Counting Countries

Key Links https://www.patreon.com/CountingCountries Counting Countries Apparel -----I am announcing 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. I have been extremely fortunate to be be able to create this podcast and to meet so many interesting and compelling travelers, but I have also spent a tremendous amount of time and some money creating this podcast. This is an opportunity for you to support Counting Countries. I have created several tiers of support, each one offering something in return. I will highlight the Senior Executive Producer tier which will give you access to extended interviews with guests of Counting Countries. To check out how you can support Counting Countries, go to patreon.com or https://www.patreon.com/CountingCountries. On another note, due to time constraints, Counting Countries will be publishing one episode a month starting in 2019. More about Debjeet Sen: Born in: Austin, Minnesota Passport from: USA Favorite travel book: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage Favorite travel film: The opening scene of Up. While not a travel film per se, the introduction of the film beautifully summarize the wonder of travel and discovery that is inherent in all children and how said wonder transfers to adults and remains a constant fixture in their lives even when "reality" gets in the way. "Adventure is out there." Truer words have never been said! Favorite app: One of my biggest travel-related fears is getting lost or not knowing how to find my way in a new country or city. I religiously use Google Maps on my phone, but also make sure to download the relevant maps on maps.me prior to arriving in a new country/city, so that I have some reference even if I am unable to purchase a local SIM card. I used to be a bit of an anti-tech sort of person back in the day (I am still a technology-phobe in many ways). Let's just say that I learned my lessons after relying on my father to navigate using a paper map, which led us up an unpaved mountain track in Turkey on a dark moonless night; or when I followed the flight paths of airliners to trace my way from Fontainebleau to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport through morning rush-hour traffic. Must carry: Funnily enough, a wad of toilet tissue tucked into a side-pocket in my backpack and sanitizer. Without going into specifics, let's just say that I've needed these two essential items in places as varied as in the middle of the steppes of Kazakhstan, or in the middle of the vast desert of northern Kenya. Favorite food: Oh man, it's like asking me to choose a favorite child. I am a total foodie and will eat anything and everything. It's hard to select one specific food, but I'll list a few dishes that I love eating and cooking: deliriously spicy and flavorsome Thai drunken noodles, a simple bowl of rice with either Indian dal or chicken curry, fish wet fry with a side of local greens from western Kenya, meze from Lebanon, a steaming bowl of Japanese ramen… okay, I will stop here. Favorite drink: A glass of refreshing water straight from the tap. Nothing beats the thrill of opening a tap and pouring a glass of water that needs no further filtration or treatment. Favorite Airline: I am one of those weird travelers with little/no loyalty to any airline or alliance. I am mostly driven in my choice of airline based on my country/city of residence. I have been mostly living in Kenya and South Africa for the past 6.5 years, which implies a heavy reliance on Kenya Airways, South African Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines. I also use Emirates quite often. However, I definitely have a soft spot for certain airlines that I have taken during the course of my travels. I love Emirates for their in-flight service and entertainment options; Swiss for their complimentary chocolates (I'm one of those gluttons that will pick up a fistful of said delicious treats J); Kulula for their irreverent humor; Cathay Pacific for their fabulous premium class that is great value for money; IndiGo for showing that low-cost does not necessarily mean terrible service and seats that don't recline—to name a few. I even grudgingly admit respect for Ethiopian. Flight schedules are perennially wacky, connection in Addis can be tight, crossing security in Addis tests the patience of the calmest of travelers, and luggage has a tendency of taking a route distinct from your own itinerary. Nevertheless, their Africa network (and increasingly connections to other continents) is unbeatable and they will get you from point A to point B, even if it means wheezing and puffing as you sprint between gates in Addis' rarified air to make your connection when your flight arrives late (the norm, rather than the exception). Favorite Hotel: I am a big fan of patronizing locally-owned hotels and guest houses. Most times, I will book a relatively cheap place through booking.com or AirBnB, as opposed to an internati

Website: www.travel2unlimited.com Instagram: Travel 2 Unlimited On today's episode, I welcome Rus Margolin to Counting Countries. I learned about Rus and his prolific travel from seeing his photos on Facebook in Every Passport Stamp, and fellow EPS Moderator Petro suggested that I interview him for the podcast. Russ grew up in the Soviet Union in Minsk, Belarus. Rus's parents believed in travel and took him on frequent trips within the Soviet Union, including frequent trips to the Baltics. In fact, growing up Rus was the president of the Young Communist League. The Soviet Union collapsed in his youth, Rus won a country-wide English contect, and won a scholarship to Florida to attend university. After overcoming some culture shock, he excelled at school, and made his way to Wall Street. As a kid, Rus dreamed of exploring the world, cutting our pictures out from nature magazines, staring at photos of wildlife and nature. After his arrival to the US, he was able to pursue his dreams of exploration, and make his dreams a reality. He quit his job in 2013 so he could focus more on travel. Rus shares with us amazing experiences of the crab migration on Christmas Island, witnessing a billion butterflies in Mexico, and viewing the penguins in Antarctica. Russ also overeviews his recent trip to Syria, commenting on the normalcy of his visit while debating the sane-ness of his visit, while he rates the pistachio ice cream in the Damascus Souk. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify. Remember go to Amazon to pick up your Counting Countries T-shirt. But for now, here's my conversation with Rus, who was in the Big Apple between trips while I was in the Windy City Counting Countries Studio. Please listen in and enjoy. More about Rus Margolin: Born in: Minsk Favorite travel book: Lonely Planet: Year of Watching Wildlife Favorite travel film: National Geographic Migrations Must carry: Camera Favorite food: Anything authentic and local Favorite drink: Anything authentic and local Favorite Airline: The cheapest

On today's episode, I welcome Danay Bustamante to Counting Countries. I learned about Jenna from previous guest, Henrik Jeppesen, who introduced us via email. It took Danay and I several months to connect due to conflicting schedules. Danay was born in Cuba, was separated for years from her father who moved to Mexico, and she eventually reunited with her father via a trip to the UK. Growing up she developed her twin passions of travel and dance. Her love of salsa has opened many doors around the world, creating new friendships and providing new travel opportunities. She has danced in some of the unlikeliest countries. Danay talks about how she was propelled into the world of counting countries during a visit to Africa for an extended time. She talks about challenging experiences in Haiti, why Botswana is not on the top of her list, and why she loves El Salvador. And Danay shares with us a story about Burkina Faso and the magic of travel. And during this episode, we speak about former guest Tony Giles, and we are reminded that we live in a very small world. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, or Spotify. And what's this? A new review from REBethesda from USA. "Ric is great storyteller whose humor and warmth shines through. He masterfully interviews his fellow adventurers and draws out great insights and yarns from those who are resolved to touch down in every country on the planet. Funny, thrilling and inspiring." Thanks REBethesda. Leave a review, well at least a good one, and you might be mentioned. Remember go to Amazon to pick up your Counting Countries T-shirt. But for now, here's my conversation with Danay, who was in California while I was in the Chicago Counting Countries Studio. Please listen in and enjoy. More about Danay Bustamante: Born in: Guantanamo, Cuba Passports from: 1 Cuban passport and 2 valid German passports Favorite travel book: Lonely Planet Favorite travel film: 7 Years in Tibet Favorite travel app: Instagram Must carry: My salsa dance shoes and the favorite scarf from my best friend Favorite food: Caribbean food like rice and beans with fried plantains (I'm Cuban, lol) Favorite drink: Fresh fruit juices like mango (Indian and African mangos are the best) and mamey milkshake (this fruit is difficult to find) Favorite Airline: Emirates Airlines Favorite Hotel: I mostly stay with friends or locals

