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Torbjørn Pedersen: The globetrotter wants to publish a book and a TV documentary

Photo: James Brooks / AFP

The Maldives are a place of longing for many people: small islands, turquoise sea and fantastic sunsets. Around one million tourists travel to the country, which consists of more than a thousand coral islands, every year. Torbjørn Pedersen was also there this year – but not only because of the breathtaking nature.

His arrival two and a half months ago secured him an entry in the history books. He was the first person in the world to visit all the countries of the world – without getting on a plane. Now Pedersen has returned to his homeland.

"More than a hundred people have come to welcome me on this historic day. Family, friends, fans, followers," Pedersen wrote on Instagram. He was overwhelmed by the gifts, the hugs and the applause.

On October 10, 2013, Pedersen had left his job, his girlfriend and his family to embark on a great adventure. He decided not to return until he had seen all the countries. In doing so, he wanted to adhere to self-imposed rules: The now 44-year-old had to spend at least 24 hours in each state, was allowed to spend a maximum of 20 US dollars per day and was not allowed to use a plane. His project was called »Once Upon a Saga«.

Pedersen, who had previously worked in the shipping and logistics industry for a long time, hardly deviated from his originally planned route over the years. But of course, not everything went smoothly. For example, the borders in Equatorial Guinea, one of the most difficult countries in the world to reach, were closed for a long time. Only a chance contact made it possible for him to make the crossing by carpooling, before that he had tried to obtain a visa for four months.

Corona forced him to take a break in Hong Kong

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In order to travel from Mongolia to Pakistan, he had to travel a total of 7500 miles through several countries – instead of taking the direct route through China. Visa delays for countries such as Syria, Iran, Nauru and Angola tested his patience. In addition, he survived a serious attack of weakness due to malaria in Ghana, survived a four-day storm while crossing the Atlantic from Iceland to Canada and stays in several crisis regions.

However, the biggest disruptive factor on his journey was the pandemic. He was stuck in Hong Kong for two years, even though he had only nine countries left on his long list. "When I look back at Hong Kong, it's a bit of a paradox. It was the worst and at the same time the best time of my life. I had to deal with the situation," Petersen told CNN.

He had built up a life in the metropolis of millions and made connections. It was not until January 5, 2022 that he was able to continue his journey towards the Pacific, his first destination being Palau. This was followed by Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga. "I had to beg almost every government. For Tonga, we were even in contact with the Ministry of Health, the navy and the military," Pedersen said of the difficult travel conditions during the pandemic.

In Denmark, Pedersen was also received by his wife Le, to whom he proposed on Mount Kenya in 2016. He had been looking forward to returning for a long time. "But I'm still coming to terms with the fact that the journey is over," he told CNN. Behind him are 3576 travel days and journeys with 379 container ships, 158 trains and 351 buses. Now he plans to record his experiences in a book and a TV documentary.

Above all, Pedersen says he is looking forward to Denmark's clean air, morning runs with Le and ice-cold milk at every opportunity.

Bam