WanderLearn Podcast

• Podcast

Jack Kennedy got malaria in Sumbawa, Indonesia. 

After that tough experience, a lightbulb went off in his head.

He wondered if, at the cost of a few thousand dollars, he could eliminate malaria in Sumbawa.

He founded Health Access Sumbawa to eradicate malaria in Sumbawa and far beyond.

• Can we eliminate malaria plasmodium?
• What's the best bang for the buck? Bed nets? Spraying? 
• Is there a malaria vaccine on the horizon?
• What tips does he have for someone thinking about starting a nonprofit?

Right now, TourRadar is running a special promotion for WanderLearn listeners at tourradar.com/wanderlearn. Each month, listeners can sign up for the chance to win amazing travel prizes. Prizes include everything from $1,000 in travel credits to a trip for two to Europe to a free river cruise in Asia! Visit tourradar.com/wanderlearn to sign up for your chance to win today:

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• Podcast

What would you do if you were caught in an avalanche? How do you minimize your risk when you're traveling in the snowy mountains?

Robert Hahn has studied avalanches and still managed to get caught in one. 

He works for the Northwest Avalanche Center. 

He shares his personal avalanche survival story.

He also shares tips on how you can avoid repeating his fate.

After 50 mins, we shift away from talking about avalanches and we talk about his harrowing experiences in the Himalayas.

After 70 minutes, we talk about his fascinating time in Africa, which includes two years in the Peace Corps in Uganda, climbing the 3rd tallest peak in Africa, and several cultural insights, including the importance (or lack thereof) of honesty.

I briefly mention my podcast with Sym Blanchard, who talks about how to live a meaningful life.

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• Podcast

WanderLearn fans get a special chance to win $1000 in travel credits on TourRadar by going here:

https://www.tourradar.com/wanderlearn

About this episode: Jessica Husson was one of two people (out of thousands who applied) who won a round-the-world trip sponsored by TourRadar and Intrepid travel.

Jessica and Joan (a Spaniard) starred in some superbly produced videos about their travels. I watched all 8 episodes,

Today, the 8th episode, which takes place in Thailand, came out.

Questions I ask Jessica:

• You had traveled extensively before, so what did you learn from this trip?
• Do you now look at reality TV shows with a new lens?
• What fun things happened off-camera?
• What would you do with $1000 to spend on TourRadar?
• Can you pick who is on your tour?
• What can you do if there is a personality mismatch in your group?
• What did you learn from Travis, the CEO of Tour Radar, who traveled with you in Italy?
• What percentage of your waking hours were free?
• How was Thailand like?
• What's your next destination?

 This is my 55th WanderLearn podcast episode. 

The most popular podcast episode was the podcast I did with the CEO of TourRadar, Travis, whom we mention in this episode.

Although I encourage you to listen to the podcast, you might enjoy it more to watch it since there's a ton of superb footage that is shown during the interview.

Listen

Watch

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• Podcast

Elias Papaioannou is a Professor of Economics at the London School of Business (at the start of the podcast, I incorrectly say that he's at the London School of Economics).

Professor Papaioannou has authored the following academic papers on Africa:

• The long-run effects of the scramble for Africa
• The scramble for Africa and its legacy
• Pre-colonial ethnic institutions and contemporary African development

Because of his expertise and research on Africa's borders, I asked him many questions about them:

• Did the colonialists do any good with the borders?
• How do African borders compare to borders on other continents?
• How did the African political map look prior to colonization?
• How much better of a map could the Africans have drawn?
• Was violence widespread in pre-Colonial Africa?
• Do we place too much emphasis on the importance of the colonial borders?

As you can see, these contrarian questions stir some fascinating debate. 

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• Podcast

You might think that you're a responsible and ethical traveler, but are you really?

I talk with Alexandra Pastollnigg, who is the Founder of FairVoyage.

She climbed Kilimanjaro.

She's biked from Cairo to Cape Town.

She's gone a few days without a shower.

Such experiences transformed her.

It made her think about the ethics of how she travels.

It made her realize that she's voting for something whenever she spends her money on travel.

She could be supporting a despotic regime or a terrible employer.

I ask her:

• Why did your Kilimanjaro trek change your life?
• Why is earning $2 a day bad if your costs are only $1.80?
• Is a shitty job better than no job?
• Aren't some of today's shit jobs the dream jobs of the 19th century?
• What did you learn from biking across Africa?
• Are you just another person suffering from the White Savior Complex?
• What are common mistakes people make when planning their travel?
• If you could magically switch people's travel habits, what would happen?
• What kind of premium do FairVoyage trips incur?

Watch it

Listen 

WanderLearn fans get a special chance to win a tour for two to Italy, England, Vietnam or California for FREE by going here:

https://www.tourradar.com/wanderlearn

3 Sponsors

1. Tour Radar

Do you want to take a life-changing travel adventure but you either hate planning or you don't know where to start?

TourRadar is a trusted online marketplace that helps you find, compare and book multi-day tours that will expand your horizons through life-enriching travel experiences.

Just type in a region you have always wanted to visit or your preferred travel style and TourRadar will do the rest.

And right now, WanderLearn listeners can visit TourRadar for a chance to win a free trip for two to Italy, England, Vietnam or California. Enter now by going to http://tourradar.com/wanderlearn  

2. The Steelman Foundation

Rene Steelman is my top WanderLearn patron. She leads the Steelman Family Foundation which helps families with non-ambulatory children to acquire wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Their mission is to help families with children diagnosed with a permanent disability participate in the community. The Steelman Family Foundation also supports events to benefit cerebral palsy education and activities. They work exclusively with United Access and serve families nationally.

Learn more and donate at https://steelmanfamilyfoundation.org

3. Health Access Sumbawa

One of WanderLearn's top patrons, Kathy Kennedy Enger, asked me to draw attention to Health Access Sumbawa. I am happy to promote this remarkable nonprofit.

In 2014, Jack Kennedy founded the organization to bring malaria control and healthcare to remote, impoverished communities. It started on the remote island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Since then, it's expanded thanks to generous donations. Visit their website to learn more and to donate: https://healthaccesssumbawa.org

More info

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