PEOPLE DON’T EAT DOGS HERE. YOU’RE THINKING OF MEXICO. And there are no chickens on the busses. And as of yet I haven’t lost my luggage in a random mudslide after breaking the heel of only one of my Italian shoes. But, still – please do leave your machete at the door before entering a … Continued
Where would I be now? It was a mild spring afternoon at Staadpark in Vienna as I rubbed my hands, which are neatly wrapped in new white gloves. The gloves felt very soft. My governess would certainly scold me If I touched any mud. A small orchestra on the podium is playing popular and melodious … Continued
When I go out to do something my wife considers dangerous or foolish, I call it “growing the legend.” Sometimes, I “grow the legend” when I come home with a bloody leg after mountain biking. Sometimes, it grows when I face a stormy weekend with only a hammock and a ragged sheet of 4-mil plastic. … Continued
Taliban Fears; Insecurity and Innocence in Pakistan My eyes open as the jeep pulls to a stop. It is another checkpoint, one of many we have come across on this journey so far. Hitherto, it has been the same routine. Gul hands the police officer a piece of paper, tells him “USA” and generally we are … Continued
When the Ice Melts in Mongolia Click, one sheep’s ankle bone chinked against another. I lost another round of Shagai. The wood-burning stove hissed as a drip of melted snow fell from my woolly socks. It was our first day away from the cracked pavements, smoggy chimneys and block buildings of Ulaan Bator. Outside the … Continued
The look on my face (the woman on the left) is a concoction of exhaustion, gratitude, and love. This story of gratitude was made possible by a handful of strangers who, I suspect, have no idea what kind of impact they had on my life. Phuket, August 2012: My (now) wife and I were winding down … Continued
The sky was filled with crimson paper lanterns, swaying in the hot, sticky breeze of Kuala Lumpur. Beads of sweat formed on occasional tourists passing by in their khaki shorts as Malaysians and Chinese people, as old as the earth, hunkered by their stalls. I admired the golden writing on those lanterns high above me; … Continued
I was into the third month of my ‘adventure’. ‘Adventure’ was what my friends and family who didn’t quite get why I headed off to foreign lands with very few plans called it. I didn’t think of it as an adventure: I just thought of it as my life. Sometimes it was hard (really hard), … Continued
Near my home in Wivenhoe, the River Colne ebbs and flows repeatedly, as you might expect, drawing people to its easy shores. In the past this gentle river supported a thriving fishing industry, providing boats with a safe base between outings to the unpredictable North Sea. Shipbuilder’s yards flourished and cargo ships travelled upstream bringing … Continued
This around the world adventure has truly begun. Several days in, and I’ve tried several times to write something that you might enjoy reading. I want to tell you about the journey here, the hostel stays and late night train rides, my new friends both temporary and forever, my fears and my wishes for the … Continued