Key Links Counting Countries Apparel --------------------------------------- On today's episode, I welcome jenna klotz to Counting Countries. I learned about Jenna from two previous guests; Randy williams traveled with her in Armenia and Artsakh, and Lexie Alford randomly met her in the Pacific. Jenna is also living in Chicago and our interview coincided with my summer visit to my home in Chicago. So taking advantage, Jenna and I set up a time to meet. Instead of playing with dolls as a kid in Michigan, Jenna pretended to be a travel agent, planning trips for her family. At college, she didn't do one semester abroad, she did three semesters abroad! Travel was in her blood. After college, she ended up teaching in a small town in Hungary. This stay in Hungary in conjunction with European discount airlines, propelled her into the world of counting countries. During our conversation, jenna, talks about a 55 foot rogue wave that disabled the ship she was on, money mishaps in Mauritania, the beauty of the Bolivian salt flats, and being detained by the police in Mali. Jenna shares with us a touching moment of meeting a woman in Mogadishu, who saw the ocean for the first time. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and of course if you like the program, feel free write a review. Remember go to Amazon to pick up your Counting Countries T-shirt, just like Linda Smith Tabb recently did. But for now, here's my conversation with Jenna in the Chicago Counting Countries Studio. Please listen in and enjoy. More about Jenna Klotz: Born in: Grand Rapids, MI Passports from: 2 US Passports Favorite travel book: Chasing 193 Favorite travel film: Lost in Translation Favorite travel app: maps.me Must carry: hand sanitizer and tissues Favorite food: It's not necessarily my favorite back home, but without fail, when I travel I miss tacos Favorite drink: Coke Zero Favorite Airline: Whichever has the most miles at the time (usually United) Favorite Hotel: Whichever has the best deal

Key Links Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We're on Amazon Alexa --------------------------------------- On today's episode, I spoke with Bob Bonifas. I have seen Bob's name on the top of the Most Traveled People's list. MTP divides the world into 874 places and Bob is currently ranked #2 on the list. I had the opportunity to visit Bob in his office in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago. His spacious office was filled with a ton of travel mementos. Bob did not take his first flight until the age of 30, but since then he has racked up several million plus miles and then some. Bob founded Alarm Detection Systems and became involved with the industry associations. With his involvement in the association he began to travel more and more, expanding his horizons. Bob learned about Travelers' Century Club and MTP and being a Type A personality he quickly became hooked on travel. He rapidly picked up new countries and territories, moving up on the list. He is now in a friendly competition with his IL neighbor, Don Parrish, who is ranked #1. Bob touches on the great difficulty of finishing of the MTP list as you near the end. Many of his final territories are remote or require permission to visit. These trips tend to be expensive. And very frustratingly, the visit is not guaranteed. Many of these territory visits are accomplished by ship, and sometimes the oceans are so rough, it is not possible to land. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and of course if you like the program, feel free write a review like Swissdogg from the US did. "As an avid traveler myself...Rick and his guests are an inspiration. So far I have been to 63 countries...looks like I have some work ahead of me!" Swissdogg good luck on your next 63 countries and thanks for the compliments, I can feel my head getting bigger. I also want to say a quick hello to our fans around the world … from Paraguay to Afghanistan, from Angola to Haiti and over 100 different countries. But for now, here's my conversation with Bob. We are both in the Aurora, IL known as the Land of Lincoln. Please listen in and enjoy. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! You can purchase today on Amazon. More about Robert A. (Bob) Bonifas: Born in: Aurora, IL Passports from: US Must carry: Satellite phone and a Garmin InReach Favorite drink: Diet Cherry Coke Favorite Airline: UAL

Key Links Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We're on Amazon Alexa --------------------------------------- On today's episode, I welcome Mar Pages to Counting Countries. I first learned about Mar when researching a trip to Djibouti several years ago and came across her blog. I emailed her a question or two and she responded back with some advice. Two years later, I shared dinner with her when a group of mutual friends met up in Bangkok at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Charlie Browns. We are regional neighbors as she lives in Singapore and I am in Bangkok. Since university Mar has led a truly global life, living in multiple countries and traveling extensively for work throughout the world. This is quite a big change copated to her fist travel forays which were limited to road trips to nearby Andora to stock up on Nutella with her family. Mar has lived in London, Dubai, and Singapore. She has also practically lived in multiple other cities on long consulting gigs like Nairobi and Manila. This year, Mar made a major change in her life as she officially left corporate life so she can focus exclusively on her online businesses and her travel. Mar touches on the magic of Bhutan and her frustrations with Nigeria, a place she has traveled to often for work. She shares with us how she felt unsafe in Somaliland and her interactions with the locals. She speaks about the isolation she felt in Sudan and the pyramids of Meroe. And talks about a solo, multi-week to the Pacific which made her reevaluate her travel goals. Mar speaks about her travel inspiration Anthony Bourdain and one of her favorite travel blogs, Roads & Kingdoms. Mar is the Chapter Leader of Travel Massive in Singapore. Travel Massive is the largest travel network in the world with over 40,000 people. It is sort of like LinkedIn for people who work in the travel industry, with both online and real world networking. Check it out if you have a travel job. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and of course if you like the program, feel free write a review like Steve_M_300 from USA did. Ric is an excellent interviewer. He is able to keep things on track and will be sure to follow up where needed to bring to life some very unique travel stories. This podcast will give you wanderlust. This show has introduced me to many things the best of which was nomad mania. I was very surprised to see how my ranking ended up being on that site. Thank you Ric for putting this podcast together. Currently at 82 countries and hoping one day to be well traveled and interesting enough to appear on the program. I love to listen to your show while I am traveling as I find it motivates me to keep exploring. Thanks for everything you do. Please keep up the great work." Thanks for sharing these kind words and I hope you hit the century mark soon. I also want to say a quick hello to our fans around the world … from Paraguay to Afghanistan, from Angola to Haiti and over 100 different countries. But for now, here's my conversation with Mar who was in Singapore, the Garden City, while I was in Boston known to some as Beantown. Please listen in and enjoy.

Key Links Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We're on Amazon Alexa --------------------------------------- On today's episode, I welcome Stephen Hughes to Counting Countries. Steve and I met on the road during a visit to Iran, where we are both not allowed independent travel. I enjoyed our time together since Steve is not shy about sharing his opinions, and I knew he would be a good fit for the podcast. And this episode was a long time in the coming. We met in 2016 and recorded an episode in 2017. Unfortunately, the file was corrupted and never published. It took many months to reschedule and was finally recorded for a second time in the summer of 2018. This recording was of really, really poor quality. I was going to have to schedule a third interview. But Counting Countries is not a one-man operation. My producer/editor is Evo Terra, the author of Podcasting for Dummies, was called in for emergency help. While this podcast is not the best in audio quality, Evo was able to resurrect this interview from the grave and make it listenable. For those who have any questions on podcasting, feel free to reach out to Evo and his company Simpler Media on Facebook or the web. Back to Steve, who became interested in travel with his interest in maps, flags, and the game of Risk as a kid. He lived an unconventional life, quitting school at 16 and working at a bank. He hit the road with a friend for three years in a camper called the HammerMobile as they toured Europe at just 18. Steve shares with us falling off a three story building in Mexico, being bit by a scorpion, and almost being lost at sea. And he tells us why he was refused entry at the Canada/US border. He is considered a threat to national security. I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify and of course if you like the program, feel free write a review like hoosiergrad02 did. "One of the best travel podcasts out there. Motivates me to travel more and to places I would have never discovered before". Thanks Hoosier grad! Thanks for sharing this great feedback. Remember go to Amazon to pick up your Counting Countries T-shirt, just like Guiness World Record holder, Maurizio Giuliano recently did. Besides hosting this podcast, I also wear a couple of other hats in the world of travel. I have produced and been featured in two full-length, adventure travel films; Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. In both films, I am piloting a rickshaw for days on end in both India and Cambodia. It is amazing and authentic way to see the country and meet a lot of people. So, I made films documenting the adventure which are available on iTunes and Amazon or simply go to www.hittheroadmovie.com. And before our conversation with Steve, I will be speaking with Julian Carnal the founder of Large Minority who organizes the rally in Cambodia. For this episode, you might want to have the kids in another room due to some salty language. But for now, here's my conversation with Stephen who was in the UK while I was in Boston, home of the New England Patriots. Please listen in and enjoy. More about Stephen Hughes: Born in: Chatham UK Passports from: 2 British passports for convenience Favorite travel book: Flashman paper series; an historical travel about and lothario and a cad!! Favorite travel film: Favourite travel film; Road trips across USA stand out. Duel - Steven Spielberg's first film I think and also My Little Sunshine as they travel to the beauty pageant! Favorite travel app: Don't really use apps or travel websites but it's now our Facebook page and before it was Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Must carry: 5 books as I read voraciously when traveling Favorite food: I normally search out the spicy food but also the local traditional food wherever I am Favorite drink: Water of course but only until 4pm when it turns to booze of any type. Favorite Airline: I always use the local airlines of flying internally and don't really have a favourite long haul but if had to choose one; would probably be one of the Arab ones!

