Comments: 4345 • Responses: 51  • Date: 

bonorcrown2864 karma

Did you unlock the private Caribbean Island after completing the main storyline?

EveryCountry1246 karma

Yes. I found it by opening the mouth of the giant stone monkey head.

formulate2011 karma

What country were you most surprised by and why?

EveryCountry3683 karma

Iran. Because it was NOTHING like what I was expecting it to be. Friendliest country in the world by a mile.

Toledojoe1070 karma

If another country splits, like South Sudan did, would you have to go to the new country?

EveryCountry1533 karma

I did!! South Sudan was my final country, I returned there from Australia after visiting the Pacific and Indian Ocean Island states. Wasn't a country when I started.

When I finished my journey I overlanded it back to the UK, so if a new country emerges, I can head out there - without flying - from my hometown of Liverpool. Got my eye on Bougainville and Greenland!

BadgerCourtJudge691 karma

Scouse? You know you're meant to NEVER walk alone right? Not galavant around the whole world on your tod!

EveryCountry1451 karma

Ha!! C'mon, the world is full of people! I never walk alone!

Mastermachetier193 karma

Sorry about Liverpool football this year mate.

Blubbey218 karma

He might be an Everton supporter, in which case it's much better.

EveryCountry483 karma

I am an Evertonian. TRUE STORY!!

Darkersun978 karma

What does your passport look like?

MrTsibul557 karma

Gotta catch 'em all! :)

EveryCountry301 karma

YES!

pking8786356 karma

Wow, impressive!

Side note: I just saw on your Facebook that we have a mutual friend, how weird! Though we're both scouse so it's inevitable but still strange!

EveryCountry207 karma

Scousers get everywhere, we really do :D

Pman90960 karma

Can you expand a bit on why you were put in jail?

Cpt_PP2012 karma

The words many a scouser has heard at a job interview

EveryCountry827 karma

Ahh... ya funny fecker!! :D

EveryCountry1503 karma

The fine police officers of Cape Verde (understandably) didn't quite understand what the hell I was doing arriving in the country on a big wooden canoe with a bunch of Senegalese fishermen. I was an idiotic thing to do, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't kick myself for being such a fool. I was angry with Cape Verde for a time after that, but it was five years ago and I've mellowed in my old age. Like seriously? A WOODEN CANOE??

Total dick move.

Congo - that's not as justifiable, but I did lose my rag with the police chief (once I'd been arrested and taken to the police station in Brazzaville). I shouldn't have done that - I learnt an important lesson though.... KEEP SMILING! Seriously. Could have saved me a good few days of sleeping on a concrete floor.

Tiffantastiic913 karma

Which country's food do you miss the most?

EveryCountry1844 karma

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm food........

The best meal I had was in a street-side awning in Jayapura, West Papua. Sweet and sour squid on rice. I still have happy dreams about that squid...............

Eating lots of Mexican-style food here in Panama now. FOOD IS SO GOOD!!

ta_potato853 karma

Can I live with you? I am extremely nice, I love animals and cooking.

On a more serious note: Why did decide to take up the adventure of visiting everywhere?

EveryCountry1774 karma

Ha! You can surf my couch over on Jinja Island, Panama (look it up on Google Maps, CouchSurfing), but you'd have to be nice... and a bit crazy to live here!

I did it because:

  1. Nobody had done it before
  2. To raise money for the charity WaterAid
  3. To prove it could be done... on a shoestring budget
  4. To encourage people to travel
  5. To show that the world isn't this big scary place the media often portrays

AgentHoliday789 karma

In some of the bigger countries (United States, Mexico, etc.) where did you go in each? Like did you just pick the most popular spot in each, or did you travel around?

EveryCountry271 karma

In the US I went to Florida, hung out in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Key West for a few days, then after visiting Cuba I buzzed on up to New York. In Mexico I just travelled through really, only stopping at Cancun, Mexico City, Veracruz etc to get on a bus. This year I returned to Mexico and visited the Mayan sites of Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza, Palenque amongst others.

