The big five-o - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**ajb3000** · 07-19-2009, 05:54 AM

Well, I did it, I just crossed the border into Vietnam, my 50th country! Despite my initial outrage at the border guard for tearing off my "RESERVED FOR VISA, DO NOT STAMP" post-it note in my passport and stamping the middle of my penultimate page, I have a very good feeling about this country. It took 10 hours to drive the 60 miles between border towns from Laos to Vietnam due to land slides and river crossings which made it one of my top 3 insane-but-cool bus journeys, and the people here in this mountain town seem very friendly and happy. So I'm now celebrating with a Bia Ha Noi (local beer which has nothing on Beer Laos to be honest).

**Dig** · 07-19-2009, 06:42 AM

I am so jealous, but very happy for you. I have about 41 more coutries to catch up with you.

**expatben** · 07-19-2009, 08:22 AM

Thats awesome dude!!!

**marc873** · 07-19-2009, 10:24 AM

Nice Adam!!! And what a 50th country!!!

**mish99** · 07-20-2009, 02:45 AM

Awesome man!! Completely jealous.....

**Canadian Bacon** · 07-20-2009, 07:54 AM

Sweet bro... simply sweet. I am offically jealous but proud that you're a tpunk

**LostFarmboy** · 07-20-2009, 10:14 AM

That's bloody excellent dude!!

**jengt** · 07-20-2009, 04:32 PM

Congrats! You're creeping up on Mike pretty fast.

**mooloo** · 07-20-2009, 09:29 PM

Thats awesome!!

You guys (& gals) that have been to so many places & seen so many things are an inspiration to me!

48 countries for me to catch up!

**raoulduke** · 07-21-2009, 02:20 AM

Congrats mate.

I'm just under half way there.

**joe7f** · 07-21-2009, 03:08 AM

Congrats Adam! 50 is a remarkable achievement! You have been through some interesting ones to boot.

--Joey

**ajb3000** · 07-22-2009, 03:36 AM

Cheers guys, I'm having the best time here at the moment as well, today I rented a motorbike and drive through some incredible mountain scenery to visit some small tribal villages.

I guess it'll be a long time until I hit the next big milestone of 100 countries. The most I know of was a Sudanese guy (and a Jewish Sudanese at that) who had been to just over 80, a lot of them were for work though. I was really impressed by that, it can't be easy traveling on a Sudanese passport!

**Dig** · 07-23-2009, 03:23 PM

I met a man that said he had been to 140 countries (I think). He now owns a hostel in the middle of holland and works as a tour guide. His hostel was decorated with stuff from all over.

**aliz** · 07-23-2009, 04:49 PM

50 countries is a pretty huge achievement! I think I'm at around 30 now.
and I love vietnam! have an awesome time there. although the 10 hour bus trip sounds like hell to me

but as long as you're enjoying yourself!

**ajb3000** · 07-23-2009, 05:18 PM

We have to remember it's not always about the number of countries though, I met a guy in Africa who claimed to have been to over 90% of the countries in the world. On quizzing him about places I was interested in his typical response was "not sure, I was only there for 12 hours to get the passport stamp".

I had the strangest experience yesterday, while biking through the mountains again I saw a family trekking so I stopped to say hi. It turned out they were from the same village as me back home, a village of only 6,000 people that most people from the nearest town have never heard of! Their daughter was suffering from heat stroke so I gave her a lift to where they were going, then we all agreed to meet up for a beer the next time I make it back to the UK. Small world huh?

**The Monsignor** · 07-23-2009, 11:59 PM

Ok, I'm jealous now - most of the few countries I've visited were so that people can shoot at me...

(come to think of it, a couple vacations ended up that way, too -

)

< wait till I get my boat, then you'll see!

**LostFarmboy** · 07-24-2009, 09:33 AM

Haha, I love it when you bump into people that live near you, or know people you know, while travelling.

When I was in Mexico City, I met a girl that lived on a farm just 15 minutes up the road from my farm. Now, meeting travelling farm folk is a rarity, but to meet a travelling farmer who is practically a neighbour is an incredibly unlikely event.

Also, while in Venice with a friend, we met a couple of guys from his home town of 1000 people!

It is a small world ineed.

**MolsonGirl** · 07-24-2009, 01:27 PM

Wow... 50. That's amazing.. and good to hear that you were still excited even after the passport/bus experience. that might just throw me and make me not enjoy a country. Congrats!

**offhegoes03** · 07-25-2009, 09:56 AM

Wow congrats!! That's a huge milestone and I'm sure you're not even close to being done either.

**simply_angelic** · 07-28-2009, 11:15 PM

congrats man! that's freaking awesome!