Defining what it means to be a great modern traveler

It’s quite hard to define a great traveler in today’s world. What makes them so special compared to others? Duration, a cause, the route, perhaps even the marketing behind the person?

André Brugiroux, writer, explorer, traveler ... Great Modern Traveler

I certainly have my criteria surrounding The Great Modern Travelers Award. However once in while you come across a person that defies the odds. Someone no one could ever doubt as being anything but a great traveler.

Today I have the honor and privilege of presenting to you André Brugiroux,  the latest person to be given the Great Modern Travelers Award.

I strongly encourage you to read my interview with André below, his words alone will tell you he has a great travelers sense of the world!

Who is André Brugiroux?

André Brugiroux was born in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France in 1937. At the tender age of 17 he left home to spend the next 18 years (1955 to 1973) traveling to over 135 countries spanning every continent; by way of hitchhiking alone!

André has hitchhiked on cars, trains, boats and even on planes. Such years of adventure brought him close encounters with headhunters in Borneo to machine gun pointing Venezuelans. He survived illnesses that would rock many a man to his knees and he captured his own essence of the world.

Along his journey André found the Bahá’í way of life that taught him ”The Earth is but one country.”

Based once again in France, André spent the next 30+ years traveling to every country in the world with these principles in hand.

I can do no more justice to André Brugiroux’ remarkable story, only to hand it over to the man himself for this revealing and fascinating interview I had with him.

Interview with André Brugiroux

Your first journey took over 18 years (1955 to 1973) to complete. Did you set out to travel this long, or did you set out to find something with the intent in never coming back until you found it?

In 1955 nobody was travelling like to-day. In France we were still rebuilding the country from the war. No phone and no television in the houses. No Lonely Planet guides, no Internet, no couchsurfing business! Only rich people would fly. It is hard to imagine all this to-day.

André hitchhiking in minus 45°C conditions in Alaska (something that's illegal at that time of year!)

I had the dream to see the world but I never thought I could do it: I had no money and no information!

Nobody in my family was travelling. And nobody can see 18 years ahead of time. I had spent 3 years in a hotel school. I just told my father I wanted to learn English properly. European Union did not exist either. It was complicated to work abroad in Europe. Fortunately enough the Paris Hotel school inaugurated that year an exchange with Scotland for the first time. That is how I started.

I worked as a waiter in Turnberry Hotel (near Girvan). Then I decided to learn Spanish, German and Italian.  I dropped myself in those countries like a paratrooper without knowing the language and without a job, friends and papers…  Then things developed until I could save money in Canada and use it to hitch-hike round the world. To tell the truth when I left Canada I had not planned all this hitch-hiking. I was too scared but destiny took me along! Everything came along in spite of me!

In a word, nothing was planned.

At the age of 17, you don’t think, you just go. Of course, you then have to be motivated to keep on going.

Curiosity was my motor and pleasure of discovering and meeting people. I wanted to see and understand the world for myself. In the long run I realized I was on a spiritual quest. I was born before the war in France and unconsciously I wanted to find out if peace is possible by meeting people from all countries. But at the start I had no clue of all this.

You must have met a lot of people on your travels. Is there one unsung hero that helped you on your way that you still remember today, and how did they help you?

There are beautiful people all over and some unforgettable souls gave me a hand regularly at the right time. There are too many of them to recall here. See my book in English: One People, One Planet or my DVD-film over my 400.000 km hitch-hike.

The thing that helped me most to travel properly was the discovery of the baha’i writings which gave me a more brotherly vision of mankind and a clear vision of world history. As you know, travelling is pending on the attitude of the traveller.

What was the darkest / worst time in your travels?

56 years on the go! How can I find the worst time? I have written altogether 7 books in French to tell about the story. See André’s website for more details.

My style of travelling is rather tough for most people. Three things are forbidden to me on the road: hotels, restaurants and taxis.

André Brugiroux - Great Modern Travelers Award

Among others, the dysentery I caught in Pakistan was terrible. I became so thin that I could circle my hips with my fingers and I was squatting every hour. When I had six machine guns in my ribs in Venezuela I thought it was the end of me.

I read books of travellers but I have never seen anybody else who has gathered so many problems, risks and narrow calls. It is a miracle if I am still alive to-day!

What was the brightest / best time in your travels?

Like the precedent question, this is a newspaper man question.

How can I find my best time in 56 years? I have had plenty of beautiful times. Beautiful people and wonderful sceneries were so numerous.  There are too many of them to pick one outstanding here.

Lady Luck has been my best companion, that is for sure.

You’re famously quoted from your book as believing “The Earth is but one country” Can you enlighten us a little with what you discovered, and what you mean?

This idea is the conclusion of my travelling but it is not from me. I found it out in the baha’i writings. It means mainly two things. To-day there are no more distances and for the first time mankind has come together and is living in the same village or travelling on the same boat. This is done technically but not in the heads. We have no choice but to adapt to this new situation, that we are all interdependent.

The challenge for mankind to-day is to unite, if we want to find a solution to our problems.

The other meaning is that we are all brothers. We know it intellectually. My world tour has shown me this is the truth. There is only one human species. Maybe deeply down I wanted to check that. The problem now is to act accordingly and stop our “cow-boy” competition Yankee style of to-day!

Is there any great travel tip you would like to share with the readers here that’s helped you on your own travels?

Be happy and love people is the best tip for having a wonderful experience in travelling. Show a pleasant face to your neighbour. Voilà.

And when you are ready to go, empty half of what you have in your packsack: It is of no use. And double the money you are taking along if you can to be sure to make it!

Thank you André

Personal thanks to André for taking time from his current busy schedule to join us for this interview. And, for dealing with my attempts at French which resulted in his far better English answers!

André pretty much defines what it means to truly travel the world

Breaking News: This week André arrives in South Sudan!

Yes, you read that correctly. This week the world’s newest country of South Sudan will have André Brugiroux traveling to it. And, it will mean that once again, Andre will have visited every country in the world!

Congratulations! / Félicitations! André on your great achievements in travel, life and as one of the world’s Great Modern Travelers!

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What is the Great Modern Traveler Award?

Wayyyy back 3 years ago I went on a small personal project to find the most inspirational modern-day travelers I could find. People that inspired me, one way or another. Some have failed in completing their goals, others have continued. Either-way, they have tried in tasks I found admirable.

