Meet the first person to visit every country in the world without flying

Meet the first person to visit every country in the world without flying

If you were to meet Graham Hughes on the street, you would most likely mistake him for just another backpacker, or perhaps a student who stopped seeing each other two weeks after shaving.

But behind the glasses and the modest smile lies a man who has achieved extraordinary things: Graham is the first person to travel to every country in the world without boarding a plane.

He has used boats, cars, buses and trains to visit every corner of the planet, a journey that took him four years. Even more extraordinary is the fact that he, originally from Liverpool in the UK, now lives on a private island in Panama, a prize he won through a game show. (Yes, we're seething with jealousy too.)

Graham stopped by Reddit this month and invited readers to ask him anything - and we did. Here is a summary of his most interesting answers.

Firstly, how did you come up with the idea for this great adventure?This all stems from my love of traveling, which I have had since I was a child. Before I started my journey, I had already been to around 70 countries in my life.

I can't sing, I can't play a musical instrument, I can't run 100m in under 10 seconds, but I'm pretty gifted when it comes to getting around, sleeping in uncomfortable places, making myself understood, trying new things, putting myself out there... going to any country without flying seemed like something that was within my capabilities - I was kind of surprised that no one had done that before, to be honest.

How were you able to finance your travels? I saved up, I got some money for the TV show I did for Lonely Planet. Towards the end of my journey, my family and friends helped to ensure that I finished what I started. The whole thing cost me around £27,000 over four years – just under £7,000 ($10,000) a year.

Have you spent time in each country or gone through them marathon-style checking them off a list? It was pretty marathon style, but in some places I hung around waiting for visas or ships. Sometimes I stayed a little longer than I really needed... Sometimes I found it hard to tear myself away. But like I always say, these places aren't going anywhere and who knows? On the back of this thing, I might get a TV show where I can go back and really explore these places without having to run through (or hold a video camera at arm's length!).

"I lost my rag when I was arrested and taken to the police station in Brazzaville. I shouldn't have done that. I learned an important lesson: keep smiling."

Graham Hughes

What does your passport look like? A little like this and this and this and this 😀

What are your top 5 favorite countries? It changes daily, but I would always put Iran, Bolivia, Thailand, Madagascar and the UK at the top of the list.

Which country has the most beautiful women? Great Britain, specifically LIVERPOOOOOOOOL!!

Which country surprised you the most and why? Iran. Because it was NOTHING like I expected. By far the friendliest country in the world. One night on a bus to Khorramshahr a little old lady sat in front of me.

After we had been walking for about 20 minutes, she took out her cell phone and called someone. After chatting in Farsi for a while, she turned and smiled at me through the gap in the seat. I smiled back. Then to my surprise, she handed me her phone and motioned for me to put it to my ear. I did so and the voice on the other end introduced himself as Hossein.

He explained that he was an English teacher in Khorramshahr, that I was sitting behind his grandmother and that she had called him because she was worried about me.

,Really? Why is she worried?’ I asked.

"Well," Hossein said, "she's worried that the bus arrives in Khorramshahr very early - at 5am - and that you won't be able to go anywhere and no one can make you breakfast. She would like to know - if it's okay with you - if she can take you home and make you breakfast."

IMPRESSIVE.

…And which countries would you not visit again? Well, I had unfortunate experiences in Cape Verde and Congo, but I think I would go back there. The people were nice, I only had a problem with the police!

Can you explain this in more detail? The good cops of Cape Verde (understandably) didn't quite understand what the hell I was doing when I arrived in the country in a big wooden canoe with a bunch of Senegalese fishermen. It was an idiotic act.

Not a day goes by that I don't kick myself for being such an idiot. I was angry at Cape Verde for a while after that, but that was five years ago and I have mellowed in my old age. How seriously? A WOODEN CANOE?? Total cock movement.

Congo - this is not so justifiable, but I lost my beef with the police chief when I was arrested and taken to the police station in Brazzaville. I shouldn't have done that. However, I learned an important lesson: KEEP SMILING! Seriously. It could have saved me a few days of sleeping on a concrete floor.

