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Nick Butter … Don’t Wait For A Diagnosis

Counting Countries

Release Date: 04/08/2021

Tan Wee Cheng … An Iconoclast show art Tan Wee Cheng … An Iconoclast

Counting Countries

Tan Wee Cheng has traveled to 187 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Wee Cheng, a regional neighbor, and I have communicated on and off for several years, but like many of us in the community we were only virtual acquaintances.  That changed when I met Wee Cheng in person at an extreme travel dinner in Singapore last year and then a more recent catchup in Honolulu.  I was surprised to learn about Wee Cheng’s longevity as a traveler and also noted how he is a bit of an iconoclast in Singaporean culture when it comes to extreme travel.    If you are a...

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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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Thank you to my Patrons…Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Thor Pedersen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims.

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

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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.  

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 my conversation on how Thor hacked his way to reunite with his fiancee, whom had had not seen in a year and a half.

My patrons who support the show, will hear the entire hour conversation with Thor. Thanks to Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, 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.  And remember to follow Thor across social media at Once Upon A Saga.

Stating the obvious, Counting Countries loves the long format interview.  This interview neared two hours yet I had an arsenal of unasked questions.  Nick’s career of travel and athletic feats could not be unpacked in two hours.  We overview his journey which was an incredible balance of logistics and physical sacrifice all while promoting awareness of prostate cancer.  You can donate here.  

A quick notes from our friends at Untamed Borders … This year, with travel back on the horizon, Untamed Borders have some seriously off the beaten track trips planned.

Join them in Afghanistan for one of the world’s most remote treks to the Wakhan Corridor, or a cultural tour visiting the country's highlights, led by Afghanistan's only female tour guide - she was recently featured in CNN.

Other upcoming Untamed Borders trips include Pakistan and Iraq, where it is now possible to obtain visas on arrival in Baghdad for many nationalities.  I've been to Kurdistan, but am really excited to visit Baghdad while jumping through less hoops. 

Nick was in England while I was recording in Beantown.  Please listen in and enjoy.  

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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. Fewer 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

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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