Charles Veley … And The Commitment To Travel
Charles has traveled to every country in the world and is the founder of MTP I had known of Charles for many years, both his accomplishments and the Most Traveled People. I had the opportunity to meet Charles in person at the Extreme Travel International Congress at the Principality of Sealand. He was one of the 25 travelers at the congress and I was able to sit next to him at one meal and listen in on his travel stories. I am reminding you that Counting Countries is now partnered with Patreon. Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries. And thanks to my other patrons, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, and Adam Hickman. As thanks, they are able to listen to additional interviews like the extra interview I did with Per Besson and Petro Marias, only available to them. Before I speak with Charles, I want to introduce Counting Countries’s new partner, Untamed Borders. Untamed Borders is well known in our community for [...]
Meeting Prince James And Liam Of The Principality Of Sealand
Meeting Prince James And Liam Of The Principality Of Sealand. Let’s face it, many people around the world are fascinated with the royals. Just think of the obsession with Princes Diana or the weddings of Harry & Meghan and William & Kate. Royal family intrigue is not typically of interest to me, but I had the awesome opportunity to meet with Prince James and Prince Liam during a recent visit to Europe. There are many expectations when you are meeting with royalty. Will they be a pompous jerk, a dismissive twerp, or an empty-headed royal? Well, I am pleased to note that Prince James and Prince Liam were down-to-earth, regular guys. You might not recall seeing Prince James or Liam’s faces splashed across People Magazine or the Daily Mail; they are lesser known royals. The Princes are third generation royals of the Principality of Sealand, an independent sovereign nation found in the North Sea near the port city of Harwich in England. The Principality was founded in 1967 when their grandfather, Prince Paddy Roy Bates, stormed [...]
Where To Eat In Lahore
Where to eat in Lahore. Lahore is a giant metropolis in the state of Punjab, only an hour drive from India. I have chosen a couple of my favorite places to eat in the city. Heera Chargha - Temple Road If you like grilled chicken … and I mean a lot of tasty, fresh grilled chicken you got to go to Heera Chargha. Sit down, pull up your chair, and wait for giant platters of succulent chicken to be piled up on the table. Then expect non-stop plates of fresh naan bread to be delivered. Break off a piece of bread, and grab a hunk of chicken. The chicken is barbecued right on the street in front of the restaurant. This is a down to earth restaurant that is popular with the locals. BKT, Butt Karahi Tikka - 17 Temple Road, Safanwala Chowk This is the place to go for Karahi style chicken. The chicken is combined with ginger, coriander, garlic, chili in a slow cook curry. The restaurant is packed all of time with locals descending on this [...]
The People Of Peshawar
The people of Peshawar. Visiting Peshawar Pakistan. Peshawar is ancient city whose history can be traced back 2500 years. It is one of the oldest cities in the world. Peshawar sits in a valley and is only 30 miles (50 km) from the Afghan border. In fact, the main ethnic group in the Peshawar region is the same majority ethnic group found in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns. Arguably the Pashtun people are artificially separated into two different countries when Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat, and Emir Khan, the Afghan leader, agreed to the creation of the Durand Line. The Durand Line served as the demarcation point between independent Afghanistan and the British Empire. Since the 1980s, Peshawar became the nerve center for the anti-Soviet mujahideen forces battling the Soviet Union in nearby Afghanistan. And with that in minds, hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees streamed into Peshawar region to escape the ravages of the war. This trend has continued whether Afghan refugees were avoiding Taliban control of Afghanistan and the violence that followed after the US invasion after [...]
Pakistan – 138th Country
Pakistan – 138th Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Pakistan is my 138th country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Pakistan burst into existence in 1947, when the Brits left the subcontinent, allowing for the formation of the independent nations of India and Pakistan. It was a traumatic birth with thousands of deaths and one of the largest migrations in humankind. For centuries before, the region was at the crossroads of many empires from Alexander the Great to the Mughal Empire. Since independence Pakistan has had a recent challenging history. Multiple wars with its big neighbor India over the disputed Kashmir region. Multiple assassinations of their leaders and exiles of others. At the forefront of the war in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan has been subject to much violence and terrorism over the last couple of decades. Thankfully, stability and security have been improving in the last couple of years. In addition, [...]
What To See And Do In Lahore Pakistan
What to see and do in Lahore Pakistan. Lahore has been at the crossroads of competing empires for centuries past. At times this region has been ruled by the Hindu Shahis, Ghurids, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Sikh Empire, and the Brits. Pakistan became an independent nation in 1947, when the British Empire left the subcontinent, and India was partitioned into two countries. Lahore is an ancient city, with an indeterminate founding date, anywhere from 4000 to 1000 years ago. Today, Lahore is a densely packed city of 12 million plus souls and is considered the cultural capital of Pakistan. Lahore houses some of Pakistan’s leading universities. The city is a major center for the publishing industry. It is also home to Pakistan’s film industry known as Lollywood. Pakistan has wisely transitioned to an efficient and simple evisa system. Previously, Pakistan was known to have a challenging visa process. This change with a better security environment should help tourism growth in this undiscovered gem. I crossed the border from Amritsar to Lahore, two historic cities [...]