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.

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.

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.

Key links & critical information: Get your official Counting Countries apparel Listen with Spotify We're on Amazon Alexa More about Frank Grosse-Oetringhaus: Born in: Germany Passports from: Germany Website: Frank Grosse Oetringhaus Map: Nomad Mania A final note, with this episode, it will mark the end of Season 1. A great thank you to all the listeners as well as all of the great travelers I have spoken with. I look forward to speaking with all of you when Season 2 kicks off in early summer.

Key links & critical information: World Parks, Inc. SISO Club Counting Countries is now on Amazon Alexa Listen on Spotify Buy official Counting Countries apparel today More about Jeff Shea: Born in San Francisco, CA Passports from USA Favorite travel book: Bill Dalton's Indonesia Handbook 1983 Must carry: Headlamps, Neosporin, satellite phone if on an expedition Favorite food: My wife's cooking Favorite drink: Soursop juice Favorite airline: Garuda and Turkish Airlines Instagram: Travel The Whole World Website: Jeff Shea SISO: SISO Overview Map: Nomad Mania And for some trivia, Counting Countries has fans in 114 different countries, including Somalia, Togo, and Paraguay. Jeff joined me from California while I was in Bangkok, please join in and listen to today's episode.

George has set two ambitious goals. First, he wants to summit the tallest mountain on each continent. Second, he intends to travel to every country in the world. He has made great progress so far, summiting six of the seven summits and has traveled to 78 UN countries. George has climbed the highest mountain on each continent, except for Mt. Vinson Massif in Antarctica, which is quite remote and expensive to climb. George has showed true grit. His first attempt at summiting Mt. Everest ended in failure, with the peak only being a couple hundred feet away. He was not deterred and the following year he successfully submitted Mt. Everest. This feat was accomplished at great monetary and time expense. George talks about his summit of Mt. Elbrus, which nearly ended in true disaster. George has an unusual list of countries he has traveled to. He has not been to Ireland or Denmark, but he has traveled to Afghanistan, Sudan, Pakistan, and Somalia. Heshares with us why he is not fond of Burundi, and why he believes Torres de Plaines in Chile is a special place. George's episode marks a milestone for Counting Countries. This is the 50th episode. I want to thank everyone who has participated in previous interviews, and of course I want to thank the listeners for tuning in. And please, if you like the podcast, subscribe and write a review. Also, Counting Countries is now available on Spotify. And check out the Counting Countries store on Amazon. I want to thank Pong who was on Episode 44 who introduced me to George. If there is someone you want to hear on Counting Countries, please reach out to me. George joined me from Virginia while I was in Bangkok, please join in and listen to today's episode. 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! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about George Kashouh: Born in: Alexandria, VA Passports from: US Favorite travel book: Lost World of Z Favorite websites: Google Flights Must carry: My camera Favorite food: Thai food Favorite drink: Andes Cerveza Favorite airline: Emirates Favorite hotel: Hotel with the best price Instagram: Travel The Whole World Website: Travel The Whole World JR's Eco Lodge in Easter Island: Lemu Lodge Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Babis completed his quest for 193 in 2004, but has not slowed down at all. In the late 1970s, Babis backpacked the Hippy Trail which included Pakistan and Afghanistan. He eventually found his way to Sri Lanka and joined the crew of a Greek ship and travelled even further. Babis is one of the few who has traveled to both the North and South Pole. He shares with us an amazing tale of 19 hours in a helicopter traveling to the North Pole. And no travel career is complete without an arrest story. Babis found himself in a jail in Benghazi. Babis spoke about his favorite traveler, Frank Grosse Oetringhaus, who is a fellow 193er. He also shares an interesting perspective of why he is fond of William Baekeland, who he met and traveled with. Babis joined me from Greece while I was in Bangkok, please join in and listen to today's episode. 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! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Babis Bizas: Born in: Town of Arta in Northwest Greece Passports from: Greece Favorite travel book: Around The World In 80 Days Favorite travel film: Unknown Land Favorite websites: Wild Earth Travel Must carry: My camera Favorite food: Uzbek Plov Favorite drink: Airan Favorite airline: Turkish Airlines Favorite hotel: Best Western Facebook: Babis Bizas Website: Babis Bizas Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Being a lazy workaholic propelled Artemy to become one of the world's most traveled people Artemy had exploration in his DNA. As a kid he traveled the metro in Moscow visiting scores of different theaters, satisfying his passion of cinema as well as exploring the nooks and crannies of his city. As an adult, he made a pact with himself ensuring that at least once a month he would partake on a trip, whether the neighboring town or across the world. This led him to be ranked 25th on the Nomad Mania list. Artemy is a very popular and successful blogger in Russia. Artemy organizes incredible contests and trips on behalf of his fans. He has brought his fans on explorations of the Pacific via a yacht. Another adventure had Artemy driving in the dead of winter to Norilsk. Norilsk is a city located north of the Arctic Circle and is in essence an island. It is typically reached via airplane or ship. Artemy and his crew traveled overland for two weeks covering 1000 km on non-existent roads partaking on an epic roadtrip. Artemy was also a member of the now infamous expedition to Bouvet Island which included William Baekeland. Artemy touches on his experiences with William during and after the trip. Artemy joined me from Moscow while I was in Boston, please join in and listen to today's episode. And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Artemy Lebedev : Born in: Moscow, Russia Passports from: Russia Favorite travel book: Robinson Crusoe Favorite travel film: The Secret LIfe of Walter Mitty Favorite websites: Wikitravel Must carry: plug adaptor for the US Favorite food: Steak Favorite drink: Dry red wine Favorite airline: Turkish Airlines Favorite hotel: Hotel De La Paix, Siem Reap, before the renovation. Facebook: Facebook Website: Tema Map: Nomad Mania Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Jonny loves travel and he has a special interest in micronations. Jonny has met Jonathan I, Emperor of Austenasia and was the first backpacker to visit the nation. He also visited the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a unique political and geographical entity. Jonny shares stories of traveling to New Zealand and partaking in adventure sports and meeting tons of other travelers. He explains the challenges of traveling in China and the rewards that are earned by visiting this amazing nation. He shares with us the beauty of Afghanistan and his discomfort when visiting Venezuela. Jonny joined me from Poland while I was in Boston, please join in and listen to today's episode. Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Jonny Blair: Born in: Newtownards, Northern Ireland Passports from: Irish and British Favorite travel book: Micronations by Lonely Planet Favorite websites: My own website, Wikipedia, and Wandering Earl Must carry: Northern Ireland Flag Favorite food: Ulster Fry and Pierogi Favorite drink: Guiness and Earl Grey Tea Favorite airline: Ryan Air and Wizz Air Favorite hotel: Sarovar Portico, Port Blair India or Xanadu in Belize Twitter: Jonny Blair Facebook: Don't Stop Living Website: Northern Irishman in Poland and Don't Stop LivingInstagram: Jonny Don't Stop Living

