Calgary Man Mike Spencer Bown Becomes World's Most Travelled After Finishing 23-Year Odyssey
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PLATT BY MICH AEL PLATT , CALGARY SUN FIRST POSTED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 02, 2013 06:48 PM MDT Calgary man Mike Spencer Bown in Algeria, one of the more than 190 countries he's visited over the last 23 years. Supplied photo He left Calg ary when the Flames were Stanley Cup champio ns, aci d-wash jeans were t he rage and an obscure little band named Nirvana had just signed to Sub Pop Records. That was 23 ye ars ago, and after a pint of Gui nness in Ireland to celebrate landing h is fina l passport stamp t his week, Mike Spencer Bown is at last ready to return home, having extensively travelled every single country and region on earth. That word, “ext ensive,” is key : Others hav e v isited just as many countries, but Bown mad e a point of stic king aroun d and immersing himself each culture. For that reason, the Calgari an can no w lay clai m to t he title of most ex tensively trav elled person i n human hi story. “Some of the least travelled people I’ve ever met have been to 100 countries, or even as high as 170 countries — what they do is fly between major cities and especially capital cities, stop off in the airport or take a hotel for the night, and then say that t hey’v e ‘done’ such and such co untry ,” said Bown, speakin g with the Sun v ia Faceboo k. “To my view, such people are passengers, not travellers.” Bo wn’s tale of ex treme trav el has already made nation al news in Ire land , and European media outlets like The Guardian are planning features on his staggering two-decade achievement, accomplished with little more than courage and a backpack. It’ s not the 44- ye ar- ol d’s first time in the headlin es: T wo year s ago, B BC World Service and Time Magazine were among the outlets buzzing over t he unexpected appearance of a t ouri st in war- torn Mogadi shu, Somal ia — the first recreat io nal visitor in mo re than two decades. Officials thought he was crazed at first, but soon learned the Canadian was serious about visiting a place listed as the most dangerous region on earth — and not only visit, Bown wanted to see beaches once renowned as among the world’s most beautiful . And so h e did, add ing the forbidd en natio n to hi s roster of scary jo urneys, which al so in clud ed taking lo cal transpo rt across Taliban controlled Afghanistan and hitchhiking through Iraq during the U.S. invasion, including a visit to Saddam Hussein’s hometown. “T he Ir aqis were generous peopl e, with a fascin ating anci ent culture,” s aid Bo wn, who ran an ex port business in Indonesia before sell ing i t to fund hi s adventure. Calgary man Mike Spencer Bown becomes w orld's most travelled after f inishing 23-year odysse y
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Transcript of Calgary Man Mike Spencer Bown Becomes World's Most Travelled After Finishing 23-Year Odyssey
7/27/2019 Calgary Man Mike Spencer Bown Becomes World's Most Travelled After Finishing 23-Year Odyssey
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/calgary-man-mike-spencer-bown-becomes-worlds-most-travelled-after-finishing 1/3
PLATT
BY MICHAEL PLATT ,CALGARY SUN
FIRST POSTED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 02, 2013 06:48 PM MDT
Calgary man Mike Spencer Bown in Algeria, one of the more than 190 countries he's visited over the last 23 years.Supplied photo
He left Calgary when the Flames were Stanley Cup champions, acid-wash jeans were the rage and an obscure little band
named Nirvana had just signed to Sub Pop Records.
That was 23 years ago, and after a pint of Guinness in Ireland to celebrate landing his final passport stamp this week, Mike
Spencer Bown is at last ready to return home, having extensively travelled every single country and region on earth.
That word, “extensive,” is key : Others have visited just as many countries, but Bown made a point of sticking around and
immersing himself each culture.
For that reason, the Calgarian can now lay claim to the title of most extensively travelled person in human history.
“Some of the least travelled people I’ve ever met have been to 100 countries, or even as high as 170 countries — what they
do is fly between major cities and especially capital cities, stop off in the airport or take a hotel for the night, and then say
that they’v e ‘done’ such and such country,” said Bown, speaking with the Sun v ia Facebook.
“To my view, such people are passengers, not travellers.”
Bown’s tale of extreme travel has already made national news in Ireland, and European media outlets like The Guardianare planning features on his staggering two-decade achievement, accomplished with little more than courage and a
backpack.
It’s not the 44-year-old’s first time in the headlines: Two years ago, BBC World Service and Time Magazine were among
the outlets buzzing over the unexpected appearance of a tourist in war- torn Mogadishu, Somalia — the first recreational
visitor in more than two decades.
Officials thought he was crazed at first, but soon learned the Canadian was serious about visiting a place listed as the most
dangerous region on earth — and not only visit, Bown wanted to see beaches once renowned as among the world’s most
beautiful.
And so he did, adding the forbidden nation to his roster of scary journeys, which also included taking local transport across
Taliban controlled Afghanistan and hitchhiking through Iraq during the U.S. invasion, including a visit to Saddam Hussein’s
hometown.
“The Iraqis were generous people, with a fascinating ancient culture,” said Bown, who ran an ex port business in Indonesia
before selling it to fund his adventure.
Calgary man Mike Spencer Bown becomes world's mosttravelled after finishing 23-year odyssey
7/27/2019 Calgary Man Mike Spencer Bown Becomes World's Most Travelled After Finishing 23-Year Odyssey
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/calgary-man-mike-spencer-bown-becomes-worlds-most-travelled-after-finishing 2/3
One of his fondest trips started as another dangerous adventure, skirting U.N. armored units in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, and then slipping past genocidal Hutu rebels to ride 1,000 km on the back of a motorcycle into the rain forest.
There, he lived with a Bambuti pygmy tribe, hunting antelope with spears and nets and sleeping in leaf huts.
“People are basically good and worth knowing whatever the race or culture they hail from,” Bown said, of the differences
between the cultures — and once past some very peculiar customs, he adds, people are remarkably similar across the
planet.
And he certainly knows. For every insect-ridden rain forest and adrenaline rush, Bown also visited the countries most
Calgarians dream of when they think vacation, from Europe to Australia.
He also celebrated birthdays on ev ery continent, including Antarctica.
His life of travel hasn’t been without it’s sacrifices, and not just comfortable beds and regular hot showers.
“The biggest disadvantage is the impossibility of any sort of normal family life. It is not possible to be married or to raise
children, and only by the utmost effort can I maintain friends,” he said.
Ireland and Israel were Bown’s final countries, now numbering over 190 — Israel because to visit there can hinder your
chances of later entering some Muslim nations, and Ireland because it was easy and a fun place to celebrate.
He’s not sure what’s next — promises have been made for a celebratory pint with friends and family back in Calgary — but
there’s surely a book in the making.
After 23 y ears, there are endless stories to tell.
“I’ve had no ‘down time’ — every day of my adult life has been adventure, and for this I feel very grateful,” said Bown.
While You Were Working
(Ten really cool things Mike Spencer Bown did while becoming the world’s most extensively travelled person)
1. Visited the gravey ard of the blue whales, South Georgia Island, Antarctica
2. Learned to drive a reindeer sleigh while drunk with the Yakuti tribe, Yakutsk, Russia
3. Hung out with witch doctors on the Dogon Escarpment, Mali
4. Dodged angry forest elephants in Luango Park, Gabon
5. Sat face to face with Silverback Gorillas in Virunga Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
6. Checked out the “Red Neck” Inuit bar scene, Nook, Greenland
7. Dropped in on the villages of the Yezedi Devil Worshippers, Iraq
8. Paddled past sleeping tigers in the Sunderbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh
9. Stayed in salt hotels, San Pedro de Atacama, Andes
10. Drank Guinness in Ireland. He still is.
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