Have you ever felt really unsafe? It wasn't until a representative from the British Embassy in Congo visited me in my holding cell and made it clear to me that the police, er, "might make it look like an accident if I don't stop screaming and kicking the door." That really scared me.

Which languages ​​do you speak? Were you able to communicate with the locals when they couldn't speak English? I speak a little bit of French and a little bit of Spanish. I have to admit that I'm not that good at languages, but I'm pretty good at making myself understood. At the end of the day you can just smile and point at things! However, I wish I had more linguistic talent. I have a friend who speaks eight languages. He's like a magician or something.

What is the most difficult region in the world when trying to get around using only English? China used to be difficult when I first went there in 2002, but now - since the 2008 Olympics - a lot of the signage is in both Chinese and Latin characters, so it's much easier to make sure you're on the right bus. Russia is still pretty tough.

What was your longest single trip? On an old cargo ship from Australia to Nauru. The round trip took 34 days. Along the way, I returned to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati (places I had “checked off” the previous year). The crew was mainly from Fiji. It was a lot of fun.

Do you think it would have been harder for you as a woman? I think it would be more difficult, but not impossible. Some of the greatest travelers of all time - Nellie Bly, Gertrude Bell, Annie Londonderry - faced similar challenges when the world was MUCH more dangerous. Staying safe includes following your intuition, always updating your Facebook or Twitter, and having someone wait for you at your destination (CouchSurfing is great for this). You will find that you rarely travel alone, there is often someone there to make sure you get where you need to go.

Did it make you sick? No! Remarkable enough. So you should make SUPER SOLDIERS out of my DNA. I had all the vaccinations I could before leaving the UK, I took anti-malarial tablets in malaria areas, tried not to drink tap water and tried to stick to hot foods. Plus a good pinch of luck!

Have you ever been homesick? Not so much. With things like Skype and Facebook, home is never far away.

Which country do you miss the most? The best meal I had was at a roadside awning in Jayapura, West Papua. Sweet and sour squid on rice. I still have happy dreams about that squid.

And what did you like least? My least favorite was “Balut”, fertilized duck egg in the Philippines. Sounds as disgusting as it tastes.

Was there a time when you thought you wouldn't make it? Yes, after my sister passed away in March 2011, I really struggled to resume travel. At this point I had been to 184 countries and only had 17 left to go, but I knew they would be the hardest to reach without flying (the Pacific island nations and the Indian Ocean nations), but so many people had helped me get this far. I really had to finish it. I'm glad I did it.

If another country splits like South Sudan, would you have to go to the new country? South Sudan was my last country. I returned there from Australia after visiting the island nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. When I started, it wasn't a country. If a new country appears, I can fly there without flying. I have my eye on Bougainville and Greenland!

What do you do for a living now? I was a wannabe filmmaker. Now I'm just chilling on my island and writing the book about my travels. I guess that makes me a wannabe author!!

How rich are you? I have £87 in my overdraft at the moment, so not much!! So even though I own a share in this island I live on, on paper I'm worth at least $100,000.

Have you worked for extra money while on the road? No, I haven't, but you can find work fairly easily while you travel - at a backpacker or guesthouse, teaching English as a foreign language, teaching surfing, fruit picking in Australia, etc.

What are your future goals? Finish the book! And I'm planning another trip around the world in 2016 with another Guinness World Record holder, Tyson Jerry.

What's life like on the private island?Sweeeeet! I live off the grid, solar panels, rainwater collection, all that jazz. Dolphin Bay at the back. The town of Bocas Del Toro is just 20 minutes away by boat. I am the self-proclaimed mayor of Carrotopolis. I love this city!!

Can I live with you? I am very nice, I love animals and cooking. Ha! You can surf my couch on Jinja Island, Panama (check Google Maps or CouchSurfing), but you have to be nice... and a little crazy to live here!

Are you a Scouse? You know you should NEVER walk alone, right? Don't gallop around the world on your death!Ha!! Come on, the world is full of people! I never go alone!

Read more about Graham's adventures at grahamdavidhughes.com.
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