I thought every year there after I would find another ten. Sadly, this did not happen. Not for want of trying. Simply put – there were very few travelers out there that I found inspirational on a year to year basis, least of all 10.

However, there are always new people emerging, being discovered and, developing!

Wade Shepard from Vagabond Journey

2010 Great Modern Traveler: Wade Shepard

Wade’s credentials had him vying for my original travelers hall of fame. He’s been in love with perpetual travel for over 12 years now. Outspoken, opinionated, and knowledgeable. Wade will tell it to you like it is.

Covering 50 countries Wade’s experienced a life on the road like few have.  From living in a premier tropical resort island and traveling with royalty; to dumpster diving to finding cheap eats. Wade has experienced all spectrum’s in the world of travel.

From shoestring backpacker to one of the largest independent travel websites

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Wade may have a long shaggy beard and multiple tattoos. But, he is also a fully qualified Archeologist, husband to Chaya, and father to lovely Petra.

He also makes a living from his website (Vagabond Journey). Which has developed into a geographic magazine with over 3,000 people per day viewing and participating in it. Along with active travel forums, hosting individual travel blogs, and featured columns its a heavyweight contender in the world of travel resources.

Wade travels perpetually with his family from these earnings. How many people can actually say they do this in reality?  The answer is: not many.

He’s been making a living through travel for 12 years.

So, without further adieu, congratulations Wade; welcome to the list of Great Modern Travelers!

Do you know a great modern traveler? Read on …

Who can make this list? Those that walk pole to pole, swim around the world …  Although interesting, I don’t find them that inspiring.

Why? Well, many have a list of sponsors longer than the average webpage. Many seem to be quite wealthy already, and have little problem in funding such “extraordinary tasks“.

This, takes nothing away from their accomplishments. I may still write a list about them. But, I do find something detached about their accomplishments in line with this list.

How many of us can really afford to climb Everest in gimmicky style or even traditionally these days? Many set out to achieve commercial goals and break records, so be it. This may, be good. But, not for this list.

Great Modern Travelers going public?

This is my own list of Great Modern Travelers. People who I have found inspiring in some form or another. I, personally, like to read about the people on this old list. Maybe some will drop out in the future. But, it’s still a personal list. The reasons are plentiful.

Great Modern Travelers Award to Wade Shepard

Voting for your pick of the next great modern traveler?

I thought about opening up an online vote so people could choose from a list of choices. But, I’ve seen way, way, too many people try to cheat the system. From multiple self voting, to hiring people in India to vote en masse, to hiring people online to vote en masse.

Not to mention using Facebook or twitter to constantly churn out pleas of “vote for me”.

Judges vote

Someone suggested I contact a group of peers in the travel industry to vote on a person. Not a bad idea if kept simple. That said, impartiality would be key.

Criteria for a great modern traveler?

Firstly, take a look at the current list of great modern travelers. You can deduce from this the sort of criteria I am looking for.

If not, here are few to choose from:

• No fully sponsored round the world or commercial adventure record-breaking travelers (yes they can have sponsored help, however the majority cost must have come from themselves)
• No gimmicks. Towing a house up the side of Mount Everest is not going to get you in. And, neither is drinking a beer in every town you visit.
• They do not have to have a website! This is not an award for having the best travel blog! But, there should be some form of documentation of their journey. Be it a book, magazine, online, TV etc.
• They should be modern travelers. And, by modern, lets take it from the birth of the internet to the present.
• They can have already accomplished their travels. Or, be in the middle of them, or on a rare occasion be about to start them.
• Generally speaking, they should have accomplished something inspirational in their travel. Simply jet hopping around and visiting every country in the world does not make the grade.
• Failure is an option! Yes, just because they set out on a great travel journey and did not accomplish it does not mean they failed this list. So long as they went up against adversity, and did something inspirational in the process.
• Disabled travel is no different on this list. Walking from the north coast of France to the south coast on prosthetic limbs may be a great achievement. But the travel aspect must be there. Not just a sponsored walk.
• This is not a great “travel blogger” list. There are a lot of those lists out there. This is about inspirational travel. If it’s recorded in a blog, great. But a great blog about travel does not get you in.
• Volunteering for a good cause in a country for 2 years etc, does not count if it’s a “pay to volunteer” position.

I’m writing this on the go. So I hope the above makes sense.

Open to suggestions …

Certainly I am open to additional criteria, and revised criteria on this. If you have ideas on Great Modern Travelers leave a comment below.

Meanwhile …

Congratulations again to Wade Shepard (and family) for making it to the list of Great Modern Travelers (Wade’s permanent page here).

Who is the next Great Modern Traveler?

Who’s the next great modern traveler?

Leave a comment below with a single link or details to whom you think should be the next great modern traveler?

This is an additional article about the Great Modern Travelers Award

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Great Modern Traveler Award 2010: Wade Shepard

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Interview with Karl Bushby

I’ve known about Karl’s phenomenal attempt for well over 10 years. If there is one person who constantly tops my list of people that inspire me, it’s Karl.

Karl has been, and is, attempting to walk around the world with unbroken steps. He’s already made history in being the first person to cross the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia. And there’s so much more to this epic journey.

Karl Bushby (image © www.odysseyxxi.com)

“This is an incredibly revealing interview that I encourage anyone who’s any interest in travel, human nature or life to read all the way through”.

How can anyone embark on something like this? How can they continue? And, what happens to them afterwards?

12 years of travel on a mission to do something no one else has and still a lot of years to go. To most people this is nearly incomprehensible. Tell us the grass roots of this journey, why did you start this?

Not an easy question to answer.  On the surface it was a simple challenge framed in a question ‘what would it take, and is it even possible, for a lone man to get back home to the UK from the Southern tip of South America unassisted by any form of transport’.  Once the fire is lit it smoulders at the back of ones mind for a long time and I found I was never able to put it down.  How such an idea came into being, I guess that was part of my immediate culture or environment.

As a young British Paratrooper there is a lot of competitive banter at hand, driven men always looking to find ways to push them selves a little further, never willing to back down from a challenge. Within this environment, and taking into account ones own wonder lust, my own history, you can start to piece together an hypothesis as to why I undertook this challenge. But its very much a game of introspection.

I believe I know why I do what I do, not that it will always make sense to others. Humans rarely do. But at the end of the day it’s a huge challenge and a battle of will, and the question remains “what would it take and can it be done”. The theory is simple but in practice, that’s a whole new ball game.