Download Episode! Tony has a sense of adventure not rivaled by many. Tony heard tales of travel from his Dad, a merchant marine. He also had two opportunities to study in the USA as a student. Yet, the gift of a kidney which prevented a life of dialysis supercharged his travel life, reminding him that his life is short. And did I mention that Tony is also blind and mostly deaf. Tony shows an incredible amount of poise, courage and optimism. Tony typically travels solo and revels in the magic of travel, enjoying the interactions with locals and other travelers. Tony shares why he loves New Zealand and Iceland. He tells us why he found the Italians less than helpful. Tony shares with us how he we was kicked out of North Dakota on his first visit and about Greyhound's habit to lose his luggage. Tony has a penchant for adventure, whether it is hang gliding, bungee jumping, zip line or skydiving. He has a zest for life and exploration. Tony joined me from the UK while I was in Chicago, please join in and listen to today's episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Tony Giles: Born in: Weston-super-Mare, southwest England, UK Passports from: UK Favorite travel book: My own?! Not sure if I have any! Favorite websites: Wikitravel Must carry: Spare cane and hearing aids Favorite food: Beef/pork sausages, preferably British Favorite drink: Red Bush Tea Favorite airline: None! Favorite hotel: My own home! His book: Seeing The World My Way Facebook: Tony The Traveller Website: Tony The Traveller BBC Video: Video All photos of James provided by James Asquith Travel Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

A number of allegations have been made against William Baekeland by other members of the travel community. These allegations have not been proven in a court of law. Please listen in on this special episode. Photos provided with permission by Harry Mitsidis and Dominique Laurent. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about the guests: About Harry Mitsidis His appearance on Counting Countries About Mike Kendall Mike's map on Nomad Mania About David Langan His appearance on Counting Countries His website About Dominique Laurent His website About William Baekeland His appearance on Counting Countries Nomad Mania newsletter in regard to William Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! James is the current world record holder as the youngest person to travel to every country in the world according to the Guinness World Records James has travel DNA. His grandfather regaled him with tales of spending time in Yemen. His mother lived in Hong Kong. His father was an airline captain who flew to international locales like Senegal and Ethiopia, James sometimes accompanying. James shares with us why people make such a big difference when visiting every country in the world. And he tells us what country has the friendliest people. James tells us where the most magical sunrise is in the world. James recounts visiting Ivory Coast during a civil war and traveling to Libya after the killing of Gaddafi. And what counts as visiting a country? James and I discuss the "broken finger rule". James also has a lot of current travel initiatives currently. He recently published a book called Breaking Borders. He is also rolling out a new travel app named Holiday Swap that helps people travel the world and build new friendships. James joined me from London while I was in Bangkok, please join in and listen to today's episode. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about James Asquith: Born in: Cuckfield, UK Passports from: UK Favorite travel book: Into The Wild Favorite travel film: Cloud Atlas, not travel specifically but more on relationships and interconnectivity Favorite websites: Holiday Swap, obviously ;) Must carry: Passport and money. Nothing else is necessary. I travel really light and there is nothing I need except the essentials to get me places. Everything else I'll figure out along the way (I hope!) Favorite food: Anything that are Italian staples, meats and cheeses with some wine and I'm all set! Favorite drink: If I'm being boring a gin and tonic is the go to, but anything out of a pineapple or coconut always gets my attention! Favorite airline: Cathay Pacific. Good product and quality service Favorite hotel: No comment, conflict of interest :) Instagram: James Asquith Travel His book: Breaking Borders His travel app: Holiday Swap Guinness World Record: James's record All photos of James provided by James Asquith Travel Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Pong has travel in his blood. He started traveling to nearby Asian countries and Europe with his parents as a kid. Pong spent a year as a thirteen year old in Bangalore, India learning English at a strict boarding school. He continued his schooling in Canada as he went to high school and university. Instead of heading back to Thailand on summer break he ended up visiting his classmate in the middle of Russia in the Urals for two months, living like a local. During university, he took a year off, and began a backpacking trip to the Middle East which included Syria. Owning his own business has allowed Pong a lot of flexibility in his travels. Pong shares with us why he loves South Africa and why he is not fond of the Gulf States. He takes us to current conflict zones likes Afghanistan and Venezuela. He tells us why he loves the natural beauty of DRC and the hospitality he received in Iran. And Pong shares with us the magic of travel, when he met a random South African family who drove him around showing Pong the real South Africa before dropping him off at the stadium for a World Cup match. New Partnership!! Counting Countries and Every Passport Stamp are excited to announce our partnership with Young Pioneer Tours. YPT has been in business for 10 years and specializes in leading tours to places country counters love to visit. We are announcing our first tour with YPT - Socotra on May 6th. This is a private charter that will depart from Oman and arrive to Socotra the following day, YPT has met with the Yemeni Ambassador to approve this trip YPT is offering Counting Countries and Every Passport Stamp listeners and members a special 5% discount. To get the discount, you must email ric@gazarian initially. Read more details on the trip to Socotra and how to get the discount. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our friends: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World and Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Pongtharin Tanthasindhu: Born in: Thailand Passports from: Thailand Passport ranking: Thai passport ranked 108th in the world Favorite travel film: Into The Wild and Long Way Round Favorite websites: Uber, Google Maps, Google Translate, TripAdvisor Must carry: Laptop and headlamp Favorite food: Thai, Indian and Japanese Favorite drink: Beer and Pina Colada Favorite Airline: Turkish Airlines Map: Nomad Mania Facebook: Pong Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Arvi is nearly finished in completing his quest to travel to all 193 countries, and has had some amazing experiences on the way. Arvi only has 15 countries left and is hoping to finish this quest in the next year. During his travels, he has visited both Antarctica and the North Pole. He sailed around Antarctica from New Zealand to Chile, stopping and visiting McMurdo Station via helicopter during his 30 day cruise. He joined a Russian nuclear ice-breaker as it journeyed to the North Pole. Arvi shares with us why he is fond of Macedonia, thinks Paris is overrated, and why Nigeria is not one of his favorites. Arvi tells us about crossing the border from India to Bhutan as he motor-biked in Bhutan in the early 1970s, when tourism did not even exist. And Arvi will most likely be our first guest who travels to outer space. He has placed his deposit with Virgin Galactic and heopes to be traveling to space in 2019. Arvi shares with us what it is like hanging out with Richard Branson who he has met through being a client of VG. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Arvinder Bahal: Born in: Agra, India Passports from: USA Favorite travel film: Around The World In 80 Days Must carry: My camera and insect repellant Favorite food: Italian Food Favorite drink: Black Tea Favorite Airline: Used to be Continental Airlines, now I fly everyone. Favorite Hotel: Airbnb Facebook: Arvi Bahal Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Listen to Nina's inspiring story to learn how an offhand comment by a friend set her on the path of becoming one of the approximately 10 women who have visited every country in the world. Nina grew up in Frankfurt in a single parent home. As a child she dipped her toe in the water and traveled within Europe, visiting England on a language exchange program. She began to travel and explore more after university visiting a couple dozen countries. At the age of 36, she quit her job in the corporate world so she could focus more on counting countries. Nina shares with us her love of and passion for travel, of speaking multiple languages, witnessing beautiful wildlife, and meeting and interacting with locals. Nina shares her love of safari, the beauty of the Serengeti, and watching the wildebeest migration. She talks about the remoteness of the Orkney islands, and her frustration getting visas...for iran, turkmenistan, and equatorial guinea. She tells us a story of watching a gorilla slap a tourist in Rwanda. She talks of petting a cute domesticated warthog in south africa. Nina is also a twice published author, with a third book on the way. Her first book stayed on the german best selling list for 70 weeks. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Nina Sedano: Born in: Frankfurt, Germany Passports from: Germany Favorite travel book: I love the book about all Unesco-World Heritage Sites Favorite travel film: The film 'Out of Africa' with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, although not a travel film, had a special impact on me when young regarding the black continent Must carry: Female sanitary stuff, handkerchiefs, books and in most countries toilet paper, a torch, camomile tea for my stomach Favorite food: Thai green curry with beef, lemongrass, eggplant or tortellini with ham+cream sauce Favorite drink: Tea in all varieties Favorite Airline: Lufthansa/Emirates Map: Nomad Mania Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Ella made a drastic decision after graduating university and starting her first corporate job. She quit on her 89th day. Despite having a great opportunity in the corporate world, she realized quickly that she craved a life of independence and freedom. She ended up living in Rwanda working for a NGO for 6 months. And this started a transition to becoming a digital nomad and beginning a career as an elite success coach. This new role allowed her the flexibility to live where she wanted to live as she grew her business. As she gained more success, she began to travel and explore more often. Ella shares with us why she loves Thailand, believes Paraguay is interesting, and why she is not fond of Dubai. We also talk about her upcoming road trip to West Africa. During this conversation, Ella joined me from Spain while I was in Chicago on Skype. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Ellany Lea: Born in: Montreal, Canada Passports from: Canada Favorite travel book: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Favorite travel film: Contact Favorite travel site: Tripcase Must carry: Bose noise-cancelling earbuds Favorite food: Authentic Pad Thai Favorite drink: Thai iced tea Favorite Hotel: Four Seasons Jimbaran, Bali Favorite Airline: Singapore Airlines Website: Ellany Lea Facebook: Ellany Lea Instagram: Ellany Lea Map: Nomad Mania Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! A family that travels together stays together. Jakob travels frequently with his girlfriend and two young children. Jakob travels often with his girlfriend and two young children. Family vacations include overland West African road trips, visits to Somaliland, and family excursions to Afghanistan. His children aged 10 and 8 respectively have traveled to 72 and 55 countries respectively. Jakob also hits the road solo as well. He recounts witnessing a secretive Satanic ritual in West Africa. He overviews his attempt to travel overland from Antarctica to the Arctic over 10 months. Jakob was fortunate to visit Cambodia in the early 90s when the Khmer Rouge still reigned. He visited Angkor Wat when there were virtually no tourists. Cambodia was a bit lawless, where travel sometimes required armored cars where the machine gunner's bullets cost extra and where marijuana came for free at your guest house. During this conversation, Jakob joined me from Copenhagen while I was in Chicago on Skype. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Jakob Øster: Born in: Denmark Passports from: 2 Danish passports (one valid for 10 years and one valid for 2 years.) Favorite travel book: And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (about Afghanistan, by the author of The Kite Runner and Under A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway.= Favorite travel film: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (because it is funny, has beautiful locations and brilliantly portrays the contrast between everyday working life and adventure). Favorite travel site: App: Google Maps (and Check My Trip, Booking.com, Airbnb, TripAdvisor) Website: flightconnections.com – Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, Wikitravel. Wikipedia. Must carry: Solo: I almost always carry my extremely small and thin travel pillow and my sarong-sleeping-bag (good for when it is hot or not too clean). Family: We always carry a deck of cards and a game of UNO (and play a hell of a lot). Favorite food: Two national Danish dishes that my girlfriend cooks very well: "Stegt flæsk og persillesovs" (fried pork belly with potatoes and a parsley sauce) and "flæskesteg med brun sovs" (Danish version of roast pork with gravy). I also like Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Mexican food (I eat pretty much everything). Favorite drink: "BMW" (Baileys Mitt Whiskey) alcohol mixed with alcohol what more can one wish for and Carlsberg because it is probably the best. Favorite Hotel: There are many. I don't like fancy, traditional hotels very much since I think they usually have no soul. I usually prefer guesthouses in historical buildings and with the possibility to meet other travelers. One example: Hotel Shreenath Palace, Jaisalmer, Indien – 200 year old "Haveli". Favorite Airline: Turkish (for being the airline with routes to most individual countries) and for their fresh orange juice (that they have now tragically abandoned!) Website: Expedition Everywhere and Jakob Oester Facebook: Jakob Øster Twitter: expeverywhere Instagram: exp.everywhere Map: Nomad Mania Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will

