2020 was a year where I insanely turned 40 without barely even realising it. Coronavirus crisis put paid to any kind of celebration of such a milestone as my 40th birthday passed by whilst I was sat at home in my flat in Warszawa, Poland. It’s no consolation that I have a hat-trick of volumes of Backpacking Centurion out.
Buy my Backpacking Centurion book series –
Volume 1 – Don’t Look Back In Bangor
Volume 2 – Lands Down Under
Volume 3 – Taints And Honours
Volume 4 – The Black Volume
Buy my This Is The Next Century Series –
Volume 1 – Aftershot
Volume 2 – Starogard Girl
Volume 3 – Fool Circle
Volume 4 – The Darker Volume
Instead of planning any more travels, or ever finding happiness away from depression, it’s only time to reflect. Here is a full list of every real country that I personally recognised as separate on my journey. The numbers in brackets are those that are globally recognised by excrement exits like Untied Nations etc.
Key: –
Number of country visited – Name I give to country visited – rough date visited – how I got there.
(the numbers is brackets are globally recognised by Untied Nations countries – which I don’t personally recognise but included for reference as other like to omit countries from the real world and I don’t)
Also I put only my first entrance into that country. I may have been back to those countries again by a different method and of course in a different time.
- Northern Ireland – March 1980 – born there.
- Republic of Ireland – 1980 or 1981 – by land from Northern Ireland with family.
- Scotland – 1981 – by boat from Northern Ireland with family.
- England – 1981 – by car from Scotland with family.
- 5. Portugal (1) – October 1981 – by aeroplane flight from Northern Ireland with family.
