80 Days: An Exploration Podcast

By Luke Kelly, Joe Byrne, Mark BoyleSociety & Culture History Places & Travel

80 Days: An Exploration Podcast episodes

February 04, 2019Lesotho (S3.08)
S03E08 Lesotho Audio
In this episode of 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast, we’ll be talking about the Kingdom of Lesotho, previously the British Crown Colony of Basutoland. This small African country is entirely surrounded by South Africa, making it one of only three nations to be contained entirely within another country’s borders. Lesotho is also one of the highest countries in the world, standing an average of 1500 metres above sea level, making it the fifth highest nation in the world by average elevation. Lesotho has a population of around 2 million, and its capital and largest city is Maseru.

http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80Days_Lesotho.mp3

At around 30,000 square kilometres, the country is roughly the size of Belgium or the US state of Hawaii. Its combination of high altitude and a relatively cool climate results in it being free of tropical diseases. Rainfall is highly variable, farming is difficult and the country has few natural resources. Sesotho is the national language, but English is the language of business, government and education.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)
Above is the location of Lesotho, contained entirely within South Africa.
Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Lesotho is one of the very few places in Southern Africa that has its own ski resort. The Atlantic has written a profile about this resort, which is named Afriski.
SA History provides an exhaustive rundown of the rise of Shaka Zulu and his people, which countered the rise of Moshoeshoe in Lesotho.
Historical Dictionary of Lesotho by S. Rosenberg and R. F. Weisfelder
We spoke a lot about coups toward the end of this month’s episode. You can find the Wikipedia page we mentioned here.
Did you know that Lesotho was the inspiration for Black Panther‘s fictional nation of Wakanda? Director Ryan Coogler has spoken about how he took inspiration from the tiny mountain nation that resisted Boers and Zulus in an interview with Vulture.
“The History of the Basotho traditional blankets” and their influence on Black Panther (The Blanket Wrap website)
We spoke at length about the father of the nation, Moshoeshoe (and his uncanny resemblance to Morgan Freeman) in this episode. You can find out more about him on Brittanica.
Contrast this Western-style appearance with his description in “The Basutos: the mountaineers and their country” (Sir Godfrey Lagden, 1909)
The various Basotho-Free State wars are described here
“Basutoland: Its Legends and Customs” (Minnie Martin, 1903)
Contemporary accounts of Morosi’s rebellion
Toward the end of the episode we spoke about South Africa’s reliance on water from Lesotho. In fact, it Lesotho’s water has earned the nickname ‘white gold’ due to its importance to the economy. The BBC has written a piece about this ‘white gold’ and the crucial role it plays in Lesotho’s development.
Listen too to the NPR Planet Money podcast on Lesotho’s water resources
Power in Colonial Africa by Elizabeth A. Eldredge, which is quoted in this episode, is available for free online here.
Africa Past & Present Podcast episode “Development Dreams in in Lesotho” interviews Jonn-Arni Flessner
New York Times articles from 1994 and 1998 about various incidents of unrest in the country, the latter about the wisdom of the Mandela government’s intervention
The interview with ousted PM Thomas Thabane after the 2014 coup can be found here on YouTube.
The botched South African raid into Lesotho under the guise of peacekeeping was profiled in the Sept 27, 1998 edition of the New York Times, which can be found via their archives here.
If you, like us, are a fan of flags, you can find more info on how Lesotho’s flag came to be on Wikipedia.
Useful Sesotho phrases (from Omniglot)
Some nice music (and characteristic dancing, in some cases) we found:
Traditional Basotho song by Lesotho men
Basotho women performing a traditional song and dance
Mamello Rabochene – “Kajeno Re Batho” – “Today We Are People”: Gospel song
“Mahlanya le Mohoke” – Itsamaele
“Il Cammino della Musica” documentary series visits Lesotho and talks with musicians about instruments and styles used in the Kingdom
We also used a song from Lee Rosevere, available under creative commons license 3.0 by attribution