Have your reasons for doing this changed over the past 12 years?

Again I can only re-alliterate the above.  Somewhere throughout my life, from childhood to the day I stepped onto the road, the reasons are scattered hither and too.

Have you drawn any inspiration from other travellers, past or present, and if so who and why?

The only real case that I drew inspiration from was Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Shroud crossing of Antarctica on foot in 1993. I found their effort mind blowing. I still do. Their have been many an example, incredible feats by incredible men in a class way beyond anything I am capable of. But the Fiennes Shroud 1993 effort left an indelible memory and image I have never forgotten. In particular a single photograph of the two men at the end of their ordeal. Two emaciated figures, half the men that set out only months before.

One could not imagine what it had taken, what these guys had gone through to get that last snap shot at the end of a mind blowing endeavour.  Other than that I had little interest in such events, and was not really interested in walking. I chose to walk because I know how demanding it can be, that’s the point of the challenge. And I don’t see its really about walking, but more about moving a set weight and amount of logistics from point A to point B on foot, there is a big difference.

In your 12 years of walking, what has been the one thing that has surprised you most about the world we live in today?

I think the first thing that stood out was the warm hearted reception I received everywhere I went.  I remember very well the early days where I would stumble across small farms run by indigenous peoples in Patagonia, and without hesitation I would be invited in, fed and warmed.  That’s been the story from Chile to Russia and not something I expected. The kindness of people I think has been an intriguing insight.

After living 12 years in the army and coming from the big cities of Europe it was incredible to find so many good natured people out there, in every nook and cranny from every walk of life. That has been inspiring and one feels indebted to the world after so long and having received so much help.

The current situation might be a candidate.  I was very much convinced that if I could achieve the Bering Strait, it would be down hill from there. Somehow I got that wrong!  Having got over the worst of it, the obstacles considered the most challenging and threatening to this endeavour, having got over the half way point, everything suddenly begins to unravel. This was not expected, perhaps not so much of a surprise in hind sight.  I had lived on a wing and a prayer for far to long and it was going to catch up on me one day.

Karls book, the first 6 years (affiliate link)

Tell us what the worst day was in your journey so far and why?

Mid December 2005 somewhere in the heart of winter wilderness Alaska.  It was all about a woman, what else could bring a man to his knees?  A woman I was losing slowly over the last 5 years prior. The one woman who had truly meant everything, I guess, for want of a better word ‘my soul mate’.  But again not a surprise, this had been predicted, a foot note on some long forgotten scribbled plan, underlined and marked with exclamation marks and question marks, followed by “be prepared”.  But nonetheless, after years of struggle, I had reached the bottom of a dark pit of despair.

After everything I had faced down, this was the day I could not get out of my tent, the only day. I went down into such a frightening place an incredibly painful place and it took a little while to get out. Only one other time in my life had I felt anything similar I believe, also on this journey, in the early days for totally unexpected reasons, but this one had been on the cards for a long time, there had been countless hard days dealing with this. Those few days where the grimmest I can remember.

The physical stuff you can deal with, but a software glitch is a problem. A dark Arctic winter was not to help. The girl I left behind in Colombia, now nine years ago, still to this day, is the dominant factor I have to deal with, and to my horror, a daily concern. The mood you find me in at any given day is tide directly to a relationship that finally died two years ago now. Not to mention the son I left behind.

The hairy monster called time visits more often now, and knocks me around harder with every passing year.  But after each beating the mission has not changed and neither have I.  Moving is easier, being static seems to aggravate the issues. To much time to sit and think.  If I was younger perhaps these things would not mean as much, but I am 40, old enough to deal with it, and old enough that I could do without it.

Likewise, what was the best day in your journey so far and why?

This one is harder. So many good days.  I could say the day mother and my son visited me in Fairbanks Alaska. The first time after six long years, and the last. But it was hard.  The day I met Catalina, but I grew to Catalina, over time, it was not a supernova moment. Hitting the coast of Russia and making history, but some how in the light of all that has past, that would feel superficial.

The day I reached Riosucio on the Atrato River and had managed to avoid been gunned down by Colombian guerrillas. The day I walked over a cliff in a snow storm on a winter Alaskan coast, and broke no bones. Finding a whole discarded sandwich on the side of the road in Chile after days of hunger. So many amazing days. Each to its own.

With social networks, travel television networks, and books galore, do you think the age of traveller exploration is coming to a close? (have we seen and done everything?)

No, I think we will define it differently over time, but it will not be over. To day I am reminded of the change. People sometimes refer to me as an explorer, but I am not.  Those who follow maps are adventures, those who wrote the maps where the explorers.  To day there are few explorers left. Few remaining places that have yet to be mapped.  Ocean depths, some forgotten cave perhaps.

The Bering Strait crossing was a first but far from exploration in my mind. The only real uncharted territory we entered was the troubled Russian politics, as they scrambled to deal with something new and unexpected, some one walking to Russia from the USA. I am an adventurer. The next great explorers will define this species in a whole new class, an interplanetary species.

You recently re launched your website, are you changing strategies?

Trying to find a strategy is more the case. This thing began even though it probably should not have. With no support, a few bucks in my pocket and a lose plan. I pulled it off for a long time. Got by on a shoe string or nothing at all. Got luck when it mattered.  Lived in the day to day, horizon to horizon.  How things change.

Today I am struggling to find anyone willing to partner or sponsor the endeavour, in the worst place at the worst time. Without the marking or business plan, the experience and skill needed in the field of marketing. I am struggling, doing what I can with what I have. But remember, I am here for the challenge, so it appears I have found my utopia!

The Odyssey XXI website (image © www.odysseyxxi.com)

As I follow your journey, I know your tremendous difficulties in getting into Russia continue. Please tell us about this and what can be done about it?

Firstly. We need help with Russian bureaucracy. We are currently trying to find a way to overcome visa restrictions limiting the Expedition to only 3 months in Russia at a time. This creates an impossible situation for an unfunded expedition on foot and currently placed in Bilibino, Chukotka, far North East Russia.

There is hope after Russia announced plans a few months ago that it needed to relax its visa rules. So I am waiting to hear further developments on this. All our attempts over the last number of years have not mounted to anything.

