Ben Dowson … Nicking Sheeps
Ben Dowson has traveled to every country in the world Ben made a brief appearance as the guest announcer for the January episode of Gina Morello. After a bit of research, I pieced together who Ben was, pulling on a long thread and realizing that he was connected to many previous guests on this podcast. Ben has a very, very deep travel resume. Do not be thrown off by the length of this podcast, it is really a twofer. You will hear from Ben first and you will hear from Dave Seminara during the second half of the podcast. Dave is an avid traveler himself and also the author of Mad Travelers: A Tale Of Wanderlust, Greed, And The Quest To Reach The Ends Of The Earth. You can buy this on Amazon and wherever else you buy books these days. I read the book and do recommend it. The main focal point of this book is William Baekeland, a former guest of the podcast, who is alleged to have conned fellow extreme travelers of nearly a [...]
Nick Butter … Don’t Wait For A Diagnosis
Nick Butter has traveled to every country in the world while running a marathon. Nick Butter Counting Countries. Nick appeared on my radar screen when I read a post on FB about his quest to run a marathon in every country in the world. My first thoughts were a mixture of disbelief and skepticism. I started communicating with Nick at the end of 2019, yet it took to March of 2021 to sync our calendars. Patience is a virtue. A special thank you to Twitter and Nabil Kazi, a traveler and athlete in his own right, who was a catalyst in setting up the interview. After I speak with Nick, you will hear a snippet with Thor Pedersen. You remember Thor, he has been on Counting Countries twice before. Thor is on a quest to travel to every country in the world without flying. Thor has made a lot of sacrifices, including not seeing his fiancee for over a year and a half. After my conversation with Nick Butter, I will share with you part of [...]
Visiting Hua Lamphong Train Station
Visiting Hua Lamphong Train Station . Every city has its monuments, maybe an ancient temple or a world-renowned museum. And then you have the functional landmarks like a grand post office or a central train station. While Bangkok has more than its fair share of fantastical and historical Buddhist temples, it also has a noted train station. The station is officially known as Sathani Rotfai Krung Thep, which translates to – Bangkok Train Station and informally known as Hua Lamphong station. In the olden days, a canal and a road used to pass by the train station named Hua Lamphong, birthing its nickname, but today it has been renamed Rama IV Road. The station officially opened in June of 1916 after six years of construction under the reign of King Vajiravidh. The station is built in an Italian Neo-Renaissance style with ornate roofs and stained glass. The station was modeled after the Frankfurt train station. The station is a microcosm of life in Thailand with locals heading north on the overnight to Chiang Mai, backpackers heading to [...]
Visiting Koh Mak
Visiting Koh Mak. Koh Samui, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi. When travelers think of Thai islands, these are some of the islands where travel plans are made first. And not without good reason. There are some fantastic beaches, great restaurants, and awesome resorts. But, these islands are overflowing with tourists who are scrambling between a McDonalds and a Starbucks. There are over 1,400 islands in Thailand so consider avoiding Phuket with its 15 million annual visitors. On the east side of Thailand is the well-known island of Koh Chang, Thailand’s second-largest island. Within the Koh Chang archipelago is the smaller tropical island of Koh Mak. https://youtu.be/WoiltsuV2mU Koh Mak is only 16 square km with just 800 permanent residents. The island is privately owned by a small group of families who have successfully developed the island. Less than 30 resorts dot the island without any jet ski touts or night club scene. Besides tourism, the island’s economy is powered by tapping rubber trees and growing fruit. I categorized this post as off the beaten path, a really subjective classification. [...]
Gina Morello … No Roof On Your Dreams
Gina Morello Counting Countries has traveled to every country in the world Gina and I met at the Principality of Sealand in the summer of 2019 during the Extreme Travelers International Congress. And I have been following her travels since that time on social media. She is one of the few women who have completed the quest of chasing 193 and she is accomplished this feat during the Covid pandemic. Before we speak with Gina, we have an extra special with Babis Bizas who appeared originally on Episode 49. Babis has been traveling since 1976 and is the first person to travel every country in the world twice. Babis has named the 2020 Traveler Of The Year and he shares with us who that is. Thanks to my patrons Phillip Jones, Thor - Once Upon A Saga - Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, William Schelling, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My [...]
Spectating NLD – Aung San Suu Kyi Political Rally
Spectating NLD - Aung San Suu Kyi Political Rally 2012 Myanmar - Burma. When the topic of travel is brought up, often the first question posed is “what is your favorite country?” For those who travel extensively, this query can often result in mere pretense. Most travelers I have spoken with or interviewed do not have one true “favorite”. They might have several or even a score of countries they would want to share with you. I am the same. I do not have a true favorite. But, if I am forced … I will state Myanmar in South East Asia or in the old days known as Burma. I have been to Myanmar five times with my first trip in 2005 and my last visit in 2019. (I had a canceled trip in 2020 after Covid killed so many travel plans.) To me, Myanmar encapsulates a perfect plethora of positive reasons to travel. Rich culture and history, varying nature, a diverse population with multiple ethnic groups, friendly people, great cost structure, and enough infrastructure to [...]
