia.

Pav Mbeda has traveled to 106 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  We are back with the second episode of 2025.  I hope your travels are off to a good start.  Today, I am happy to share this conversation with Pav Mbeda.  Pav was one of the 250 participants of the sold out Extraordinary Travel Festival.  I reach out to all ticket buyers and was happy to note that Pav was from Kenya.  Whether it is ETF or this podcast, it is great to hear different perspectives and life experiences.  And speaking with Pav, I am reminded how different my upbringing was compared to someone like Pav's.  Pav shares her travel stories … everything from traveling in Kenya as a kid, to work trips throughout Africa, pursuing a masters in Europe, and then spreading her travel wings further to explore the seven continents.    **Public Service Announcement   Jonny Beardmore, the Galapagos Postman, has spent the last year hand-delivering 50 postcards from around the world.  He picked up these 50 postcards from a fabled 18th century postbox in the Galapagos Islands which has been used by sailors hoping their letters would be delivered by returning sailors.   .     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.    Also, please remember if you are interested in traveling to Papua New Guinea to partake in your own private Sing Sing to meet scores of tribes in an intimate setting, check out our friends Tribes of Papua New Guinea.  Reach out to me to learn more about this experience and how to get a 10% discount.     I was in Boston for this recording while Pav was in Nairobi. 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 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. Pav Mbeda  Counting Countries 

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    

Ric Gazarian is an avid traveler who has visited all seven continents and 181 countries on his quest to visit every country in the world. He is also the host of the popular long-format podcast Counting Countries and the founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival. Travel with us to some of the world's lesser-known places like Abkhazia and Mauritania and hear what Ric learned about humanity by visiting 181 countries. What you'll learn in this episode:Chasing 193: the quest to visit every country in the worldExploring Abkhazia, a de-facto nation between Georgia and RussiaThe hospitality of the Caucasus regionDesert life in Mauritania and riding the Iron Ore trainThe Amazigh culture, identity, and quest for self-determination (why you shouldn't call them Berbers)The nature of borders and national identityHow we should think about visiting countries with inhumane recordWhy Ric founded the Extraordinary Travel FestivalWhat Ric learned about humanity from visiting 181 countriesFeatured on the show:Check out Ric's podcast, Counting CountriesCheck out Ric's blog, Global GazLearn more about the Extraordinary Travel FestFollow Ric on InstagramGet more information at: Going Places website Join our Going Places newsletter to get updates on new episodes and Yulia's travel storytelling work. Subscribe at goingplacesmedia.com/newsletter!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don't forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You'll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more. Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Well not really.  Today I am sharing an interview of me hosted by Matt Bowles who hosts the Maverick Show Podcast.  Matt and I had great conversation and wanted to share it with my listeners.  So, please check out this conversation and also make sure you subscribe to the Maverick Show Podcast.  He has over 300 episodes to binge.  A ton of interesting people.  Including the 2nd part of our conversation on our feed.   The other reason I don't have one of my typical interviews is things were a bit overwhelming with the production of the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok on November 15th.  I will recap the event at a later point, but I am guessing many of you have seen tons of photos flying around social media.  So make sure you are following ETF on FB and IG.   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  for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  Thanks to Carol and Jim, Jorge, Bisa, Ted, and Phil to making it out to Bangkok.     I was in Boston for this recording while Matt was in Ashville, NC.  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 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. Counting Countries   

The tables and turned so you can hear Matt Bowles interviewed about his own digital nomad journey by Ric Gazarian. ____________________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In this special episode, The Maverick Show host Matt Bowles is the one being interviewed by Ric Gazarian in an episode that originally aired on the Counting Countries podcast. Ric goes deep with Matt about his travel journey, starting with his experience moving around the U.S. as a kid while growing up and then studying abroad in Dublin and re-connecting with his Irish heritage. Matt reflects on his first time backpacking through Europe, and the impact of his first trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Matt then talks about his career in the non-profit advocacy space before pivoting to co-found Maverick Investor Group as a fully remote real estate brokerage and eventually become a full time digital nomad with no base. He talks about slow traveling the world, how he chooses his destinations, and shares specific tips and reflections on spending time in Egypt and Nigeria. And, finally, the talks about hosting The Maverick Show podcast and his upcoming keynote speech at the Extraordinary Travel Festival. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Hear Ric's stories from Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Eretria, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Abkhazia and Transnistria.  ____________________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In Part 2 of this interview, Ric Gazarian talks about his decision to pursue the goal of traveling to all 193 U.N. recognized countries. He shares stories of watching the sport of Buzkashi in Afghanistan, getting a private performance by the Royal Drummers of Burundi, and attending the Gerewol Festival in Chad. Ric talks about two very different train experiences in Eretria and Mauritania, describes his overnight tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and explains why one of his most unique trips was to Papua New Guinea. He then discusses the contested definition of what constitutes a country, explains what a micronation is, and shares his experiences visiting Transnistria, Abkhazia, and the Principality of Sealand. Ric then talks about his “Counting Countries” podcast and his biennial conference “The Extraordinary Travel Festival”. Finally, he talks about how he designs culturally immersive travel experiences, how his perception of travel has changed over the years, how all of this travel has impacted him, and what travel means to him today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Phillips has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Phillips Connor.  I had the pleasure of meeting PC in Singapore with a group of extreme travelers and I am very pleased that he will be attending the ETF in Bangkok.  Phillips is extremely well traveled, nearing 1000 regions on the NomadMania list.  Phillips shares it all on this episode … starting travel early with a corporate job, moving to Singapore and Chasing 193.      Time is definitely running out!  Don't get #FOMO with over 225 extreme travelers attending this event.  The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I'll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. 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 Williamsi for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with PC that you will not hear.  You might have heard me speaking about the Maverick Show podcast.  Well, I am now a guest on the show.  So please take a listen and check out my conversation with host Matt Bowles.  We cover a lot of ground.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while PC was in Singapore.. 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 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. Phillips Connor  Counting Countries 

Learn about traveling through Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and what it's like to travel across a country by Tuk-Tuk.  ____________________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Ric Gazarian starts off talking about his family's history escaping the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and eventually making their way to Boston, Massachusetts where he grew up. He reflects on his first visit to Armenia and how his Armenian identity has evolved as he visited every year for over 20 years. Ric explains the history of Nagorno-Karabakh and shares his experience visiting multiple times. Next, he talks about his experience racing through the Caucuses, and then about driving across both India and Cambodia in a Tuk-Tuk. Ric reflects on the unique experiences and local encounters that this mode of travel enables, and what it was like to capture it all in an award-winning documentary film. He then talks about his love for Southeast Asia, shares tips on the most interesting festivals in Thailand, and why Myanmar is so special to him. Finally, Ric talks about being the Asia coordinator for Travel Massive, a 60,000 person travel industry network. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Hey now, I am your host Ric Gazarian on the 10th update for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  We have a lot of news to share with you today.  So grab that coffee of if in Thailand, grab a chamanow and please listen in. The event is now about a month and a half a way.  But still time to join, use code BANGKOK to save at . Some quick updates ... we have added three new speakers, Luisa Yu, Matt Bowles and Sabbatical Tommy.  Luisa is well known in the community for her determination and her multi-decade quest to visit every country in the world.  She finished at age 79! So impressive.  Matt is the host of the super entertaining the , where he speaks with amazing travelers from around the world.  He will be speaking on his 10 plus years of being a digital nomad.  Tommy is a travel content creator on and also a polyglot!  That's cool. Are you scared of ghosts?  Did you know that ghosts play a cental role in Thai culture?  We have partnered with Bangkok Haunts to provide you with an introduction to ghosts and spirits in Thailand.  We offer a half day tour on November 14 and 18.  Check it out! First, I speak with Professor JP.  I think so many of us love lists and rankings.  So I am excited to share a new travel index will be premiered at the ETF.  The index is called the ETF/ABS Magellan Traveller Index.  This will rank the top 100 travelers in the world.  We will be sharing this list and announcing the top 3 ranked at ETF.  I want to thank both Most Traveled People and NomadMania for partnering with us and sharing their data. I also speak to 2 great individuals and partners of ETF.  These two people are sponsors of ETF and deserve a special thank you for supporting our event.  First up is Baba the founder of   Baba has been welcoming and introducing travelers to this amazing Saharan country.  Many members of the extreme travel community know and have traveled with Baba.  Please consider Baba if you are travelling to Mauritania.  Baba will be exhibiting at ETF as well as moderating a session on Mauritania to answer all of your questions. I also speak with Ahmed, the founder of Aknaf Alsawary.  Ahmed was my guide when I visited Iraq the other year.  Ahmed is a virtual sponsor of ETF.  Ahmed offers fixed date group tours to Iraq, and he is raffling a 50% off coupon to one of these trips at ETF.  In addition, ETF is pleased to announce that we can offer a $150 off these fixed date trips.  Contact me to get your $150 off his tour.  ric @ globalgaz.com And after I speak with Ahmed, I will do a little recap on the ETF and the ! Up first is Baba, please listen in and enjoy.    

Andy Hicks Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Andy Hicks.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Andy at the first ETF in Armenia and the TCC meeting in May in the Azores.  Andy was raised in a non-travel environment, but a couple of pivotal trips propelled him into the 193 community and with his stated goal of every country by 50.   If you want to meet Andy Hicks and 206 other travelers join us in Bangkok. The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I'll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “JL” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam Williams, and Ani Chaturvedi for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Andy that you will not hear.  I binge a ton of podcasts. I have just started listening to the Maverick Show podcast, hosted by Matt Bowles.  Maverick Show just celebrated his 300th episode.  Check out a most recent episode with Ashley Company.  She grew up as a military brat, living as a local in South Korea with her family.  Then she went on a multi-month epic trip visiting every country in South and Central America.  Check out Ashley.  Of course, Counting Countries is all about Chasing 193.  Matt is more focused on digital life and travel, but there are many interesting lessons and parallels within our community.  I was in Bangkok for this recording while Andy was in Denver. 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 Ani Chaturvedi.     And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!  And write a review!More About Andy Hicks Counting Countries Where were you born: Lexington, KY USA What passport (s) do you hold: USA (2) Favorite travel book: probably Around the World in 50 Years by Albert Podell; Bradt guides 100% for trip planning Favorite travel film: Raiders of the Lost Ark (no kidding) Favorite travel app or website: EPS, Adam Hickman's Top Tips, Geography Now! Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.): my sleep is extremely important – so eye shades, ear plugs, and Ambien; anything else I can buy locally Favorite food: probably sushi Favorite drink: good coffee and Coca Cola with real sugar when outside the US Favorite airline: Qatar Favorite hotel: not too focused on hotels but if I had to pick one, probably the Grovepark in Asheville, NC 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. Andy Hicks 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 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHW-9M4Vrc4 Ric and I talked in Thailand about Thai hospitality, international marriages, and the November 2024 Extraordinary Travel Festival! In mid-November 2024, hear me speak at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, Thailand! TIMELINE 00:00 Why Ric lives in Thailand 01:17 Sincerity of Thai hospitality 04:00 International marriages 07:00 ETF 2 #thailand #ETF2 #travel   