I have 900 miles between me and the nearest road system, that’s 900 miles of Arctic/ Subarctic tundra. Its hard going at the best of times, later winter. Extremely unpredictable in the summer when conditions make it almost impossible to cover any distance in a timely fashion, if at all.  Not expecting any chance soon in Russian politics it really comes down to sponsors.

With the right backing I can reach the road system and get back on the move year round and it just gets cheaper from there. Its difficult for people to understand the nature of the challenge in Far North East Russia, the terrain, politics, logistics and money for remote Arctic expeditions need real support. Its mind numbingly frustrating at the moment and I just need to keep a stiff upper lip and keep the faith.

Life after travel: When you have completed this epic feat, have you given any thought into what you will do?

No. it’s to far ahead, the world will be a different place in a different time. The next horizon is the focus and I cannot see beyond it. I spoke earlier in this article briefly about an unpleasant moment early on in this journey, and I believe it was due to looking to far ahead.

Trying to cope with the whole picture in one sitting on one plate and I almost choked to death on it. Since then I have learned to keep focused on the road in front of me, right now its enough to deal with.

Is there any great travel tip you would like to share with the readers here that’s helped you on your own travels?

It’s like the man said “just do it”.  So many people ponder on making a move but don’t act upon there dreams and ideas. More often than not its out of fear, it’s a lack of self confidence.

Our addiction to safety and over abundance of caution can stop us from being the best we can be, can stifle the human spirit.  Man has to realise he got where he is today because he was willing to take risks and he will have to take risks again.

Finally Karl, how can people follow you and support you on this incredible journey? (website, facebook, twitter, rss links etc)

Yes, the website I try to keep updated.  I’m constantly adjusting and adding to it, lots of room for improvements. The website is: www.odysseyxxi.com

I will be opening a forum this week( editors note: it’s live now!) I hope as people feel there is a lot to talk about and I agree.  I have a Facebook but its not real active right now. I use Twitter:  http://twitter.com/OdysseyXXI there is a link on the website home page.

—

Inspirational Travelers: they do exist.

What do you think of Karl’s journey?

Could you ever embark on something like this?

This interview is an additional entry exploring how other travelers are inspiring and can help us all learn

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Interview with Karl Bushby: Inspirational Travelers

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I am about to introduce you to someone who runs one of the best travel blogs today. VagabondJourney.com is the creation of 10 year travel veteran, father, and husband Wade Shepard. Vagabond Journey is a rarity in today’s world of flash travel blogging. It’s a mammoth resource of all things travel. What’s more, Wade’s writing is excellent. Straight to the point, honest and well structured.

However, just last year things changed monumentally. Wade got married to Chaya, and they had a lovely baby daughter, Petra.

Is this the end of his 10 years of travel. Wade’s got a lot to say about this, I encourage you to read on to find out more …

Tell us about the roots of your travels, how & why did you start traveling like this?

10 years of travel & still going

It was always ingrained in me that life was suppose to be a fantasy, an adventure, something to remember, an event that is great and larger than even my imagination. I believed in my boyhood adventure stories as a youth, and have not grown out of them yet. My mother would always tell me the words that her mother would tell her: “If you set your mind to it, you can do anything.”

I found that I wanted to have adventures, to be the main character in my own story. So I began traveling, as it seemed to be the most expedient way to obtain my goal, and have not stopped yet. From a survey of our western assemblage of folklore, fairy tales, cartoons, and story books, the act of traveling is often the driving force behind the plot line. I believed these stories to be true, and have continued to be too dense to learn otherwise.

Now that you are no longer a solo traveler, but rather husband and father, have your reasons for traveling changed?
No, my reasons for traveling are still the same: I feel as if this is the best way to live. The daily challenges of traveling are sharp and immediate — you always stand to learn something new — but it is my impression that it is a far easier life on the road than tending to a stockpile of fodder that inevitably builds up in the garages and attics of a sedentary live. Travel is, perhaps, a constant shedding away of the layers of life that you no longer need, and a grasping at those which you desire.

Have you drawn any inspiration from other travelers, past or present, and if so who and why?
Harry A. Franck is the first and last influence upon my traveling life. The man made a LIFE based on traveling. He did not take a journey, go home, write about it, and live off the memories his entire life, no, he continued traveling, continued writing books all the way up until his 80′s. He was a traveler, he was the complete package: he was athletic, he was a good writer, he wrote daily, and he did this all with a large family. What makes Harry Franck stand out in my mind is that he lived a full life while traveling.

I became more interested in Harry Franck when I got married last summer and had my first child, so I began making phone calls to his surviving family members to see if they would be willing to talk to me about what he was like behind the books, and, more pertinently, how he managed to travel and write over thirty books with a wife and five children. I was then at a turning point in my life and I needed some guidance, and I again found it in Harry Franck. I met with one of his daughters and talked with a grandson over the phone and they told me what I needed to hear.

In 10 years of travel, what have you seen change the most when you return back home?
When I return home for visits, it is now clear that life goes on as usual, but I am not part of it. I am now a visitor in my family’s home, a rare apparition on the horizon. I would have to say that missing the nuances of the temporal progression of my family is the biggest downfall to traveling. Though I do keep in good contact with my family, and they read the blog.

This entire Vagabondjourney.com publishing fiasco began as a way to let my family know a little more about me and what I do, as I realized around 2005 or so that they really had no idea. I was just gone — invisible perhaps — out lazing in leisure and loafing in the world. I wanted to make sure that they knew that I took the work ethic and skills that they taught me and apply them towards traveling: I wanted them to know that I work, too.

What has been the worst day for you during your travels?
Probably the day that I realized in Patagonia in 2002 that traveling is a pretty boring thing to do. I became a little lost for a few moments. I was young then and was just walking around, reading books at night, drinking wine, hanging out as I traveled. I did not have any projects, nothing substantial to do, no mission, no goals, no purpose really. I had yet to discover the “project.” I realized that my mother’s lessons were correct: people need productive things to do in order to be happy.

So I went to Japan and began a 4 year study abroad program called the Friends World Program (now Global College), which would enable me to travel to pretty much any country in the world I wanted and study language, culture, and do any little project that I could imagine. It was somewhere during my time traveling in this university that I began blogging and eventually started VagabondJourney.com. This project became my main motivating force in travel productivity, so to speak — it gave me a mission, a daily to do list, and something to build and fully occupy myself with each day of traveling. Without these projects I probably would have went home long ago.

