Point2Point

In my break from writing about my search to find a home I decided I might write some short entries about some other world travellers in search of something; be they lost, simply taking an huge adventure or simply trying to achieve something above the norm.

My first entry is about a guy I heard about 8 years ago. When I was taking my own first tentative steps of travel Karl Bushby was setting out on a, then, 12 year odyssey to walk around the world without any other means of transport. And by walk, he means walk. He was the first recorded man to cross the Bering Straits. OK he swam, but you get the point.

Karl is an ex-paratrooper from the UK. He set off in 1998 in South America with little more than $500 (could have been $50) and walked all the way to Russia. 10 Years later, that is where he is now. 2 years ago the Russians arrested him. Part of this was due to the fact he entered Russia by literally swimming over the perishing ice filled water of the Bering Straits and popped up in an abandoned Military base. As you could imagine the Russians were none to pleased. Since then he has been battling(diplomatically) with the Russians for a Visa that would allow him to walk across this leg of his journey.

Last year I read his mid point book. It's a book laid out in diary format and a good read for those traveling as it's easy to pick up and start again. It's also a fascinating look at the man himself, the how's, why's and can be's of his life. Not to mention a great read on traveling the Americas by land. But more than all that, the book stays with you. Karl's quest is to accomplish something with a life he once thought had amassed to little. This alone makes the book worth reading as it puts a great perspective on our own lives and what we do with them.

For more entries in this series I have categorized them all in "Educational" on the links on the right of this page.

Here is a link to the the Goliath Expeditions website if you would like to read more about Karl's Great Journey.

I am going to try an post on a weekly basis on any other great travelers I find out there that can inspire us in either our own travels or quests in life. If anyone has someone they would like to mention feel free to leave a message with a link or their details here My Guest Book