In China I spent 7 days in Tibet, stayed in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong. Australia I travelled up the coast from Melbourne to Townsville (via Fiji). I got loads more of Brazil and Russia to discover, I barely scratched the surface, same with Canada (although Halifax is a great little place).

PFXiang715 karma

How were you able to finance your travels? Were you able to communicate with the locals when they couldn't speak English? Did you ever suffer from homesickness? And thank you in advance for answering my questions.

EveryCountry1082 karma

I saved up, I got some money for the TV show I made for Lonely Planet (https://www.youtube.com/show/theodysseylonelyplanet - not in the UK? Use Hola) and towards the end of my journey, my family and friends chipped in to ensure I finished what I had started. The whole thing cost me around £27,000 over four years - just under £7,000 (US$10,000) a year.

Yeah, communication was never really a problem, at the end of the day you can just smile and point at stuff! I wish I had more of an aptitude for languages though. I've got a mate who speaks like 8 languages, he's like a wizard or something.

Homesickness no so much... with stuff like Skype and Facebook, home is never far away. But it IS good to be home (when I'm home!!).

TIGit726 karma

$10k a year? Shit, if I fund it how about you and I travel it all over again.

stls201 karma

Me too. Three's company too right?

hypnotiqmoon107 karma

Can I tag along as well?

Jw1592396 karma

I'm not even asking. I'm coming.

EveryCountry162 karma

THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!! :D

SlashStar715 karma

Did you ever feel really unsafe?

EveryCountry2136 karma

Not really... only when a representative of the British Embassy in Congo came to visit me in my holding cell and made it quite clear that if I didn't stop shouting and kicking the door the police might, erm, "make it look like an accident".

That proper freaked me out.

thatsrickdiculous518 karma

Have you really been to every country, or only those in the United Nations? Your wikipedia article is a bit unclear, but your initial post says every country.

EveryCountry819 karma

It's all of the members of the UN, plus Kosovo, Palestine, Western Sahara, Taiwan and Vatican City. What Guinness World Records regards as "all countries". I also went to 18 territories, such as Faroe Islands, Martinique and New Caledonia.

thekittycommander462 karma

Which countries would you avoid visiting again?

EveryCountry992 karma

Well, I had unhappy experiences in Cape Verde and Congo, but I reckon I'd go back there (the people were lovely, it was just the police I had a problem with!). At the moment, I wouldn't be too keen on returning to Syria, for obvious (and heartbreaking) reasons. When I was there in 2010, the country was at peace.

Smart_Patrol261 karma

What was your favorite country to visit?

EveryCountry593 karma

This always comes up... the honest answer is... I dunno!! I'd go back to them all (including the ones that put me in jail). I'll admit to having a special affection for Iran, Thailand, Bolivia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea... OKAY I'M MAKING LISTS NOW I'LL STOP!!

AnkitJain7217 karma

I think it's an obvious question, but how did you do it?

Also don't mind me asking but how did you afford it?

EveryCountry271 karma

It wasn't so hard. Getting visas and catching rides on ships to island nations (São Tomé and Príncipe, anyone?!) was the hardest bit - but a bit of patience (something I had to learn as I was travelling) and a bit of determination paid off.

OlderThanGif212 karma

What languages do you speak? What's the toughest region of the world for trying to get by just on English?

EveryCountry366 karma

I speak a little bit of French and a little bit of Spanish. I have to admit I'm not so good at languages. But I'm fairly good at making myself understood. Kinda. China used to be tricky, back when I first went there in 2002, but now - since the 2008 Olympics - a lot of the signage is in both Chinese characters and Roman letters, so it's a lot easier to ensure you're on the right bus. Russia's pretty tough still.

sebionreddit201 karma

what is the most important thing you learned about yourself and is approximately 7 days per country enough to get a solid impression??

EveryCountry373 karma

I learnt that I'm more capable than I give myself credit for.

And no, it's not. Even living here in Panama for the last 8 months I barely feel like I know the place!! You get an impression, and it's tremendously subjective. I guess it's a bit like a relationship, or friendship. Do you know people any better because you've known them for years? I'm not so sure... people can still surprise you, and so can countries!