What has been the best day during your travels?
Probably the day that I was napping in a hammock on Nicaragua’s Ometepe Island when a girl in a polka dotted dress woke me up by knocking on my head. We would be married three years later.

Wade's great website

Social media, travel blogs, travel TV, do you think the age of great travel exploration is over?
No, no way. While 99% of these internet information sources merely skim the surface, just regurgitating sections of guidebooks, and have little lasting redeeming value as far as I am concerned, but some of this media is pushing the bounds of world travel, getting information out to people, allowing travelers to travel farther, cheaper, and better.

If you turn on the Travel Channel today it becomes quickly apparent that it has little to do with travel, it is all about food and eating. It should be called the pig out around the world channel. It is funny that an entire television channel can make a living by sending three or four jackasses around the world to eat the testicles off of various animals.

Where did Alby Mangels go, I must ask, and why was he replaced with gangs of walking cliches?

But there is a 1% fringe of online travel writing and media that stands way above the fold. There are travelers who maintain websites who really push travel deeper, further. They write about the thicker side of where they travel — cultural nuances, the personal side of politics, the faces behind news headlines — and these sites really serve to document the world “as is,” they are the chroniclers of our time. The mainstream journalists must find either the worst or best of planet earth to sell articles, and they lie through omission. A travel blogger is responsible to nobody, and can write exactly that which is in front of them without fear of censure.

If you look at online media from a historical perspective.

There are travelers who are writing about more than the basic art of traveling, but about what they see, feel, experience, and their opinions on a world culture in constant flux. It is these travelers who are recording the song of our times, documenting the ebbs and flows of the people on a planet that has rarely seen such intercultural cross roads before. This is important.

While some fat guy is making loads of money going to some seemingly remote location to gorge himself on pig penis for the Travel Channel, there is a legion of travelers out there documenting our times without much regard for advertiser interests, corporate regulations, or even reader expectations and the status-quo. These people are the chroniclers of our times.

The works of corporate journalists and the propaganda of NGOs act as subterfuge over many people’s perception of the world they live in. The groups that are providing the images of the world that get stuck in our collective psyches have special interests and ulterior motives for doing so. Newspapers, magazines, and NGOs are businesses, and they are going to report on the world appropriate to their ends.

An independent online travel writer has more lee way to write what they, themselves, observe.

That piece that you wrote about observing that rare flower in the Phillipines was perfect: you found something rare, said where it was, told us how you got there, photographed it, and left a document in your wake that will stand for years to come. Now if some eco devestation occurs and someone wants to study that flower, they will find your webpage and say, “Well, on this date, this guy Dave found this flower right here.”

This may seem innocent or insignificant, but it is information like this that really means something.

The Vagabond Journey eMagazine, how did this come about? And what does it offer that other “traditional” travel blogs/sites don’t or can’t?
Vagabond Journey.com is, more or less, a way for me to fulfill my traveler responsibility by sharing my travel notes, providing

Great travel articles on vagabondjourney.com

advice, an show a way that can, hopefully, help people travel better and cheaper.

A traveler often lacks many of the social responsibilities that more sedentary people have, but there is one obligation that I feel I should not sidestep: I should share my maps with other travelers, try to show the path that I traveled, as well as how I got here.

It is also a way for me to fund my travels not only while traveling but by traveling. I could not do this website if I did not travel, and the information that I try to provide, particularly on the Wiki Vagabond and Travel Help portions of the site, is that which may be able to help other travelers make the most of their resources, to find work, and, ultimately, to continue traveling.

This is a timeless idea, as it is my impression that travelers have always felt this responsibility.

Vagabondjourney.com is also the mechanism through which I process my impressions, opinions, and experiences of traveling through the world. It is a grounding point, a major constant, and a medium through which I try to understand and figure out this planet that I live on.

Financing solo travel is hard enough, but now that you are three, how are you doing this? And, how tough is it?
It has been really difficult during these initial stages. We now need three times as much money, and expenses like visa fees, entry and exit taxes are now tripled. We are living right now off of the earnings of VagabondJourney.com and the ends are not meeting, we are not keeping our income/ expense fractions constant. Though readers have been more than helpful, and often offer us donations for publishing the website — which, in the end, is what enables us to continue publishing. We ask regular readers for a $1 a week contribution, and if we really got this from everyone we would be able to just concentrate on publishing content full time rather than struggling with making money.

Though I suppose the struggle is part of the journey.

There are now three people traveling in my group, but there are two people who can work, and, hopefully by the time she is four or five, Petra will be able to start taking pictures and putting content up on the website. Just so that we all earn our keep, we should be alright. But, right now, only one person is able to work, as the other needs to care for the baby, so that means three people are traveling off of a single income. Our next move from El Salvador is going to have to be a location where Chaya or I could work a formal job to re-provision our travel funds.

Do you envisage traveling with all your family for the next ten years, or will you stop for a while, for example during Petra’s high school education?
We are probably going to continue traveling. It is my impression that life on the road is usually the best teacher, and being able to go to the places and meet the people that most kids only read about in books, in my opinion, is the best instruction. Studying foreign language, experiencing many cultures, knowing first hand how to navigate through the world you live in, not believing the socialized myths of any one culture, and observing the rounds of geo-politics in action is, in my opinion, the best education for any child. If Petra wants to go to formal school, then that is her choice, and we will stay for the specified durations in countries whose languages and cultures would be good for us to learn, though the idea of a permanent base has not yet arisen on our horizon.

Thanks to Wade for taking the time to sit down and introduce us to his incredible journey.

As I mentioned at the start, Vagabond Journey is one, if not the, favorite travel sites I read every week. It’s a unique perspective on travel from a great writer.

What do you think of Wade’s methods, and style of traveling?

This interview is an additional entry exploring how other travelers are inspiring and can help us all learn

Coming Soon:

Inspirational Travelers – The person behind the most incredible, travel journey ongoing at the moment, a traveler I respect more than any other – a must read!

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Wade Shepard interview: Inspirational Travelers

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Interview with Becky Samson from Expedition Equus

There’s nothing like following someone’s journey online: especially if it’s something different …

Here’s just one of those journeys:

Along with Bertie the horse Becky Samson set out in 2009 to ride from the UK to Japan. It will take 4 years at this time of planning.

Becky Samson & Bertie the Horse (image © www.expeditionequus.com)

But plans change, such is the nature of travel.

