Graham Hughes: World Record Holder Talks About Traveling to Every Country Without Flying

What this episode covers

Image Property of Graham Hughes A lot of people talk about being well traveled. Graham Hughes holds the world record. He’s conquered traveling to every country without flying. What is probably the most impressive, he did it without flying. That’s right folks. No airplanes. I hope you enjoy this podcast with Graham Hughes. “The world isn’t as scary & expensive as a lot of people think. The only person who’s really stopping this is you.” – Graham Hughes (Tweet It) Travel Topics: * How Graham caught the travel bug growing up * About the show that inspired the Odyssey Expedition * That there is no longer any country in the world that one can’t go to * Where to travel if you want to go to Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan – Stay away from the South! * Independence of Somaliland from Somalia and how this affects travelers * How his expedition has led to a dramatically more vivid view of the world * We discuss the value of travel and how anyone with a US, Australian or European passport can do it * How mainstream news “by it’s very nature,” misleads people into thinking the world is a dangerous place * How Graham conceived of the idea to travel to every country and where he started * How to map out a journey around the world without flying and where the trouble points are * CouchSurfing and it’s importance in Graham’s journey * Whether or not a woman could travel the world like this * His story of traveling from Senegal to The Cape Verde Islands in a leaky canoe with 10 Senegalese fishermen * How being locked up in prison in Congo and Senegal were the worst parts of the trip * “Be good to strangers because one day you might be the stranger.” – An Old Bedoun Saying * How Iran was the most hospitable, friendly country in the world * How Graham was able to financially maintain his travels * The paradox of expensive public transportation in the western world * How to travel the world on a shoestring budget * Graham shares magnificent stories of awe: * A shuttle launch in Florida, USA * A volcanic, electric night storm in Papua New Guinea * An Iranian phone call of hospitality * Swimming with stingless photosynthesis jellyfish on a Rock Island in Palau * A mesmerizing midnight creep to the top of the Great Pyramids of Giza * Staging a sit down in the sarcophagus of the Great Pyramids * The hardest times in which Graham was closest to giving up on the Odyssey * How arriving at his final country he found himself with 4 freshly created nations to visit * All about the island nation of Nauru and how it’s an example of the scarcity that we will face if we continue to consume our fossil fuels at the current consumption rate * Tips and Tricks for getting aboard cargo ships * About the lives and the importance of the Merchant Marine Captain * How post September 11, 2001 security situation is making life harder for travelers * Why Graham is so passionate about Water Aid and...