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Counting Countries

Counting Countries

Ric Gazarian

With a membership of only around 100, it’s one of the most exclusive clubs on Earth. In fact, more people have been to outer space than have earned their way into this, the ultimate travel club. According to the United Nations there are 193 sovereign nations in the world. Welcome to the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to them all. Welcome, to Counting Countries. With your host, Ric Gazarian.

149 - Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #11 - Charles Veley
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  • 149 - Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #11 - Charles Veley

    Hey now!  This is it, the last episode before the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok.  Still a little time left to join.  Use code BANGKOK. My special guest is speaker and sponsor Charles Veley, founder of the Most Traveled People, and considered one of the most traveled people in the world.  Charles teases some of the updates he will be sharing in Bangkok, from updates on the App to next location of the MTP Summitt.  Please listen in and enjoy.   www.extraordinarytravelfest.com

    Sun, 03 Nov 2024 - 24min
  • 148 - Phillips Connor … IBZ To SIN Via GGR

    Phillips has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Phillips Connor.  I had the pleasure of meeting PC in Singapore with a group of extreme travelers and I am very pleased that he will be attending the ETF in Bangkok.  Phillips is extremely well traveled, nearing 1000 regions on the NomadMania list.  Phillips shares it all on this episode … starting travel early with a corporate job, moving to Singapore and Chasing 193.      Time is definitely running out!  Don’t get #FOMO with over 225 extreme travelers attending this event.  The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I’ll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam Williamsi for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with PC that you will not hear.  You might have heard me speaking about the Maverick Show podcast.  Well, I am now a guest on the show.  So please take a listen and check out my conversation with host Matt Bowles.  We cover a lot of ground.   I was in Bangkok for this recording while PC was in Singapore.. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my - you rock!!  ….  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil Marcus, Sam Williams.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! 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 .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Phillips Connor  Counting Countries 

    Thu, 17 Oct 2024 - 1h 53min
  • 147 - Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #10 – ETF/ABS Index, Baba Ahmed El Bekay, Ahmed Abdulrazzaq, & NM Awards

    Hey now, I am your host Ric Gazarian on the 10th update for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  We have a lot of news to share with you today.  So grab that coffee of if in Thailand, grab a chamanow and please listen in. The event is now about a month and a half a way.  But still time to join, use code BANGKOK to save at . Some quick updates ... we have added three new speakers, Luisa Yu, Matt Bowles and Sabbatical Tommy.  Luisa is well known in the community for her determination and her multi-decade quest to visit every country in the world.  She finished at age 79! So impressive.  Matt is the host of the super entertaining the , where he speaks with amazing travelers from around the world.  He will be speaking on his 10 plus years of being a digital nomad.  Tommy is a travel content creator on and also a polyglot!  That's cool. Are you scared of ghosts?  Did you know that ghosts play a cental role in Thai culture?  We have partnered with Bangkok Haunts to provide you with an introduction to ghosts and spirits in Thailand.  We offer a half day tour on November 14 and 18.  Check it out! First, I speak with Professor JP.  I think so many of us love lists and rankings.  So I am excited to share a new travel index will be premiered at the ETF.  The index is called the ETF/ABS Magellan Traveller Index.  This will rank the top 100 travelers in the world.  We will be sharing this list and announcing the top 3 ranked at ETF.  I want to thank both Most Traveled People and NomadMania for partnering with us and sharing their data. I also speak to 2 great individuals and partners of ETF.  These two people are sponsors of ETF and deserve a special thank you for supporting our event.  First up is Baba the founder of   Baba has been welcoming and introducing travelers to this amazing Saharan country.  Many members of the extreme travel community know and have traveled with Baba.  Please consider Baba if you are travelling to Mauritania.  Baba will be exhibiting at ETF as well as moderating a session on Mauritania to answer all of your questions. I also speak with Ahmed, the founder of Aknaf Alsawary.  Ahmed was my guide when I visited Iraq the other year.  Ahmed is a virtual sponsor of ETF.  Ahmed offers fixed date group tours to Iraq, and he is raffling a 50% off coupon to one of these trips at ETF.  In addition, ETF is pleased to announce that we can offer a $150 off these fixed date trips.  Contact me to get your $150 off his tour.  ric @ globalgaz.com And after I speak with Ahmed, I will do a little recap on the ETF and the ! Up first is Baba, please listen in and enjoy.    

