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 [...]
Bardo Museum-Must-See
Bardo Museum-Must-See. I have a theory on museums. My rule of thumb in most cases is I only visit world class museums like the Hermitage or the Louvre. It can be depressing visiting underfunded, poorly managed museums. So I knew when visiting Tunisia, I had to visit the Bardo National Museum. The Bardo is the second largest museum in Africa after the Egyptian Museum. The museum follows the history of Tunisia over several millennia through the many people and civilizations who have lived on this land. In its former life, the museum, was the palace for the Hafsids dynasty dating back to the 15th century. The museum was opened over 100 years ago. Sadly, the Bardo Museum is the home of another significant terrorist attack. In 2015, three ISIS terrorists killed 24 people and injured over 50 people. The people of Tunisia have paid a significant price for these terrorists’ attacks (an additional 39 holiday makers were gunned down at a beach hotel), with tourism shrinking by 20%, contributing to 8% of GDP. Honoring the [...]
Indianapolis War Memorials
Indianapolis War Memorials. I had no expectations for my long weekend in Indianapolis. I was attending a workshop for travel bloggers called BlogHouse. As a former resident of Chicago, I had passed through Indianapolis over the years for the occasional work trip or social event, but had never formed an opinion in regard to the city. (Except a very warm feeling when my Patriots beat the Colts on a very cold Sunday night in Indy.) Throughout my stay in the capital, I was continually surprised on the upside. Besides the world famous Indy 500, Indianapolis’s cup runneth over with museums, festivals, sporting events, restaurants, and an awesome zoo. There is an incredible amount of green space in Indy resulting in an eminently walkable city. But what grabbed my attention was Indianapolis’s patriotic spirit. Indianapolis devotes more acreage than any other U.S. city to honoring our nation’s fallen, and is second only to Washington, DC, in the number of war memorials. On a perfect Sunday afternoon, I broke out my Google Maps on my iPhone to partake on an [...]
Mekong River Cruise Laos
Mekong River Cruise Laos. The Luang Say undulated over the brownish river. Thick clouds of mist sat heavily on lush green forests of rolling hilltops. Hard rain pounded down on the boat. The rhythmic pulse of the engine propelled the boat down the Mekong River. I was comfortably ensconced on a cushioned chair watching the world pass by. I started the morning in Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A town that sits between thick green hills at the confluence at the Mekong River. It is a mix of Laotian and French colonial architecture in a laid back atmosphere of night markets, street food, and more Buddhist temples then you could possibly catalog. Mekong River Cruise I was on a two day trip with Mekong Cruises. The first day was a meandering river cruise that would end at the Luang Say Lodge. And on the second day, a van would drive me back to Luang Prabang. The Mekong River is the 7th longest river in Asia, with its source in the Tibetan plateau. The river runs [...]
Dustin Pfundheller – 193 countries … at the age of 30 with the help of Tinder!
[Download .mp3] 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 [...]