Download Episode! Maurizio was a travel outlier at a young age. Riding the rails in Europe independently as a 13 year old. At 17, he left Italy to travel the Trans-Siberian to visit his penpal in Mongolia. After university in the UK, be began an international career as a journalist and NGO worker. This allowed ample opportunity to travel and lives overseas. Maurizio has spent time living in Haiti, Brazil, Mali, Sudan, Afghanistan, Central African Republic amongst others. Maurizio shares with us why he loves Gabon and Cameroon. Maurizio has traveled to Tokelau, one of the remote places in the world in the Pacific, and recounts his journey. Maurizio lived in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. He met his future wife in Kabul. And he had his wedding in Kabul, but yet he and his wife were traveling with the wedding held in their honor. Maurizio spent time in Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Maurizio in 2004 held the Guinness World Record for being the youngest traveler to visit every country in the world. In August 2013, James Asquith, a Brit, became the youngest, Eric Nguyen, who has been on this show previously, has claimed to be the youngest, beating James Asquith's record. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Maurizio Giuliano: Born in: Milan, Italy Passports from: Italy and UK Favorite travel book: Lonely Planet Guides Favorite travel film: Seven Years In Tibet Favorite travel site: I use all of them, but don't have a favorite. Must carry: At least five passports lol 😃 as well as ink pads in case immigration officers don't have enough ink, and a mousepad to make the stamping more even. Favorite food: Anything ethnic. Favorite drink: Like trying everything. Favorite Airline: KLM Favorite Hotel: IHG Facebook: Maurizio Giuliano Twitter: Maurizio1975 Map: No point as it's all red except Western Sahara 😃 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Fabio is closing in on his goal of 193 countries as he narrows down the list! Fabio was born in Milan and spread his wings as a model as he travelled to Miami and then moved to East and Southeast Asia before he was even 20 years old. Before he knew it, he had visited dozens of countries and he was on his quest. Fabio shares with us why Kabul and Caracas are the most dangerous cities in the world. Fabio recently visited Libya, and explains how he wrangled a visa and what his experience was like visiting Tripoli. Fabio has visited the Pygmies of Burundi and the Maasai of Kenya. Fabio tells us why he loves both Hong Kong and the Cheesecake Factory. He shares with us why he doesn't want to visit Djibouti City or Belize City again. And Fabio tells us why Uzbekistan is an underrated country. Fabio joined me on Skype today from London, while I was in Boston. Please listen in and enjoy! . Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Fabio Cao: Born in: Milan, Italy Passports from: Italy Favorite travel book: Any motivational book or biography. Favorite travel film: Any film with Al Pacino or Johnny Depp. Favorite travel site: WikiTravel Favorite food: Chocolate Favorite drink: Lemonade Favorite Airline: Emirates Favorite Hotel: Marina Bay Sands Instagram: Fabio Cao Map: Nomad Mania His Hostel: No Limit Hostels Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Drew is 26 and has already been to 110 countries and holds two Guinness World Records. As a ten year old, Drew spun a globe in his room and memorized the countries of the world. As a college student, he did a semester abroad in Prague and visited 20 European countries. After college, he moved to a small town in South Korea to teach English and started his travel blog. Drew now travels full time professionally and works with brands and tourism boards who support his travels. He details during the podcast how he makes a living as a travel blogger. He shares with us why he has been to McDonald's in over 50 countries and what his favorite food is. Drew tells us what his favorite beach is in the Philippines and why he is not fond of Egypt. He shares with us why he believes Kyrgyzstan will become a popular destination. And Drew recounts how he survived a fatal bus crash in India. Drew joins me on Skype today from the Philippines while I am in Boston, Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Drew Binsky: Born in: AZ, US Passports from: US Website: Drew Binsky Facebook: Drew Binsky Twitter: Drew Binsky Instagram: Drew Binsky Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Randy is a well-known radio personality who happens to be on a quest to travel to every country in the world. Randy became intrigued with travel while listening to his Spanish teacher's travel stories. At the age of 26, he ventured abroad for the first time, and immediately became smitten with Brazil. He traveled there over 30 times, and lived there for two years. While discovering Brazil he decided to visit every country in the Americas before the age of 40. That goal transitioned to visiting all UN countries. Randy enjoys visiting those countries which are less visited. He spent New Year Eve's in Tripoli. He also recently visited South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nauru, and North Korea. Yet, he has not been to Greece, Turkey or Egypt. On the podcast Randy shares with us many travel tales. Randy was stopped in the Tripoli airport when departing and had several items confiscated from his bag. When crossing into Burundi, he picked up a police escort who did not leave his side, and encouraged Randy to buy many drinks for him and his friend in the bar. Randy also shares why he hates the city of Clorinda, Argentina. And he tells us where to find the best beach vendor in the world. Randy began his radio career as a teenager. Today, his syndicated radio show, Sunday Night Slow Jams, is heard in over 130 cities and in nine different countries. In fact, Randy visits radio stations when traveling and has made some sales of his show. Randy was also featured on Shark Tank. Check out the links below. And please listen in and enjoy the show. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Randy Williams: Born in: IL, USA Passports from: USA Favorite travel book: Wild Coast Favorite travel film: The Madagascar Journals (WATCH THIS!!! AMAZING! Favorite travel site: Starting to love Million Mile Secrets. I also like the simple "BEEN" app. Must carry: iPhone Favorite food: Sonoran Mexican food (BEST carne asada in the WORLD!) Favorite drink: Egg Nog Favorite Airline: Icelandair and Tam Favorite Hotel: For less expensive, I love the Hyatt Place brand, but have been rollin' with SPG hard for the past two years. Specific hotel? I had the best room ever in Prague at The Paris Hotel (Tower Suite) Website: RamblinRandy Facebook: Ramblin' Randy Shark Tank: Randy on Shark Tank His Syndicated Show: Slow Jams Map: Randy's Map Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! At the age of 24, Eric visited his last UN country beating Guinness World Record Holder, James Asquith. Eric grew up in northern California, the son of Vietnamese immigrants. He had the opportunity of international travel with his family growing up. But his travel began in earnest when he went backpacking in East and Southeast Asia when he was just 18. He was inspired to visit every country in the world and attempt to break the world record for three reasons. First, Eric was inspired by world traveler and former guest, Gunnar Garfors. Second, Eric learned about James Asquith, the Guinness World Record Holder at the time, the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. But the final catalyst was a meeting with his college professor who encouraged him to see the world when he was young. Eric at times threw caution into the wind when pursuing his quest. He couchsurfed in Libya, while local militias learned of his presence. He had a very challenging time in West Africa. He was in a motorcycle accident. Eric also caught malaria and was robbed while he recovered in his hospital room. Eric crossed into Yemen at the Omani border. Later, he attempted to return to Oman, but was denied entry. For five days, Eric was held in a detention center at the border. Eric celebrated in May when he arrived in his last country of Eritrea. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Eric Nguyen: Born in: USA Passports from: USA Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Dustin balanced his career as a dentist while completing all 193 UN countries and then some. Dustin grew up in small town America yet ended up living in Singapore working as a dentist. Despite a childhood of limited travel, he spread his travel wings after settling in Singapore and began to discover the region. Dustin shares with us an amazing collection of travel stories. He crossed the border into Syria from Lebanon as an invited guest of Syria. Dustin was the keynote speaker at a medical conference in Damascus. He was banned from entering Israel and had to hire an attorney so he could attempt another visit. Dustin couchsurfed in Burundi and ended up in jail. He met his host in Afghanistan on Tinder. Dustin tells us why the Maldives is one of his least favorite countries. And Dustin also gave back when traveling, including spending two days providing dental treatment to half of the population of Pitcairn Island. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Dustin Pfundheller: Born in: Altoona, WI, USA Passport: USA Favorite travel site: Couchsurfing, Tinder, Google maps, maps.me, Whatsapp Website: Wandering Dentist Facebook: Wandering Dentist Map: The Best Traveled Book Mentioned On The Podcast: 198: How I Ran Out Of Countries by Gunnar Garfors Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Thomas grew up behind the Iron Curtain, joined the military to travel, and now lives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thomas was raised in in East Germany in modest circumstances, with virtually no travel in his life. He joined the military for 12 years which allowed him the opportunity to travel. During that time he traveled to hotspots like Afghanistan and Kosovo. After the military, he settled in Saudi Arabia with a career that allowed him to continue traveling. Thomas keeps an aggressive travel schedule, adding in 20 new countries a year. He also likes to incorporate athletics into his travel, participating in multiple triathlons. Check out why he is fond of Nepal, but not so much on Brazil. And listen in where he will be celebrating his 40th birthday this summer. . Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Thomas Brackmann: Born in: Potsdam, Germany Passports from: German Favorite travel film: The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Favorite travel site: Skyscanner Favorite food: Carbohydrate gel and Doener Kebab Favorite drink: Water and Red Bull & vodka Favorite Airline: Emirates Favorite Hotel: Radisson Blu, Bahrain Facebook: Thomas Brackmann Instagram: Thomas Brackmann His Bar In Bucharest: MOJO Club Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Thanos is on a quest to visit every country in the world and has already visited 146 UN countries. Thanos initial focus in life was education and business, not travel. In fact, one of his first overseas trips was a basic package trip to Sri Lanka. After completing his doctorate in theoretical physics and starting his own business in India his life eventually transitioned into a life of travel. Now adventures include summiting the seven summits with three already completed. Thanos also enjoys road trips like a 3 week, 3000 km motorbike trip across Mongolia. Thanos also appreciates a good land crossing such as when he entered Mali and ended up spending the night in jail. Thanos will also share with you why he needs to go back to Laos. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Thanos Koukoutsakis: Born in: Greece Passports from: Greek Favorite travel book: Around The World In 80 Days Favorite travel film: Documentaries about mountaineering and the arctic explorers. Favorite travel site: maps.me Must carry: US dollars! Favorite food: My mother's top 5 dishes! Favorite drink: Hot chocolate and Baileys. Website: Thanos Blog and Travelers Africa Facebook: Thanos Travels Instagram: Thanos Travels Map: Thanos's Map Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Audrey is a member of an elite club of female travelers who have traveled to all 193 UN countries. I thought it was important to have a member of this club to speak on the podcast in regard to the media's claim that Cassie DePecol is the first woman to travel to every country in the world. This false narrative has been embraced by the public. During the podcast, we speak about this controversy and Audrey shares her perspective on being a woman who has accomplished this feat. Audrey's first international foray took place in 1969 as she traced her ethnic roots to Soviet Lithuania and recounts how a group of Soviet officers serenaded her. Other stories include visiting China during the 1980s and almost being shot in Ethiopia. Please listen in on how Audrey as a mother and grandmother accomplished this amazing quest. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. More about Audrey Walsworth: Born in: Chicago Passports from: USA Favorite travel film: Out Of Africa Must carry: Kindle Favorite food: Nasi Goreng Favorite drink: Chinese Beer Favorite Airline: Singapore Airlines Favorite Hotel: Peninsula in Bangkok Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Gary sold his house and all of his belongings in 2007 and began his life of travel. Gary over his 10 years of travel has established himself as an elite travel blogger with an expertise in photography. Gary shares with us many tales from the road. Gary, single handedly, changed the visa rules for the Pacific Island of Kiribati with one email. He tells us why his motorbike driver pulled his gun as they made their way to the contested Temple of Preah Vihear at the Cambodian/Thai border. And Gary also spends a lot of time exploring national parks, and tells us why his favorite national park is in Canada. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. More about Gary Arndt: Born in: USA Passports from: USA Website: Gary Arndt Twitter: @EverywhereTrip Instagram: Everything Everywhere Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Lee has led an incredible life, traveling to all 193 countries and being the youngest American to accomplish this feat at that time. And he is only 6 territories away from completing the Travelers Century Club. Lee travels in style whether it is entering his 193rd country under a hail of gunfire or hanging out with Prince Harry in Antarctica. Lee grew up in modest circumstances and began his travel with a semester abroad in London. This trip and the loss of his friends on 9/11 sparked his interest in travel. Lee was motivated to complete the Travelers Century Club after he read an article about Charles Veley accomplishing the TCC list. He shares with us the high and lows of traveling in Africa. Lee recounts summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro and spotting lions in the Serengeti. And also, how even the ATMs in Nigeria are in on the scam. Lee shares his journey to off-the- beaten path places like Tuvalu (awful experience) and Pitcairn Islands (rewarding experience). Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partners and sponsors: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. More about Lee Abbamonte: Born in: CT, USA Passports from: USA Website: Lee Abbamonte Facebook: Lee Abbamonte Twitter: @LeeAbbamonte Instagram: Lee Abbamonte Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! João is a quintuple threat. He is a professor, an entrepreneur, a father of seven, a romantic, and a believer in all of the world's religions. The professor shares his amazing stories of traveling the world. As a romantic he has married his wife eight times in different ceremonies around the world, including their first in Addis Ababa with a honeymoon in South Sudan. He spent time in a Yemeni jail cell that conveniently included wifi allowing for some Facebook updates. He avoided being strip searched in the Congo with a well placed bribe. And the professor traveled the Karakoram Highway, one of the world's highest paved roads in the world. The trip ended in Pakistan where he raised thousands of Euros to help Pakistanis who were affected by the severe floods. The professor's travels began in earnest when he began competing with his cousin. The professor has been to all 193 UN countries, 292 places on the TCC list, and is the 35th most traveled on The Best Traveled. He recently returned from the British Indian Ocean Territory via ship from the Seychelles. This military island is one of the most difficult places to travel to in the world. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about João Paulo Peixoto: Born in: Portugal Passports from: PortugalFavorite travel book: Flash ou le grand voyage Favorite travel film: Any movie of James Bond, Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones. Favorite travel site: The Best Traveled Must carry: iPhone Favorite food: Uyghur food – all of it. Favorite drink: Wine Favorite Hotel: Anna of Zanzibar Favorite Airline: Ethiopian Airline Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoaoPauloPeixotoViagens/ https://www.facebook.com/joaoleitaoVIAGENS https://www.facebook.com/blogViajarentreViagens https://www.facebook.com/almadeviajante Map: The Best Traveled Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Sepp left his family farm in Austria in 1985, and he did not see his family until 1995, when he returned after visiting every country in the world. Sepp is a vagabond at heart as he traveled the world with his guitar. He traveled non-stop for 19 years as he traveled to every country in the world at that time (190 countries). He nearly lost his life on more than one occasion, as he battled gun wielding attackers in Nigeria, and hepatitis in Angola. He was both drugged and arrested in China prior to its opening to the west. Sepp also shares a different perspective since his travels took place pre-internet, with all of the difficulties from communications to managing money. He shares with us the beauty of Libya under Gaddafi. His ten year journey, ended as he walked the final few kilometers to his family farm, as he nailed his backpack to the wall, to mark the end of his journey. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Sepp Kaiser: Born in: Wilhelmsburg, Austria Passports from: Austria Favorite travel book: Mostly I enjoy English travel writers (Bruce Chatwin, Michal Palin) but also Dave Barry … Writers who don't take themselves too seriously and have a good sense of humor. Favorite travel film: Again, I appreciate very much English travel documentaries. Must carry: For me a good book and music was always very important to use the time pleasantly when I got stuck somewhere, as I mostly was hitchhiking. Favorite food: My problem is rather, that there are not many dishes I don't like at all! Favorite drink: Beer, you can drink almost everywhere and you get it served even cold in the deepest African bush. Favorite Hotel: Hotel Relais de la Reine Ranohira in Ranohira, Madagascar Website: Sepp Kaiser Map: Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Dave's travel and life has morphed into one collective. He began his travel career after graduation with the start of his travel blog, Dave's Travel Corner and has been travelling ever since. Over the past 20 years Dave has managed to visit 140 UN recognized countries in a quest to discover and experience true travel. He does not have a specific stated goal of visiting every country, but through his desire to discover the world he has already managed to visit 140 countries, with a target of visiting ten plus new countries a year. Dave's other quest is to visit every winery in Napa Valley. He has visited approximately 850 of the 1,000 wineries. Dave shares with us how he nearly perished on his first true international trip as he trekked to Everest Base Camp and had to be carried off the mountain after being felled by altitude and food sickness. This challenging event spurred him on to travel even more. Dave shares more stories from traveling independently in Papua New Guinea to backpacking in Yemen. Dave also provides some insights on running his travel blog for 20 years and the benefits of "free" travel. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Dave Levart: Born in: Redding, USA Passports from: USA and Italy (EU) Favorite travel film: Last Stop For Paul Favorite travel book: The Places in Between and Papillon Favorite travel site: Google Map Must carry: My camera. Favorite food: Many different fruits. Favorite drink: Hungarian Tokaj Favorite Airline: Anyone that will get me there safely Favorite Hotel: Something unique ritzy or rustic, the extremes Website: Dave's Travel Corner and Napa Wine Project Facebook: Dave's Travel Corner Twitter: @DaveDTC Instagram: Dave's Travel Corner Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! David is traveling to every country and sending home a postcard! David has a passion for stamps and postcards. The first has helped him finance some of his travels while he has sent a postcard home from every country and territory he has traveled to. He started traveling as an intrepid teenager on a solo trip to the Pacific Islands after saving money for three years. Today, his travel adventures have spanned five different decades with no end in sight. He has traveled to some of the most remote corners of the world from Pitcairn Island to Tristan da Cunha, where he met the one and only Elvis impersonator. Listen in on this amazing tale of travel. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about David Langan: Born in: Dublin, Ireland Passports from: Ireland Favorite travel book: Hard to say. I like so many. But I do like The Teatime Islands by Ben Fogle. This was the book that got me into extreme travel. I also like Inviting the World at Home by Rolf Weuburg Favorite travel film: I have none to hand that I can think off. But in the late 1970s I got a video showing tourism on Christmas Island (Kiribati ) and wore that tape out. I have a love of the Pacific and visited remote islands in 1980. Favorite travel site: I use WorldMate and that works great for me. Also I use "Mark O Travel ". You can keep track of when you visited each destination. Must carry: A Lonely Planet Guide when it is up to date. Favorite food: I am a foodie , so I enjoy all types of food. Favorite drink: During travel I rarely drink alcohol . So is is usually Coke which I never drink when in Ireland. I prefer milk ... Favorite Airline: Emirates Airlines Favorite Hotel: Pacific Resort Aitutaki Website: Post and Travel Map: The Best Travelled Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Lawrence is on a quest to travel to every country in the world while honoring his uncle, by spreading his ashes in every country. Uncle James was a free spirit and travel pioneer who inspired Lawrence to travel even more. Lawrence lost his uncle to cancer and wanted to honor his memory. Lawrence is now traveling to every country in the world as well as the 325 regions noted in Travelers' Century Club to spread his ashes. Lawrence has braved the streets of Mogadishu and has been detained by North Korea while pursuing this quest. Lawrence is based in The Gambia where he moved with Uncle James in the 1990s. Their goal was to protect and preserve the environment and culture and along the way they built a beautiful lodge. For years, they lived off the land, camping in the forest, with no running water or electricity. Today, Lawrence joins me on Skype from England while I am in Boston. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Including a chapter on Lawrence. More about Lawrence Williams: Born in: Walton-Upon-Thames, Surrey, UK Passport from: United Kingdom Favorite travel book: On The Road Favorite travel film: Into The Wild Favorite travel site: Kayak Must carry: iPhone Favorite food: Pizza Favorite drink: Grenadine and soda Favorite Airline: Emirates Favorite Hotel: Shangrila Lhasa Instagram: @larrymakasutu Check out his lodge in The Gambia: mandinalodges.com and gambia.co.uk Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Don has traveled to 851 places of the 875 places listed on the Most Traveled People list. He is number one on the list, making him the most traveled person using this benchmark. Don has been traveling and discovering the world since the 1960s when he worked in a factory in Germany on an exchange program. He has an incredible passion for history and connecting events and people throughout time. He has traveled to the Soviet Union in the 1960s as well as traveling to each 83 political subdivisions. He has been traveling to China for over four decades witnessing the changes in the rising dragon. He shares with us some of his favorite places to visit including Socotra Island, Iguazu Falls, the Panama Canal, Ayers Rock, and the Grand Canyon. The MTP contains incredibly remote islands in the Pacific and the Atlantic which are only reachable via chartered boats. He has made over 60 of these challenging and risky trips, including places like the Pitcairn Island, with less than 50 residents, Marion Island, and Bouvet Island. Please listen in on this fascinating conversation with Don. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Don Parrish: Born in: Washington, DC Passports from: USA Favorite travel book: Richard Halliburton's "Book of Marvels" -- which I got for Christmas in 1955. It changed my life. Favorite travel site: Google -- this is the universal way to get started Must carry: My pillow. It makes long flights in coach that much easier, and avoids neck problems when sleeping in hotels. Favorite food: I enjoy most foods and cuisines, e.g., Greek food, Peking Duck, Shabu Shabu, mediterranean food, Salmon. Favorite drink: Water, regular coke, glass of red wine. Favorite Airline: It doesn't matter because I am often traveling on no-name airlines to remote places in economy. Favorite Hotel: Dwarika's hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal. Website: Don Parrish Map: Most Traveled People Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Rick has managed to travel the world while raising a family heading an international marketing firm! Rick was inspired to travel by his globe-trotting grandmother and a visit to the World Expo as a child. He spent over a month in Bucharest during Ceaușescu reign in the early 1980s. And during a 6 month backpacking trip through Europe he crossed Checkpoint Charlie and toured Tito's Yugoslavia. He also shares some of his favorite travel experiences in the Galapagos and on safari. He is an avid runner who has finished marathons from Buenos Aires to Budapest. Please listen in and enjoy! Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Rick Shaver: Born in: Montreal Passports from: Canada Favorite travel book: The Drifters Favorite travel film: Any films from Michael Palin of the BBC travel series … Pole to Pole. Favorite travel site: Most Traveled People Must carry: Running gear Favorite food: Pizza and curry Favorite drink: Beer Travel Map: Rick's Most Traveled People Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! An intrepid traveller who has travelled to over 100 countries and has a special place in her heart for the continent of Africa. Lillie is a Peruvian native who arrived in the US as an exchange student. Avoiding the violence of the Shining Path in her home country she opted for a new life in America. She began her international travels with a group bus trip across Europe and quickly graduated to more challenging adventures. She toured multiple countries in South America on the back of a motorcycle. Lillie traveled overland with her mother between Cameroon and Central African Republic. She is very fond of Africa and has traveled to this vast continent 12 times. And finally, listen in, on how Lillie kissed a South American president. Please enjoy this episode of Counting Countries. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. More about Lillie Echevarria: Born in: Lima, Peru Passports from: USA Favorite travel book: Investment Biker Favorite travel film: The Motorcycle Diaries Favorite travel site: Tripadvisor, Booking.com Must carry: Smartphone, visor, debit/credit cards Favorite food: Hard to choose … but Italian and Peruvian are at the top of the list Favorite drink: Wine Favorite Airline: Nowadays whoever has the best price and route Favorite Hotel: Sun City, Las Casitas de Colca, El Monasterio, Mt Nelson Travel Map: Most Travelled People Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Stefan has been able to strike a great balance between life and travel. Stefan has a full time job and is married, yet still has managed to travel to 186 countries. Stefan's passion for the Chinese language in school led him to studying, working, and living in China for eight years. He also managed to visit every province in the country. With detailed planning and with an expertise in travel hacking, Stefan has managed to live a life of travel and exploration. Despite working full time has has managed with business trips and his vacations to methodically travel the world. Listen in as he shares amazing travel stories of exploring Djibouti, dealing with a missing baby in Saudi Arabia, and why Tunisia is his favorite country. Please enjoy this episode of Counting Countries. Subscribe on iTunes today! More about Stefan Krasowski: Born in: Minneapolis, Minnesota Passports from: Two, valid US passports Favorite travel book: My first Lonely Planet China book Favorite travel film: I still have not seen Up in the Air. Favorite travel site: maps.me for offline navigation around he world. Must carry: Small Chinese umbrella with UV liner for rain and sun, yes, a parasol. Favorite food: If I had to pick one dish to eat every day for the rest of my life, it is Korean bibimbap. Favorite drink: Fruit juices, my favorite is soursop. Favorite Airline: My wife's favorite is Korean Airlines, when she flies happy, we are both happy Favorite Hotel: Shanghai Holiday Inn Pudong, I used to stay a lot for business, within a 5-minute walk there are a ton of restaurants where I can get all my Shanghai favorites, bubble tea, and even great Xinjiang food; for glamorous in Shanghai, by the way, Hotel Indigo on the Bund is that fantastic boutique style that is cool and fun, like 1920s art deco Shanghai with a colorful modern twist. Website: Rapid Travel Chai Facebook: Rapid Travel Chai Twitter: Rapid Travel Chai Instagram: Rapid Travel Chai Travel Map: Stefan's Map with The Best Travelled. Travel Hacking Tips: Travel Hacks Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 225 countries and territories. The Century Club states that there are 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.

