| Has traveled in: |
My first 'foreign' destination was Southern France, specifically Cannes, in 1979. I left UK with a giro and bunked the TGV from Paris to Marseilles. For the next 4yrs I travelled between the 2 countries also visiting Italy and Monaco, from where I was ejected twice with immaculate, white-gloved hands. We were punks with multi coloured hair which was too much for the authorities. We lived on money given to us for painting icons and classical portraits on pavements with chalk and pastels. I met a lot of arabs from Algeria and Morrocco whow I connected with as we were co-travellers and shared a similarly oppressive position at bottom of the social structure. Anyway, I ended up travelling to Morrocco and have returned on 6 other occasions. After attending rehab for heroin addiction and then a college course I inherited a little money and left for Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. I came back to attend university but took second year out to visit S.America. I stayed almost a year and half. After arriving in Caracas, Venezuela I headed south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia then turned around and went back to end up in San Andres, all overland. Fom there we flew to Guatemala in Central America; travelled into Honduras and but I was determined to get into northern El Salvador, but the war was quite intense. I got 2, 2wk, visas and succeeded on the third attempt as the military believed my attractive blonde girlfriend and I were 'periodistas'. The Salvadorian people and particularly those in Chalatenango impressed me with their humility and generosity above any other. Unfortunately the military didn't allow us to stay for long . I headed north thru Mexico to visit a friend in Texas and took a greyhound to New York before flying home. I could not reintegrate into university and returned to Caracas to teach English. After 6mths I left for Colombia and taught in Cali and Cartagena. From there I flew to Panama to work in the canal as a linehandler, helping yachts to navigate the lock systems and waterway. I lived on an abandoned boat at the Yacht Club until, one night, a very drunk Texan asked me to crew alongside him and his equally aged but durable ex-Vietnam buddy, to New Zealand. We cut a puritanical, wind-driven course past the Galapagos arriving in Hiva Hoa, French Polynesia, 6wks later. We then sailed to Penrhyn in Cook Islands where I jumped ship. I stayed for a month with the harbourmaster and caught a ship to Rarotonga where I found another boat needing crew. We sailed to Nieue and Tonga where I left and joined another boat to New Zealand. North NZ seemed too familiar and I caught a cheap flight to Bangkok. From there I went to teach in Penang and KL before visiting Laos and returning to UK after 2yrs. There have been many quick breaks to N.Africa and Europe but the last long-haul trip I took to India was a disaster as I was vulnerable and after disposing of my money and passport I was taken to prison in New Delhi and repatriated. Phew!! Well, I reckon that'll do to start with!! |
