Michael Noel has traveled to 192 countries Please fill out this survey and provide feedback - https://forms.gle/1RmLQh7hLuw2Xnc6A Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Michael Noel and I crossed paths in the Douala airport en route to Bangui.  We ended up sharing a dinner and a trip to a waterfall.  Always great to run into fellow travelers in the least traveled places, and he shared a number of stories which I thought would make a fascinating conversation. As some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date. You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the .  I am also excited to announce our first trip, and that is 3 different agendas to Bhutan after the festival.  Check out the website or send me a message. We have some great speakers who have already been announced for the event with more to come.  One of the speakers is Pablo Nemo, who has been walking from south to north for almost two years in Africa.  You can vote for him in the Nomad Mania Awards as the Most Intrepid Traveler.  There are a lot of other amazing travelers, so take a moment to recognize them.  Vote today! After the interview with Michael, I will be checking in with Harry Mitisdis, who has recently published Welcome To The Hotel NomadMania.  This is a classic whodunit with many fictionalized character from the Extreme Travel Community.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Jorge Serpa, Per Flisberg, Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmerman, Lori Pastorelli, Carole Southam, Sunir Joshi, Philippe Izedian, Gin, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Steph Rowe, Thor Pedersen, Adam Hickman, Katelyn Jarvis, Ed Hotchkiss, and Barry Hoffner for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Michael that you will not hear. And we have a new patron, Phil Marcus.  You might have heard me refer to Phil on the podcast several times.  Phil have teamed up over the last couple of years on some very memorable Africa and Middle East travels.  If you follow Phil on IG or FB, you might recognize him for his BFF better known as Beaker, a famous muppet, who he travels with all of the time and appears in many photos and video.  And speaking of video, make sure you follow him on YouTube at , which has a ton of great videos.   I was in Chicago for this recording while Michael was in Cali. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my …. Phil Marcus, Jorge Serpa, Per Flisberg, Justine Kirby, Marc Jorgensen, Sonia Zimmermann, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Barry Hoffner, Ed Hotchkiss, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Sunir Joshi, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian & Dale Wursten.          And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! More About Michael Noel Counting Countries ·       Where were you born o   Mather AFB, Sacramento, CA ·       What passport (s) do you hold o   USA ·       Favorite travel book o   Currently published: “The Long Road to Cullaville.” Though of course I think my upcoming book “Breaking the Tourist Barrier” will be a favorite soon as well. ;) ·       Favorite travel film o   Not really into travel films, maybe some documentaries but nothing stands out. ·       Favorite travel app or website o   Been a big fan of the ‘Fog of World’ app recently, though make heavy use of ‘Flighty,’ ‘Mark O’Travel,’ and ‘Polarsteps.’ ·       Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.) o   Only real need is smartphone and passport. Everything else is optional. I travel exceedingly light, nothing more than a small backpack and/or small satchel. ·