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Lorenzo Riccardi…Marrying Economics And Travel

Counting Countries

Release Date: 03/12/2020

Elena Chechina … A Lost Day Of Your Life show art Elena Chechina … A Lost Day Of Your Life

Counting Countries

Elena Chechina has traveled to 158 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I met Elena back at the ETF in Yerevan and started to realize what a unique life she was leading.  She is a true global citizen with true family connections to Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Elena has somehow managed to balance the multiple moving parts of her life … 3 children, a spouse who lives and works in Northern Africa, a full time job, and of course Chasing 193.  In this conversation, we learn how she manages the complexity of her life.      The next...

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Hayley Kennedy … Overcoming Obstacles show art Hayley Kennedy … Overcoming Obstacles

Counting Countries

Hayley has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I started to follow Hayley in the last year or two on Instagram.  And over the last several months we started sharing some messages.  She has just completed her journey to every country in the world and I wanted to learn about her adventures as well as her two physical disabilities and how she overcame these challenges.     The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  At the festival, we will have over 20 amazing...

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Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #4 show art Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #4

Counting Countries

To hear the entire podcast join us on patreon.com or Apple Podcast subscription.   Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to. For those in the know when it comes to Thailand, you must know the name Joe Cummings.  Joe has been living in Thailand since the late 1970s and has a resume that will rival the most interesting person in the room.  He wrote the first Lonely Planet Thailand guide in the early...

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Raiiq Ridwan … The Travel Bug show art Raiiq Ridwan … The Travel Bug

Counting Countries

This is the second publication of this interview.  The first podcast had a corrupted file.  All audio from the first interview had been deleted after 1 hr and 31 minutes.  This publication is the full file.   Raiiq has traveled to 118 countries Hey now and Happy New Year to all!  I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I knew Raiiq from EPS and had the pleasure of meeting him at the ETF in Armenia.  I was spurred to learn more about him after a recent post in EPS detailing his challenges with carrying a Bangladeshi passport.  We all know Chasing 193 is no easy...

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Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #3 show art Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #3

Counting Countries

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to . I am happy to introduce a new speaker at the ETF, .  I consider David a Papua New Guinea product expert.  He has spent a cumulative one year over the last five year in PNG as the founder of .  David will be sharing his tips for traveling independently in PNG.  He is a professional photographer, and you will be impressed with his skills. We also have two special...

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Thor Pedersen … He Did It!I show art Thor Pedersen … He Did It!I

Counting Countries

Thor Pedersen has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with multi-repeat guest and travel legend, Thor Pedersen of Once Upon A Saga.  For those of us in the know, Thor recently finished a nearly 10 year journey to every country in the world without flying in an unbroken journey with a minimum of 24 hours in each country.  These additional rules that Thor instituted increased the complexity and length of this journey in addition to the global Covid lockdown. Thor demonstrated an immense amount of grit and determination to overcome...

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Zach Forbes … Passion For People show art Zach Forbes … Passion For People

Counting Countries

Zach Forbes has traveled to 140 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to introduce Zach Forbes, our new guest this month.  Zach was a character I saw all around social media and connected to many of my friends.  I finally met him face to face in Yerevan at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Zach is a true global citizen, raised in Canada and the US.  He also lived in China, Dubai, and Vancouver while traveling to 140 countries.   As some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in...

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Extraordinary Travel Festival Update II #2 With Lakshmi Parthasarathy show art Extraordinary Travel Festival Update II #2 With Lakshmi Parthasarathy

Counting Countries

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code - BANGKOK - to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?  I am pleased to announce a new speaker, who will be speaking about her experience on a multi-week homestay in Mogadishu. The next guest is Palle Bo, .  Palle attended the first ETF and is coming back for the second one. And our last guest is a first-time attendee to ETF Bangkok, Mike Fiorellino at YouTube creator at . Have you bought a ticket to ETF or are confident you will be attending?  We want to hear from you to make...