Jason Wang has traveled to 175 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I am happy to introduce to you Jason Wang, an avid traveler, foodie, and photographer.  Not only is he Chasing 193, but he also chasing the 7 Summits.  Jason's life tracks all of the great successes embodied by the best of American immigration.  A life which was originally defined by school and work was dramatically redefined by a gap year of travel after dental school.  He never looked back.   If you are a listener, you have heard this before … 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 . Come join to meet with some great partners of the extreme travel community, we have Fadi Assi of Golden Team in Syria, and David Van Driessche of Papua New Guinea, and Baba from T'Ore Mauritania.  We also have the three great travel groups participating as well, you will see representatives from NomadMania, Most Traveled People, and Every Passport Stamp.    Don't get #FOMO over 165 people are committed!  Including Jason Wang. 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, Lori Pastorelli, 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 Jason that you will not hear. Time for our monthly 193 Milestones Segment, where we recognize travel accomplishments in the community.  Today, we will get updates from Steve Schwarms and Virginia Ko.  You will meet Virginia at the ETF in Bangkok. Let's hear from both of them now.    I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments.  To learn more follow the Counting Countries on and accounts and I will be making future call to actions.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while Jason was in Ulan Bator. 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, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.    And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review!More About Jason Wang Counting Countries:   Where were you born Nanjing, China   What passport (s) do you hold USA  Favorite travel book “Into Thin Air” by John Krakauer  Favorite travel film Lost in Translation  Favorite travel app or website Swarm  Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.) iPhone  Favorite food Japanese  Favorite drink Soya Cincau (also known as the Michael Jackson drink)  Favorite airline Japan Airlines  Favorite hotel Nimmo Bay in BC, Canada 11. How to connect with Jason https://www.cityfoodsters.com/ https://www.facebook.com/jwang815/ https://www.instagram.com/jwang815 https://www.threads.net/jwang815 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. Jason Wang Counting Countries   

Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  You might know Joel from his flowing beard on social media.  Joel is someone I have known of for years but virtually.  And in fact, we ran into each other randomly on our travels in Central Africa.  I speak with Joel and learn about his fascinating journey in life as well as Chasing 193.  Joel was very candid during this conversation about subjects that some people will avoid such as family and his faith.  This made our conversation richer and I appreciate that.   If you are a listener, you have heard this before … 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 . Why would you want to come?  Some might say Bangkok, been there, done that.  And that might be true.  But have you been to every Nomad Mania region in Thailand or every UNESCO site, even the new one, Si Thep, announced in September?  Or maybe you have missed Laos, Burma, or Brunei?  All have direct and economical flights.  Or even Bhutan or Bangladesh.  Think of ETF as the hub and everywhere else the spokes of wherever you want to explore.  Don't get #FOMO over 160 people are committed! I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gin, Philippe ‘JT' 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 Joel that you will not hear. Time for our monthly 193 Milestones Segment, where we recognize travel accomplishments in the community.  Today, we will get updates from Mike Safo (check out his awesome podcast - the ), Luc Jones, who I met in Armenia, and Chantal Patton, who travels as a 5 person family unit.  You will hear their updates throughout the podcast.  Let's hear from my buddy Mike.  I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments.  To learn more follow the Counting Countries on and accounts and I will be making future call to actions.  Here are a couple of milestones to recognize now.   And take a look at GlobalGaz.com and look for Joel's Counting Countries podcast, I shared the photo of Joel walking over the “bridge” in CAR.  I was in Boston for this recording while Joel was in San Diego. 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, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.        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. Joel Oleson Counting Countries   

Nabil Kazi has traveled to 129 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to share my conversation with Nabil Kazi.  I connected with Nabil Kazi back in 2021 when he suggested a guest (Nick Butter - episode 95) for Counting Countries.  I guess everything comes full circle as Nabil is a guest on this episode. Nabil and I have been in contact ever since and even connected in person for dinner in Bangkok at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Charlie Browns.  Nabil has had two distinct chapters in his adult life.  Chapter One, an executive in the land of Hollywood and Chapter Two, as a full time traveler.  Maybe we can get some behind-the-scenes Hollywood insights.   Some of you might have heard the tragic news from Bamiyan in Afghanistan.  Nabil and I touch on this but while editing there are some greater details.  Apparently, a tour provider from our 193 community brought a group to Afghanistan.  Three Spaniard travelers and three Afghan locals were shot and killed.  In additional six travelers and Afghans were also injured.  Just a reminder when you ask in a conversation or online, “is it safe?” and many people respond, “I just went it is very safe, just go!”.  Remember it was very safe for that traveler, on that specific day, time, and location.  This is a country of 40 million and 250,000 square miles.  That traveler is not a security expert on Afghanistan.   If you are a listener, you have heard this before … the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Discount code BANGKOK of $100, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . Just a reminder for those who are coming or thinking of coming that we will be hosting the NomadMania Awards live in Bangkok on Sunday evening.  This is the great event that NM has been streaming on YouTube for the last several years.  This is a great opportunity to get together and recognize some travelers who are making a difference.  Don't forget, Sunday evening, November 17 this year.   I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gin, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine 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 Wee Cheng that you will not hear.   And remember, we have a new feature on Counting Countries.  The idea is to celebrate wins in the 193 community and involve more people.  The inspiration came from my friends at Club 100 from Sweden.  They have been recognizing milestones on their great IG account - .  So make sure you follow along.  Today, we will get updates from Ted Nims, Justine “off the beaten path” Kirby, Raiiq Ridwan (former guest and ETF speaker).  You will hear their updates throughout the podcast.  Let's listen to one now.     I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments.  To learn more follow the Counting Countries on and accounts and I will be making future call to actions.  Here are a couple of milestones to recognize now.  And take a look at Nabil's page on GlobalGaz.com Counting Countries page.  I share his Pakistani passport from when he was a small kid.     I was in Boston for this recording while Nabil was in Cali. 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, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! About Nabil Kazi Counting Countries 1.  129 countries (not including Kosovo, Vatican, Palestine and Taiwan) 2.  I was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait 3. I hold a USA Passport 4. Favorite Travel Book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 5. Favorite Travel Film is Eat Pray Love 6. Must Carry Item when Traveling AirPods and Canon Camera 7. Favorite Food is Lebanese 8 Favorite Drink is hot latte with oak milk  9. Favorite Airline is Emirates 10. Favorite Hotel is Aman Resorts 11. Instagram handle is 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. Nabil Kazi Counting Countries 

In this captivating episode, join me as I dive into the world of extraordinary travel with Ric Gazarian, the mastermind behind the Extraordinary Travel Festival. From country counting adventures to micro-nation diplomacy, we explore the diverse tapestry of human experience through the lens of travel. Discover inspiring stories, fascinating personalities, and the transformative power of exploration. Don't miss out on the journey.  Links:  Festival: ExtraordinaryTravelFest.com    Blog: Global Gaz   Podcast: Counting Countries   Instagram: @globalgaz   

I denne spændende episode, er du inviteret med, når jeg dykker ned i en verden af ekstraordinære rejser sammen med Ric Gazarian, hjernen bag Extraordinary Travel Festival. Vi udforsker et spindelvæv af oplevelser set gennem rejsebriller fra det med at tælle lande til mikronationer. Hør inspirerende historier, og om nogle af de fascinerende personligheder man kan opleve som talere ved dette års festival.  Links:  Festival: ExtraordinaryTravelFest.com    Blog: Global Gaz   Podcast: Counting Countries   Instagram: @globalgaz   

Tan Wee Cheng has traveled to 187 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Wee Cheng, a regional neighbor, and I have communicated on and off for several years, but like many of us in the community we were only virtual acquaintances.  That changed when I met Wee Cheng in person at an extreme travel dinner in Singapore last year and then a more recent catchup in Honolulu.  I was surprised to learn about Wee Cheng's longevity as a traveler and also noted how he is a bit of an iconoclast in Singaporean culture when it comes to extreme travel.    If you are a listener, you have heard this before … the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Discount code BANGKOK of $120 will end on May 1, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . We love having diverse voices at the event.  Just in case you missed this speaker announcement, Raiiq Ridwan, who holds a Bangladeshi passport, will share the extra challenges he faces as an extreme travelers with one of the world's weakest passports.  And Elene Chechina will share her stories of working full time, raising 3 children, and having deep connections across 3 continents all the while Chasing 193.  How does she do it? I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gin, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine 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 Wee Cheng that you will not hear.   Excited to welcome new patron, Sam Williams, who is Chasing 193.  He is balancing a lot - wife, 2 small kids, and a full time job.  So his first goal is 40 by 40, which he is on track for, and then a long marathon to 193!  He has a great 10th year anniversary to Singapore, Tokyo and the Maldives.  His IG is sswilliams41 so follow along -   We also have some extra content with Gin, in a segment called Meet The Patron.  Last episode we met Bisa Myles and this episode we are talking with Gin.  Gin caught my attention when she shared her Spotify podcast stats.  In 2023, she listened to over 10,000 minutes of Counting Countries.  I have a new BFF and you can learn about her during our conversation after I speak with Wee Cheng.     And that's not it! We are rolling out a new feature on Counting Countries.  The idea is to celebrate wins in the 193 community and involve more people.  The inspiration came from my friends at Club 100 from Sweden.  They have been recognizing milestones on their great IG account - .  So make sure you follow along.  I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments.  To learn more follow the CC IG and FB accounts and I will be making future call to actions.  Here are a couple of milestones to recognize now.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while Wee Cheng was in Singapore. 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, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! About Tan Wee Cheng Counting Countries • Where were you born: Singapore • What passport (s) do you hold: Singapore • Favorite travel book: Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia - by Rebecca West (1941) • Favorite travel film: The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) • Favorite travel app or website: Used to be LP Thorn Tree, still miss it. Maybe Nomadmania or FB EPS page – but I don't like them as much as I love Thorn Tree. • Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.): Mobile phone! • Favorite food: Noodles! Or any derivative/similar – pasta, ramen. I crave for it if I go to a region without it. So happy to find pasta in Ethiopia/Eritrea, and rechta in Algeria. • Favorite drink: Coffee.  Not into alcoholic drink since I started getting gout flareups • Favorite airline: Singapore Airlines…natural for Singaporeans. Love the catering and the Singapore flavours of everything that reminds one of home. • Favorite hotel: Don't have any. See hotels as very functional and seldom return to the same hotel even for cities that I revisit. • Travel map: https://nomadmania.com/profile/290/nm/nm/by/2024 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. Wee Cheng Counting Countries 

Elena Chechina has traveled to 158 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I met Elena back at the ETF in Yerevan and started to realize what a unique life she was leading.  She is a true global citizen with true family connections to Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Elena has somehow managed to balance the multiple moving parts of her life … 3 children, a spouse who lives and works in Northern Africa, a full time job, and of course Chasing 193.  In this conversation, we learn how she manages the complexity of her life.      The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  At the festival, we will have over 20 amazing speakers.  I am excited to announce new speaker Joe Cummings.  Joe has has spent time over six different decades in Thailand.  He wrote the first Lonely Planet Thailand Guide back in 1981. He offers an unique perspective on Thailand and travel that few have.  He is also a renaissance man, he is a linguist, an actor, and a musician.  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 Elena that you will not hear.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while Elena was in Sweden. 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 Elena Chechina Counting Countries Where are you from & where do you live: I was born in Moscow. I live in Sweden. What passports do you hold: I hold 2 passports: Swedish and Russian. Favourite travel app: Couchsurfing NomadMania Must carry items: Powerbank and headphones if traveling solo Baby carrier & small stroller when I travel with kids Favourite food: Sushi and exotic fruits, pad thai Favorite drink: Traditional Sweet green tea with mint prepared by my husband in Mauritania Sugarcane juice  Favourite airlines: Emirates and AirAsia (for budget travel) Favourite hotel: Traditional yurt in Kyrgyzstan Couchsurfing with families around the world Favourite travel book: Books written by other travellers in our community like "Long Road to Cullaville" by Boris Kester; "Chasing 193: a quest to visit every country in the world". I also love books based on real stories or taking place in countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen e.g. The Kite Runner, Thousand Splendid suns, Desert Flower.. Favourite travel films: I love Bollywood movies and especially these movies about travelling: "Zindagi na milegi dobaara" and "Yeh Jawaani hai Diwaani" 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 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 

