RecordRun 5: Track Our World Record Attempt

Andreas Munkelien (from left), Gunnar Garfors, Øystein Djupvik and Øystein Garfors
are just about ready to attempt a travel world record. We started in Cumbria. 

Summer is almost over, and it is time to yet again go all-in and try for another travel related world-record this weekend. This year, RecordRun goes to the UK. How many English counties can the four Vikings visit in 24 hours? You can now follow our GPS tracks on the embedded map LIVE.

A Tribute to Cannonball Run 2

Tay-young Pak, driver Øystein Djupvik and myself.

Two friends of mine and I recently visted 22 US states in 24 hours - a world record. It took a little bit of low flying as well as some high flying, and inspired us to make a little bit of a tribute to Cannonball Run 2, and its intro in particular. Watch them both.

The Art of Travelling

In Antarctica. Photo: Lia Miternique.

I don’t like being called a travel expert, despite having visited every country on Earth, all 198 of them. Because travelling is something personal, something that is experienced from within. It will help define you and your understanding of the world and I can never teach you how you should travel. But I can tell you why I find it a purely magical thing.

The 6 Cs of Travel

Autumn in Norway.

Travelling should be vastly underestimated by anyone who hasn't properly done it. No? My bet is then that you didn't go far enough, that you went too far or maybe you were unlucky, had a bad experience and decided never to give it another go. Or perhaps, just perhaps travelling just isn't your cup of tea.

How to Visit 22 States in 24 Hours

22 states in 24 hours - from Maine to Illinois - had to be celebrated.  

It may not be your ideal Sunday, but what do you not do to break a travel world record? Together with my friends Øystein Djupvik and Tay-young Pak I decided to try to visit more US states in 24 hours than anyone else before us. And we managed.

20 States in 24 Hours

Whatever it is, we were never cured. Tay-young Pak, Øystein Djupvik and I are at it again.

Well, that is at least what we aim for when we buckle up for yet another World Record attempt in the US of A.

My Top Travel Tips

Yes, you should visit The Comoros too.

The last two weeks have been rather manic. I have amazingly enough received literally hundreds of calls, emails, and messages from media on every continent, except Antarctica. Most of them want to hear about my book, usually with some travel tips thrown in.

Korleis slakte ein slaktar

Fortener boka eller bokmeldinga slakt?

Det er enkelte bokmeldarar som har fått med seg at eg har skrive mi første bok, "198 - Mi reise om alle verdas land". Dei fleste av dei hevdar å like kva dei las. Men ikkje alle. Ikkje Helge Baardseth i Vagabond, ei slags guidebok som no og då kjem ut i magasinform.

Vil du ha ei bok heilt gratis?

Det høyrest ut som rein desperasjon. Og det er det. Men nauda lærer naken kall å selje tjall.

So you think you wanna write for garfors.com?

This site had one million hits in 2013, most of them for travel related posts. I regularly receive offers from guest writers, promising me amazing stories in return for money, a link to a website or the possibility to add "published on garfors.com" to their CV. I have turned most down. Why?

Reviews of "198: How I Ran Out of Countries*"

The most common short form review of films, music and litterature in Norway is a die.
To "get a sixer" is the best that can happen. I "got a fiver" in my first Norwegian review. 

I have a new hobby; Collecting reviews and readers' feedback of "198: How I Ran Out of Countries*".

Boklansering 18. september i Naustdal, Bergen og Oslo

Frå Samlaget sin haustkatalog.

I boka si ånd vert det feil å ha lansering berre éin stad. Torsdag 18. september startar lanseringsturnéen med morgonkaffi i Naustdal før den held fram med forfriskningar i Bergen til lunsj og hovudlansering i Oslo klokka 18:00. 

My first book review

I have written a book about the 198 countries in the world. The Norwegian version hits the shelves in September,
whereas the English version should be ready for release next year. Photo: Linda Cartridge/Samlaget. 

So, I have written a book. It will come to Norwegian book shops on September 18. And yet, I am working on the English translation too. I sent the unfinished version to a former fellow student of mine for feedback.

Collecting Airports, The New Craze

FUN, the tiny airport of Tuvalu. 

Or is it?

No More Pre-Orders of The English Version of "198"

The Norwegian cover.

My book "198" was published in Norwegian on September 18, 2014. I get a lot of questions about the English version, and it is finally out, under the name 198: How I Ran Out of Countries*. Find out where to buy it.

If you are a publisher outside Norway, you may want to release it.

The first reviews are already out.

The book retailed at $48 in Norway, the world's most expensive country. The suggested retail price for the English print version is $14.98, whereas the eBook retails at $6.98.

Virtually everything but caviar is cheaper outside Norway.

Årets 17. mai-tale i Naustdal

Foto: Øystein Garfors. 

Eg var så heldig å verte invitert til å halde hovudtalen i Naustdal på 17. mai, 2014. Talen følgjer under i skriftleg form for spesielt interesserte.

"198" omsider til sals

Frå Samlaget sin haustkatalog.

Eg er endeleg ferdig med mi aller første bok som straks vert given ut av Samlaget. Ho heiter noko så kort og konsist som "198." Ganske enkelt fordi det er dei tre siste siffera i telefonnummeret til Samlaget sin marknadssjef, Siri Ifarnæss. Og fordi det er 198 land i verda, fordi eg har vore i alle, og fordi kvart land får sitt kapittel.

5:1 Trip Approved by Guinness World Records

June 19, 2012 in Caracas. The day after setting the Guinness World Record. 

On June 18, 2012 I travelled to five continents in one day together with Adrian Butterworth from the UK. We had the honour of visiting Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America, all in the same day.

A world record.

Book Finished, Sort Of

The draft version of my book, printed out. I hate proof reading!

My deadline was February 5, and I managed to meet it with 7 hours to spare. The end result consists of stories from my travels all 198 countries of the world, categorized in 21 themes such as food, drinking, the -stan countries, island hopping, love (?) and troubles.

'By Train, by Plane or on Horse; Travel the World With Gunnar Garfors'

Making a documentary in Casablanca, Morocco. Photo: Adelia TV.

Well, the radio jingle isn't quite like that, it is in Norwegian with a similar Shakesperean level of rhyme (of which I can neither take no credit nor accept any blame).