Albert Podell completed an epic, lifelong around the world journey that saw him visit all 196 countries on earth over 50 years of his life. This amazing adventure led to a handful of broken bones, eating some of the weirdest foods on the planet (like the brain of a live monkey!) and even nearly getting killed by angry lynchers and anacondas.
Podell, a former editor for Playboy magazine, now has his own book titled “Around The World In 50 Years,” which goes into full detail about his incredible journey. It’s enough to fill anyone with wanderlust.
His voyage around the globe began in March of 1965, when Podell and a friend set a record for the longest road trip in history. His 4×4 journey lasted 581 days, traversed through 30 countries and spanned 42,000 miles. Three of the five people he set out with on this trip died. After completing his road trip, Podell never quit traveling. Over the subsequent 50 years, he continued filling up his passport with stamp after stamp – finally reaching all 196 officially recognized countries on earth. He’s also set foot on 20 territories and dependencies, a handful of countries that don’t exist anymore and 49 of the 50 American states. Viewing the chronology of his travels is awe inspiring – he visited 20 countries in one year on two separate occasions. Wow! Jealous? I sure am. I only have about 160 to catch up.
Visiting every country on earth is a dream for the adventurous soul, but a dream that most will never come close to realizing. Podell stuck with it, through good times and the bad – and believe me, there were some low points in his journey. His travels sound more like the script for the next Indiana Jones film. Podell’s journey has turned him into a celebrity of sorts, as he now tours across the country presenting images from his travels and signing copies of his book. He laments the fact that travel has become more difficult in today’s world as terrorism and other dangers are making it harder to cross so many borders.
If Albert Podell has inspired you to get out and see the world before it’s too late, he also offers a short guide for adventure travelers looking to begin their big journey titled: “Survival Guide for the Adventurous International Traveler.”