• Why is she doing this?
• How is she coping?
• And, how can we learn from this inspirational young lady?

Let’s find out:

Why are you doing this?

To travel with a horse has been a lifelong dream, and I realised that if I didn’t do it now, I would probably never get round to it.  I didn’t want to fall in to the trap of having a career, mortgage or other commitments and regretting not having at least attempted it.  Doing the trip for SOS Children also gives it a greater meaning, especially in light of the recent events in Haiti.  SOS Children do such amazing work with orphans and displaced children worldwide, that it makes the adventure all the more worthwhile.

Who are/were the travellers/adventurers that inspire you?
So many! Christina Dodwell is an amazing woman, who has travelled worldwide both with and without horses and now runs her own charity; also James Greenwood, who travelled the world with horses, and  David Grant, who took his horse and caravan around the world with his family for 7 years; and all the countless others who have written books or offered advice following their trips which have both inspired and assisted me.

Has the journey been as you expected so far, or has it been the opposite?
Both!  I started the journey in April 2009 with the intention of riding to Turkey by October.  The riding, whilst great fun, was mostly on roads, as although I’d spent hours researching and planning routes, I discovered that, on the ground, they either didn’t exist, weren’t well signed or disappeared in to unmaintained and unpassable paths.

About halfway through the summer, I decided that if we were to be on roads 99% of the time, we might as well try out a gyspy caravan.  I sourced and bought one in the North East of France, spent a couple of months with a lovely French family doing it up, and Bertie and I got lessons in how to drive.  In August, we set off with our new mode of transport, and spent until October travelling through incredible French countryside, from flat plains to gorges.

Does it take a special person to do this? I think so (image © www.expeditionequus.com)

A friend joined me for the last 2 months and bought bicycles, which gave us the freedom to explore small towns and even cities en route. We dipped in to Switzerland and took a look at caves, a dinosaur park and Basel! We didn’t make it to Turkey in 2009, and Bertie is currently wintering out on the Swiss/German/French border, however, we had such a great time in France and met so many wonderful people (and ponies!) that I realised its the journey and the experience, not the destination, that matters.

Tell us about what’s been the hardest and most unexpected thing that’s made this journey difficult so far?

Burst tyres, angry dogs, mutant bees, escaped horses, minor injuries (Bertie cut his leg quite badly which took a few days to recover), steep hills, main roads, bad drivers…but all part of the adventure!

How about the best thing that’s happen on this journey so far?
Meeting such amazing people and making new friends was an unexpected highlight of the trip; I thought I would just be passing through, perhaps staying in people’s fields or gardens in my tent; instead, I was welcomed with open arms in many of the places I stayed, and made to feel like one of the family.  I am in touch with several of the families who I met, and receive lovely emails from them, and I even got a Christmas card with pictures of Bertie on it from 2 children who’s back garden we stayed in, which was a lovely surprise.

It must get lonely riding all day, what goes through your mind? And how is Bertie the horse doing?
Although for most of the trip Bertie and I were travelling alone, we were never without company for long.  Finding a place to stay each night involved knocking on peoples doors and communicating (my miming and out-of-date school French became semi-fluent by October!) and often I was invited in to have dinner with the families and a bed to sleep in.

Several times, I was able to stay for more than 1 night and the people I stayed with would take me to the local towns, museums and shops and show me how they lived – and would cook me the local cuisine, which included hundreds of different cheeses – delicious! The time spent alone with Bertie was great, as it gave me a chance to reflect on the trip so far and enjoy open countryside and one-on-one time with my horse and my thoughts.

With social networks, travel television networks, and books galore, do you think the age of traveller exploration is coming to a close?

Absolutely not!  Although the internet and other mediums are making travel a lot more accessable, they are really only good for ideas, inspiration and research. To go to a place and experience it is the only way to discover somewhere. Traditionally, exploration means finding new land – but anyone can discover a new area, even if it’s only 5 miles from home. In our own ways, we can all be modern day explorers.

This journey is going to take over 4 years, what are your thoughts on how this will effect your family life, relationships, education and work?

Expedition Equus (image © www.expeditionequus.com)

Big question!  In the past few months, a lot has changed for me with regards to all the above, but in positive ways. Being away for extended periods of time actually enhances relationships with other people, and you appreciate the time you have with loved ones a lot more.  As for education and work – my French improved and I learned how to drive a horse and cart, and on arriving back in the UK for winter I found a job – so neither of these have suffered.

I believe travel pushes you and forces you to gain new skills, which you can then apply in the work place – so any experience is a good one.

When you finish this journey, do you think you will embark on a travel related career, or is there something else you plan to do?

Who knows what will happen in the future? The word ‘career’ terrifies me!  I would love to take a boat down the Amazon, ride a Harley on Route 66 and trek in South America; there is so much of the world to explore, and I hope to see as much of it as possible.

I plan on writing a book of my journey so far through France, and am in the process of doing so (it will be available via my website expeditionequus.com in the near future) and if any travel related work opportunities arise I shall grab them with both hands; however, at the moment I’m just concentrating on the here and now, as life is full of surprises and the best laid plans never quite work out!

How can people help or support you?

If anyone wants to support the journey, they can visit the website at www.expeditionequus.com and go on the ‘support’ page, or visit http://www.justgiving.com/expeditionequus to donate to SOS Children.

For someone reading this, and wanting to have an “epic” adventure, what is your advise to them?

Get off the sofa, do some research, put all your loose change in to a pot and go, go, go!  I have met so many people who say ‘I wish I could do what your doing’ – but they don’t.  So stop wishing, start living - you won’t regret it.

Thanks for joining us Becky!

—

Personally I find Becky’s story could emerge into a real modern day classic. One girl & her horse going overland from the UK to Japan. The age of travel adventure continues.

Do you think Becky will make it?

And, do you know anyone else out there embarking on such an adventure?

Edit 2011: Due to illness, Becky has not been able to complete this journey. We certainly wish Becky all the best in her health and future endeavors.

For more information, please see her profile on Great Modern Travel Attempts.

This interview is an additional entry exploring how other travelers are inspiring and can help us all learn

Coming soon:

Inspirational Travelers: One of the best travelers, and travel blogs out there at the moment.

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Interview with Becky Sampson: Inspirational Travelers

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In keeping with my article “Inspirational Travelers” I wanted to bring to you one of my favorite authors of travel, Jonny Bealby. For those seeking a life in the travel industry, this may help you too!