Thanks to Seán Lyons for his interview about his time working in Lesotho with Irish NGO Action Lesotho. A massive thanks too to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate the support and input!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
2 hr 7 min
December 21, 2018 Natal, 1497 (Christmas Special)
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-Natal.mp3
In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, we’re asking our listeners to fill out a quick survey to help up improve in 2019. It should only take a minute or two. If you have the time, please click the link below to help out.
Click here to take the listener survey.
In this minisode, Mark takes the lead to tell the story of the discovery of Natal by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama on Christmas Day 1497, a story that has intrigued him since he first heard it as a child. The story has a festive aspect to it, and introduces a special guest.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to our listeners from Mark (@markboyle86), Joe (@anbeirneach) and Luke (@thelukejkelly)! We’ll see you in 2019.
In addition to our theme music by the talented Thomas O’Boyle, this episode featured a lot of music and sound effects, graciously made available for free by contributors at FreeSound.org, Looperman, Free Music Archive and Incompatech, for use under a Creative Commons license, by attribution.
The pieces of music you heard under the text were “Swiftwind” and “How I Used to See the Stars” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0.
The version of “Silent Night” we used was played by Kevin McLeod (Incompatech.com) and is licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
Market sounds from Porto (user Digitopia), Waves in Barcelona (user Mmiron), “Wind, realistic, A” (user InspectorJ), “Wind through trees, 3b” (user spoonbender), a thunder clap recorded in Pretoria, South Africa (user SoundLover16), Bird ambience in St Lucia Forest, South Africa (user EpicWizard), the sound of glass bells (user Idalize), Trumpets (user Harbour11), “Africa Pavillion Drum Jam” (user RTB45), People laughing, while playing volleyball (user andriala) and the sound of cannons being fired over the Hudson river (user nofeedbak), are all licensed from FreeSound under a Creative Commons by Attribution Licences; while the sound of a crowd in India (by Martin.Sadoux), “Wind and rain in Iceland (user Bashrambali), and the sound of Sleighbells (user Soundstack) were released without copyright.
The following tracks were taken from Looperman: sitar loop (by jensmuse), “Darbuka Dreaming 8” (by planetjazzbass) and “One for Joe (horns)” (by doudei).
Samples of Khoisan people speaking were taken from these YouTube videos of a man in Namibia talking about the use of grass, and a number of people in Botswana speaking to tourists about medicinal plant usage in their community.
The final song is a translation into Portuguese of “Feliz Navidad” by Corrossel (2012) – it can be found here.
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
26 min
December 03, 2018Suriname (S3.07)
S03E07 Suriname Audio
In this episode of season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about the Republic of Suriname, previously known as Dutch Guiana. Located on the northern coast of South America, this roughly square shaped nation borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the West and Brazil to the South. Modern Suriname is both one of the smallest and most ethnically diverse countries in South America, with up to 9 recognised languages and many different ethnic groups.
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days_S03E07-Suriname.mp3
At just under 165,000 square kilometers (or 64,000 square miles), Suriname is roughly the size of the US state of Washington, or Tunisia. The country’s population is around 560,000, most of whom live in the capital city of Paramaribo, near the mouth of the river Suriname. The climate here is hot and humid year-round, as the country lies just a few degrees north of the equator. As a result, its southern portion is dominated by lush, dense rainforest.
Originally established as a British colony, Suriname was eventually traded to the Dutch in 1667 for a little island in on the east coast of North America, then known as New Amsterdam. Since gaining its independence in 1975, Suriname has maintained close ties to The Netherlands, and is today the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)