This is the second publication of this interview.  The first podcast had a corrupted file.  All audio from the first interview had been deleted after 1 hr and 31 minutes.  This publication is the full file.   Raiiq has traveled to 118 countries Hey now and Happy New Year to all!  I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I knew Raiiq from EPS and had the pleasure of meeting him at the ETF in Armenia.  I was spurred to learn more about him after a recent post in EPS detailing his challenges with carrying a Bangladeshi passport.  We all know Chasing 193 is no easy feat, and Raiiq shares with us an additional set of impediments he faces to complete his goal.  The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  I am also excited to announce optional trips, one for UNESCO Thailand and 3 different agendas to Bhutan before and after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message.  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 Raiiq that you will not hear. After the main interview with Raiiq, there is an additional sidecar interview with Michael Zervos of the .  Michael will be departing from his home in mid-January to attempting to break the GWR record for quickest time to travel to every country in the world. Good luck Michael!     And in 193 news, more congratulations to go around with the following people completing their last country.  (Data from NomadMania.)  * Ryan Smith : Reached his final country in St Vincent and the Grenadines. * Enric Moreno and Mayte Galindo : First Spanish couple to achieve this, ending in Palau. * Ernestine Chan () : completed her global tour in Libya. * Julie Ann Small : The third British woman recently to finish, in the Maldives. I was in Chicago for this recording while Raiiq 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.  Raiiq Ridwan Counting Countries      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. Raiiq Ridwan Counting Countries

Raiiq has traveled to 118 countries   Hey now and Happy New Year to all!  I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I knew Raiiq from EPS and had the pleasure of meeting him at the ETF in Armenia.  I was spurred to learn more about him after a recent post in EPS detailing his challenges with carrying a Bangladeshi passport.  We all know Chasing 193 is no easy feat, and Raiiq shares with us an additional set of impediments he faces to complete his goal.    The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  I am also excited to announce optional trips, one for UNESCO Thailand and 3 different agendas to Bhutan before and after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message.  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 Raiiq that you will not hear.   After the main interview with Raiiq, there is an additional sidecar interview with Michael Zervos of the .  Michael will be departing from his home in mid-January to attempting to break the GWR record for quickest time to travel to every country in the world. Good luck Michael!      And in 193 news, more congratulations to go around with the following people completing their last country.  (Data from NomadMania.)    * Ryan Smith : Reached his final country in St Vincent and the Grenadines. * Enric Moreno and Mayte Galindo : First Spanish couple to achieve this, ending in Palau. * Ernestine Chan () : completed her global tour in Libya. * Julie Ann Small : The third British woman recently to finish, in the Maldives.   I was in Chicago for this recording while Raiiq 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. Raiiq Ridwan Counting Countries 

Thor Pedersen has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with multi-repeat guest and travel legend, Thor Pedersen of Once Upon A Saga.  For those of us in the know, Thor recently finished a nearly 10 year journey to every country in the world without flying in an unbroken journey with a minimum of 24 hours in each country.  These additional rules that Thor instituted increased the complexity and length of this journey in addition to the global Covid lockdown. Thor demonstrated an immense amount of grit and determination to overcome so many challenges.  It is a singular and unique accomplishment.  The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date.  I am also excited to announce optional trips, one for UNESCO Thailand and 3 different agendas to Bhutan before and after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message. Thor joined ETF virtually in Armenia but will be in person as the closing keynote in Bangkok.  Want to hear and meet him?  Don't miss out and join us today.  You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the . I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: 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 Thor that you will not hear. Thor is appearing in your feed for the third time.  In addition, I have documented Thor an additional 7 times for my patrons, every 6 months, document his trials and tribulations.  You can access these additional episodes by being a patron or subscribing to them on Apple Podcasts.  I have interviewed Thor a total of 10 times for Counting Countries since 2016.        I want to let you know that is a great resource for those of us who are Chasing 193.  Patron and traveler Justine Kirby is the founder of the group.  For those who are in EPS, this is another great platform to trade travel information to achieve your travel goals.  Join today with the link in the Show Notes.    For the third episode in a row I am highlighting another author from the travel community.  Previously I highlighted Harry Mitsidis's , Flavio Ferrari Zumbini's , and this month I am speaking with author Michael Richards who just published .  Listen to my conversation with Michael after my conversation with Thor.  And after my conversation with Michael, stick around for some more info about the Extraordinary Travel Festival.       More congratulations are in order to new 193ers Hayley Kennedy who finished in Libya.   And Mike Downes who finished in Antigua.  Well done to both!  According to NomadMania 27 new people have completed 193 in 2023 so far. I was in Chicago for this recording while Thor was in Copenhagen. 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! More About Thor Pedersen Counting Countries Born in: The Kingdom of Denmark, in the high north of Europe Passports from: Denmark Favorite travel book: GRUK – about travel, by Piet Hein Favorite travel film: Favorite travel site: Must carry: Pen, scarf, passport, smartphone, credit card Favorite food: A good pasta dish or: fresh fish and manioc near the sea in Central Africa (eaten with my hands and not with cutlery) Favorite drink: Milk (from Denmark) Favorite Airline: Haven't flown for years. Figure they are all the same more or less? Favorite Hotel: I've been thinking hard. I'm not sure I have one? But Best Western Plus: Lusaka Grand Hotel in Zambia if you push me. I had free accommodation and the staff was great!

Ric Gazarian, the founder of Extraordinary Travel Festival, joins the Travel Tribe X Podcast to discuss the world of micronations. We discuss a range of topics including:

Ric Gazarian, the founder of Extraordinary Travel Festival, joins the Travel Tribe X Podcast to discuss the his goal of bringing the extreme travel community together. We discuss a range of topics including:

Zach Forbes has traveled to 140 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to introduce Zach Forbes, our new guest this month.  Zach was a character I saw all around social media and connected to many of my friends.  I finally met him face to face in Yerevan at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Zach is a true global citizen, raised in Canada and the US.  He also lived in China, Dubai, and Vancouver while traveling to 140 countries. He also shared with me getting shot in South Sudan and a very personal change in his faith.     As some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date. You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the .  I am also excited to announce our first trip, and that is 3 different agendas to Bhutan after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message. And I am very excited to let you know that the ETF will be hosting the NomadMania Awards live in Bangkok Sunday night, November 17th! This will be an amazing way to close out the ETF. After the interview with Zach, I will be checking in with Flavio Ferrari Zumbini, who has recently published EVERYCOUNTRY: A Journey to ALL 193 NATIONS of the World, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.  It was originally written in Italian, but now you can read in English.       I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Carole Southam, Ed Hotchkiss, Gin, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Katelyn Jarvis, Lori Pastorelli, Marc Jorgenson, Per Flisberg, Philippe Izedian, Phil Marcus, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Sonia Zimmermann, Steph Rowe, Sunir Joshi, Ted Nims, Thor Pedersen for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Zach that you will not hear.   Justine Kirby is on an East African trip working her way to 167.  Sunir Joshi left Tunisia recently and now is in Morocco, checking in at 128.  Carole Southam just hit 100 on TCC! Jorge Serpa completed Europe and will finish the year at 120.  Simen Flotvik Mathisen hit the benchmark of 10% of the NM regions.     As a favor, please look in your Show Notes, I have shared .  This is a great opportunity to provide me with some feedback.  Thanks for your time!    And in 193 news, a giant congratulations to fan favorite, Luisa Yu, who just completed her journey to every country in the world.     I was in Bangkok for this recording while Zach was in Canada. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Carole Southam, Dale Wursten, Ed Hotchkiss, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Katelyn Jarvis, Lori Pastorelli, Marc Jorgenson, Per Flisberg, Philippe Izedian, Phil Marcus, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Sonia Zimmermann, Steph Rowe, Sunir Joshi, Ted Nims, Thor Pedersen.        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.  

Michael Noel has traveled to 192 countries Please fill out this survey and provide feedback - https://forms.gle/1RmLQh7hLuw2Xnc6A Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Michael Noel and I crossed paths in the Douala airport en route to Bangui.  We ended up sharing a dinner and a trip to a waterfall.  Always great to run into fellow travelers in the least traveled places, and he shared a number of stories which I thought would make a fascinating conversation. As some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date. You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the .  I am also excited to announce our first trip, and that is 3 different agendas to Bhutan after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message. We have some great speakers who have already been announced for the event with more to come.  One of the speakers is Pablo Nemo, who has been walking from south to north for almost two years in Africa.  You can vote for him in the Nomad Mania Awards as the Most Intrepid Traveler.  There are a lot of other amazing travelers, so take a moment to recognize them.  Vote today! After the interview with Michael, I will be checking in with Harry Mitisdis, who has recently published Welcome To The Hotel NomadMania.  This is a classic whodunit with many fictionalized character from the Extreme Travel Community.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: 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 Michael that you will not hear. And we have a new patron, Phil Marcus.  You might have heard me refer to Phil on the podcast several times.  Phil have teamed up over the last couple of years on some very memorable Africa and Middle East travels.  If you follow Phil on IG or FB, you might recognize him for his BFF better known as Beaker, a famous muppet, who he travels with all of the time and appears in many photos and video.  And speaking of video, make sure you follow him on YouTube at , which has a ton of great videos.   I was in Chicago for this recording while Michael was in Cali. 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! More About Michael Noel Counting Countries ·       Where were you born o   Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA ·       What passport (s) do you hold o   USA ·       Favorite travel book o   Currently published: “The Long Road to Cullaville.” Though of course I think my upcoming book “Breaking the Tourist Barrier” will be a favorite soon as well. ;) ·       Favorite travel film o   Not really into travel films, maybe some documentaries but nothing stands out. ·       Favorite travel app or website o   Been a big fan of the ‘Fog of World' app recently, though make heavy use of ‘Flighty,' ‘Mark O'Travel,' and ‘Polarsteps.' ·       Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.) o   Only real need is smartphone and passport. Everything else is optional. I travel exceedingly light, nothing more than a small backpack and/or small satchel. ·       Favorite food o   Sooo many choices and it really depends. Honestly, my favorite depends on region, I do try to eat as local as possible. If you press me to come up with something I'll say Durian. ·       Favorite drink o   Same as above, depends. I don't really like anything sweet though. Again, if you press probably espresso, but depends on where I am in the world. ·       Favorite airline o   Tough one, as I have status on United Airlines so that's where I'm most likely to get upgraded, treated well, etc., but let's be honest, it's not the BEST worldwide. Probably Emirates if I'm being honest. ·       Favorite hotel o   Actually not really a hotel guy…I like what's closest to the action and what doesn't wall me off from the locals. Often times that means staying in someone's house or an Airbnb. But if you press me for an answer I'll probably say the Hotel Sapphire in Istanbul, mainly because of location and it's a great deal.     How to stay in touch o   Travel blog (unfortunately woefully out of date but still useful info there: . ) o   X/Instagram/Threads: @sharingtheglobe 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 .   