Jonny’s written three books chronicling his travel life from a motorcycle adventure around Africa, to following in the footsteps of kings around Pakistan and Afghanistan to riding on a horse with a stranger whilst trying to make a documentary through Central Asia. Prior to that Jonny backpacked Kashmir, played in a band, worked as a waiter and as a journalist.

Interview with inspirational traveler Jonny Bealby (image copyright www.wildfrontiers.co.uk)

That was all about ten years ago, so what happened in his inspirational life after travel?

Can you tell us what happened after your last book, did you stop traveling cold turkey? or were there other adventures you haven’t written about?
I started a travel company, called Wild Frontiers, which I now run. Regarding careers, I remember years ago being told, work out what it is you most enjoying doing and then find a way of getting paid for it. I think that’s more or less what I have done. I now have a very good life travel balance

Is running an adventure travel company the cure to “itchy feet”?
As above yes it does. Of course it is not the same as climbing on a motorcycle and driving round Africa, but that’s okay. I am older now and the travel I do for Wild Frontiers I enjoy very much

How did Wild Frontiers come about, was it your idea?
Yes, and no. A pagan chief in the Hindu Kush suggested I start a travel business in order to take people to visit the region. That was in 1998, before I even knew there was such a thing as an adventure travel market. It was a good idea, and so long as you produce something unique, stylish and sympathetic to local ideals, its good business

Can you tell us a bit about what you do in Wild Frontiers?

Jonny's Travel Company (image copyright www.wildfrontiers.co.uk)

I run the business – that can mean anything from talking to the press, writing itineraries, dealing with bespoke trips, updating the website, buying off ward dollars to leading a trek to K2 base camp!

What advice would you give to travellers out there looking to work in adventure travel companies?
Get out there and travel. Degrees are all very well but what we really want are stories, experience, knowledge of a region and its culture. Anyone can learn about hotels, what is much harder to find is real knowledge

With social networks, travel television networks, and books galore, do you think the age of traveller exploration is coming to a close?
To some extent yes, I think it is inevitable. The journeys people make these days are often of an internal type, that’s what people find interesting.

Have you any plans to write another book, and any hint about what it could be about?
I do want to write another book – but it will be sometime yet I fear… not enough hours in the day

Do you see yourself working in the travel industry until retirement, or do you think you will change career?
Goodness, I don’t tend to think about such things. You must know the old adage: How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans! Well I kind of think that’s true… this is what I do now, who knows what I’ll being doing in 5 years? Not me

Is there any great travel tip you would like to share with the readers here that’s helped you on your own travels?
Don’t take advice from people like me! No, I know that’s a bit silly but it is also true. So many people told me things I did could not be done. Anything is possible and I think the fun is as much in the making mistakes as it is in getting it right. So buy a one way ticket to Lord knows where, turn right out of the airport and don’t look back…

Thanks for taking the time to join us here for the interview; I certainly wish you the very best with Wild Frontiers and your future endeavours.

Thanks, it was a pleasure

—

Please have a look at Jonny’s own travel company www.wildfrontiers.co.uk for a look at some great adventures and to see what one man did in his life after travel.

If you’d like to read my reviews of Jonny’s books head over to by Travel Books section.

Post interview question:

Are you thinking of getting into the travel industry after traveling?

Has this given you ideas?

This interview is an additional entry exploring how other travelers are inspiring and can help us all learn

Coming Soon:

Inspirational Travelers: An interview with a solo female traveler doing something no one else has!

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Jonny Bealby interview: inspirational travelers

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Inspirational Travel? Just doing your own thing? Or, something different?

You’ve been traveling around the world for weeks, months, or even years, what happens when you get back home?

A hot shower, clean fresh towels, home cooked meals. And your own beautiful bed that hasn’t had 10,000 faceless strangers use it.

As beautiful as it is, few people will really look through all your Sofia photos!

Yes, that stray hair is probably your own, for once.

A conversation about your adventures starts over dinner, which is good, but nothing like the exotic food from last week. Or even yesterday. Smiles all around for now, and then the conversation changes to politics, the neighbors, or worse still “what’s on TV later?”

We’ve all been there

If you’ve been in that situation, then no one needs me to tell them that taking out 10,001 photographs will change anything. With any luck some people have seen a few on your blog post or Facebook updates. It’s enough for them, trust me.

“Why don’t they get it?”

It’s a question many people ask once they’ve come home. Why don’t people feel the same way about travel?

They’ve not done it, that’s why. People have securities at home. Responsibilities to live for. Other priorities. Dreaming of travel is not one of them. There is no inspiration to be found here.

From the past:

Legends such as Alexander the Great inspired legions, societies, and history writers. Marco Polo led the way to controversy, discovery and new worlds of old.

Where are such people today?

Sometimes we don’t realize that we are living through history, right now.

Pick up a glossy magazine and you’ll see someone on the cover with an extraordinary inspirational travel tale to tell.

Yet soon we put the magazine down and it becomes apart of a collection, somewhere.

Switch over to a cable travel station and we’ll get scores of inspirational travelers names, inspirational travel shows and events. Or are they?

To me, most of what is on the cable travel shows is just … well … not very realistic. Nice pictures, but where’s the inspiration of actual travel beyond that?

As soon as the show is over, we flick channels and the story is lost.

Click on a fancy travel blog and read about someone traveling around the world. Nice photos … next.

Nothing sticks anymore. Why?

What’s the problem?

Are travelers today really doing anything special? Are they making new ground? Or just covering old ground with fancier graphics?

I think it’s the latter.

Time to hang up those old boots

Planning to quit your job and go on a round the world trip?

Why not do something special with your once in a lifetime opportunity?

How to do it?

Who inspires you and why?

Have you read or seen a journey that inspires your heart to beat that extra beat?

Was it a movie, book or website?

If there’s a positive nod to any of the above, and you are planning a journey, then what’s stopping you?

You’re going traveling anyway, correct? Then why not become an inspirational traveler yourself?

Footsteps to follow:

Need ideas? Inspiration is found everywhere in travel.

The lure of "what's on the otherside", drives many to become inspirational travelers

• Follow an exact spice route, map it, put some history into it, photo it
• Visit, drink, and write about the best coffee plantations in the world today
• Climb a volcano, but do it at a different, harder, time of year, and video it
• Be the first to ride a motorbike from border to border of lesser known country

Just some random ideas. But, all are relatively simple tasks – with a purpose. A purpose that can be enjoyed as well.

