Point2Point

Welcome to the 9th installment of my look at Great Modern Travelers. I have tried to steer clear of super great adventurers that are known the world over. Touching more on the lesser knowns out there. I was therefore a little surprised at not hearing about Polish born Kinga Choszcz aka Kinga Freespirit. She has after all hitchhiked around the world. After reading some more of what she had done, I learned a lot. And I think that's why a lot of us travel.

Kinga sadly died in June 2006, in Ghana from complications due to cerebral malaria. In travel, she started off like a lot of other travelers on the India / Nepal route. Then in October 1998 with her life partner Chopin and $600 USD they set off to travel the world by hitchhiking. Free thinkers they traveled from Canada down through the U.S.A., Mexico, Central and South America. Over to New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Russia and back into Europe. Riding tractors in Tibet, and smuggling on board the smugglers cargo in Colombia, it was an adventure.

They were meant to head south to Africa, but life never takes on a straight path. Africa would wait. Using her journals and their website updates at http://www.geocities.com/kingachopin she wrote a book: Led by Destiny - Hitchhike the World.

In 2005 she set off alone to hitchhike through Africa. Her new website www.kingafreespirit.pl documented her travels through Europe, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast. From buying a camel to encounters with wild rebels she adventured once more.

Like any traveler she moved on to Ghana and enjoyed her travels there. Then, malaria struck. She was admitted into a hospital and looked to be recovering. However this was not to be and sadly she passed away on
June 9th 2006 in Accra, Ghana.

I have read through their websites, and by the end I would challenge anyone not to have a tear in their eye during the last few entries by Chopin.

There are many of us travelers out there. Some on holiday, others on quests. It is not that often we get to hear about a story like Kinga's.

This is a subject I ran into myself a few years ago in the same region. I will write about it soon, but not now. A lot of us feel a little invulnerable while traveling. For now I hope all of us out there traveling this wild and varied planet can take a moment to reflect on how precious our time spent here is. Be careful, do take precautions and live for your dreams. It makes going home all that much better.

COMING SOON (NEXT WEEK):
The final traveler in this series!

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About me and this Blog
Here's a link for comments if you don't have an account with Travellerspoint - Guestbook

We've met some people that have conquered the globe in many different ways for many different reasons. There is another side to travel that is often overshadowed by trips of vast distances. That is traveling within one country for a prolonged period of time. Meet Jason Elliot. A Londoner who fell in love with Afghanistan, in both the good times and the bad.

At the young age of 19 Jason joined the mujaheddin in Afghanistan to fight alongside them. Some 10 years later Jason returned to the war torn land just before the Taliban moved in. He wanted to return and visit all places, friends and people he had met before. What he got instead was a harsh reality check. Dark eyes of no return gazed at him as tales of brother killing brother follows our intrepid explorer in harsh weather across the mountains. UN centers mistake him for a terrorist and bureaucratic types show their true colors in a very explicit way.

I read Jason's book by accident. "An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan". It is by far my favorite inspirational travel book. Not for quick wit, backpackers tales or hostel adventures. But because of it's raw emotion. It is not a light book to undertake. It is a travelogue and history book mixed into one. Written on strong side of English. Unless you are the type to find this region interesting, it can seem a bit heavy going. However, if you are of the true adventurous spirit who understands that with history comes a new revelation in travel, then it's for you.

At meaningful stage in my own journey I wrote in the cover page of my journal this extract from Jason's first book.

"I encouraged him, in the usual way that you wish for others what really you want for yourself, to have complete confidence in himself and never be afraid to be alone, to further his travels and always question the meaning of things."
Jason Elliot An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan

Not every great traveler needs a blog nor website, nor publicity. This is one of them. Jason has taken his travels to Iran with another book " Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran. I have not had the pleasure in reading it yet. If I ever head back to Iran myself, I will order it.

COMING SOON (NEXT WEEK):
The penultimate traveler in this series!

ALSO:

About me and this Blog
Here's a link for comments if you don't have an account with Travellerspoint - Guestbook http://outcast.travellerspoint.com/3/

Welcome to part 7 in my series of articles on great travelers of today.

Following from last weeks article on a great travel blog from a person that's not hit the 'main stream' I came across www.solbeam.com, a website that is a live journal documenting the travels of Sol aka Christina Rivera.

Have you ever come across that traveler who's out there searching for something? If like me you come across them and promptly turn the other way for fear of being bored to death with someone elses plight at what we all go through. Then you will want to read Christina's insight into this world. It's done well.

Christina's site is about as insightful as you can get into someones life. She is also a great writer. How many times have we started reading a blog only to get bored after a few minutes? I would like to lay claim to the fact that this will not happen on Christina's website. If it does, you don't travel.

Littered with her great photography, and lush descriptions Christina writes about her pursuit in life that has thus far taken her last five years of adventure through over 35 countries. During this time she delved into volunteer work, language learning, scuba diving, Eastern philosophy, 'experiential education' and photography. Whats more Christina describes how its through this pursuit that she has been learning the lessons on life that one can never find in university textbooks. How much more new age can you get... Well, read on, this is refreshingly different.

Another difference making note about www.solbeam.com is the genuine honesty in which Christina writes. She has no aspirations of entertaining us, making money, being popular or enlightening anyone. She is simply documenting travel though her own eyes. It's through this honesty that we can see Christina being liked as a person, there is simply no other way of looking at her any differently.

This is also one heck of huge website/blog with archives going back to 2001. Then again that's only one side to solbeam.com, Christina has links to bootsnall, worldnomads and youtube. In other words, she has a story to tell, and its worth a read. From China and Nepal to Central and South America Christina follows her path in pursuit of a Personal Legend.