Orest Zub has traveled to 132 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Orest Zub, a name many of you might be familiar with.  Orest and I have never met in person, but he falls into that category of someone who I feel like we have met in person, but we never have.  We have shared video calls, messages and share many friends in common.               This is a busy conversation where we speak about Orest's travels around the globe which have brought him to 132 countries.  We speak about updates in the NomadMania community, where he has a new position at the organization.  Don't forget to vote for your favorite travelers for the NomadMania Awards and also remember there is a live show in Lviv in October.  Of course, Orest and I speak about the situation in Ukraine, how is life has changed, as well as his role during the war.       The cat is out of the bag.  The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024, plenty of time to save the date and get ready to eat mango and sticky rice.  The event will be in Bangkok.  Expect amazing speakers, cool pre and post trips, as well as super fun networking with old and new friends.  You can buy your ticket now.  Please use the code BANGKOK to save big when you buy your ticket on .     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmerman, Lori Pastorelli, Carole Southam, Sunir Joshi, Philippe Izedian, Gin, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, 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 Orest that you will not hear.   I would like to introduce two new patrons, one of the names, Jorge Serpa, might be familiar.  He was a guest on an episode in 2022.  I encourage you to listen to this episode since Jorge is a very interesting character.  And if you swing by Kinshasa make sure you say hi to him since he is living there.    And also please say hi to Per Flisberg who is Chasing 193 and is currently at 61 countries and is currently planning trips to South America as well as a Gulf State trip.  If you have any recommendations for him, check him out at on IG.     This summer, I also got to connect in person with other patrons Ted Nims and Bisa Myles in Chicago.  Great to see them as always.     Counting Countries is ranked in the top 2.5% of all published podcasts, this is according to , which tracks over 3 million podcasts.  So again, thanks to everyone who listens, writes a review or shares with a friend.     I was in Chicago for this recording while Orest was in Ukraine. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. 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! More About Orest Zub Counting Countries   Where were you born Lviv What passport (s) do you hold Ukrainian Favorite travel book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts  Favorite travel film The Art of Travel, 2008 Favorite travel app or website NomadMania Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.) Tripod selfie stick Favorite food Grilled meat Favorite drink Ouso, Anise Raki, Mastika (all the same) Favorite airline WizzAir Favorite hotel Trunk of my car Travel map   Website   Social Media          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.  Orest Zub Counting Countries 

Check out the Ed Hotchkiss has traveled to 128 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Ed Hotchkiss.  As I note in my conversation, Ed and I have shared a lot of face time in less than a year, whether it was in the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Armenia or on trips with ITC Sudan to Sudan and a visit to Djibouti.  Ed is also one of those people you hear mentioned every episode since he is a patron.           As I traveled with Ed for a couple of weeks, I always had a keen ear for his travels.  One of the interesting attributes he brings is a window of travel over several decades.  I won't spoil the plot, but Ed has been traveling for years whether it is hitchhiking across America, for work, with his great buddy Phil, and his lovely wife Khadija.  He is a passionate photographer and has published a massive passion project, a photo book of the people of the NYC subway.  OK, if you have been online, you might have noted that things are heating up for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  This is a reminder, save the date!  November 15, 2024, so plenty of time to start planning for the second ETF.  What about the location?  Great question.  Tune in to Every Passport Stamp for the live announcement at 9am EST or GMT -5, and you will learn where this amazing event will take place.  I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmerman, Lori Pastorelli, Carole Southam, Sunir Joshi, Philippe Izedian, Gin, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, Adam Hickman, Katelyn Jarvis, Ed Hotchkiss, and Barry Hoffner for supporting this podcast.  And new patron, Per Flisberg.  Welcome aboard!  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons hear extra content with Ed that you will not hear.  I was in Boston for this recording while Ed was in NYC.  Go Red Sox.  Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. 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! More About Ed Hotchkiss Counting Countries       Where were you born?                            Denver, Colorado.       What passport (s) do you hold                            USA       Favorite travel book                           Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (1959) by Alfred Lansing                  Special Mention:                          Into the Wild (1996) by Jon Krakauer                          On the Grand Trunk Road: A Journey Into South Asia (1993) by                          On The Road (1957) by Jack Kerouac.                          The Motorcycle Diaries (written 1952, published posthumously) by Che Guevara.                          The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968) by Tom Wolfe about Ken Kesey and the “Merry Band of Pranksters" cross-country,                                    psychedelic bus trip.                          Stanley: An adventurer explored (1975) by Richard Hall       Favorite travel film                           Seven Years in Tibet (1997) starring Brad Pitt based on 1952 memoir Austrian Heinrich Harrer.                Special Mention:                           The Man Who Would Be King (1975) with Sean Connery and Michael Caine.                           The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) with Ben Stiller.                           Sullivan's Travels (1941) by Preston Sturges.                           Zentropa (1991) An American takes a railway job in Germany just after WWII.                           Open Water (2003) fiction, based on real story1991) of an American couple who go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef and                             were accidentally left behind.                           Night on Earth (1991) 5 different cab drivers adventures in one in 5 American and European cities, directed by .       Favorite travel app or website                           NomadMania.com                 Special Mention:                         TheCrazyTourist.com                          AtlasObscura.com                        Every Passport Stamp on Facebook                       All the individual travel blogs        Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.)                           Nikon Camera        Favorite food                          Fresh fruits and nuts       Favorite drink                         Smoothies, lassis and Ayran Turkish yogurt drink.        Favorite airline                        Fiji Airways, staff is always polite and considerate, planes are relatively new and 24-hour telephone service where you can                                   speak to an actual person.  However, they impose a 7kg weigh limit on carry-ons.       Favorite hotel                         Baber Mahal in Kathmandu, a heritage hotel in Nepal. I like this type of sprawling hotel which have various types of                                               architectural styles and are an integral part of a region's or country's history.       Do you have a travel map you would like to share?                       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.  Ed Hotchkiss Counting Countries

Hello and welcome to number 121! This week I am joined by Ric Gazarian who is on a mission to travel to every UN country in the world (193). Ric hosts the Counting Countries Podcast which interviews people whose mission is to travel to every UN country. Ric has a website called GlobalGaz which has his blogs, books, films and access to all the information about Ric's travels. Last year he hosted the Extraordinary Travel Festival with the 2nd edition being in 2024 and this now drives his time alongside his travels and podcast. Check out Ric's stuff below!Thanks to Laura Hammond for supporting this podcast, she does so by purchasing a membership every month on my Patreon. You can support too by checking out the details below!Enjoy and be inspired!Ric GazarianWebsite - https://globalgaz.comExtraordinary Travel Festival - https://www.extraordinarytravelfest.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/globalgaz/Counting Countries PodcastSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/31iA3NXdEEycHVJ4S7EkKjWinging It Travel PodcastHost/Creator/Writer/Composer/Editor - James HammondProducer - James HammondPodcast Art Design - Swamp Soup Company - Harry UttonWinging It Travel Podcast YouTube ChannelWant to watch my solo episodes? Then head to my YouTube channel below where I add photos and videos from my trip to the weekly solo episodes.Podcast SupportPatreon - https://patreon.com/wingingittravelpodcastThanks for supporting the podcast! I don't believe in offering more stuff for people who can afford to pay so what I will offer however is a shout-out on my episodes and in my show notes too as thanks for supporting the podcast. I will even send you some trendy stickers to you (if you wish) via the post and you will get my digital travel planner by email as a PDF (it is editable). Thanks again for keeping this podcast alive! JamesDiscovery Car Hire - https://www.discovercars.com/?a_aid=Jhammo89Merch Store - https://www.teepublic.com/stores/winging-it-travel-podcast?ref_id=25823Want some insurance while travelling and working remotely? Book below with SafetyWing.https://safetywing.com?referenceID=wingingittravelpodcast&utm_source=wingingittravelpodcast&utm_medium=AmbassadorBook Flights With Expedia Canadahttps://prf.hn/click/camref:1100lqfY7/creativeref:1100l68075/destination:https://www.expedia.com/Flights?siteid=1&langid=1033Book Hotels with Hotel.comhttps://hotels.prf.hn/click/camref:1101lqg8U/creativeref:1011l66932/destination:https://uk.hotels.com/?pos=HCOM_UK&locale=en_GBBuy Me A Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wingingitEtsy StoreBuy my Digital Travel Planner - https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1220056512/digital-travel-planner?click_key=c580edd56767d7b03612dfae3b122f32e15fe1ec%3A1220056512&click_sum=80ff0159&ref=shop_home_recs_2Stickers - https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1216492546/winging-it-travel-podcast-stickers?click_key=ed1139c660585f268a8192aa8c136a5915118968%3A1216492546&click_sum=b8a8a048&ref=shop_home_recs_1&frs=1Contact me - jameshammondtravel@gmail.com or message me on my social media on the links below.Social Media - follow me on:YouTube - Winging It Travel Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC173L0udkGL15RSkO3vIx5AInstagram - wingingittravelpodcast - https://www.instagram.com/wingingittravelpodcast/TikTok - wingingittravelpodcast - https://www.tiktok.com/@wingingittravelpodcastFacebook - Winging It Travel Podcast - https://www.facebook.com/jameshammondtravelTwitter - https://twitter.com/PodcastWingingReview - please head to Podchaser and leave a review for this podcast - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/winging-it-travel-podcast-1592244 or alternately you can leave a review and rating wherever you get your podcasts! MY SISTER PODCAST/YOUTUBE CHANNEL - The Trendy Coffee PodcastPlease follow and subscribe below.YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgB8CA0tAk3ILcqEZ39a33gPodcast Links - https://linktr.ee/thetrendycoffeepodcastThanks for your support, James!

Ross OJ Jennings has traveled to 106 countries.  Ross OC Jennings Counting Countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Did you note that the intro has been updated?  Thanks to Evo the longtime voice of Counting Countries.  Ross OC Jennings might not be well known in the 193 community but he is cutting a unique path.  I had read about Ross a couple of years ago, and as I shared with him, I was a bit skeptical about his quest.  His goal was to the first bagpiper to travel to every country in the world.  Well, I can imagine he will be the first since this is not a highly sought after category.  Anyone can create a category and be the first by making the stipulations arcane and non-desirable.  But I recently heard Ross on a 10 minute podcast and was immediately won over.  I wanted to learn more about his journey and I think you will appreciate it as well.         I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Carole Southam, Sunir Joshi, Philippe Izedian, Gin, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, Adam Hickman, Katelyn Jarvis, Ed Hotchkiss, and Barry Hoffner for supporting this podcast. They help pay for the production of this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons hear an extra 40 minutes with Ross that you will not hear.  And some introductions to our new patrons … it has been a busy month, don't miss out on the extra content!  Lori Pastorelli learned about Counting Countries from recent guest Barry Hoffner.  She is a fan of Europe and even has a Dutch husband.  She is passionate about dance and fitness.   Sonia Zimmerman is a true global citizen, born in Switzerland, lived in France, Germany, Paraguay, and now living in Australia.  She is a mother who speaks 5 languages and has just finished a trip in Africa on her goal to 100.   Marc Jorgenson had the recent experience of traveling with me for two weeks and survived to tell about it.  Marc who speaks Portuguese was a great companion to have when we traveled to Maputo.  He is based in Seattle and is nearing 100 countries.   Long time member of the 193 community, Justine Kirby is a Kiwi now based in NYC working as a lawyer.  She is at 160 UN countries and 48 US states. And might now be 49 as she was planning a trip to Alaska.    Many of you might know I have been tracking Thor from Once Upon A Saga progress as he travels to every country in the world.  I have just recorded the 7th episode of the Thor Chronicles.  Every six months I check in with Thor.  You will hear a snippet of this conversation after my conversation with Ross.  But my patrons will hear the entire 90 minute conversation.   As an additional aside, at times there is an irritating echo on my audio track, I apologize to you the listener and to Ross.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while Ross was in Scotland complete with sheep. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. 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! More About Ross OC Jennings 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.  

We begin this WanderLearn Show with Johnny Ward's update. Afterward, he tries to answer the troublesome question of "How many countries exist?" Watch it on YouTube! April 25, 2023 update On April 25, 2023, after 6 days of acclimatization on Mt Everest's base camp, Johnny is starting the climb in earnest! Climbing to Everest's summit is like a yo-yo hike. You go up and down the mountain many times to spur your body to produce the red blood cells you need to survive above 8,000 meters. Johnny is starting the first of several yo-yo hikes. He'll go to Camp 1 and 2 and then back down to base camp to recover.  On April 24, 2023, Johnny wrote: After weeks and months of nerves, I feel ready. Confident and keen to try my best. We're hoping to take on the infamous Khumbu icefall tomorrow night as we make our way to Camp 1 and Camp 2, but it's weather dependent. 6 days at our @furtenbachadventures base camp has our acclimatisation going well, and @luckydavewatson has us all feeling like we can do it. The mental game is such a big part of these huge undertakings and it feels like we are in a good place. We'll know what's up in the next 4 weeks, one way or another     Ric Gazarian of Counting Countries made a nuanced video to tackle this thorny topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=542UIhQcmC0  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.  