From here, others will find your travels inspiring.

Then, when back home, you will have accomplished something more than just traveling around yet another place. You will have become an inspirational traveler to others. You will have led the way in your field of enjoyment.

You are not alone:

Over the next few weeks I will be introducing you to several inspirational travelers (note: check out the related posts below to read these interviews) . These are people I respect for stepping out from the masses, taking the gauntlet and going for it.

I hope with this series of interviews you will find a seed of inspiration with at least one of these inspirational travelers.

From this seed of inspirational travel, maybe, just maybe something great will grow.

It’s in all of us. You can feel it now. It’s just your choice if you want to run with it …

Inspirational Travelers interview:

The very first inspirational traveler I would like to introduce you to is, Jonny Bealby, one of my favorite travel authors. Jonny’s books and life is that of pure blood traveler.

Following the tragic death of his girlfriend while backpacking he rode around Africa on a motorbike, Asia on horse back, wrote three books about it, and ten years later he is now…

Well, let’s hear from Jonny himself about a Life After Travel that never happened!

Meanwhile; lets share something -

What or who inspires you to travel?

Do your think the great travel adventures of yesterday can still happen today?

Are you content with just “another” travel journey, or do you want to do something special?

Coming soon:

Inspirational Travelers: Interview with Jonny Bealby (see below for the interviews)

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Inspirational Travelers: are you one of them?

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As many readers of this journal know I made a list of great modern travelers last year. While some of the journeys are over, and others still not complete, there are still some very active great modern travelers out there right now. Here’s a brief update on how they are doing:

Becky and Berty from Expedition Equus

Becky Samson of  Expedition Equus is finally off on her journey! Becky plans to make it via a solo overland horseback trip from London, UK to Tokyo, Japan. Follow Becky on Twitter @ExpeditionEquusor on her website.

Edit 2011: Due to illness, Becky has not been able to complete this journey. We certainly wish Becky all the best in her health and future endeavors.

For more information, please see her profile on Great Modern Travel Attempts.

Karl Bushby's Goliath Expedition

Karl Busby of the Goliath Expedition is still stuck with his Russian visa problem. His online forum was overrun by spam bots, and there’s been little in the way of updates since January 2009. I am hoping there will be some good news soon.

Christoph Rehage as last reported on my Great Modern Travelers page has stopped his walk from China to Germany. He’s no longer going to blog on his website and has returned to finish a degree for the next two years. He finishes his blog with a great video about growing his beard over his one year of walking.

Tractor Tractor - Manon Ossevoort

Manon Ossevoort of Tractor Tractor is in Canada after completing her tractor drive through Africa. This is the final stage of her journey and what an incredible journey it’s been.

You can read more about these great modern travelers on my links below.  These are some of the people who are or have pioneered travel in this modern age. They’ve provided inspiration, enlightenment and hope to many a traveler,  travel enthusiast, and everyday people in the world today.

I encourage you to have a read about them below!

K arl Bushby | Jason Elliot | Christina Rivera | Jonny Bealby | Manon Ossevoort | Kinga Choszcz | Christoph Rehage | Ross Pringle |Becky Sampson | Ted Simon

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Great Modern Traveler update – Becky Samson, Karl Bushby, Manon Ossevoort, and Christoph Rehage

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Not so long ago I wrote an article for my Great Modern Travelers section about Karl Bushby. A man who in the late 90′s set out to literally walk around the world. No canoes, human powered vehicles, nothing but two feet and two arms. It took him 6 years to walk from South America to Canada, an unbroken path. Including the Darien Gap (Columbia to Panama). He then became the first man along with Dimitri Kieffer to cross the Bering Straits.

For me, about 10 years ago when I began researching my own journey I came across Karl’s story. At first I thought his travel plans were great, because of what they were. But after following his journey for nearly 10 years and  his book I found what I really admired was the man himself, or rather the story behind the man. You can find my review of Karl’s book Giant Steps here.

In a video on Interview with Karl Bushby

Karl says something I can relate to. Nobody gave a damn about him, nor thought he stood a chance in life. “We’re not going to fail anymore at this, there’s no going home.”

These days I don’t get a chance to catch up a lot on other blogs or travelers as much as a would like to. So it was with a sadness that I read Karl’s most recent post. After crossing the Bering Straits the Russians held things up for the Expedition. Real life spy games between the UK and Russia meant no visa extensions and no hope of being let in to walk across Russia. And so they were told to wait, and wait. It’s been years now. And Karl still waits. Nothing is changing but from Politics that are worsening. Quote from Karl “This, however, is a grand odyssey in the 21st Century, and these are the challenges one faces”

To cross Russia he needed sponsors, ice, snow, sub zero temps, it’s not going to happen otherwise. The Russian wait can be done, but the global financial downturn meant Karl’s sponsors retreated away. And now he’s on his own again. It’s means he’s in trouble.

I’m writing this entry not to round-up donations or anything like that. I write it because Karl’s journey means something to me too. It’s inspiring and adventurous. Look at the You Tube videos or better yet buy his book and read about the man before you pass judgment. There are some out there who use travel as a means, not a glory shot. Karl used travel as a last-ditch effort to survive.

If you are interested in his blog it’s right here. Any words of encouragement or ideas would be most welcome I am sure. Like wise on his forum where you can lay out your ideas in more depth and discuss things with Karl in person.

For me, I have suggested contacting a Russian business. Maybe NIKE Russia, or the like and getting a Russian ‘job’, thereby allowing a work visa. A Russian business maybe able to go one step further and offer sponsorship too.

The key is if you have contacts with any Russian business types out there, maybe you can help back a man making history and go along for the ride.

I’ve recently opened up some comments on this site, so if you have any feedback about Karl, and his story feel free to post them.

In the meantime. From one Traveler on a quest to another:

Karl mate, I wish you the best.

What do you think about this? Leave a comment & let me know about Great Modern Traveler update: Karl Busby is in Trouble

RSS subscribers do you know you're missing out on some things, like my newsletter and how to guides? Sign up to my email updates & also get your FREE ebook of 5 Top Places to Travel & Photograph

(Due to the nature of travel, it usually takes a few days to get the ebook emailed out to you)