It’s taken almost 10 years of travelling, however Danish adventurer Torbjørn Pedersen has reached his 203rd and closing nation, and all with out ever taking a flight.
Arriving by container ship into the Maldives, the person often known as Thor has accomplished an unbelievable journey that has seen him criss-cross the world, battle coronavirus border restrictions, get caught for 2 years in Hong Kong, and likewise fall in love and get married.
Speaking to Stuff Travel from the Maldives capital of Malé, Pedersen stated he cannot fairly comprehend all that he has achieved.
“It appears that the Saga has been of great importance to many as I’m now receiving a lot of very emotional reactions and very moving messages. It may take a long time before I fully understand the gravity of it all,” stated Pedersen.
“I had been doing this for 3512 days when I set foot in the Maldives.
“I’m undecided I’ve understood that it’s over but and I’d want a very long time to settle and replicate on all the things.
“Having said that, I am happy that it is over, that it ended successfully and that I never gave up. It is quite overwhelming with all the attention and kind words that I receive from every corner of the world right now.”
Amongst the foundations he set himself, he needed to go to every nation for not less than 24 hours and would solely spend US$20 a day, that is simply over A$30, explaining “in some countries I’m above while in other countries I’m below”.
Funding has come from crowdsourcing and a wide range of firms, together with free passage from many delivery firms.
At one stage he needed to self-finance, which worn out his personal private funds. He was pressured to promote some possessions and take out loans.
He has endured a number of container ships – 37 all up.
In May final yr, the ship which had pledged to convey him throughout the Tasman from Australia stated it will now not carry him, then Immigration New Zealand stated he could not enter the nation as a consequence of COVID rules.
He had an added wrinkle of a brand new Danish passport ready for him in New Zealand.
Eventually the ship was granted entry and Pedersen managed to get passage to cross off the previous couple of Pacific islands earlier than Sri Lanka and the top vacation spot of the Maldives.
Pedersen stated time has healed the frustrations he felt with journey to New Zealand.
“I really like NZ and always think fondly of (the) country. Having said that, the pandemic wasn’t over and NZ was opening up in stages so it wasn’t straight forward to arrive onboard a ship.
“Furthermore the container vessel which took me had not had its hull cleaned for a yr, so we weren’t permitted to come back inside NZ waters and drifted for about three weeks. And then the corporate that would have helped me onward to the following nation didn’t wish to help as a consequence of pandemic restrictions.
“As such, for a while at least, I was scratching the back of my head. Fortunately YWAM Koha (a New Zealand-registered Medical Aid Ship) came to the rescue and brought me up to Fiji so the journey could continue.”
Waiting for him in Malé on the finish of his journey was spouse Le Gjerum.
The unique plan was to get hitched when he bought to New Zealand, however the pandemic pressured a rethink, in order that they bought married in Hong Kong as an alternative.
“She has been a wonderful support throughout all of this and she is very proud of me. The Maldives marks the 27th time she has come out to visit me.”
The journey is not fairly over but as he’s returning to Denmark with out taking a aircraft.
Pedersen says within the FAQ on his website that, “I would not be able to say that I went TO every country in the world without flying as I never went TO Denmark. I went FROM Denmark without flying. Also I would simply like to stay true to the nature of the project and return home over sea and land, thus closing the circle”.
Once he does get again dwelling he’s planning to jot down a guide on his adventures and do some talking engagements, having been a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross. He can be hoping to provide a documentary.
Asked what he has learnt about himself by all of this, his reply was easy: “I’ve learned that I have more inner strength than I ever imagined.”
Source: www.9news.com.au