Riza Rasco has traveled to 192 countries Riza Rasco is a well-known person in the extreme travel community.  And I have crossed paths with her twice, once for breakfast in the North End of Boston and for the multi-day Extraordinary Travel Festival in Armenia. She is a prolific and immersive traveler who is only one country away from completing her quest.    Riza shares so many experiences yet this podcast could have been double the time since there was so much to discuss.  Riza shares some very personal moments from her life and how travel began to dominate.  She shares her philosophy of travel, which should be more than taking selfies and checking boxes, but how you can give back to the community.   This is a reminder that I am partnering with SafetyWing, a travel insurance company.  I have been using them personally for over 2 years.  And yes, there are a couple of reasons why … let me highlight a couple of the features.  First, you can purchase insurance while you are already on the go.  Some insurance products force you to sign up before you leave on your trip.  Second, you only have to share your initial country on your trip.  Many of my trips are open-ended when it comes to the agenda.  I don't have to worry about forgetting to update SafetyWing.  They've got me covered.  Third, most countries are covered.  Exceptions are Cuba, Iran, DPRK, Syria, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.  Everywhere from Mogadishu to Tripoli is covered.  And fourth, you do not have to declare a dollar value for the trip.  Many providers force you specify the cost of your trip.  Most times I have no idea how much my trip will cost.  To me, this insurance is fire and forgot.  It will renew every month or you can set an end date.  But compared to many of the other products out there, this one to me is the most flexible.  So, take a moment, check out SafetyWing, and click on the link to sign up for your next trip.     https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=Counting-Countries&utm_source=Counting-Countries&utm_medium=Ambassador   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, Adam Hickman, Katelyn Jarvis, Ed Hotchkiss, and Barry Hoffner for supporting this podcast. They help pay for the production of this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries.  My patrons hear extra content with Riza that you will not hear.    It is also time to recognize three more patrons.  Sunir Joshi, Gintaute Liutkeviciute (so sorry for butchering your name), and Philippe Izedian.  Our Chasing 193 community is fascinating how it is changed and grown over the years.  Sunir and I have been corresponding for three years talking about travel.  Sunir has changed his entire life in regard to work to pursue his dream of Chasing 193.  Philippe is a fascinating guy, still at university but so well traveled.  For those who read my blog, GlobalGaz, you might know I enjoy writing an end of the year review.  I encourage you to check out Philippe's year end review.  Impressive!  You can also support Counting Countries by writing a review or sharing this podcast with a travel lover. These reviews were written a while ago but I just noted them. Thanks guys for the review. Excellent Podcast I love your interviews of very interesting travel stories that make me to want to travel more around the world. Thank you - DallasTX7   Great podcast Inspiring travel stories. Look forward to each episode. - divebookreader   And there is a lot of updates for this podcast. This is a special announcement before we return to my conversation with Riza..  I am excited to announce a special conversation with two of the best known and best traveled individuals, Harry Mitsidis and Charles Veley, both former guests.  Harry is known as the founder of NomadMania and Charles is the founder of Most Travel People.  I will be hosting a conversation with these two travel legends on March 25 at 1700 GMT.  Want to stay in the loop, click on the link in the podcast notes and share your email so we can follow up with viewing instructions.     LIVE chat with Ric Gazarian (mailerlite.com)   I was in Boston for this recording while Riza was in the Philippines.  Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my Patrons …. Barry Hoffner, Ed Hotchkiss, Katelyn Jarvis, Lucy Shoe, Phillip Jones, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Sunir Joshi, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian & Dale Wursten.     Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!    

Welcome to Travel Matters, and the two interesting conversations with three unique content creators. This one was also recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand. First you can meet two American Thailand experts. Jason does a lot of content from Thailand on his YouTube channel, and Ric has his base in Bangkok. We're also joined by Filipino, travel blogger, Yosh Dimen. Jason's YouTube channel is called Travel & Pamper, and everywhere he goes, he visit the local barbershop for a haircut, hair wash, pedicure, facial, foot scrub, massage, or a straight razor hot towel shave. Now that's a different angle to a travel YouTube channel. And he's doing well with 579.000 subscribers and almost a quarter of a billion views.   Ric is an extreme traveler on a quest to travel to all 193 UN countries and he shares his unique experiences, must-see places, and off-the-beaten path locations on his blog, Global Gaz. He's the host of the popular podcast, Counting Countries, where he interviews travelers who also are aiming to visit every country in the world. Also, he founded a new conference called Extraordinary Travel Festival, held for the first time in Yerevan, Armenia in October 2022. Co-host of Travel Matters, Palle Bo, was there and did a lot of interviews with some extraordinary travelers on his own podcast, The Radio Vagabond. Yosh Dimen, started The Poor Traveler in 2010 with his friend Vins Carlos. The blog is about being smart when traveling, planning, and budgeting. And (as they say on the blog), in most cases, the cheapest is not always the wisest. The truth is, although they were struggling financially when they started, it wasn't the reason for the name. They called it poor to mean “unfortunate or unlucky”. As in poor soul, poor choices, you poor thing. Yosh and Vins are very successful with 855,000 followers on Facebook, 77,000 followers on Instagram, and almost 90,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel. Yosh was on the closing panel at TBEX Asia, and will be a keynote speaker at TBEX Europe 2023 in Greece. This episode of Travel Matters was recorded at TBEX Asia in Phuket, Thailand, and hosted by TBEX CEO Rick Calvert and The Radio Vagabond, Palle Bo.

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

Ric Gazarian, the co-founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival, shares why you should join us October 14-16, 2022! I'll be speaking at the ETF, along with 20 other speakers! It's $399, but if you use the promo code FT, you get $50 off! The code expires on October 6, 2022. Watch this on YouTube! It's a perfect opportunity to visit Armenia. I'll be going to neighboring Georgia after the festival. I welcome you to join me. In the podcast, we allay your security concerns.  My 40-minute speech outline 1. Bought truck & burnt the boat that brought me to Africa 2. Mission to climb the tallest peak in all 54 African countries 3. Gambia's tallest peak & maybe 3. Meeting Rejoice 4. Story about hiking Chad mt & Libya mt 5. Going thru Darfur 6. 3000 hitchhikers 7. Near success 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

Ric Gazarian (aka Global Gaz) er medstifter af en helt ny festival for globetrottere. Extraordinary Travel Festival bliver afholdt i Yerevan, Armenia, 14.-16. oktober, 2022. I denne episode taler jeg med Ric om, hvad vi kan forvente. Hvis du har lyst til at tage med mig til Armenien, kan du spare 50 dollars (omkring 364 kr.) på din billet ved at bruge koden ”palle”. Se mere på ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com, og så kan jeg også varmt anbefale, at du også lytter til Rics egen podcast, Counting Countries, hvor han interviewer personer, der arbejder på at besøge alle verdens 193 FN Nationer.

Ric Gazarian (aka Global Gaz) is the co-founder of a brand-new festival for world travellers. Extraordinary Travel Festival is to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, October 14-16, 2022. In this episode, Ric tells us what to expect. If you want to go, you can get a 50 USD discount on your ticket by using "palle" as the code. See more on ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com, and you should also listen to his own podcast, Counting Countries, where he interviews people on a quest to travel to all 193 UN countries.

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.

I am your host Ric Gazarian.  This is another special episode from counting countries.  Expect to hear a traditional deep dive episode next week. But this episode is timely.  It coincides with the publication of a Washington post article on April 15 in regard to Cassie De Pecol.  She is well known in the extreme travel community for claiming to be the first woman to travel to every country in the world.  Unfortunately, that claim is untrue, and now Cassie De Pecol is being sued by Travelers United, an advocacy group that works on behalf of consumers.  The 100 plus page document lays out in great detail the numerous times De Pecol makes these false claims amongst many other questionable actions. I speak with Lauren Wolfe, an attorney at Travelers United, who is an avid traveler herself.  We overview the legal complaint made against De Pecol in detail. I was in Bangkok for the recording, Doha airport to edit, and Lauren joined me from Washington DC.  Please listen in and enjoy. 

You know that feeling when you see a country you know and love fall into tumultuous conflict and civil strife? When heroes are exposed for their own hypocrisies, and you feel powerless to change the outcomes, but still emotionally invested because you've formed a bond with a country and her people? For seasoned world travelers, this kind of feeling comes up more often than any of us would like. Today we'll speak with a traveler who's made it to nearly every country in the world, and we'll focus on the vexing country of Myanmar. Ric Gazarian is an avid traveler, travel blogger, professional photographer, drone pilot, author, podcaster, documentary producer, and industry speaker.  He is on a quest to visit every county in the world and has visited all 7 continents and has traveled to more than 140 countries.

We're in Bangkok, Thailand, with Ric Gazarian of GlobalGaz.com. Ric and I talk about the Sak Yant Festival, visiting the Grand Palace, and watching a Muay Thai fight. Show notes are at https://WeTravelThere.com/bangkok Miles and points make travel affordable, but tracking them is difficult. That's why I use AwardWallet to monitor my rewards, reservations, and free night certificates. Sign up for free at https://WeTravelThere.com/awardwallet

In this episode of the Judgment Call Podcast Ric Gazarian and I talk about: 00:04:49 Ric’s motivation to go to all 193 countries and why he intends to finish the challenge.00:20:01 How Ric experienced Thailand during the last 12 months with almost no tourists. Why it is such a great place (even) for experienced travelers.00:22:01 Ric’s surprising recommendation for an affordable, high value, safe country with culinary highlights00:25:03 Why Uzbekistan is such a rewarding place for travelers.00:40:23 How destinations deal with over-tourism and why the ‘best places’ remain in flux.00:48:01 How Ric prepares and deals with potential dangerous situations in his travels.01:04:21 Why the epic drive from Yakutsk to Magadan is so tempting.01:08:21 Can we predict which individual will become an explorer?01:10:01 How Ric got into making travel movies. You may watch this episode on Youtube – #49 – Ric Gazarian (Why ‘extreme traveler status’ is worth chasing). 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.

Doc talks to super travel blogger, author, producer, and Counting Countries podcast host, Gaz. Tune in and hear tales about Dark Tourism, micro-nations, and the reason Gaz is a vegetarian when he travels (there's a very good, very gross reason for this choice)! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/johnfreakinmuir/support

Ric Gazarian, Travel Massive Chapter Leader in Bangkok and travel blogger at GlobalGaz, speaks with James Wilcox, cofounder of Untamed Borders.  James discovered there was an underserved marketplace for travelers looking to travel to places like Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, and other challenging locations.  Untamed Borders was created to serve this underserved niche.  James also shares with us the effects of Covid-19 on his business and the industry.       https://untamedborders.com/

Ric Gazarian, Travel Massive Chapter Leader in Bangkok and travel blogger at GlobalGaz, speaks with Ian Ord, founder of Where Sidewalks End.  Ian shares with us his origin story of how he founded a company that provides unique tattoo experiences in Thailand.  Ian also shares with us the effects of Covid-19 on his business and the industry.       https://www.wheresidewalksend.com/

Talk Travel Asia podcast Season Three begins with guest Ric Gazarian and his quest to visit every country on Earth. On this episode we talk about travel to Afghanistan, a new destination for the podcast! Few nations in the modern era have as tortued a history as Afghanistan’s. It’s been in conflict for most of the last century and is still firmly unstable. Hippy caravan travelers passed through the country in the 1970s while making their way from Europe to Kathmandu, but today it’s pretty much off the travel radar. But not for our guest who will share tales of his recent visit.

This week Jim, Tony and Brian welcome renown world traveler, author and podcaster Ric Gazarian.

This week Jim, Tony and Brian welcome renown world traveler, author and podcaster Ric Gazarian.