Read the disclaimer on solbeam.com to catch a glimpse of this traveler at their best in wit and writing. If you enjoy travel, and good writing, this is a good stop over for you. If you're searching for something out there, then pull up and add solbeam to your favorites/bookmarks and taken in this modern day great travel pilgrims epic search for something we all know we want. Rumors have it that Christina/Sol will be giving www.solbeam.com a makeover soon, so I think it's fair to say, expect more soon...

COMING SOON (NEXT WEEK):
We delve into a traveler revisiting Afghanistan...

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About me and this Blog
Here's a link for comments if you don't have an account with Travellerspoint - Guestbook http://outcast.travellerspoint.com/3/

The journey continues... Point2Point was just one leg of a greater lifelong travel quest that is still going strong!

My overland leg consisted of an unbroken path through Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China. No support, no sponsors, no media, no gprs; just me and a backpack on a search for home.
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Below is a video overview/preview of this part of the blog. The video will hopefully give those of you who have stumbled upon this blog a chance to see what it's all about without having to scroll through pages upon pages of bad spelling and grammar. And for those of you who have read the blog, a chance to see and hear some of the places and scenes mentioned in it.

If you like the video, then read the blog!

(Note: The Tibetan riot footage has been blurred to protect the identities of those involved)

FAQ's

Is the blog finished now?
No. With the overland part of this journey now complete(point2point) I have yet to decide whether or not to add additional entries here or on a new blog (and yes it the blog will be on travellerspoint, its a nice place you know). (comments welcome, they help me think!) I am veering on the side of continuing on here. . .

Either way I have decided to update some of the former entries that are severely lacking. Portugal for example; and the Knights Templar 'expedition.' I will let you know here when they are finished. In search of Knights & Legends in the Heart of Portugal is now ready for reading!

What about the other areas of the blog? (we noticed your spelling is crap)
I think that the blog should remain as is. Though still lacking in certain parts, that is the very nature of a blog. When on the travelers road it is not possible to keep it as 'well' written as the last few have been - even with many many typo's and grammar mistakes. What I like about this is that it shows the evolution of this blog, from below par first entries, to apt descriptions, to the telling of the actual stories that happened on the road. It makes it hard to read, but then it was never meant for public consumption, it was a journal. Then people started reading it!

I notice some entries read like a book?
Well spotted. As mentioned, this blog actually started off as my journal, it was easier than emailing myself notes. I like to write. I have in places turned my travels into a written format as that's what I like to read myself. And yes I am also writing a manuscript of my travels. So if you know a publisher or agent interested in a story about a guy with nothing to loose in search of a home, then please let me know!

What Next?
I am still on the road, I will update you here on new entries here, as my search for a home continues...

In the meantime I am writing a series of Articles about other travelers that I like, and updating past entries.

Do you have a website?
No. To be honest I looked at getting one to present my travels and journey a little better. But in reality I cannot afford the cost of hosting. I can buy a domain, but the hosting would set me back financially considering I would want the site up for a few years. If anyone would like to sponsor me some hosting, then let me know!

Easy Navigation of this blog:

It's come to my attention that blog sites can be difficult to read. Where to start? What's interesting etc,.

Yes there is a navigation bar over there on the right and up a bit! But it doesn't do much for me either, though I hear the powers that be at Travellerspoint are updating things soon. In the meantime here are some internal links to this site that might help you a bit better!

About this trip and blog The map of my overland travel route

My Photos

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The start of the actual blog (first entry)

Welcome to part 6 of my articles on great modern travelers.

As mentioned in the previous article I wanted to focus a little on the unknown soldier so to speak aka the unknown traveler. I wouldn't classify the travels of Ross Pringle as being great in the epic scale of around the world on foot. Nor would I say his life changing accomplishments on the road were that different or 'great'. What I would say is great is the fact Ross wrote about it all in wonderful detail and with some self humor thrown in. Not only that, but he ended up getting engaged at the end of his journey which is a great ending to a trip. The main fact is that many blogs or wensite out there do not share the whole journey. Ross' blog is great in the sense that just about everything he did, he recorded.

Most of his blog is about a guy and his laptop traveling overland from Sydney to Scotland. His route was - Australia, Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Ross began his journey in 2005 and finished around April 2007, though he has traveled since.

With over 228 entries Ross describes everything from leaving his roots in Oz to meeting the various freaks we do come across in travels to getting stuck and breaking away from the addictiveness of South East Asia.

Ross' writing is that of his own experiences, and the effects people, places and travel had on him. Going through his blog it's easy to relate to him and what he is describing. The other thing seriously lacking, thankfully, is ego. Too often, for my liking anyway, we come across egos on the road. The guy who's been everywhere and done that, and knows how to never shut up about it. Ross is very open and honest about his mistakes, learning's and opinions.

Another great aspect of Ross' travels is the amount of time and effort he meticulously put into his blog. He writes an article about his laptop and camera which is worth a read itself to those thinking of going on the road like that. Due to his tech gear Ross has some great photo's online (over 4000!) throughout his blog as well as research notes on the places he has been. You can almost imagine the guy writing away every night in a hostel to get this stuff out there.

To anyone considering an Australia to UK trip I recommend this blog, or indeed if you just want some good online reading. It's one of the only fully complete blogs I have come across that's both written well, and presented well. Here's the link technotrekker

COMING SOON (NEXT WEEK):
A great traveler with a soulful life...

ALSO:

About me and this Blog
Here's a link for comments if you don't have an account with Travellerspoint - Guestbook http://outcast.travellerspoint.com/3/