Whenever anyone has visited over 150 countries, I'm impressed, but probably not for the reasons you think.
To get to 150, you had to have gone through some shithole countries. Those countries may not be warzones, but they are sketchy. They may have hard to get visas. They may be dangerous. They're definitely not tourist-friendly.
To visit 100 countries, you can avoid challenging countries. However, to get to 150 (there are 193 countries, according to the UN), you must go to no-go zones.
Still, some people find an easy way. They fly into the capital, take a secure taxi into and out of the city, fly home, and declare victory.
In Africa, for example, you can do that with the DR Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Their capitals are usually pretty tame even though the rest of their countries are not. Same goes for Syria.
That's why overland journeys are, in my opinion, usually more interesting than jet-setting world tours.
And that's why a bike journey around the world is truly jaw-dropping.
And we're talking a bicycle, not a motorcycle.
Patrick Martin Schroder has biked to over 150 countries. He has climbed many of their highest peaks. He paraglides. And sometimes he even skips breakfast.
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In the podcast, I talk about a tough mountain in the Pacific that involved Ginge. Here are the details about that peak. I told Patrick that I wasn't sure of its height. It could be 2,000 meters, I surmised. It's just under 1,000 meters. It's not the tallest mountain of any one country. It's the tallest spot in a remote U.S. territory: Agrihan. That article is a great read.
If you loved my 2nd most popular podcast, which is about a 65-year-old adventurer showing you how to have a meaningful life, you'll also love this episode with Patrick.
Promoting 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
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