In very early 2013, Torbjørn C. Pedersen – or Thor, to his pals – got an e-mail that would certainly alter his life for life.
” My daddy sent me a web link to a write-up and also I clicked it,” remembers the Danish traveler.
” I rapidly became aware that no person in background had actually mosted likely to every nation on the planet without flying. The truth captured my rate of interest and also stuck to me.”
The previous UN soldier was quickly loading his bags of what was to end up being an 8-year journey covering 194 nations.
His goal was straightforward sufficient: to check out every nation on the planet without making use of air transport.
Yet as Thor rapidly found, the fact was anything yet straightforward.
” Usually I attempt to relocate whenever I can, yet it’s not constantly that very easy,” he states. “Often I’m awaiting a visa. Often I’m searching for a ship.”
” One-time I got on top of a vehicle for 2 days in Congo and also we needed to drop in the center of the evening due to the fact that there was a threat of outlaws.”
After efficiently browsing all 7 continents, Thor is currently simply 9 nations reluctant of his objective of going to 203 nations without flying.
Yet after 2 years embeded Hong Kong as a result of coronavirus limitations, the seasonal tourist is eager to carry on.
” I have actually had every factor to go house and also quit on this, specifically throughout the pandemic,” he sighs.
” It’s taking its toll on me, yet I’m staying with it and also advertising that if you intend to grab something in life that may not be very easy, staying with it is the only manner in which you can ultimately reach your objective.”
Stuck in Hong Kong throughout the pandemic
In January 2020, Pedersen showed up in Hong Kong on a container ship from The Federated States of Micronesia.
He had simply 9 nations left on his travel plan – Palau, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, and also the Maldives.
The Dane was set up to leave Hong Kong on a container ship to Palau when information of the coronavirus episode brought traveling to a stop.
” When it was proclaimed a worldwide pandemic, I understood it was video game over, a minimum of momentarily,” states Thor.
Rather than investing 4 days in the city as he had actually initially prepared, Pedersen has actually currently been there for almost 2 years – the lengthiest he’s remained in any type of one location throughout his around-the-world journey.
” I believed it was mosting likely to take 2 or 3 months and afterwards points would certainly silent down. Yet it’s been a great deal even more than that currently.”
Hong Kong proclaimed a state of emergency situation on 25 January 2020, after COVID-19 infect the area from Wuhan, China.
Very early steps were required to include the infection, consisting of shutting institutions, executing seclusion steps, and also motivating individuals to function from house.
While Pedersen is awaiting his possibility to take a trip to Palau, the stuck tourist invests his days taking on Hong Kong’s lots of treking routes, dealing with the regional Red Cross culture, and also narrating his experiences on his blog site, As Soon As Upon a Legend
What is the document for going to all nations by surface area transport?
While Thor’s journey is anything yet average, he is not the just one to have actually tried a task of this kind.
Graham Hughes from the UK presently holds the document for the fastest time to check out all nations by public surface area transportation, according to the Guinness Globe Records.
Unlike Thor – that hasn’t returned house to Denmark in over 8 years – Hughes was allowed to fly back to Britain two times throughout his trip.
” To check out every nation on the planet, in one solitary trip, without capturing a solitary trip is something that has actually never ever been done previously,” firmly insists Pedersen, that has actually trying out various settings of transportation throughout the program of his journey.
” Buses and also trains have actually been the mass of it,” he proceeds.
” I have actually had the opportunity of being aboard 25 container ships attaching continents and also island countries. I have actually also gotten on a high-performance private yacht, which was rather unique.”
Yet in spite of being closer than ever before to the goal, the worry of Thor’s journey is beginning to take its toll on the road-weary tourist.
” It’s been a very long time currently and also my top priorities are transforming. I have a better half. We want to begin a family members and also there’s not an open day concerning the amount of years we can intend to seek that for,” he states.
” If I pick to finish this task and also return house, I may understand that it cost me the highest possible rate.”
However, the pledge of coming to be the initial individual in background to attain this objective is a tantalising possibility for the self-proclaimed ‘contemporary viking’.
” I’m not somebody that surrenders when something is obstructing my course,” he grins.
” I discover a means. As well as for the remainder of my life, I’ll have the ability to search in the mirror and also understand that I attempted something extremely tough and also I finished it.”
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