6. Wales – July 1989 – by ferry from Republic of Ireland with family.
7. France (2) – July 1989 – by ferry from England with family.
8. Cornwall – July 1989 – by car from England with family.
9. Greece (3) – July 1990 – by aeroplane from Northern Ireland with family.
10. Netherlands (4) – April 1991 – by aeroplane from Northern Ireland with school.
11. Spain (5) – July 1995 – by aeroplane from England with family.
12. USA (6) – July 1996 – by aeroplane from Northern Ireland with family.
13. Canada (7) – August 2001 – by aeroplane from Northern Ireland with family.
14. Germany (8) – March 2005 – by aeroplane from England with friends.
15. Poland (9) – March 2005 – by train from Germany with friends.
16. Austria (10) – October 2005 – by aeroplane from England with Dad and friends.
17. Denmark (11) – October 2006 – by aeroplane from England with friends.
18. Switzerland (12) – March 2007 – by aeroplane from England with friends.
19. Liechtenstein (13) – March 2007 – by bus from Switzerland with friends.
20. New Zealand (14) – July 2007 – by flight from USA alone.
21. China – July 2007 – by flight from Malaysia alone.
22. Russia (15) – July 2007 – by flight from China alone.
23. Belarus (16) – July 2007 – by flight from Russia alone.
24. Czechia (17) – August 2007 – by flight from Poland alone.
25. Luxembourg (18) – August 2007 – by train from Germany alone.
26. Belgium (19) – August 2007 – by car from Germany with a friend.
27. Latvia (20) – September 2007 – by flight from England with friends.
28. Iceland (21) – September 2007 – by flight from Germany with friends.
29. Sweden (22) – October 2007 – by flight from England with friends.
30. Slovakia (23) – September 2008 – by flight from England with friends.
31. Italy (24) – October 2008 – by flight from England with friends.
32. Slovenia (25) – October 2008 – by bus from Italy with friends.
33. San Marino (26) – February 2009 – by bus from Italy with friends.
34. Hungary (27) – April 2009 – by flight from England with a friend.
35. Guernsey – May 2009 – by ferry from England with work.
36. Jersey – May 2009 – by ferry from Guernsey with work.
37. Sark – August 2009 – by ferry from Guernsey alone.
38. Herm – August 2009 – by ferry from Guernsey alone.
39. Taiwan – October 2009 – by flight from Thailand with a friend.
40. Malaysia (28) – October 2009 – by flight from Taiwan with a friend.
41. Singapore (29) – October 2009 – by train from Malaysia with a friend.
42. Australia (30) – October 2009 – by flight from Australia with a friend.
43. Argentina (31) – October 2010 – by flight from Chile alone.
44. Antarctica – November 2010 – by ferry from Argentina with a tour.
45. Uruguay (32) – November 2010 – by flight from Argentina alone.
46. Brazil (33) – December 2010 – by bus from Argentina alone.
47. Paraguay (34) – December 2010 – by bus from Brazil alone.
48. Bolivia (35) – December 2010 – by flight from Paraguay alone.
49. Chile (36) – December 2010 – by foot from Bolivia alone.
50. Peru (37) – December 2010 – by foot from Bolivia alone.
51. Ecuador (37) – December 2010 – by flight from Peru alone.
52. Panama (38) – December 2010 – by flight from Ecuador alone.
53. Colombia (39) – December 2010 – by flight from Panama alone.
54. Venezuela (40) – January 2011 – by foot from Colombia alone.
55. Trinidad and Tobago (41) – January 2011 – by flight from Venezuela alone.
56. Suriname (42) – January 2011 – by flight from Trinidad and Tobago alone.
57. South Africa (43) – January 2011 – by flight from Brazil alone.
58. Botswana (44) – January 2011 – by foot from South Africa alone.
59. Swaziland (45) – January 2011 – by foot from South Africa alone.
60. Qatar (46) – February 2011 – by flight from South Africa alone.
61. Hong Kong – May 2011 – by flight from Singapore alone.
62. South Korea (47) – December 2011 – by flight from China alone.
63. North Korea (48) – December 2011 – by foot from South Korea with a friend.
64. Philippines (49) – January 2012 – by flight from Hong Kong alone.
65. Indonesia (50) – January 2012 – by flight from Singapore alone.
66. United Arab Emirates (51) – April 2012 – by flight from England alone.
67. Japan (52) – May 2012 – by flight from Hong Kong with a friend.
68. Macau – June 2012 – by ferry from Hong Kong with a friend.
