Drew Binsky – 110 countries … Guinness World Record Holder!
[Download .mp3] 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 [...]
Quarantine On The Friendship Highway, Part III
Quarantine On The Friendship Highway, Part III. A rap video! Let’s film a rap video. What else is there to do when you being held against your will? If you need to catch up from the beginning, click here to read Part I. The yetis silently entered my room the following morning. A thermometer extended, the yeti shook my shoulder to brusquely wake me up from my chilly sleep. The yeti’s deep black eyes peered at me, over his face mask. After a minute, the yeti yanked the thermometer from my mouth. I sat half way up and noted that the yeti scribbled down 37 C. I displayed a big thumbs up and smiled at Jess, my roommate, in the next bed. The Yetis taking a smoking break before taking our temperatures Everyone eventually shuffled out of their rooms to congregate in the sparsely furnished lobby. The mess crew staff, dressed in Maoists outfits spooned out our breakfast slop. Frustration mixed with irritation. We had received no updates on when we might be released. [...]
Randy Williams – 86 countries … and counting!
[Download .mp3] 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 [...]
Burkina Faso Road Trip
Burkina Faso Road Trip “Uncle Paul, do you know the capital of Upper Volta?” a cocky 12 year old quizzed his elder. “Upper what?” Uncle Paul responded, perplexed with a dollop of indifference. “Ouagadougou!” the proud 12 year old responded, hitting each one of the syllables. The brash pre-teen of course was me. At my school, every 7th grader spent an entire semester leaning world geography, and I took a shine to trivia aspect of committing to memory every nook and cranny of the globe. In 1984, Upper Volta changed its named to its current Burkina Faso, a country located in West Africa. The name change marked a symbolic end to French colonialism, who named the country Upper Volta. Burkina Faso, which means “land of upright men”, was announced by the military leaders of the 1983 coup. The country gained its independence in 1960 from the French. I was a bit surprised when I found myself walking around, dusty and hot, Ouaga, the nickname of the capital. I never imagined as a 12 year old, I would [...]
That Time I Was On Thai TV
That Time I Was On Thai TV. It was another steamy stick morning in Thailand. I was on the outskirts of Bangkok at the Jesada Technik Museum. The museum is a collection of 500 cars and motorcycles from the private collection of Thai businessman, Jesada Deshsakulrith. It is a fun place to stroll around for an hour or so, and admission is free. That morning, I had taken an Uber from my apartment in Sukhumvit, Thailand, and arrived approximately an hour later, northwest of Bangkok. Today, I was going to be interviewed for a Thai TV show, known as The Passion. Over the years, I have been interviewed for random TV shows when traveling. I was in Tokyo and interviewed about the Sumo controversy sweeping the nation as I walked by the stadium. Another time, I was interviewed in Lima on my impressions of Ecuador. In Tibet, I was interviewed after being held in medical quarantine for five days. And, I was also interviewed in Armenia, at an orphanage that I volunteered at. But today, was going [...]
Eric Nguyen – 193 countries … at the age of 24!
[Download .mp3] 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 [...]