Above is the current flag, the location of Suriname in South America, and the terrible old flag with five stars on a white background. Ethnic/linguistic diversity also needs to be mentioned up top. In Suriname, there are no fewer than twenty languages spoken. Most Surinamese are multilingual. In terms of numbers of speakers are the main languages in Suriname, successively the Dutch language, Sranan Tongo (Surinamese Creole), Sarnami (Surinamese Hindi), Javanese, and different Maroon languages (especially Saramaccan and Ndyuka) and Carriban languages. In recent years, English is being spoken more and more by the majority of the younger populace.
Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Of general interest: “Suriname in Pictures” by Tom Streissguth
The strange history of Willoughbyland, modern-day Suriname (The Spectator, 2015); Review of “Willoughbyland: England’s Lost Colony (by Matthew-Parker)
Winti is the name of the traditional religion which developed in the area, mixing African and Christian spiritual concepts
Geschiedenis van Suriname (1861)–J. Wolbers (History [in Dutch] from Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren)
History of the Dutch Slave Trade (YouTube)
“Search for the Slave Ship Leusden” (Huffington Post, 2017) – about the slave ship that was allowed sink with enslaved people still locked in the hold, most of whom drowned.
Leprosy and Colonialism: Suriname Under Dutch Rule, 1750-1950 by Stephen Snelders – Google Books
Out of Slavery: A Surinamese Roots History by Wim S. M. Hoogbergen – Google Books
Black Rebellion: Five Slave Revolts by Thomas Wentworth Higginson – Gutenberg
Suriname in World War 2; American soldiers in the country
Photo of the wreck of German ship, the Gosslar
An article about the Surinamese Jews who died in the Holocaust (almost a third of the Jewish population) (Times of Israel, 2016)
“Mayday in the West” – documentary about two WW2-era plane crashes in Suriname
Video of Princess Juliana’s 1943 visit to Suriname; Video from a later visit of now-Queen Juliana and her husband in 1955 and the pageantry put on show for the House of Orange
Results and list of parties in 1949 elections
SancocheTV visits Paramaribo and talks about Javanese culture there
“Suriname in the Long Twentieth Century – Domination, Contestation, Globalisation” by Rosemarijn Hoefte
Very nice video of celebrations upon official declaration of independence of Suriname in 1975 (Dutch news report)
“The Trouble in Suriname” by Edward M. Dew – covers the post-independence period. Key leaders from this era include Henck Arron and Dési Bouterse
CNN report of CIA-backed militias being trained to overthrow Bouterse (this never came to pass, as was reported by the New York Times)
Reuters report on the jailing of Bouterse’s son’s jailing for acceting money from a group he believed to be Hezbollah
Suriname – CIA World Factbook
YouTuber Samantha Pollack talking about explaining her Surinamese background/identity to Dutch neighbours and friends who have never heard of this Dutch-speaking place: Video in Dutch, with subtitles available in English
Some nice Surinamese music we found:
Kaseko Music from Suriname
“Koroa De Na Mama Moffo” and “D’e Tap’ Ok’ O A Lua Sonde” by Folk Groups NAKS’s album “This is Suriname”
“Suriname – Mi Lobi Yu” from the movie Sing Song, features Dutch and Sranan Tongo (English-based creole language)
“I Love SU” by Suri AllStarzz
“Suriname” song by Damaru
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate the support and input!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 53 min
November 05, 2018Kuril Islands (S3.06)
S03E06 Kuril Islands Audio
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E06_Kuril_Islands.mp3
In this episode we’ll be talking about the Kuril Islands. This island chain is located in the Northern Pacific, and stretches between northern Japan and Kamchatka, Russia. The 56 islands extend for more than 750 miles across the ocean, and they total 10,500 square kilometers (4,000 square miles) of territory altogether, making their entire landmass roughly the same size as Lebanon or the island of Puerto Rico. The islands today have a population of roughly 20,000, and are controlled by Russia. However, the islands were previously administered by Japan from the 18th century up until WWII, and have been subject to a land dispute ever since. Japan claims the southernmost islands as their ‘Northern Territories,’ and the conflict over them has led Moscow and Tokyo to avoid signing the peace treaty that would have formally ended the Second World War.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)

Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Of general interest: the book “Hokkaido: A History of Ethnic Transition and Development on Japan’s Northern Island” by Anne B. Irish; “Kuril Island s dispute between Japan and Russia” (BBC); “The Kurils: a difficult life on the disputed islands” (2016, Al Jazeera); article on the islands’ history (2005, Prokarelia)
A helpful infographic of the history of the conflict from Georgetown University
Wikipedia is a great place to start reading about the historical groupings of people who lived in the northern islands of the Japanese archipelago throughout pre-history: Jōmon, epi-Jōmon, Nivkh, Ainu, and Yamamato/Wajin (modern Japanese); as well as the peoples of Kamchatka, such as the Itelmens
Some articles about the history of Ainu people generally:
“The Ainu and Early Commerce in the Sea of Okhotsk” (Nippon.com)
“The Conquest of Ainu Lands” by Brett L. Walker
“Ainu People lay ancient claim to Kurile Islands” (1992, The Independent (UK))
“Where are the Ainu now?” (2003, The Japan Times)
Old documentary on the Ainu people and their way of life
On the visit of adventurer and trouble-maker Count Mortiz von Benyowsky
“Resilience and the population history of the Kuril Islands, Northwest Pacific: A study in complex human ecodynamics”, a 2016 research article by Fitzhugh et al.
Encyclopaedia Britannica series on the Russo-Japanese War
“Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan“ by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa is a relevant book on this topic
“Did Hiroshima Save Japan from Soviet Operation” (2015, Foreign Policy)
Watch: “Islands of Discontent – Russia” and Australian Broadcasting Corporation report on the Kuril Islands, which we discussed in the podcast.
Article in the Siberia Times about the phenomenon of white ‘brown bears’ on Kunasahir and other isolated islands
Atlasov is a remarkable looking island in the northern end of the chain, featuring a near-perfect volcanic cone