Marc Ruffet will be joining a three person panel of entrepreneurs at a Travel Massive event in Bangkok but before that, a cofounder of IzziGuide, sits down with me for this podcast.  Marc has over 10 years working experience at a DMO and realised there was a major gap in the industry: Tour providers needed a marketplace to match tour guides and tour providers, hence, IzziGuide was born.  Marc shares with us his successes and challenges in developing this technology and rolling it out to the marketplace.   https://izziguide.com/

Jakob Holder will be joining a three person panel of entrepreuneurs at a Travel Massive event in Bangkok but before that, the founder of Taste of Thailand, sits down with me for this podcast. Jakob shares with me the changes in the competitor landscape in the six years he has operated, whether that is finding a space online with the proliferation of OTAs or the growth of competitors when it comes to local operators. Jacob emphasises the importance of story telling for his food experiences when creating experiences for his customers.  Please listen in. 

Joined today by travel blogger, author and host of the podcast “Counting Countries” Rick "Global" Gazarian. Rick and I talk about elite characters that have visited every country in the world and what makes him want to achieve this tremendous feat. We hear about how losing his job and traveling the world for 11 months changed his life. He tells us about his podcast “Counting Countries” and interviewing the people who have visited all 193 countries. Gaz takes us through some of his unique travels, such as: sleeping in the exclusion zone in Chernobyl, spending two weeks all over Afghanistan and why he’s still left speechless by the Kowloon in Hong Kong. As an author of 3 books he talks about his famous list of 193 books, 1 from each country and how a certain book about Thailand made him move there. From watching the Patriots in Bangkok to his lack of love for Ethiopia, Global Gaz takes us around the world with his eyes and mouth. Follow Global Gaz here: Website: https://globalgaz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalgaz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Global_Gaz Podcast: https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/

We chat with Jacki Ueng of BohemianVagabond.com live at TravelCon Boston 2019 about how her full time profession enables her passion for exploration and travel blogging. https://www.BohemianVagabond.com Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Jaume Marin of CostaBrava.org live at TravelCon Boston 2019 about how destinations can build long lasting relationships with bloggers. https://www.CostaBrava.org Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Mike Fuller, CEO of ItaliaRail.com live at TravelCon Boston 2019 https://ItaliaRail.com Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Mike Corey of Fearless and Far live at TravelCon Boston 2019 about his journey into film making and presenting. https://fearlessandfar.com/ Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Carmela Resuma of FLYTE live at TravelCon Boston 2019 about their organisation's mission to empower youth through travel. https://takeflyte.org/ Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt live at TravelCon Boston 2019 about his story developing one of the best known travel blogs, and what inspired him to develop and create TravelCon. https://www.nomadicmatt.com/ Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Caroline Lupini at TravelCon Boston 2019 about travel writing, her quest to visit every country in the world, and craft beer. http://carolinelupini.com/ Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

We chat with Jaimee Callaway, from Moon Travel Guides about how they collaborate with travel bloggers to promote their books and guides. https://www.moon.com/ Welcome to the Travel Massive podcast, an interview series with travel industry change-makers and pioneers, sharing their stories and insights. Your host for this series, recorded live at TravelCon Boston 2019 is Ric Gazarian, author and filmmaker, host of the Counting Countries podcast (https://globalgaz.com/counting-countries/), and Bangkok Travel Massive chapter leader. Learn more and register for TravelCon 2020 in New Orleans at www.travelcon.org If you enjoyed this episode or you would like to submit feedback, please leave a comment or email podcast@travelmassive.com

I'm in England to meet a true travel legend.  Harry Mitsidis, the founder of Nomad Mania, and the person who arguably has been to most places in the world. Nomad Mania is a community for extreme travellers and a website that divides the world into 1281 regions. When you fill out the regions you've been to you will appear on different rankings, which includes Cities, Sights, Museums, Islands, Airports and lots more. For that Nomad Mania is quite unique. It's the only website listing travel achievements through so many aspects and the aim is to create an active multicultural community of travelers, which inspires travel while being a true reference to all 1281 regions of the World. On the Master Ranking list Harry himself is number one. He's been to 1188 of the 1281 regions. Obviously he's been to every country in the world. All the 193 UN nations. He did his last UN country, Equatorial Guinea in March 2008. Since then he's all most been to all of them again. But there's so much more than just jumping quickly into a country to say that you've been there. It's about really being there – seeing, sensing, meeting, understanding and comparing. Traveling has become Harry's way of life, and staying put has become increasingly hard. Harry Mitsidis was born in London to a Greek father and a South African mother, and has grandparents from Poland and Turkey. So there was always an international element to it all, and this just grew and grew through the years. Already in 2001 he had visited all the countries of Europe, and then he aimed for the whole world, which initially started as a joke but gradually, as it became within his reach, turned into an obsession. Before we sit down for the interview, Harry takes me for a stroll through Chatham – the town where he lives. He wanted to show me just how ugly it is.  Then we sit down for a talk about travel and in the second episode, Harry shares some of the adventures he's had in his traveling life.  Nomad Mania also does a podcast called The Nomad Mania Podcast, hosted by Ric Gazarian.    LINKS:  Sponsor Hotels25.com  The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.

Jeg er i England for at møde en vaskeægte rejselegende. Harry Mitsidis, grundlæggeren af ​​Nomad Mania, og den person, der måske har været flest steder i verden. Nomad Mania er et community for folk, der rejser meget og et sted, der opdeler verden i 1281 regioner. Når du udfylder de regioner, du har været i, vises du på forskellige hitlister, som omfatter byer, seværdigheder, museer, øer, lufthavne og meget mere. På den måde er Nomad Mania helt unik. Det er den eneste hjemmeside, der har så mange lister, og målet er at skabe et aktivt multikulturelt fællesskab af rejsende. På Master Ranking listen er Harry selv nummer ét. Han har været i 1188 af de 1281 regioner. Naturligvis har han været i alle 193 FN-nationer. Han besøgte sit sidste FN-land, Ækvatorialguinea tilbage i marts 2008. Siden da har han været i de fleste af dem igen. Men der er så meget mere end bare at hoppe hurtigt ind i et land, for at sige kunne sige, at du har været der. Det handler om virkelig at være der – om at se, føle, møde, forstå og sammenligne. Det at rejse er blevet en livsstil for Harry, og at være det samme sted i længere tid er blevet sværere. Harry Mitsidis blev født i London. Han har en græsk far, en sydafrikansk mor og har bedsteforældre fra Polen og Tyrkiet. Så der var altid et internationalt element i det hele, og det voksede og voksede bare efterhånden, som han blev ældre. Allerede i 2001 havde han besøgt alle Europas lande, og så havde han blikket rettet mod resten af verden. Det startede som en joke, men efterhånden som det kom inden for rækkevidde, blev det nærmest til en besættelse. Før vi sætter os og snakker rejser og Nomad Mania, tager Harry mig en gåtur gennem Chatham – den by, hvor han bor. Han ville gerne vise mig, hvor grim det er. Harry har meget at fortælle, så der kommer endnu en episode. Og her deler Harry nogle af de mange historier fra sit rejseliv. Nomad Mania har også en podcast kaldet The Nomad Mania Podcast, hvor Ric Gazarian er vært.

Welcome to the third and final episode from Antigua in the Caribbean. Here you can join us on a so-called Triflexcursion. It's a small startup company run by Mark and Giles.   TRIFLEXCUSION We're going on a 2-hour biking, hiking and kayaking tour. First, we ride 15 minutes through St. John's to a beautiful beach, where we get into a kayak – two people in each – and paddle through a mangrove reserve for 30 minutes. Then we get back on our bikes and ride a further 10 minutes to Fort James National Park. But before we go up there, we make a rest stop at the beach.   I MET MISS ANTIGUA Here on the beach, there's a small restaurant in a shed. When I enter, there's an older woman with the back to me. She's singing, and I see her being on the phone. Somebody tells me that she's live on the local radio right now on a program is called "The Shut-in Show" – and that this is something she does every Sunday. Her name is Yvonne, and after she hangs up, I chat to her. She shows me a small picture of herself in an old book. The text beside the picture reads: "Former model turned restaurateur. Yvonne "Candy" Pilgrim has run the Candy Lane beach bar and restaurant since 1976. Located near the historic Fort James, the venue is popular with locals and tourists alike." She tells me that she was Miss Antigua in 1967.   FORT JAMES WITH CANONS AND A DISCOTEQUE IN RUINS We finish the Triflexcursion up a hill at historical Fort James. It's a place where there are some old canons and a house that some years ago it was used as a discotheque. Now it's abandoned and in ruins. But an exciting place with a great view.   And that was all from my fantastic trip to Antiqua.   LISTENER RESPONSE I received an email from Daniel, a listener in Dubai:   Hi Palle, I have just been listening on my earphones while out on my morning run.  It was the Conakry Podcast, so the background traffic noises had me looking over my shoulder thinking it was errant motorcycle or taxi! Your podcasts are quite addictive and a great way to get a dose of vitamin 'travel' in between the two long stretches of the real thing for me. If you're ever in Dubai again let me know. I have met up with many , including Torbjørn Pedersen and Ric Gazarian on their travels passing through the city. Looking forward to your adventures around the world to come. Cheers, Daniel Whitfield   Thank you, Daniel. I'll be coming to Dubai in December, so I hope I'll see you then. Daniel mentions Torbjørn Petersen and Ric Gazarion. Tor is an amazing traveler. A Dane who is traveling to every country in the world without flying in one single unbroken journey. You can follow his project on onceuponasaga.dk. And Ric is also a good friend of mine. We've met so far in three different continents. In fact, I met him in London just a few weeks ago. He does a podcast called Counting Countries - where I was a guest recently. He also does another podcast called The Nomad Mania Podcast, where he interviews some of the worlds most extreme travelers. Nomad Mania is a website that divides the world into regions. It's founded by the man that arguably has been to most places in the world, Harry Mitsidis. I guy I also met in London recently for a chat – and that's going to be the next interview here on The Radio Vagabond.   Ric Gazarian has also been on The Radio Vagabond when I met him in Chicago. I called that episode: "Gaz is Global Country Counter." All the links are below.   If you also want to drop me a line and tell me where you are and what you're doing right now, please use this special email address for this: listener@theradiovagabond.com You can also send me a voice message on WhatsApp. The number is +4540105105.   NEXT: BACK IN AFRICA The episodes from Antigua was a bit of a detour from my journey. And in the next episode, we're back on track with my adventures in Africa. When I left you, I was in Conakry and about to leave western Africa after having visited Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea. Traveling through these countries over three months was exciting, an adventure and very rewarding with all the exotic places and interesting people I met. I made so many interesting people, and both made a lot of friends. It was exciting but also rough. Physically and mentally challenges, especially when going from one place to another overland in small beat-up crammed minibusses or shared taxies on bad roads. So after three months, I decided that I wanted to get down to Cape Town, which has a very special place in my heart. I'll spend two months in Cape Town, my longest stop on the trip so far. But I still carry my microphone everywhere, so I have so many recordings that I'm going to be sorting through and sharing with you in several episodes. To name a few things: There's going to be a full episode only with Cape Town Uber drivers. I find out that Cape Town is the gin capital of the world and I speak to the young owner of one of the many a small distilleries.   I go searching for Sugar – the owner of a legendary small vinyl store and the guy who found Rodrigues in the Oscar Winning documentary Searching for Sugarman. If you haven't seen this film yet, I suggest that you do before you listen to my episode with Sugar Segerman from Cape Town. After Cape Town, I rent a car and go on a road trip through the country. I drive on the Garden Route and make stops in many amazing places in South Africa. Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Durban where I do the worlds highest swing over their football stadium, St Lucia where Hippos are roaming around in the streets at night. I also go to Lesotho, Swaziland, and Mozambique before spending a few days driving around in Kruger National Park looking for The Big Five and end up in Pretoria and Johannesburg. But before that, I need to get down to Cape Town from Conakry in Guinea, and I had a bit of luck as to how to do that. I found a flight with Ethiopian Air that allowed me to have a small stopover in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. And this is where you'll find me in the next episode. Even though my stop was short, a lot of stuff happened here. I end up in the middle of a parade during their most religious event of the year. I made some new friends, I thought. Instead, I end up getting scammed. I promise you that I will share both my ups and downs from this trip. So I will also be brutally honest and share what went through my mind when I think I'm going to die and I have somewhat of a mental breakdown when I think I only had a few more months to live. That's when The Radio Vagabond continues in a few weeks. Produced by Radioguru.co.uk. My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.   DISCLAIMER: The trip to Antigua was made possible by Antigua and Barbuda Tourism and Elite Island Resorts, but even though it was a sponsored trip, everything I've said is my genuine opinion.   LINKS: Antigua and Barbuda Turism Verandah Resort & Spa   Triflexcusion   Once Upon a Saga Counting Countries The Nomad Mania Podcast Rick Gazarion on The Radio Vagabond  The Radio Vagabond is produced by RadioGuru. See pictures on TheRadioVagabond.com   You can follow The Radio Vagabond on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.              