69. Thailand (53) – July 2012 – by flight from Hong Kong alone.
70. Laos (54) – July 2012 – by train from Thailand alone.
71. Cambodia (55) – July 2012 – by bus from Laos with friends.
72. Vietnam (56) – August 2012 – by flight from Hong Kong alone.
73. Sri Lanka (57) – February 2013 – by flight from Singapore with a friend.
74. Brunei Darussalam – March 2013 – by ferry from Malaysia with a friend.
75. Myanmar (58) – July 2013 – by flight from Thailand alone.
76. Tanzania (59) – August 2013 – by flight from Ethiopia alone.
77. Maasai Tribe – August 2013 – by foot from Tanzania with a tour group.
78. Ethiopia (60) – August 2013 – by flight from Kenya alone.
79. Jordan (61) – September 2013 – by flight from Hong Kong with a friend.
80. Israel – September 2013 – by foot from Jordan with a friend.
81. Druze People – September 2013 – by foot from Israel with a friend.
82. Palestine (62) – September 2013 – by bus from Israel with a friend.
83. Georgia (63) – October 2013 – by flight from Turkey with a friend.
84. Azerbaijan (64) – October 2013 – by train from Georgia with a friend.
85. Armenia (65) – October 2013 – by shared car from Georgia with friends.
86. Nagorno Karabakh – October 2013 – by shared car from Armenia with a friend.
87. Turkey (66) – November 2013 – by flight from Georgia with a friend.
88. Iran (67) – November 2013 – by foot from Turkey with a friend.
89. Iraq (68) – December 2013 – by flight from Qatar with a friend.
90. East Timor (69) – April 2014 – by flight from Indonesia alone.
91. French Guyana – June 2014 – by boat from Brazil with a friend.
92. Guyana (70) – June 2014 – by boat from Suriname with a friend.
93. Mexico (71) – July 2014 – by flight from Panama with a friend.
94. Guatemala (72) – August 2014 – by foot from Mexico with a friend.
95. El Salvador (73) – August 2014 – by foot from Guatemala alone.
96. Honduras (74) – September 2014 – by foot from El Salvador with a friend.
97. Belize (75) – September 2014 – by foot from Guatemala alone.
98. Nicaragua (76) – September 2014 – by foot from Honduras alone.
99. Costa Rica (77) – September 2014 – by foot from Nicaragua alone.
100. Catalonia – October 2014 – by flight from USA alone.
101. Andorra (78) – October 2014 – by bus from Catalonia alone.
(102. Declined – Sealand)
102. Romania (79) – November 2014 – by flight from England alone.
103. Moldova (80) – November 2014 – by train from Romania alone.
104. Transnistria – November 2014 – by marshrutky from Moldova alone.
105. Bulgaria (81) – December 2014 – by train from Romania alone.
106. FYR Macedonia / Northern Macedonia – December 2014 – by bus from Bulgaria alone.
107. Kosovo – December 2014 – by bus from FYR Macedonia alone.
108. Montenegro (83) – December 2014 – by by from Kosovo alone.
109. Lithuania (84) – January 2015 – by flight from Republic of Ireland alone.
110. Uzupis – January 2015 – by foot from Lithuania alone.
108. Estonia (85) – January 2015 – by bus from Latvia alone.
109. Finland (86) – February 2015 – by ferry from Estonia alone.
110. Christiania – February 2015 – by foot from Denmark alone.
111. Norway (87) – February 2015 – by train from Sweden alone.
112. Austenasia – March 2015 – by foot from England alone.
113. Frestonia – March 2015 – by foot from England with a friend.
114. Vatican City – March 2015 – by foot from Italy alone.
115. Tunisia (88) – March 2015 – by flight from Italy with a friend.
116. Algeria (89) – April 2015 – by flight from Tunisia alone.
117. Basque Country – April 2015 – by bus from Catalonia alone.
118. Gibraltar – April 2015 – by foot from Spain alone.
119. Kuwait (90) – May 2015 – by flight from England alone.
120. Bangladesh (91) – August 2015 – by flight from Singapore alone.
121. Bahrain (92) – August 2015 – by flight from Sharjah, UAE alone.
122. Ladonia – September 2015 – by foot from Sweden with a friend.
123. Faroe Islands – September 2015 – by flight from Denmark alone.
124. Podjistan – September 2015 – by car from Northern Ireland with Mum.
125. Lagoan Isles – October 2015 – by land from England alone.
126. Adammia – November 2015 – by land from England alone.
127. Ukraine (93) – December 2015 – by train from Poland alone.
128. Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – December 2015 – by car from Ukraine on a tour.