Download Episode! Sal has travel in his blood. He was born to an Italian father and German mother who began a quest to visit every state in the US when he was a kid. And Sal attended a boarding school with fellow students from 80 different countries. Sal is only 26 but has already traveled to 151 countries and has 193 in his sites. If he continues traveling at this fast pace, he might be the youngest American to travel to every country. He attended a true global high school where visiting a friend entailed a long distance flight to distant country. Attending university included two semesters abroad in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Sal then settled in Abu Dhabi after graduation to begin his work career which took him to many countries, including hard to enter, Saudi Arabia. He has strong ties to Tanzania where he visits often. Sal founded a NGO, Trail of Seeds, which brought him to Tanzania. Sal is joining me on Skype from Cambodia and I am in Bangkok. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on iTunes today! More about Sal Lavallo: Born in: Indiana, USA Passports from: USA Favorite travel book: So many! Shadow of the Sun, Chasing the Devil, Leo Africanus. Favorite travel site: Wikitravel Must carry: Kindle and camera. Favorite food: Any fruits and vegetables! Favorite drink: Coconut water. Favorite Airline: Etihad Airlines Favorite Hotel: Any Starwood Hotel (Westin, Sheraton, W, etc.). Instagram: 193 Journeys Map: Sal's Map Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com 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 225 countries and territories. The Century Club states that there are 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique 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. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.