Velkommen til den tredje og sidste episode fra Antigua i Caribien. Her kan du være med på en såkaldt ”Triflexcursion”. Det er et lille nyt firma, der drives af Mark and Giles.   TRIFLEXCUSION Vi tager en 2-timers cykling, vandreture og kajak tur. Først kører vi 15 minutter gennem St. John's til en smuk strand, hvor vi hopper i en kajak - to personer i hver - og padle gennem noget smukt naturområde i 30 minutter. Så kommer vi tilbage på vores cykler og kører yderligere 10 minutter til Fort James National Park. Men før vi går deroppe, laver vi et pitstop på stranden.   JEG MØDTE MISS ANTIGUA Her på stranden er der en lille restaurant i et skur. Da jeg går ind, er der en ældre kvinde med ryggen til mig. Hun synger, og jeg ser at hun står med en telefon. Nogen fortæller mig, at hun er direkte på den lokale radio lige nu på et program kaldes "The Shut-in Show" - og at det er noget, hun gør hver søndag. Hendes navn er Yvonne, og efter hun hænger op, taler jeg med hende. Hun viser mig et lille billede af sig selv i en gammel bog. Teksten ved siden af ​​billedet læser: "Tidligere model blev restauratør. Yvonne" Candy "Pilgrim har kørt Candy Lane strandbar og restaurant siden 1976. Beliggende nær den historiske Fort James er lokalet populært blandt både lokalbefolkningen og turisterne." Hun fortæller mig, at hun var Miss Antigua i 1967.   FORT JAMES MED KANONER OG ET DISCOTEK I RUINER Vi slutter Triflexcursion op ad en bakke på historiske Fort James. Det er et sted, hvor der er nogle gamle kanoner og et hus, der for nogle år siden blev brugt som diskotek. Nu er det forladt og i ruiner. Men et spændende sted med en fantastisk udsigt.   Og det var alt fra min fantastiske tur til Antigua.   BREV FRA EN LYTTER Jeg har modtaget en e-mail fra Daniel, en lytter i Dubai:   Hej Palle Jeg har lige lyttet på mine hovedtelefoner, mens jeg er ude på min morgen-løbetur. Det var din Conakry episode, så baggrundslydene fik mig til at kigge mig over skulderen da jeg troede, at der var hidsig motorcykel eller taxi, der var ved at køre mig ned! Dine podcasts er ganske vanedannende og en fantastisk måde at få en dosis af vitamin-rejse-indsprøjtning imellem mine egne rejser. Hvis du nogensinde er i Dubai igen, så sig til. Jeg har mødt med mange andre rejsende, heriblandt Torbjørn Pedersen og Ric Gazarian på deres rejser, når de har passeret gennem byen. Ser frem til dine eventyr rundt om i verden. Cheers, Daniel Whitfield   Mange tak for din mail, Daniel. Jeg kommer faktisk til Dubai i december i år, så jeg håber at vi kan ses der. Daniel nævner Torbjørn Petersen og Ric Gazarion. Tor er en fantastisk rejsende. En dansker, der rejser til alle lande i verden uden at flyve i en enkelt ubrudt rejse. Du kan følge hans vanvittige projekt på onceuponasaga.dk. Og Ric er også en af mine venner. Vi har  indtil nu mødt hinanden i tre forskellige kontinenter. Faktisk mødte jeg ham i London for et par uger siden. Han laver en podcast, der hedder Counting Countries - hvor jeg for nylig selv var gæst. Han laver også en anden podcast kaldet The Nomad Mania Podcast, hvor han interviewer nogle af verdens mest ekstreme rejsende. Nomad Mania er en hjemmeside, der deler verden i regioner. Det er grundlagt af Harry Mitsidis, den mand, der sandsynligvis er den person, der har været i flest steder i verden. Jeg mødte også Harry i London for nylig en snak - og det bliver det næste interview her i Radiovagabond. Ric Gazarian har også været gæst i Radio Vagabond, da jeg mødte ham i Chicago. Jeg kaldte den episode: "Gaz er global og landetæller." Alle links er nedenfor.   Hvis du også vil sende mig en linje og fortælle mig, hvor du er, og hvad du laver lige nu, så brug venligst denne særlige e-mail-adresse til dette: lytter@radiovagabond.dk Du kan også sende mig en talebesked på WhatsApp. Nummeret er +4540105105.   SNART TILBAGE I AFRIKA Episoderne fra Antigua var lidt af en omvej fra min rejse. Og i den næste episode er vi tilbage på sporet med mit eventyr i Afrika. Da jeg forlod dig, var jeg i Conakry og skulle sige farvel til Vestafrika efter at have besøgt Marokko, Vestsahara, Mauretanien, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau og Guinea. At rejse gennem disse lande i tre måneder var spændende, et eventyr og meget givende med alle de eksotiske steder og interessante mennesker, jeg mødte. Det var spændende, men også hårdt både fysisk og mentalt, især når man flytter sig fra ét sted til et andet i små gamle bulede minibusser eller dele-taxier på dårlige veje. Så efter tre måneder besluttede jeg mig for at komme ned til Cape Town, som har et meget specielt sted i mit hjerte. Jeg kommer til at tilbringe to måneder i Cape Town, mit længste stop på rejsen indtil nu. Men jeg har stadig altid min mikrofon i lommen, så jeg har mange optagelser, jeg nu skal sortere igennem og dele med dig i flere episoder. For at nævne nogle få ting: Der vil kun være en hel episode med Cape Town Uber-chauffører. Jeg finder ud af, at Cape Town er verdens gin-hovedstad og jeg taler med den unge ejer af en af ​​de mange små destillerier. Jeg går på jagt efter ”Sugar” - ejeren af ​​en legendarisk lille vinylbutik og den fyr, der var med til at finde Rodrigues i den Oscar-vindende dokumentar, Searching for Sugarman. Hvis du ikke har set denne film endnu, foreslår jeg at du gør, inden du lytter til min episode med ”Sugar” Segerman fra Cape Town. Efter Cape Town lejer jeg en bil og tager på en tur gennem Sydafrika. Jeg kører på Garden Route og stopper på mange fantastiske steder i landet: Oudtshoorn, Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Durban (hvor jeg hopper ud i verdens højeste gyngetur over deres fodboldstadion) og St. Lucia (hvor flodheste går rundt i gaderne om natten). Jeg går også til Lesotho, Swaziland og Mozambique, før jeg spenderer et par dage med at køre rundt i Kruger National Park på udkig efter ”The Big Five” og ender i Pretoria og Johannesburg. Men inden da skal jeg jo ned til Cape Town fra Conakry i Guinea. Og her havde jeg heldet med mig. Jeg fandt en flyvning med Ethiopian Air, der tillod mig at have en 24 timers mellemlanding i Etiopien. Og det er her du finder mig i næste episode. Selvom mit ophold var kort, skete der mange ting her. Jeg ender i midten af ​​en parade under deres mest religiøse begivenhed af året. Jeg fik nogle nye venner… troede jeg. I stedet bliver jeg fuppet. Og så kommer jeg til at dele, hvad der gik igennem hovedet på mig, da jeg tror, ​​jeg skal dø. Det er da Radio Vagabond fortsætter om et par uger. Produceret af Radioguru. Mit navn er Palle Bo, og jeg skal videre. Vi ses.   DISCLAIMER: Turen til Antigua blev gjort mulig af Antigua og Barbuda Turism og Elite Island Resorts, men selvom det var en sponsoreret tur, er alt, hvad jeg har sagt, min ægte mening.   LINKS: Antigua and Barbuda Turism Verandah Resort & Spa   Triflexcusion Once Upon a Saga Counting Countries The Nomad Mania Podcast Nomad Mania Rick Gazarion on The Radio Vagabond  Radiovagabond er produceret af Radioguru. Se billeder på Radiovagabond.dk   Følg også RadioVagabond på Facebook, Twitter, Instagram og YouTube.  

Key Links https://www.patreon.com/CountingCountries Counting Countries Apparel Group Trip To Bhutan In November -----Hey now… Thank you for joining me on Counting Countries.  I’m your host, Ric Gazarian, . On today’s episode, I welcome Adam Hickman to Counting Countries. Adam is on a mission to visit every country before he turns 40 and moving to the UAE opened up many travel opportunities.   Before I introduce Adam, a quick reminder that Counting Countries is now partnered with Patreon.  Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries.  I have been extremely fortunate to be be able to create this podcast and be able to meet so many interesting and compelling travelers, but I have also spent a tremendous amount of time and some money creating this podcast.  So for example, some benefits are extended interviews. Some Patrons are able to listen to an exclusive Counting Countries Extra with former guests Sal Lavallo or Lexie Alford. And a reminder, Counting Countries is offering its first group tour to Bhutan on November 7th.  This is a great agenda which I consulted on and helped create.  I have been to Bhutan three times and looking forward to returning for a fourth time. Besides seeing amazing things like Tiger’s Nest and the Punakha Dzong, I have scheduled this trip to coincide with two festivals. I have also negotiated a daily $25 discount from the mandated government minimums.  Please go to GlobalGaz.com to see more information as well as disclosures.   Adam had thoughts of travel as a kid as he studied maps and spun globes.  His dream of traveling to every country became more concrete, when he left the UK to work in Dubai.  Using Dubai as a hub he supercharged his travels racking up countries. Adam shares with us recent visits to Syria and Yemen.  And shares an amusing anecdote traveling with fellow 193ers and the police in Sao Tome and Principe. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify and write a review, hopefully a positive one.     But for now, here’s my conversation with Adam while I was recording in Bangkok and Adam was in UAE.  A special thanks to Adam for his patience as we encountered too many technical difficulties. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my Patrons …. Bisa Myles, Ted Nims & Ryan Gazder.   Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!  You can purchase 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.    More about Adam Hickman:   Born in: Northamptonshire, UK   Passports from: UK Favorite travel film: The Way or The Motorcycle Diaries (only subtitled film I’ve ever watched) Favorite travel site: Country Counter, Check my Trips, flightdiary.net Must carry: Camera & Lenses - Sony A630 Favorite drink: Water (non alcoholic) Gin & Tonic (alcoholic) Website: Hick Hiker Instagram: Hick Hiker 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 Century Club states that there are 327 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 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.   Check out our friend and his new book:     The Curious Case of William Baekeland William is a former guest of Counting Countries.  Harry Mitsidis, the author and extreme traveler, traces William’s arrival and unraveling in the travel community.  It is a story worthy of a film … and this book.   Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Ric Gazarian is one of the worlds best traveled persons and is host of the popular travel podcast "Counting Countries".  He's usually behind the mic asking questions to his guests, many of which have traveled to every country in the world, but this time around we talked about some of his travels and adventures, and how he got into the spot that he's currently in.  Ric has traveled to 134 countries thus far, and his goal is to travel to all 193 UN recognized countries. Besides being an extremely well traveled individual, he's also an author, photographer, and filmmaker (Hit the Road India and Hit the Road Cambodia).  Ric's Counting Countries podcast and other media can be found at his website globalgaz.com.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa More about Boris Kester: Born in: The Hague, Netherlands Passports from: Netherlands Favorite travel book: Homer’s Odyssey Favorite travel film: Touching The Void Favorite travel app: maps.me Must carry: Camera Favorite food: Italian Favorite drink: Freshly squeezed fruit juice Favorite Airline: KLM Favorite Hotel: Mattress in the desert Websites: Travel Adventures & Boris Kester Instagram: Boris Travel Adventures Twitter: Boris Kester Facebook: Boris Kester Boris’s Map: Nomad Mania  Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa More about Maurice Brand: Born in: Kerkrade, Netherlands Passports from: Dutch Favorite travel film: Given Favorite travel app: Skyscanner Must carry: Camera and several lenses Favorite food:  Hummus Favorite drink: Water Favorite Airline: Ethiopian Airlines Facebook: Maurice Brand Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

I Chicago møder jeg Ric Gazarian, der også rejser utroligt meget. Og så laver han en podcast, der hedder Counting Countries, hvor han taler med dem, der enten har rejst til alle lande i verden - eller er meget tæt på at have gjort det.  Vi får en snak på en fortorvscafé i downtown Chicago om Ric's egen historie som rejsende, om hvordan han finder ballancen i at rejse meget og stadig have en base hjemme i Bangkok, hvor han bor nu.  Besøg Counting Countries ved at klikke her. 