Joe was recently in Honshu and Hokkaido and took some photos, including from a Jomon-era archaeological site, and the the Museum of Northern Peoples in Hakodate, which listeners might find interesting. Well worth a visit if you’re ever in the neighbourhood
Click to view slideshow.
Music from these islands and the neighbouring territories, some of which you heard, can be found at the following sources:
21 minutes of Ainu music from the Traditional Music Channel
Traditional Ainu dancing and singing (video)
A woman playing a tonkori
Ainu folk song by Umeko Ando
You also heard a track from Lee Rosevere, used under a Creative Commons license (by attribution)
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate the support and input!
Finally, here is a picture of some of the postcards sent from Hokkaido to our Neil Armstrong-tier patrons on Patreon – they truly are out of this world!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 37 min
September 30, 2018New Caledonia (S3.05)
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E05_NewCaledonia.mp3
New Caledonia Audio
In this episode we’ll be talking about the New Caledonia, a French unique collectivity in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 900 miles (1,500 km) east of Australia. It includes the island of New Caledonia, where the capital, Nouméa, is located; the Loyalty Islands; the Bélep Islands; and the Isle of Pines as well as a number of far-flung uninhabited islets.
The main island is by far the largest and contains about nine-tenths of the population. It is surrounded by a coral reef, which encloses a large number of lagoons. These lagoons, with their diverse reefs and associated ecosystems, were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Sighted and named by Captain James Cook in 1774, it was later colonised by the French and turned into a penal colony.
New Caledonia has a land area of around 18,000 km2 (or 7,000 sq mi), making it just slightly smaller than Israel or the US state of New Jersey. Its population of around 270,000 consists mostly of a mix of Kanak people (the original inhabitants of New Caledonia), other Melanisians and people of European descent.
Your hosts are Luke Kelly in Hong Kong (@thelukejkelly), Joe Byrne in Bern, Switzerland (@anbeirneach), Mark Boyle in Surrey in the UK (@markboyle86) and our guest John Killeen (@johnkilleen90), who visited New Caledonia last year. Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle (@thatthomasfella)
Here are a few handy links for learning more about New Caledonia;
You can learn more about the New Caledonian upcoming independence referendum here on Wikipedia. The referendum is due to take place on November 4th, 2018, although according to a recent report by Radio New Zealand, support for independence is waning.
There’s a handy map of Captain Cook’s voyages around the world on Encyclopedia Britannica. He’s a man worth knowing about!
Here’s an image of the weird forked flagpole we described in this episode.
More info on the delicious-sounding New Caledonian dish Bougna can be found here.
The US government film used in this episode is entitled ‘Our Troops in New Caledonia’ and can be found on Archive.org
Find more on the ridiculously easy to hunt Kagu bird here.
You can view the photos that are described in this episode (courtesy of our friend John Killeen) below. None of John in the bath just yet, unfortunately.
Click to view slideshow.
The music you heard in this episode was from the following sources;
New Caledonia Melanisian Dancing via Vic Stefanu – World Travels and Adventures
Disques Pathé ; Phonothèque Nationale ; Université de Paris, Musée de la parole from Collection Brailoiu
Kini Kinibut by Ok! Ryos
“Puzzle pieces” by Lee Rosevere, used under Creative Commons 4.0 License (by attribution)
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate every penny!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
2 hr 12 min
September 02, 2018Saint Helena (S3.04)
S03E04 Saint Helena Audio
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E04_StHelenaFinal.mp3
In this episode of season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Saint Helena, a volcanic tropical island in the South Atlantic Ocean, and one of the most isolated points of land in the world. Saint Helena is more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) from its nearest mainland neighbour. The nearest port is Namibe in Angola. It was uninhabited up until its discovery by the Portuguese in 1502, and was later taken over by the British. Used for much of its life as an island of exile, its most famous inhabitant was Napoleon Bonaparte, who was exiled there after his defeat at Waterloo. The island today has a population of just over 4500, and is roughly the size of Staten Island in New York or San Marino, at just 121 square kilometeres, or 47 square miles, and its climate is generally mild.
The island is situated in the Western Hemisphere and despite having the same longitude as Cornwall in the United Kingdom, it is classified as being in West Africa by the United Nations.
Its inhabitants, known locally as “Saints”, are the descendants of sailors, settlers and slaves, and are said to be fiercely loyal to the British monarchy. The island’s economy is dependent on British grants and remittances, and up until recently its only link to the outside world was by a Royal Mail Ship, the St Helena, which made a five-day journey from Cape Town in South Africa, every three weeks.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)

Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Of general interest: Saint Helena Island Information website is a very useful resource for learning about a wide range of topics; the following books also provide more detailed accounts of historical events: T. H. Brooke’s “History of the Island of St Helena – from its discovery by the Portuguese to the year 1823” , “St Helena: a maritime history” by Trevor Boult, and “Saint Helana and the Cape of Good Hope…” by Edwin F. Hatfield
A promotional video by Saint Helena Tourism
The website of the now-retired RMS St Helena cargo/passenger ship
Read more about Fernão Lopes, the island’s first hermit/resident: here or here
RadioLab (WNYC) episode about ridding the goat plague from an island in the Galapagos, achieved by the use of ‘Judas goats’; well worth a listen
William Dampier describes the island in his account of his circumnavigation of the world
Profile of Dr Barry O’Meara, companion of Napoleon (Trinity College Dublin alumni profile)
A letter written in English by Napoleon during his time as a prisoner on Saint Helena, determined to learn the language of his captors to fill his time. It was sent to his English teacher for correction.
Extracts from the diary of Rear-Admiral Sir George Cockburn, who conducted Napoleon to the island of Saint Helena
1836: Darwin on Saint Helena and the Birth of a Volcano
“Dr James Barry: the Irishwoman who fooled the British Empire” – article in the Irish Times (Michael du Preez and Jeremy Dronfield, 2016)
We could go on and on with interesting links to learn more about Saint Helena, but that should be enough to keep you reading and listening for a while!
Music you heard was from the following sources:
Mary Black’s version of “The Isle of Saint Helena” (Bony’s Away); we also recommend Nic Jones’ version
Unofficial ‘national anthem’ of the island, by Dave Mitchell: “My Saint Helena Island”
Thanks to Fran Hobbs for his insightful interview about life on the island. A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate the support and input!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 50 min
August 05, 2018Wyoming (S3.03)
Wyoming audio
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E03_Wyoming.mp3
In this episode we’ll be talking about the US state of Wyoming, also known as “the equality state” and “the cowboy state.”
Admitted to the US as the 44th state in 1890, Wyoming has always been among the least populous states in the nation. Roughly rectangular in shape and located in the western part of the country, straddling the continental divide, Wyoming is the 10th largest state by area, and its current day population is just over 585,000, making it the second-least densely populated state after Alaska. The climate here is semi-arid and continental, drier and windier than the rest of the U.S., with greater temperature extremes.
The state is famous as the home of the first US National Park, Yellowstone and the first US national monument, Devil’s Tower. Historically important industries include coal, cattle and tourism.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland. (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)
Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
To get a good overview of the geography of this place, PBS has a great film that takes you all over the state. You can find it on YouTube.
The images of Yellowstone National Park that were promised are in the gallery below.
Jim Bridger, the famous ‘mountain man’ who plays a small role in The Revenant is profiled by Brittanica here.
The Union Pacific featured prominently in this episode. It’s still going today, and you can learn more about its chequered history over at Wikipedia.
Crowheart Butte, the site of the epic battle between two Native American chiefs, is profiled by Wyoming Tales and Trails here.
We spoke at length in this episode about the shady story behind women winning the right to vote in Wyoming. You can dive deeper into that whole story thanks to WyoHistory. The site also has tons of deep dives into other elements of the state’s history, many of which were mentioned in this episode.
‘Fantastic Yellowstone’, the archival film that’s featured in this episode, traces the history of the national park and is available here on the Internet Archive.
Click to view slideshow.
The music you heard in this episode was from the following sources;
Banjo Improvisation by Abishai via Free Music Archive
A Tribute To Red Cloud (Jyeahtáyela Ahlowanpi Wan) by Common Man Singers is available on YouTube
Papa, Help Me Across by Uncle Woody Sullender via Free Music Archive
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate every penny!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 57 min
July 01, 2018San Marino (S3.02)
S03E02 San Marino Audio
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E02_SanMarino.mp3
In this episode we’ll be talking about the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, the world’s oldest constitutional republic, and a country that is, in itself, a historical oddity. Similarly to other European microstates, such as Monaco, Liechtenstein and Andorra it’s a relic of a time when borders were formed based on the area that a cannon could reach from a city’s walls. Founded on the slopes of Mount Titano in 301 AD, this tiny republic has seen the rest of Europe consolidate around it, surviving attacks by other self-governing Italian city-states, the Napoleonic Wars, the unification of Italy, and two world wars. Today, it’s borders are entirely enclosed by Italy, making it one of only three countries in the world to be enclosed by another nation.
It is the smallest independent state in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco and, until the independence of Nauru (1968), was the smallest republic in the world, at just 61 square kilometre (23.6 square miles). Tourism dominates the economy of modern day San Marino. which plays host to more than three million visitors every year, while the republic is home to just over 30,000 people.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)

Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Of general interest: “Two Quaint Republics, Andorra and San Marino” by Virginia W. Johnson (1913); Video Profile of the country by Rick Steeves shows great footage of the mountain; “The Republic of San Marino“, p. 285 onwards, The Month vol. 26, 1876; Summary of the history ‘from Saint to State’;
There are a few versions of the various stories of how the man San Marino came to this place: some examples online include SanMarinoSite.com, Catholic Saints, and the story about the bears can be found here.
Listen to the excellent episode of “In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg” all about the history of Constantine the Great and how Rome went from persecuting to promoting Christianity almost overnight.
The monk Eugippius’ biography of St Severus, including one of the earliest written references to San Marino‘s community at Monte Titano
What are Captains Regent?
The occupation of Cardinal Guilio Alberoni
An article on Hidden Europe about Gaspard Monge‘s diplomatic mission to San Marino on behalf of General Napoleon Bonaparte, who was camped nearby
If you’d like to know more about the use of the Roman fasces symbol and how it was co-opted by fascists, this page about its role in various flags around the world might be of interest
Newreel footage from the Fatti di Rovereta coup d’etat is here, and a 1957 article in Life magazine describes it.
Video of crossbow competitions in costume, and performances of the Federazione Balestrieri Sammarinesi in San Marino and in a Shanghai Tourism Expo
Some thoughts from Reddit about San Marino’s soccer prowess...
Music you heard was from the following sources:
2010 Mediaeval Festival in San Marino
Street musicians in San Marino
Little Tony and His Brothers “O Che Tipo Rock” (1960); the rock star was a Sammiranese citizen
“Puzzle pieces” by Lee Rosevere, used under Creative Commons 4.0 License (by attribution)
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate every penny!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 47 min
June 10, 2018Tasmania (S3.01)
S03E01 Tasmania Audio
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/80_Days-S03E01_Tasmania.mp3
In the first episode of season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast, we’ll be talking about Tasmania, the island state of Australia, known to early European explorers as Van Dieman’s Land. This verdant island is roughly the size of Ireland but with only 8% of the population. Tasmania or ‘Tassie’ lies 240 km or 150 miles south of the Australian mainland, and the state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 334 islands. Just over half a million people live in Tasmania, 40% of whom reside in the island largest city, Hobart, which is lies on the banks of the Derwent River on the south side of the island.
Up until the early 1800s, the island was inhabited exclusively by Aboriginal Tasmanians, but was soon after claimed by the British and converted into a penal colony. For the next 50 years, around 75,000 convicts were sent to the island, which was viewed as a kind of ‘prison without walls.’ In 1854 its name was changed to Tasmania, and in 1901 it became a state in the newly-created federation of Australia.
Your hosts, as always, are Luke Kelly @thelukejkelly in Hong Kong, Mark Boyle @markboyle86 in the UK, and Joe Byrne @anbeirneach in Switzerland . (Theme music by Thomas O’Boyle @thatthomasfella)
Here are a few things you may want to read/watch more about:
Of general interest: The Companion to Tasmanian History website, edited by Alison Alexander; Van Dieman’s Land – A History by James Boyce (2008)
The following resources talk about the indigenous people of Tasmania before Europeans arrived in this part of the world: An episode from the History Extra podcast ; a timeline of Tasmanian aboriginal history from the website of Tasmanian Geographic
Early Tasmania (James Backhouse Walker, 1902)
The story of William Buckley’s survival and integration into aboriginal society can be found in a text called The Fort Phillip Settlement
The story of Alexander Pearce is recounted in The Road to McCarthy (Pete McCarthy, 2003), comments from the director of a movie about the story, The Last Confession of Alexander Pearse, can be found in an interview here,
Fanny Cochrane Smith was recorded by Dr Horace Watson in 1899 on wax cylinders – this was very early audio recording technology and it’s amazing that this voice from the 19th century exists, announcing herself as ‘the last of the Tasmanians’ (YouTube); This recording even inspired a song by a descendant of Watson. Some considered Truganini to actually be the last full-blooded Tasmanian (see National Geographic article)
ABC article about Smith, and transcription of her songs in an academic article by Murray J. Longman
List of multiple killings of aboriginal Tasmanians collected by Science Po
You can have a listen to The Dollop podcast’s take on the history of homosexuality in female prisons in Tasmania, by clicking here ; or alternatively read this paper on “the plight of convict lesbians” (Female Convicts Research Centre)
On Port Arthur prison
On Irish revolutionaries imprisoned here (also referenced in The Road to McCarthy)
On the First World War (Companion to Tasmanian History)
Music you heard was from the following sources:
Dewayne singing in aboriginal language to schoolkids
English folk song about transportation to Van Dieman’s Land
Irish folk song “The Black Velvet Band“
A massive thanks to all of our patrons on Patreon who are supporting season 3. If you’d like to join them and see what rewards are available for supporters, and get a peek behind the curtain check out www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast. We really appreciate every penny!
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
1 hr 42 min
June 04, 2018 Introducing Season 3 (S3.00)
S3 Intro
After a long wait, it’s time for an update on Season 3 of 80 Days: an exploration podcast! There are a few announcements about the future release schedule, some teasers of things to come and all the details about our new Patreon page, where you can sign up to support this podcast if you like what we do: www.patreon.com/80dayspodcast
http://media.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/content.blubrry.com/80_days_an_exploration/S3_Introduction.mp3
You can support us at lots of different levels from $1 per episode up to $10 per episode, depending on what kind of rewards you want to benefit from.
The show will always be free, but we’d really appreciate any pennies you can throw or way to help cover the costs of making it possible. We’re looking forward to sending out episode 1 of season 3 next week – the Australian Island of Tasmania.
Thanks
Joe, Luke and Mark
80 Days: An Exploration Podcast is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://80dayspodcast.com/
22 min

About 80 Days: An Exploration Podcast

From the publisher's feed

80 Days is a podcast dedicated to exploring little-known countries, territories settlements and cities around the world. We're part history podcast, part geography podcast and part ramble.