Danish traveler Torbjorn Pedersen says he’s the first particular person to go to every country in the world — without flying.
It’s a feat that took 10 years to perform — with common prices of round $20 a day, he stated.
“In some nations like Singapore, I’ve to spend greater than $20 a day. But in different nations like Bolivia, $20 is greater than sufficient,” 44-year-old Pedersen advised CNBC.
When he was not sleeping on trains and ships, in hostels or his hammock, he stayed with host households, he stated.
Pedersen stated by means of the 12 months a whole lot of individuals opened their properties to him after he grew to become standard on social media.
“In reality, I’ve typically needed to say ‘no’ to folks as a result of I had too many gives or as a result of it was inconvenient,” Pedersen stated.
He has even been invited a number of occasions to remain at 5 star resorts, he stated.
Pedersen’s decade-long journey was funded by geothermal electrical energy technology agency Ross Energy, who despatched him about $600 every month, he stated.
“They simply felt [my plan] was actually loopy, they usually wished to help it. What I did is a part of world historical past, they usually wished to be part of it,” Pedersen stated.
Pedersen took a couple of decade to go to 203 territories round the world.
Selena Wright
To go to 203 territories, Pedersen stated he traveled about 382,000 kilometers (237,363 miles) and used 20 completely different modes of transportation, together with:
- 351 buses
- 67 minibuses
- 219 taxis
- 46 bike taxis
- 87 shared taxis
- 4 shared bike taxis
- 28 four-wheel drive automobiles
- 9 vans
- 158 trains
- 19 trams
- 128 metros or subways
- 43 rickshaws or tuktuks
- 40 container ships
- 33 boats
- 32 ferries
- 3 sail boats
- 2 cruise ships
- 1 horse carriage
- 1 police automobile
- 1 excessive efficiency yacht
Pedersen spent the most time in Hong Kong the place he lived for 772 days throughout the pandemic, and the shortest time — simply 24 hours — in Vatican City.
The finest and worst occasions
Pedersen had deliberate to remain in Hong Kong for a couple of week when he arrived in January 2020. But his plans took a drastic flip when the pandemic broke out.
At the time, he was simply 9 nations shy of attaining his objective, he stated.
“I’ve been attempting to perform this objective for such a very long time,” he stated. “I didn’t know if I used to be going to be caught for 5 months or 5 years.”
“Every day I had a motive to surrender and go residence. And every day I needed to discover a strategy to persuade myself to maintain combating,” he stated.
Pedersen spent the most time in Hong Kong, staying 772 days due to the Covid -19 pandemic.
Torbjorn Pedersen
Pedersen stated being caught in Hong Kong was the “worst time” of his life, however now he stated he views the metropolis as his second residence.
“I really feel extra at residence in Hong Kong than I do in Copenhagen, ” he stated. “On one facet it was the finest time of my life, and on the different facet it was an absolute nightmare.”
Near-death expertise
Pedersen stated considered one of the most harrowing experiences occurred on a visit to the border between Cameroon and the Congo.
After driving on a dust highway for hours on finish with “a wall of timber on each side,” he stated his taxi was stopped by three males that have been “drunk out of their minds.”
“From the second considered one of the uniformed males noticed me as I stepped out of the car, you can simply see fireplace in his eyes,” Pedersen stated. “There was so much rage and emotion. It was as if the complete historical past of Western colonialism was my fault.”
Don’t do it … it’s just too much and too laborious.
Torbjorn Pedersen
on others who need to observe his path
Pedersen served as a soldier in Denmark and a United Nations peacekeeper in Eritrea and Ethiopia, however he stated this was the first time had been aggressively held at gunpoint throughout his journey.
“They had their fingers on the set off, so I knew in my coronary heart that I used to be going to die that evening, and I knew for certain that was the finish of the highway for me,” he stated.
But after about 45 minutes, the troopers abruptly allow them to go, he stated.
“We raced again to the taxi and drove for 3 kilometers earlier than I advised the driver to cease. I acquired out and sat on the roadside, crouched down and began shaking for about 10 minutes.”
Pedersen additionally shared recollections he stated he would always remember, together with visiting the Solomon Islands the place he shared his laptop computer with villagers who had no entry to electrical energy or operating water.
“About 80 folks sat round my laptop computer and watched a conflict movie ‘The Thin Red Line’ whereas I leaned again and checked out palm timber … and stars making a roof throughout us.”
“I by no means checked out my laptop computer in the similar manner once more,” he stated.
Biggest classes
For those that need to observe in his footsteps, Pedersen has this recommendation: “Don’t do it.”
“It has come at a really, very excessive cost and has taken an enormous chunk of my life. I spent plenty of sources attending to the finish. And it’s just too much and too laborious,” he stated.
Pedersen in Ethiopia.
Torbjorn Pedersen
“Do one thing that is extra smart. Do one thing that is enjoyable and satisfying,” Pedersen stated candidly.
He additionally talked about how to get the most out of every journey expertise.
“Listen and look. Smell and style. Use all of your senses and attempt to suck every little thing up like a sponge,” he stated. But “go away nothing behind besides to your footprints.”