In Chicago, I meet Ric Gazarian, who also travels a lot. And then he's hosting a podcast called Counting Countries, where he talks to some of the few that has traveled to all the countries in the world - or are very close to having done so.  On a sidewalk café in downtown Chicago, we meet for a chat about Ric's own story as an avid traveler and how he finds the balance of traveling a lot and still maintaining a home base in Bangkok where he lives now.  Visit Counting Countries by clicking here. 

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa ---------- More about Michael Runkel: Born in: Bavaria, Germany Passports from: Germany Favorite travel book: Shantaram Favorite travel site: Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum Must carry: Camera Favorite food:  German Roulade, a roulade is a dish of filled rolled meat or pastry. Favorite drink: Aperol Spritz Favorite Airline: Emirates Airlines Favorite Hotel: Banyan Tree Hotel, Tanna, Vanuatu Website: Michael Runkel Facebook: Michael Runkel Photographs    Instagram: Michael Runkel Photo Travel Map: The Best Traveled Map Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa More about Lexie Alford: Born in: Nevada City, California Passports from: US Passport Favorite travel book: On the Road by Jack Kerouac Favorite travel film:  Samsara Favorite app: Passporter app (coming soon) Favorite food:  Moroccan Couscous Favorite drink: Freddo Cappuccino (Greece) Favorite airline: Delta Favorite hotel: Berggasthaus Äscher (Cliff Hanging Hostel in the Swiss Alps) Website: Living Lost Facebook: Lexie Alford Instagram: Lost Lexie Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa More about Trek With Taylor Born in: Tuscaloosa, Alabama Passports from: 2 US Passports Favorite travel book: Eat Pray Love, I guess? I don’t tend to read a ton of travel books. Favorite travel film:  Honestly? The Lizzie McGuire Movie or The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Those both probably sound so trivial or childish but from a young age they really inspired me to want to get to Europe and see the places in those movies. And, I am happy to say, I have now been to Rome (multiple times) and finally made it to Greece! I think it was so influential at a young age to be able to see to see other young women traveling around the world. Must carry: My retainer and a small stuffed animal (named Bun Bun). Also, definitely need my phone. Favorite app: Google flights for planning. Google sheets for organization. Favorite food:  Pizza. Or anything involving cheese really. Favorite drink: Sprite, but I try to drink as much water as possible while traveling. Favorite airline: Norwegian! I love their cheap flights linking the US and Europe. Definitely my favorite low cost carrier. As far as the big name airlines go I would say American Airlines because two of my grandparents worked for and retired from American. Favorite hotel: East Winds in Saint Lucia! It was one of the first stops on my trip and it will be very hard to ever beat. It was so beautiful and I have never been so pampered in my life. Website: Trek With Taylor Facebook: Trek With Taylor Instagram: Trek With Taylor Twitter: Trek With Taylor Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa And check out our new sponsor - The Journey by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - take a listen and subscribe!   More about Jorge Sanchez Born in: I was born in 1954 in Barcelona, Spain Passports from: I have Spanish passport Favorite travel book: My favorite travel book is: The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor Favorite travel film: Baraka Must carry: A notebook Favorite food:  Any Indian dish with curry Favorite drink: Coffee Favorite airline: The cheapest   Favorite hotel: Youth hostel Website: Jorge Sanchez Nomad Mania Map: Jorge Sanchez   Jorge’s books: Meetings With Remarkable Travelers and A Journey To Exotic South America Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa And check out our new sponsor - The Journey by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - take a listen and subscribe!   More about Peleg Cohen: Born in: Nahariya, Israel Passports from: Israel Favorite travel book: A Fine Balance Favorite travel film: Into The Wild Must carry: Camera!!   Favorite food:  My mom’s cooking, then Indian food Favorite drink: Mezcal Website: Lonely Peleg Facebook: Lonely Peleg Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Digital Nomad Mastery - Podcast Interview about Tips for Visiting Every Country in the World with Ric Gazarian from Counting Countries https://globalgaz.com/ https://globalgaz.com/counting-countr... Thank you for watching our video. GET EMAIL UPDATES on our website: http://www.DaddyBlogger.com LIKE us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/daddyblogger SUBSCRIBE to us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/tokyoricky FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tokyoricky

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We’re on Amazon Alexa And check out our new sponsor - The Journey by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - take a listen and subscribe!   More about Samer Kawar:   Born in: San Francisco Bay Area Passports from: USA, Jordan Favorite travel book: Any Lonely Planet Guide Favorite travel film: Seven Years in Tibet Favorite travel app or website: Nomad Mania, Atlas Obscura, Tripadvisor Must carry: My sketchbook, Polaroid Zip photo printer Favorite food:  Khao soi, torta ahogada, coconut curry Favorite drink: the local beer in each country Favorite airline: Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines Favorite hotel: Airways Hotel, PNG Website: WanderLuster Instagram: WanderLuster Twitter: WanderLuster Map: Nomad Mania       Please leave a rating or a review wherever you listen to Counting Countries. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa and anywhere else you find podcasts. ------------------ For detailed show notes and more about your host, Ric Gazarian, please visit GlobalGaz.com. ------------------ Counting Countries is produced and supported by Simpler Media Productions. Our theme music is by Mundi.

Hear about travel to Algeria as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ric Gazarian from GlobalGaz.com about travel to this "off the beaten path" destination.

Hear about travel to Algeria as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ric Gazarian from GlobalGaz.com about travel to this "off the beaten path" destination.

Hear about travel to Algeria as the Amateur Traveler talks to Ric Gazarian from GlobalGaz.com about travel to this "off the beaten path" destination.

When the topic of (http://www.bangkokpodcast.com/magic-mysticism-mana-superstition-in-thailand-2-10/) from earlier in 2016. Only… it seems we never actually put that story into this podcast. Time to fix that! Short version: Evo and Ric Gazarian from the Counting Countries travel podcast, did an overnight to Wat Bang Phra, some hour-ish north-ish of Bangkok and attended the aforementioned festival. It was… intense. Watching a hundred or so very patient people line up to be jabbed repeatedly by a bamboo stick with a sharpened piece of metal on the end was one thing. Witnessing at least 10,000 sak yant devotees waiting for their tattoos to possess them so they could rush the stage like some George Romero/Ang Lee crossover gone horribly wrong is quite another. Intense doesn’t do it justice. Which is probably why Evo’s subconscious wouldn’t let him record the show at the time. To demonstrate just how creepy it was, he’s included a brief audio sample recorded live from the event in one of the calmer moments. [shudder] Tattoo fans and those just curious about bizarre Thai events will dig it. People who enjoy listening to us react to things we’re completely unprepared for will absolutely love it. What we would love is if you decided to support us via Patreon. It’s the only way we fund the show, and it gets you a postcard from us every single month. Sign up today and we’ll include you in next month’s postcard send. Music for our show is graciously provided by the fantastic band Velella Velella. They make killer tunes, and you should buy all of their stuff. It’s fabulous! This is the last show we’re putting out before 2017. Be sure you’re subscribed and you’ll not miss it when we come back. And for what we’re doing during the break, (https://twitter.com/OppTravelers) … and probably a few more things. But that’ll do for now. See you after the first of the year! -- This One Time (The Podcast) features retellings and recreations of the best (or worst depending on perspective) travel stories encountered in a life lived abroad. Stay subscribed on iTunes or whatever else you use to listen to podcasts and you’ll never miss an episode.

Today we feature a real adventurer: someone pushing the envelope of creativity in travel and transportation, going above and beyond the beaten path. Many people take at least one trip per year, then spend the rest of the year dreaming about their next one. For some, this trip is a week or so in length, but there are a growing number individuals that are finding creative ways to make travel their full-time gig. These people roam the world experiencing places and activities, then blog about them, take photos, videos, and find creative ways to generate a full-time income. Today we’ll chat with Ric Gazarian, an American who’s been doing just that for a number of years.

The post Ric Gazarian: Author and Filmmaker Races Across India appeared first on The Blog of Ian Robinson.

Producer of Hit The Road: India. Author of 7000 KM To Go. Competitor in the Rickshaw challenge. He is originally from Chicago. Speaking to us from Armenia. Introducing, Ric Gazarian. “It’s little unplanned experiences that create the mosaic of memories.” – Ric Gazarian (Tweet It) Travel Topics: What is the Rickshaw challenge? Ric Gazarian’s film Hit … Continue reading "Ric Gazarian: Author and Filmmaker Races Across India" The post Ric Gazarian: Author and Filmmaker Races Across India appeared first on The Blog of Ian Robinson.

"It's an incredible experience to go to Thailand for a month and sit on a beach... It's an entirely different experience if you build something in addition to that." - Ric Gazarian Fellow Boston-native turned world traveler and humanitarian, Ric Gazarian has visited 85 countries across all 7 continents. He documents his travels on his site GlobalGaz.com and most recently is the author of the book and documentary film, Hit the Road India: a road rally, and travel photo journal, through the heart of India. Anyone who listens to this show regularly has heard stories of the Rickshaw Challenge, a freelance adventure across India (run by The Travel Scientists) in nothing more than a small 2-seater with no doors and, if you’re lucky, an engine strong enough to get you there. This is not a safe thing to do but it sure sounds legendary. Ric let his curiosity of his ethnic background as an Armenian-American motivate him to begin traveling. After a few experiences overseas, Ric was hooked and began challenging himself further. When he was laid off from a miserable, well-paying job in corporate finance after the market crashed in 2008, he was compelled to try traveling full time -- eventually letting his newfound curiosity drive his creativity and fuel his transformation into a filmmaker, photo-journalist, and world-traveler. Explore further Global Gaz Hit the Road: India Hit the Road India: The Book 7000 KM To Go, Ric's first book on the Caucasian Challenge The Adventurists The Travel Scientists Credits Music credit: Intrepid Journey, by Aaron Static Become a Friend of the Show: Please subscribe and review! It just takes a second and you can help the show increase its rankings on iTunes just by this simple and quick gesture. We’d be grateful for a review. Leave one here. If you do, click here to let me know so I can personally thank you! Your Feedback If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to see or a question about an upcoming episode, email me! I’d love to hear from you. Thank you so much for your support! The post 180: Filming the Rickshaw Challenge with Ric Gazarian appeared first on The Daily Travel Podcast.