Introduction: enjoy listening to Sergei Rachmaninoff, Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Opus 43, 1934), 24 variations for solo piano with orchestra, based on a violin caprice.
Anticipate traveling the world for the next decade, likely visit 160-180 of 200 countries. Once the dust settles, would like to publish a collection of essays. How might I organize the collection, like chapters in a book.
Intention is not to write for fame or fortune, but rather, simply express a voice. Not writing the truth, not confident that truth exists. Certainly acknowledge science, that which may be tested and proven.
How do I see the world; how are my observations filtered by my own bias.
There are many ways to organize the material; intention is to use a framework that would allow the more colorful stories and experiences to rise to the surface.
Chapter 1: planes, trains, and automobiles
Prefer overland travel, slow and deliberate; provides unadulterated views of the world, train, bus, ferry, or motorcycle. Flying remains first world privilege, but, there is at least one instance, where flying took center stage.
Could write about travel on Trans-Siberian Railroad (2010), Russia to China via Mongolia; circumnavigate India by train (2011); travel first class, Indian Pacific train across Australia (2024); travel through New Zealand on motorcycle, with no shortage of one-lane bridges, and nary a straight road.
Ferry to Unalaska (2022), last island of the Aleutian Islands archipelago; scheduled to fly commercial airline back to Anchorage. Poor weather cancelled week of flights; got off the island, on an eight-seat charter flight. Charter flights are not subject to the same visual (minimum) flight rules as commercial flights.
There will be more ships next year (2025); ferry from Iceland to Faroe Islands to Denmark; onward ferry to Svalbard, 400-miles south of the North Pole; and Queen Mary 2, ocean liner from London to New York.
Chapter 2: stations and terminals
Sometimes, transit stations tell a story – grand, historic buildings – often spend hours waiting and people watching.
Departed from Moscow station, overnight train to Cologne Germany via Belarus (2010). Nothing was signed in English, and train’s destination was marked as Prague. Frustration was palpable, and considered giving up, and flying back to North America.
Departed from Cairo Station, overnight train to Aswan (2023). One million people per day go through the station. Signs and announcements in Arabic. Asked four different people if I boarded the correct train, and received four different answers. Slowly resigned myself, and almost indifferent, if I failed to board the correct train.
Chapter 3: religion
Visit cathedrals, mosques, and temples, until I am consumed by fatigue; six-billion of eight-billion people, worldwide, practice some form of religion.
Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religion, and is forecast to become the largest religious practice in the world before the end of the century. Traveled through Muslim countries (2023), and some of the safest places where I have traveled, acknowledge that the travel experience may not be the same for women. Call to prayer five times per day, based on sunrise and sunset, recitation almost soothing.
Chapter 4: sustenance
Easy to write about food, as I eat my way across the world. Tend to prefer street food, mainly because I don’t see the value in dining alone.
Always enjoy visiting grocery stores and markets, to see what food is available. Unlike the United States, many countries don’t import produce, must eat what is in season.
Traveled six months in Mexico, chilaquiles is a favorite meal, comfort food; tortilla chips smothered in green or red salsa, topped with sunny side eggs and cotija cheese.
Street food was popular in India (2011); before boarding the train, buy fried food wrapped in a sheet of newspaper, to absorb the dripping oil. My preference is to eat vegetarian, but, I am always a polite guest, and eat what is served. Visited Fez Morocco (2023), host prepared traditional tagine for dinner; buried under the couscous and vegetables was a slow-cooked, gelatinized cow hoof. Bon Appétit.
Chapter 5: sideways travel
Travel long enough, life goes sideways; it seems that the most colorful stories are not when things go right, but rather, when things go wrong.
Traveled to India for one month, solo travel, circumnavigated the country by train. (2011). Never-ending scams, needed eyes in the back of my head. More than once, considered ending the trip early. Return flight, United Airlines to New York, hugged the purser as I boarded the aircraft, and exclaimed, “take me home.”
Traveled to Haiti (2017), eight-hour bus from Dominican Republic. Hotel lost power in the evening. Residents had flip phones; gringo tourist stuck out with an iPhone. Walked back to the bus station, picked up by the police, informed that walking was not safe.
First class, daytime bus to Mazatlán, Mexico (2022). Bus pulled over; I anticipated passport inspection at the state border. Federal police boarded the bus, tension was palpable, and robbed all forty passengers, except the gringo tourist, likely a collection and charitable donation for the Sinaloa Cartel.
Chapter 6: in sickness and in health
I am not impervious, travel long enough, going to fall ill.
During my enlistment in the Marine Corps, completed boot camp. Platoon was standing in formation waiting to be “picked up” for additional two months of combat training at Camp Pendleton California (1993). I was ill, but Marines were harassed by the platoon handlers if asked to attend sick bay. While standing in formation, I bent in half and puked. Don’t remember if we were standing at attention, parade rest, or standing easy. But I do remember that the Marines standing nearby broke formation to not get splattered. Needless to say, troop handlers allowed me to attend sick bay. Returned to the platoon the next day, and earned the nickname “Old Faithful.”
Came down with stomach flu before boarding overnight bus to Puerto Escondido Mexico (2022). Left my backpack unattended in the waiting area, and simultaneously, got sick in the parking lot and shit my pants. Curled up in the fetal position on the bus.
Flew from Amman Jordan to Kuwait City, Kuwait (2023). Headache at the airport morphed into a migraine. Puked before boarding the flight. Once on board, my head was pounding, and I bent my body in half, and rested my head in my lap. Older couple to my right looked on with fear or dread. De-planed, and remained in queue for customs. Nausea was swelling; covered my mouth and stomach with my hands, and began spinning around, looking for the restroom. Customs agent called me forward, and pointed to the restroom. I sprinted off, and spilled my guts before I could even get my backpack removed. Exited the airport; evening temperature was 120-degrees.
