AO: How did the idea and concept for Expedition Unknown
come about? Did it turn out to be more than you ever ex-
pected?
JG: The idea came about really naturally, actually. Before this, I
was hosting a show for Syfy called Destination Truth which was
much more ‘ooga-booga,’ as they say. I was traveling the world
investigating stories of cryptozoological creatures and unex-
plained phenomenon. My role was an open-minded skeptic,
and even though I was pretty sure we weren’t going to find
‘Creature X’ every week, it was an absolute blast. But, the more
I explored different cultures, the more I realized ju st how many
fascinating archaeological and historic mysteries are out there.
I became fascinated by thrilling legends of lost cities, buried pi-
rate treasure, undiscovered tombs, and the fate of vanished ex-
plorers. I have a degree in archaeology, and I first fell in love
with traveling because of these kinds of stories. Suddenly, I just
felt home. This was what I wanted to make a show about.
AO: Can you name an experience in which you felt the most
comfortable around a completely foreign culture? What
made the experience welcoming and memorable? What are
some things you learned from these people?
JG: The very first episode of Expedition Unknown was filmed
in Cambodia. We were exploring a previously lost city of an
Ankorian king that archaeologists had just uncovered in the jun-
gles using aerial laser scanners or LiDAR. The site was remote,
and at the end of the day, we sent most of the crew back down
the mountain before dark, while my cameraman Evan and I
stayed back to film for a few hours. We ended up getting caught
in a terrible storm, and the dirt paths out of the jungle became
totally impassable. A few of the locals invited us to stay in their
village, so we hopped on the backs of their motorbikes and
traveled through the rain and lightning to a cluster of simple
huts. These jungles are still riddled with landmines, and some
of the villagers are former Khmer Rouge – not exactly on the
right side of history. But we gathered on a porch while the rain
poured down and drank a crate of warm beer by the light of a
single candle. We shared a few stories, we laughed our asses
off, and Evan and I were offered a dry place to sleep. In the
morning, we slurped down soup cooked by an old woman who
invited us to sit down by her stove. I have no idea what was in
it, but it did wonders for my hangover. What a night.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned in all my travels
is that people everywhere are proud of their
own culture, and they want to share it. The key
is to be genuinely interested in listening. If you
can do that – you can make friends anywhere.”
88 | Summer 2017 | Adventure Outdoors