    Mon, 30 Sep 2024 - 1h 13min
  • 146 - Andy Hicks ... Recatalogging DNA

    Andy Hicks Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Andy Hicks.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Andy at the first ETF in Armenia and the TCC meeting in May in the Azores.  Andy was raised in a non-travel environment, but a couple of pivotal trips propelled him into the 193 community and with his stated goal of every country by 50.   If you want to meet Andy Hicks and 206 other travelers join us in Bangkok. The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I’ll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “JL” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam Williams, and Ani Chaturvedi for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Andy that you will not hear.  I binge a ton of podcasts. I have just started listening to the Maverick Show podcast, hosted by Matt Bowles.  Maverick Show just celebrated his 300th episode.  Check out a most recent episode with Ashley Company.  She grew up as a military brat, living as a local in South Korea with her family.  Then she went on a multi-month epic trip visiting every country in South and Central America.  Check out Ashley.  Of course, Counting Countries is all about Chasing 193.  Matt is more focused on digital life and travel, but there are many interesting lessons and parallels within our community.  I was in Bangkok for this recording while Andy was in Denver. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my - you rock!!  ….  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil Marcus, Sam Williams, and Ani Chaturvedi.     And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!  And write a review!More About Andy Hicks Counting Countries Where were you born: Lexington, KY USA What passport (s) do you hold: USA (2) Favorite travel book: probably Around the World in 50 Years by Albert Podell; Bradt guides 100% for trip planning Favorite travel film: Raiders of the Lost Ark (no kidding) Favorite travel app or website: EPS, Adam Hickman’s Top Tips, Geography Now! Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.): my sleep is extremely important – so eye shades, ear plugs, and Ambien; anything else I can buy locally Favorite food: probably sushi Favorite drink: good coffee and Coca Cola with real sugar when outside the US Favorite airline: Qatar Favorite hotel: not too focused on hotels but if I had to pick one, probably the Grovepark in Asheville, NC 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 .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Andy Hicks Counting Countries   

    Mon, 16 Sep 2024 - 2h 02min
  • 145 - Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #9 - Matt Bowles And Ian Cumming

    I am excited to introduce to you two partners of the Extraordinary Travel Festival, Matt Bowles and Ian Cumming. Matt is a 10 year plus digital nomad, who hosts the very successful as well as a real estate investment company.  Matt can be found around the globe setting up shop in cities as diverse as Nairobi, Lagos or Luanda.  I am pleased to announce that Matt will be one of the speakers at the ETF.  You can connect with him here on . Ian Cumming is the founder of Travel Massive, a global networking platform for people who work in travel or are passionate travelers.  There are scores of chapters around the globe hosting events or meet people on the network whether they be entrepreneurs or content creators.  Travel Massive is also hosting our meetup on Thursday, November 14.  . I believe there are 3 main pillars of why you might want to consider attending the ETF, this November in Bangkok. First is the destination. Maybe BKK might seem too common. Well as a resident I would posit that this city offers so much beyond the Grand Palace, the Skybar and riding a tuktuk. This is a true onion; you can keep peeling back more and more layers and keep on exploring. Maybe you are missing some NM regions in Thailand, maybe a funicular or the new UNESCO site, Si Thep. Or you missed Laos or Brunei on your last visit. There are cheap flights to everywhere in ASEASN. Or maybe catch a direct flight to Bangladesh, Bhutan or Kazakhstan. There is so much to see here! Second, is the content. We have an incredible lineup of speakers. More will be announced. Please take a moment to look at the speakers on the ETF website. Everyone from Thor Pedersen who went to every country without flying, or Renee Bruns who has explored over 130 countries in a wheelchair, or the Sultan Randy Williams, who invented his own country. And last up, is the community, the network of extreme travelers whether you are Chasing 193 or maybe enjoy Iraq more than Italy. Then you have found your tribe.  We have some great events to share a drink and conversation with your fellow travelers …. Friday night will be a great party with music, Saturday will be the gala dinner, and, don’t leave early, we will be hosting the NomadMania Awards live in Bangkok on Sunday.  And we added in another meetup on Thursday evening, November 14th to check in with fellow attendees before the event officially kicks off on Friday morning.  The host of our meetup is . So think of Bangkok as the hub for the event. A hub with great infrastructure at great prices. The spokes are everywhere in Thailand or the region you can visit easily. Don’t get FOMO, come join the 170 plus who have already committed. And how many more will sign up in the next 3 months. Should be a lot of people! Feel free to go to the website, use code  to save, and join us in Krung Thep this November. If you have questions, reach out to me on SM, contact form on the website, or anywhere else. Please listen in and enjoy.  And check out the last episode on . Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #8

    Thu, 05 Sep 2024 - 1h 54min
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