198 Quotes

“Will you share your life with someone who lacks curiosity? Or will you choose that certain individual who wants to find out why, who dares to talk to locals and who is not afraid of tasting snake, worms and fried bush crickets? They have Heineken in 172 countries, and that shouldn’t stop you from trying Polar, Tusker, Primus or Kubuli.”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*

“Not only do westerners travel to some hot country within a given distance to the equator, we rarely even show the locals any respect with regards to their customs and cultures, not to mention speak to them. And usually we travel in groups, without feeling any shame. Then again, when hordes of Japanese tourists, Germans with caravans or Eritrean asylum seekers arrive n an area near our homes, we look at them hatefully and tend to freeze them out.”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*

“A lot of the people here are Chinese and speak poor English. Few of them can for instance not pronounce the letter R; it is often uttered as L instead. At least they have self-irony about it. The name of one of the rooftop bars in town is named Loof.”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*

“And anyone can enjoy nature. Thanks to “Right of Every Man”, a law that guarantees people to access any part of Norway that isn’t farmed or within meters from a residential house. You can even put your tent in fields and forests, pick berries or mushrooms on mountains and islands or paddle on fjords and rivers, all year around, all for free. Norway will take your breath away. If for no other reason than being”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*

“You know you are in a tourist-deprived country when even the concept of postcards is unfamiliar. And that is Afghanistan today. It was one of the most modern countries in the world in the 1970’s. Thanks, Taliban! Good job.”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*

“They took us to the best club in Bishkek, with a big black and white sign out front that said “Face Control” in English. Which meant that only the rich, pretty and famous were allowed in. This sort of thing is being done in clubs all over the world on a daily basis, but I had never before seen it done so explicitly - or so honestly.”
― Gunnar Garfors, 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*