Last Sunday I had the great pleasure of meeting the legend that is Mr. Kashi Samaddar – the current Guinness World Record™ holder for visiting every country of planet Earth in the least amount of time.
Top bloke!!
What makes Kashi’s record even more impressive is that he did it all on an Indian passport – meaning that for some countries he would be faced with the nightmare of having his visa rejected for some lame reason and then having to wait SIX MONTHS before being allowed to even apply for a visa again!
Kashi treated me to an amazing seafood feast at the Far East Restaurant in Dubai and we chatted for a good few hours about our various adventures… you think I’m mad – he’s gone places where angels would fear to tread.
I asked him the questions I always get asked – favourite place (he couldn’t choose), motivation (to encourage world tourism) and how he got to North Korea (flight from Beijing). How did he feel about the possibility of me breaking his record? He was full of praise and encouragement, which was wonderful. I’ve no doubt that if I set this record the person who ultimately breaks it will have read my blogs and sussed out where I went wrong and all power to them!!
It was great to be able to talk to someone who has shared many of the experiences, the dizzying highs and the crushing lows of attempting to do something like this. He understood my drive, my motivation, my single (some might say bloody) minded desire to see this thing through to the bitter end, wherever that may be.
Kashi, like me, has seen something through all his trials and tribulations that not many people see nor understand – the world is an amazing place filled with amazing people. We do not get told this enough. Our governments and the media grow fat on the power of nightmares. Don’t let them make you live in fear, let go of that paranoia and the fear of otherness – we’re all in this together peeps – for better or worse this planet is ours and it’s the only home we will ever know.
It took Kashi six and a half years to visit every country. I’ve already got the Guinness World Record for visiting the most countries in one year without flying, if I finish the final 42 countries this year I will not only pick up the Guinness World Record for visiting every country in the world without flying – but I’ll take Mr. Samaddar’s title of fastest travel to every county in the world using any form of transport – yeah, I’ll have done it faster than people who have flown!!
I might even be able to snag the record for most countries visited in one continuous unbroken journey…!
Four Guinness World Records for the price of one? Nice! But this is no time to become complacent. When I hit the final forty you’ll see just how far I still have to go. My huge thanks to Mr. Samaddar – hats off to you, sir – you’re an inspiration to us all.
Graham Hughes
DUBAI, UAE (158 of 200)
Nice story. A true summit of the psychotic. I hope you got a good photo of the two of you standing around wakwardly in a Dubai dentist’s office or something.
There was actually a story in the press about 2-3 weeks ago about a guy from Oklahoma who’s been to every country but three. It made him sound pretty odd; he is a germ phobe and eats at McDonald’s in every country.
I think if the three of you ever got in the same room at the same time, the earth would start shaking like when Indiana Jones got the crystal skulls together.
Heayyyy what a great guy. so glad you got to meet him. Well done Mr Samaddar. xx
Gray that is just so cool, amazing that he was in the same part of the world as you! How unreal to be able to share your stories with someone who’s been there before, just ace. Hope you’re well babe, hang in there, not long to go now!
xxx
Graham you are looking nice. Kashi & you both are fantastic persons. Go on
Great going Graham! Wish you good luck ahead…the world needs more people like you and Kashi…and it’s gonna shake, believe me!
We at Dubai are great fans of Kashi. Specially, as you have yourself observed, doing it with an Indian Passport is just unthinkable.
Achivements of Kashi are fantastic- 03 world records on Travel with Indian passport? Simply Great. Go on Graham/ unification is good for World.
Kashi & Graham- you are great persons of this Earth. Histry will remember these. Yours hard works & contributions for the People are examples to our children- Andy, China