Michael Zervos, a Greek‑American former filmmaker who says he visited all 195 countries in the world over a 499‑day period, has described feeling unsettled in parts of Georgetown, Guyana, calling one market experience "like a horror movie." Zervos told The Mirror that his round‑the‑world project — in which he asked locals what the happiest day of their life had been to investigate what brings joy to people in different places — included moments he did not enjoy.
Zervos said locals had warned him not to explore Stabroek Market, but he entered the large, warehouse‑style complex anyway. "It is one of those warehouse‑style markets. Drugs are traded openly, and there is sex work as well," he told the publication, describing the atmosphere as frightening and unlike other stops on his journey. He said the scene in the market made him feel unsafe.
Zervos completed his global itinerary in what he says was 499 days, a feat he began roughly three years ago. The project combined rapid travel with a social experiment, as he sought to document everyday joy across cultures through conversations with residents in each country he visited. He told reporters he enjoyed several destinations on the trip, singling out smaller states such as Liechtenstein and larger, biodiverse places such as Madagascar for positive experiences.
Travel to every sovereign state is rare and typically involves logistical, legal and safety challenges. Zervos’s account highlights both the breadth of places encountered on such an itinerary and the uneven conditions travellers can face from one destination to another. His remark about Stabroek Market followed comments about other memorable stops; he has publicly discussed the contrasting scenes of celebration and hardship he observed while asking people about their happiest days.
Zervos’s comments were reported in a feature published Sept. 5, 2025. He has framed the trip as both a personal challenge and a means of documenting human resilience and joy across different societies. In recounting the darker moments, including the episode in Georgetown, he emphasised the mix of rewarding and difficult encounters that came with moving at pace through nearly every country in the world.
The account adds to broader public interest in extreme travel projects and the risks involved. While many travellers seek out off‑the‑beaten‑path experiences, safety advisories from local contacts, governments and international organisations often highlight markets and other crowded public spaces as areas where illicit activity and petty crime can be more visible. Zervos’s description underlines the kinds of situations travellers can encounter and reinforces advice commonly offered by travel experts to exercise caution, heed local warnings and prepare for uneven conditions when visiting unfamiliar environments.
Zervos did not immediately respond to requests for further comment beyond his interview with The Mirror. His travel project, combining rapid country visits with interviews about joy, remains a personal chronicle of varied human experience across the globe.