129. Kazakhstan (94) – December 2015 – by flight from Kiev, Ukraine.
130. Kyrgyzstan (95) – December 2015 – by foot from Kazakhstan.
131. Tajikistan (96) – January 2016 – by flight from Kyrgyzstan.
132. Gorno Badakhshan – January 2016 – by shared jeep from Tajikistan.
133. Uzbekistan (97) – January 2016 – by foot from Tajikistan.
134. Afghanistan (98) – February 2016 – by foot from Uzbekistan.
135. Karakalpakstan – February 2016 – by whiskey boy taxi from Uzbekistan.
136. India (99) – February 2016 – by flight from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
137. Andaman Islands – March 17th 2016 – by flight from Chennai, India.
138. Don’t Stop Living – April 2016 – by laptop from my hands in Kyrgyzstan.
139. Bavaria – April 2016 – by flight from Moscow, Russia.
140. Senegal (100) – May 2016 – by flight from Noukachoot, Mauritania.
141. The Gambia (101) – May 2016 – by ferry from Foundiougne, Senegal.
142. Lovely – May 2016 – by land with Millwall Neil in England.
143. Monaco – June 2016 – by train with my brother Marko and Dad Joe.
144. Kaszubia – July 2016 – by foot with a tour group in Gdynia, Poland.
144. Kaliningrad – July 2016 – by bus from Poland.
145. Serbia (102) – October 2016 – by train from Budapest, Hungary.
146. Bosnia – October 2016 – by minibus from Belgrade, Serbia.
147. Herzegovina – October 2016 – by minibus from Sarajevo, Bosnia.
148. Croatia (103) – October 2016 – by land from Neum, Herzegovina.
149. International Waters – September 2014 – by diving off the coast of Honduras / by boat sailing to Antarctica.
150. Mongolia – March 2017 – by flight from Hong Kong.
151. Krolestwo Dreamlandu – May 2017 – arrived by walking from Gdansk, Poland.
152. San Escobar – August 2018 – arrived by walking from Swidnica, Poland.
153. Narnia – March 2009 – arrived by walking from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
154. Malta – September 2017 – arrived by flight from Budapest, Hungary.
155. Sovereign Military Order of Malta – October 2017 – arrived by walking from Birgu, Malta.
156. Kingdom of Romkerhall – November 2017 – arrived by taxi from Oker, Germany.
157. Morocco – December 2017 – arrived by flight from Krakow, Poland.
158. Western Sahara – December 2017 – arrived by bus from Marrakesh, Morocco.
160. Cyprus – January 2018 – arrived by flight from Krakow, Poland.
161. Northern Cyprus – January 2018 – arrived by land from Nicosia, Cyprus.
162. Ivory Coast – January 2018 – arrived by flight from
163. Saudi Arabia – April 2018 – arrived by flight from Athens, Greece.
164. Oman – April 2018 – arrived by flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
165. Turkmenistan – May 2018 – arrived by flight from Baku, Azerbaijan.
166. Togo – October 2018 – arrived by flight from Paris, France.
167. Benin – October 2018 – arrived by shared taxi from Togo.
168. Lebanon – December 2018 – arrived by flight from Istanbul, Turkey.
169. Uganda – April 2019 – arrived by flight from Brussells, Belgium.
170. Rwanda – April 2019 – arrived by bus from Uganda.
171. Democratic Republic of Congo – April 2019 – arrived by walking from Bukavu, Rwanda.
172. Burundi – April 2019 – arrived by flight from Kigali, Rwanda.
173. Kenya – April 2019 – arrived by flight from Entebbe, Uganda.
(174. – Declined) Guam
(175. – Declined) Federated States of Micronesia
174. Marshall Islands (arrived by flight from Tarawa, Kiribati)
(175. Unrecognised) Eneko Island (arrived by boat from DUD, Marshall Islands)
175. Nauru (arrived by flight from Nadi, Fiji)
176. Kiribati (arrived by flight from Yaren, Nauru)
177. Solomon Islands (arrived by flight from Yaren, Nauru)
178. Papua New Guinea (arrived by flight from Honiara, Solomon Islands)
179. Kugel Mugel (arrived by foot from Vienna, Austria)
180. Wallachia (arrived by train from Prague, Czechia)
181. Egypt (arrived by flight from Casablanca, Morocco)
182. Angola (arrived by flight from Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
183. Namibia (arrived by flight from Luanda, Angola)
184. Zimbabwe (arrived by flight from Windhoek, Namibia)
185. Zambia (arrived by boat from Kazungula, Botswana)
186. Lesotho (arrived by flight from Johannesberg, South Africa)
187. XXXXX (arrived by van from Warszawa, Poland)
188.Albania (arrived by flight from Vienna, Austria)
189.Seychelles (arrived by flight from Moscow, Russia)
- 190.Barbados
- 191.Grenada
192.Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
193.Saint Lucia
194.Dominica
195.The Azores
196.Cape Verde Islands
197.Alderney
198.Isle of Man
199.Mauritania
201.Haiti
202.Cuba
203.Jamaica
204.Curacao
205.Bahamas
206.Dominican Republic
207.Turks And Caicos Islands
208.Madagascar
209.Malawi
210.Mozambique
211.Reunion
212.Mauritius
213.Nepal, Pakistan, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Gagauzia, Cameroon, Gabon, Sao Tome, Seborga.
- I didn’t include United Kingdom, Ireland or China in this list as I don’t recognise them the way the UN does. And I forgot about some of them so the order is wrong and Kurdistan, which overlapped with Iraq, Iran and Turkey has also been omitted.
Countries I am not going to count yet:
(region – Republic of Srpska)
(I am their general but I have never stepped foot in – Nedland)
(TV – Donkey Kong Country)
(Islandia)
My target was to visit 200 countries (as defined by me) by the age of 40, from this list:
The Ultimate List of Every Country (627 of them).
The only ones nearby to me in Poland which I recognise but haven’t been to are Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Seagouis.