Project 193+3

With my visit to Djibouti in May 2022, I reached a goal that I had set for myself in the spring of 2009, while living in Paris: To be able to say that I had been to 100 sovereign countries. What I called then my “Project 100.” So…, time for a new project! Let’s call it, somewhat unimaginatively, “Project 193 + 3.”

On the 193 + 3

“And what does this ‘193 + 3’ mean,” you ask. Well, glad you did! The first part, 193, is the number of sovereign countries full members of the UN. In addition to them, there is a long list of other countries, quasi countries, wannabe countries, no longer countries, nogoodnik places going around as countries, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. From this long list, different “Country Counters” decide differently on which ones to consider. I decided to consider three, hence the “+3:” the two non-members with permanent observer status at the UN (i.e., the Holy See—itself a bonified sovereign country—and the Palestine State—one of those quasi countries, but not really…); and Kosovo—a de facto sovereign country which is not a member of the UN because… Well, no good reasons at all, really.

On the Meaning of “Having Been To”

Different “Country Counters” decide differently here as well. For some, it is “boots on the ground,” i.e., having stepped on the ground of that country; for others it is having slept at least one night in it. My criterium is somewhat different from that of most other travelers, reflective of the different ways in which I like to travel. For me, for it to count as “Having been to,” I need to have travelled around that country at “See Level”. Either by land—in a car, or in a truck, a bus, motorcycle, bike, train, et cetera—or by sea—on some sort of a boat! It is also important that I have spent some money in it. And lastly, I also try as hard as I possibly can to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site while in-country (if there is one). So, no airplane fuel stops or airport turn-arounds for me…!

And here is how I am progressing on this new project: