Chris Sutherland … Striking Out On His Own
Chris has traveled to 193 countries. Chris Sutherland Counting Countries. It was back in February and I was preparing for several months of non-stop travel. That meant I had to record and prepare five podcasts prior to my trip so I could publish them once my travels began. And randomly I got an email from Chris Sutherland sharing that he was swinging through Bangkok for a couple of days. I know Chris from FB and being fellow moderators in Every Passport Stamp. This was a great opportunity to sit down with him and hear his story in person. In a perfect world, I would like to do all of my interviews in person. Technically it is much better and it is also easier to get to know my guest. It has been a frustrating time for most extreme travelers as we shelter in place around the globe. There does not seem to be any end in sight when travel will go back to normal. I hope everyone is well and keeping in safe. Thanks to my patrons, [...]
Joss Stone … Performing In Every Country In The World
Joss has traveled to 204 countries. Joss Stone Counting Countries. I have spoken to so many travel legends on Counting Countries, but this interview marks my first time speaking with a person, who gained their fame outside of the travel world. Joss Stone is a multi-platinum artist who has won a Grammy. But of course on this podcast, we focussed on her travel accomplishments. Joss created the audacious project, Total World Tour, which entailed Joss performing in every country around the world. I only learned about Joss at the beginning of 2019 when Thor Pedersen, former guest, shared with me that he saw Joss perform in North Korea. With help from Thor and Simon Cockerell from Koryo Tours, I got Joss’s email. What proceeded next was a 13-month email drip campaign. Joss had an interest in being on Counting Countries but it was difficult to schedule. I increased my efforts with self-sheltering during Covid assuming Joss might have more free time. And my efforts were rewarded with an interview in early May. I was quite hesitant to [...]
Visiting Wat Samphran
Visiting Wat Samphran. The visitor to Bangkok will be introduced, whether it is via Tripadvisor or companies offering day trips, to the typical circuit of temples. The tourist will witness the glorious colors of the Wat Phra Kaew, the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, and the sun set behind Wat Arun. These are all amazing temples and must be included to any visit to Thailand. But in Thailand, there are over 40,000 temples, meaning there are so many undiscovered gems, including Wat Samphran. I had spent over two months in my apartment in Bangkok, self-sheltering. Thailand has weathered Covid exceptionally well with approximately 3,000 infections and less than 60 deaths at the time of this writing in early June. For over two months, my only outings were to the market, but at the end of May, I decided to stretch my legs with an outing. I decided on Wat Samphran, a unique temple on the outskirts of Bangkok. https://youtu.be/-Xzoaf2p9yk Over the years I noticed the occasional photo on the web and mentally filed that I should plan [...]
7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World
I am back with another list in my continuing series which is a play off the 7 Wonders Of The World. This time I have created a list of the 7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World. I am attempting to make a distinction between Dark and Abandoned sights. The places on this list were NOT subject to genocide, assassination, incarceration, ethnic cleansing, war or disaster — either natural or accident, which is an accepted definition of dark tourism. I was quite excited to create this list of the 7 Most Fascinating Abandoned Wonders Of The World. This list is actually a collaboration with some of the most highly regarded experts in the Dark Tourism/Abandoned circles. After traveling for many years and blogging for over six years, I am fortunate to have grown my network of fascinating and accomplished travelers. I was able to reach out directly to all the collaborators and was thankful that my request for suggestions was met with enthusiasm. So, again, all of these lists are quite subjective, and always curious to [...]
7 Off The Beaten Path Dark Tourism Sights Of The World
This “best” of list is a bit contradictory in nature. I am compiling 7 Off The Beaten Path Dark Tourism Sights Of The World. Washington Post describes dark tourism as “visiting places where some of the darkest events of human history have unfolded. That can include genocide, assassination, incarceration, ethnic cleansing, war or disaster — either natural or accident”. I think many people can interpret this type of tourism to be off the beaten path. Many people will say I am traveling to Paris for the Eifel Tower or Egypt for the pyramids, but most people do not frame their travels as “I am going to travel to see the sights of a recent genocide”. So at some level, one might think that all dark tourism sights are considered to be off the beaten path. But upon further inspection that is not the case. Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps are visited often by tourists in addition to being well known. Over two million people visit Auschwitz every year. Other noted dark tourism sights are the Rwandan [...]
Francis Tapon … Traveled Africa With 3000 Friends
Francis Tapon Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Francis popped up on my radar about a year ago, when former guest Fabio Cao brought him to my attention. I hit google up and quickly realized Francis was an accomplished traveler, including a five year continuous journey across every country in Africa. He seemed like a great fit for Counting Countries, but I neglected to reach out. Then a recent email from listener, Francois Xavier, suggested that I have Francis on the podcast. This email served as a catalyst for me to finally reach out to Francis and we promptly agreed upon a time to speak. And I was really happy I did. We recorded this episode back in February and obviously so much has changed since then. I have been self-sheltering in Bangkok since my trip to West Africa was prematurely canceled on March 17. This opening bumper was re-recorded on May 5 and things in Bangkok will be slowly opening up this week. I hope everyone who is listening is safe and sound. Also, [...]