Karl_with_a_C172 karma

Which country has the most beautiful women?

turnip_juice275 karma

[deleted]

EveryCountry141 karma

I CONCUR.

matter_147 karma

How does riding in helicopter not count as flying?

EveryCountry79 karma

Eh? At which point was I in a helicopter??

OttieandEddie138 karma

Were you ever in trouble or in fear for your life at any point?

EveryCountry220 karma

Oh God yes! Here's the stupidest thing I've ever done: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8088001.stm

And here's the scariest: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8251715.stm

missionbeach126 karma

Do you have any packing tips?

EveryCountry279 karma

Travel light. I know everyone says that, but you'll seriously make your life a misery if you're trying to carry 25kg on your back around Africa. Just suss out what you can do without (ie. a towel, Douglas Adams) and minimise, minimise, minimise!!!

jim45804163 karma

Would you say that Earth is mostly harmless? You'd be more qualified to answer than most.

EveryCountry63 karma

I think it sums it up nicely. Although I do wish they had mentioned the magnificent fjords.

renszor121 karma

What do you do for a living?

Edit: where and when can we see your movie/tv show?

EveryCountry257 karma

I was a wannabe filmmaker. Now I just chilling on my island and writing the book about my travels. I guess that makes me a wannabe writer!!

My TV show is here: https://www.youtube.com/show/theodysseylonelyplanet you might have to install Hola to watch it.

kennsyhly109 karma

You were actually thrown into jail?Where and why.?

EveryCountry375 karma

Yup. Cape Verde (6 days) - for arriving on a Senegalese fishing boat (fair enough, daftest thing I've ever done) and Congo (6 days) for JUST BEING TOO DAMN SEXY. Also possibly a journalist. Or a spy. I dunno. They never told me.

DearBurt100 karma

Having been born in the 'Pool, what's your favorite Beatles album?

EveryCountry193 karma

Ooooooooh....... GOOD ONE!!

Hmmmmmm.............. Sgt. Peppers. It's got Day In The Life on it.

But I couldn't live without any Beatles album!!

Drayve98 karma

Any place you found was your favorite?

Never going back to?

Most beautiful?

Can I live on your island?

EveryCountry161 karma

Difficult to say. I loved lots of places!! At the moment I'm most interested in returning to Iran. There's nowhere I wouldn't go back to. Awwwwww come on! Anywhere, everywhere can be beautiful... just check out /r/EarthPorn/ !!! I have special affection for Palau in the Pacific though! No you can't live there, but you can come visit for free via the CouchSurfing network!

fiftytwohertz97 karma

Do you think you would have had a harder time if you were a woman, or would it have been less safe?

EveryCountry156 karma

I think it would be harder, but not impossible. Some of the greatest travellers of all time - Nelly Bly, Gertrude Bell, Annie Londonderry etc took on similar challenges, back when the world was a LOT more dangerous.

Staying safe includes following your intuition, always updating your Facebook or Twitter and having somebody waiting for you at your destination (CouchSurfing is great for that). You'll find that you'll rarely travel alone, there's often someone who'll make sure you get where you're supposed to go.

There's an incredible woman from Ghana who is attempting to go to every country. She's a mother of six. GO PRINCESS!! http://theglobetrottingprincess.com/

trigunned95 karma

Macedonian here: how did you like macedonia?

EveryCountry185 karma

I did, but I really buzzed through Skopje on my way from Greece to Kosovo... however, I did go to a Macedonian wedding in Melbourne, Australia (of all places) and that was very, VERY cool. We danced a lot.

Mclovin31689 karma

Did you fall ill of any diseases while doing this and if so which ones?

EveryCountry273 karma

No! Remarkably enough. They should so make SUPER-SOLDIERS from my DNA. Dunno if they'd be any good at fighting though, probs just end up down the pub.

I had all the vaccinations I could possibly have before I left the UK, I took anti-malarial tablets in malarious areas, tried not to drink the tap water and tried to stick to hot food. Plus a fair dollop of luck!