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Michael Noel … Spinning The Globe show art Michael Noel … Spinning The Globe

Counting Countries

Michael Noel has traveled to 192 countries Please fill out this survey and provide feedback - https://forms.gle/1RmLQh7hLuw2Xnc6A Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Michael Noel and I crossed paths in the Douala airport en route to Bangui.  We ended up sharing a dinner and a trip to a waterfall.  Always great to run into fellow travelers in the least traveled places, and he shared a number of stories which I thought would make a fascinating conversation. As some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November...

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Orest Zub … To The Extreme show art Orest Zub … To The Extreme

Counting Countries

Orest Zub has traveled to 132 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Orest Zub, a name many of you might be familiar with.  Orest and I have never met in person, but he falls into that category of someone who I feel like we have met in person, but we never have.  We have shared video calls, messages and share many friends in common.               This is a busy conversation where we speak about Orest’s travels around the globe which have brought him to 132...

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I had the great opportunity to sit down with Lorenzo during his visit to Bangkok.  We had known of each other through the EPS community on FB as well as through some mutual friends.  After the interview, Lorenzo joined me at a travel networking event I host in Bangkok where he was the featured speaker.  It is always great to do the interviews in person.     

Counting Countries is offering its first group tour to Madagascar in August of 2020.  Please reach out to me with any questions on this trip. In addition, if you are planning trips to places like Antarctica, Svalbard, Galapagos, please consider my partner G Adventures and use my link.  

I am reminding you that Counting Countries is 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, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, Stephen Rothwell, and Adam Hickman. They get to listen to extra content, like the extra interview I did with Lorenzo, only for them.  

Untamed Borders, the sponsor of Counting Countries, focuses on challenging locations for those chasing 193.  This year, Untamed Borders have some seriously off the beaten track trekking trips planned.  Join them on one of the world’s most remote treks to the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. Discover the land of one of the world’s last and least visited nomadic cultures, the Kyrgyz people of the Hindu Kush. Travel along the famous Pamir highway, one of the world’s highest roads and explore deep into territory where few outsiders have ever been.

Or join them on a 16-day Trekking trip in Tajikistan, traversing through the heart of the epic Pamir mountain range, which boasts the world’s largest glacier outside the Polar regions and three mountains taller than 7000m. This trip also supports the training of Tajikistan’s first female mountain guides.  

And neighbouring Kyrgyzstan is an offbeat destination renowned for its trekking and horse riding. There are plenty of rarely-visited locales to explore throughout this centuries-old nation. On Untamed Borders 13 day adventure, you’ll traverse your way across the less trekked southern corner of the country, through remote valleys, sleeping in yurts and kayaking across blue alpine lakes.  Check out their website, UntamedBorders.com. 

Lorenzo was an avid traveler while he was living in Italy.  But he raised the bar, when he moved to China when he began his second chapter of his life.  He built a successful business in Shanghai when he decided to chase 193. He shares his amazing journey.         

I encourage you to subscribe wherever you listen, Apple Podcast, Google Play, or Spotify and write a review, even better when it is 5 stars.    

Lorezno and I recorded the episode in the person in the city of angels, Krung Thep.  Please listen in and enjoy.   

 

Thank you to my Patrons …. Stephen Rothwell, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims & Ryan Gazder.

Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!  You can purchase them today on Amazon.

    

And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa!

 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review!

Check out our friend: Large Minority.  They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon.  And watch my full length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority.   

 

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!!

About Counting Countries

Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space.

Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi

About GlobalGaz

Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia.  

Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com

More About Lorenzo:

  • Born in: Italy

  • Passports: Italy and San Marino

  • Favorite Book: The Shadow of the Sun

  • Favorite Travel Film: In This World

 

  • Favorite Travel Site: Wikitravel.com

  • Must carry item: Passport, credit cards USD and EUR cash, laptop

  • Favorite Food: Italian

  • Favorite Drink: Local beers

  • Favorite Airline: Ethiopian

  • Favorite Hotel: Peace Hotel 

 

Well… that depends on who you ask! 

An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori.  

Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS Thanks!   

 

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