TheSwanAndTomato73 karma

Are there countries that are so similar that you mix them up in your memory? If so, which ones?

EveryCountry82 karma

Good question! Actually, no, I don't think so. There's always something that triggers a unique memory of a place. Some places I feel I didn't spend enough time in, but they're not going anywhere... I'll come back someday!

TheBeardedOneAsWell70 karma

What was the most beautiful place you have visited, and what made it so special?

EveryCountry136 karma

I had many, many incredible experiences on my journey and saw so much beautiful stuff - the animals of Madagascar, the people of Papua New Guinea, the landscapes of New Zealand... I guess one thing that sticks my head was swimming with the stingless jellyfish of Palau. That was like being on another planet!!

I_eat_insects63 karma

How the heck does a helicopter not count as flying? Seems like a bogus loophole to me.

EveryCountry41 karma

It would be flying, that's why I didn't take a helicopter. No hot air balloons either. Or jetpacks.

Shukenja62 karma

What was your longest single journey?

EveryCountry107 karma

Going to Nauru on an old cargo ship from Australia. The round trip took 34 days, on the way I returned to The Solomon Islands and Kiribati (places I had "ticked off" the year before). The crew was mostly from Fiji. It was a lot of fun.

1920954 karma

Lebanese here. Did you like Lebanon? Plus Armenia, how was it?

EveryCountry96 karma

I did like Lebanon. I first went there in 1999, and to return there in 2010 was a real treat - you know why? THE FOOD!! Oh my god you guys have the BEST kebabs in the WORLD. DITTO ARMENIA (I really like kebabs. The ones you get in Turkmenistan suck balls). Both really beautiful countries, I so need to spend more time in both of them. I will. I'LL BE BACK!!

Foudroyant48 karma

How did this whole thing start?

EveryCountry106 karma

It all stemmed from my love of travel, which I've had since I was a kid. Before I embarked on the journey I had already been to about 70 countries in my life up until that point. I can't sing, I can't play a musical instrument, I can't run 100m in less than 10 seconds, but I am fairly gifted when it comes to getting around, sleeping in uncomfortable places, making myself understood, trying new things, putting myself out there... going to every country without flying seemed like something that was within my capabilities - I was kinda surprised nobody had done it before, to be honest.

fingrar37 karma

How was Somalia?

EveryCountry41 karma

I don't really know. I visited Somaliland in the north, and even there I just stepped in and then out. I'd like to go back at some point, but when things settle down.

bwredsox3434 karma

Which country's currency did you find the coolest or most appealing?

EveryCountry194 karma

Zimbabwe had 50 billion dollar notes, which was crazy. The Queen is smiling on the money in Fiji. Eritrea and Guyana have really well designed banknotes. When I was in Libya, Gaddafi was on every note - on one of them he looks like he's forgotten his keys. I tend not to like plastic notes, but somewhere like Bangladesh it's preferable to fabric. I love the name "kwacha" for the money in Zambia and Malawi and "quetzal" for Guatemala. In Uzbekistan the biggest banknote was worth about 50 cents, you walk around with these massive wads of money like you're some ridiculous high-roller. In America they have "In God We Trust" in the UK we have Charles Darwin. That makes me smile.

ishbuggy23 karma

Which was your favorite Scandinavian country?

EveryCountry27 karma

I have family in Denmark and I've been to a couple of Roskilde festivals, so I reckon I might be a bit biased, but Denmark!

doubleohdonut23 karma

How do you have internet access?

EveryCountry28 karma

Claro mobile stick! $15 a month.

Stressmove3 karma

Can you name all the countries you've visited alphabeticly? :-P

EveryCountry6 karma

No, but I can name them in the order in which I visited them. It works better in my memory as a journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHtdyY8HrAo

formulate3 karma

How many countries are there on planet earth as of this writing?

EveryCountry4 karma

There's 193 members of the UN, plus Kosovo, Palestine, Vatican City, Taiwan and Western Sahara. That was my list (and Guinness's), others include more places, but I needed to draw the line somewhere, or else I'd still be travelling now!