Had stomach flu when I departed Canberra Australia (2024); arrived in Sydney. Hostel wouldn’t let me check-in early. There was a couch in the lobby, and my body crumpled in a heap. Manager woke me up, perhaps my image was bad for business, and told that my room was ready. Didn’t get out of bed for three days, just water and Gatorade. Recovered in time for ten-hour flight to Tokyo Japan.
Traveled in South Korea (2024); hiked towards Weolyeonggyo Bridge. Migraine got worse, head pounding, world spinning. Lie down on park bench to rest. Approached by several, older Koreans. Don’t understand what they are saying, but their countenance expressed grave concern. Using Google translate, messaged that I had a headache and needed to rest for a few minutes. Struggled to my feet, and walked to an empty corner of the park, and puked into a storm drain.
Chapter 7: safety (part I)
Places that I may not safely travel. Register travel on-line with US State Department, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP); provides email updates as necessary (political or weather disruptions); but also, beneficial if something goes sideways, and I turn up un-announced at the local consulate or embassy.
Before traveling to a region, I review US State Department travel advisories. There are four levels; I pay attention to Level 3 – reconsider travel, and Level 4 – do not travel.
Transited Honduras (2022), was going to visit the capital, Tegucigalpa, country is rated Level 3; could not easily get a bus ticket, and decided to punt.
There are several countries rated Level 4; could not visit Libya when I traveled through North Africa (2023); could not visit Yemen when I traveled through Arabian Peninsula (2023), damn those Houthi rebels. Will not visit Venezuela when I travel through South America (2025), and had to delay overland, Cairo to Cape Town, due to continued civil war in Sudan (2025). Syria is rated Level 4, although, I have heard that travelers may safely transit Damascus.
Weather may also be an issue; traveled to Turkey and Morocco following major earthquakes (2023), and negotiated wildfires traveling in Australia (2024).
Chapter 8: safety (part II)
There are places to which I have traveled, that are no longer safe to travel, places where I may not return anytime soon. Oft suggested, safety is an illusion.
Would like to return to Israel and Palestine (2023), so much more to learn and experience, but, unsafe to travel due to escalated hostilities between Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi rebels, and Iran. Traveled to Russia (2010), but unlikely to return anytime soon, given fighting with Ukraine. Traveled to Haiti, via bus from Dominican Republic (2017), but unlikely to return anytime soon, given gang activity.
Chapter 9: human nature
What is human nature. Common theme while traveling is often war, fighting, and hatred. Man may be compassionate, but behavior often degrades to that of a savage beast. Science and technology improve people’s lives, but also, develop more efficient means to kill, harm, and maim.
The story of the human race is war.
Except for brief and precarious interludes,
there has never been peace in the world;
and before history began, murderous strife
was universal and unending (Winston Churchill).
Traveled to Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine (2023), region that is less safe to travel today. Traveled to occupied West Bank, which is difficult to describe as anything other than a state of apartheid (2023). New York Times article “65 Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics: What We Saw in Gaza” (09 OCT 2024) reports of multiple Palestinian children admitted to hospital, shot in the head with a single bullet. Despite the Geneva Convention, there appear to be no rules or laws during war.
Chapter 10: extremes
The world is a place of extremes, to what end of the earth do I travel.
Visited Death Valley National Park, second time (2019), 282-feet below sea level. Visit Israel, and float in the Dead Sea, 1400-feet below sea level (2023). Drive to Deadhorse Alaska (2022), on the Beaufort Sea, 250-miles north of the Arctic Circle. Astral summer cruise to Antarctica (December 2024). Ferry to Svalbard, 400-miles south of the North Pole (2025). Flight from Amman Jordan to Kuwait City, August 2024; arrive at 8:00pm and the temperature was 120-degrees (F).
Chapter 11: kindness
Travel long enough, fortunate to encounter the kindness of strangers, sometimes called travel karma. Travel karma is similar to a piggy bank, better to pay in than to extract. Whenever I rent a car, intention is to always pick-up backpacking hitchhikers.
Traveled to India for a month, traveled by train (2010). More than once, fellow passenger would share with me their sandwich. Amazing to me, that people with very little, will share freely what they have, behavior that I don’t often see in the United States, despite a higher standard of living.
Traveled to Israel and Palestine (2023), and crossed into Jordan at King Allenby Bridge. Israelis are not allowed to use this border crossing, only Palestinians. Israeli exit tax was one of the highest that I have encountered, $50 USD. Okay for me, but very expensive for the average Palestinian (GDP per capita $2900). When I entered Jordan, there was no onward bus to Amman. An NGO volunteer from Canada, meeting friends, offered me a ride back to the city.
Epilogue: why do I travel, why the effort and hassle to traverse this dusty world. It is not about knowledge or wisdom, fall far short. If anything, risk is that world travel makes me a tedious bore. Maybe I travel because I am simply curious. Traveled to all 50 states, many states, more than once. Maybe I travel the world because there are 200 nations out there, and, I have the means to travel. I often try to remind myself that I am wrong and misguided; blinded by my faults. It is quite possible, in ten years, and 160-180 countries, that I stand empty handed with nothing to show or prove.
Conclusion: madness likely never ends, but, perhaps in 2035, when I am 65-years, and have traveled to many corners of the world, I will assemble a collection of essays. I don’t write fiction or short stories; don’t research long tomes of non-fiction, either.
Only need to write one good book, often reminded, after reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), Robert Pirsig, a book that I have read more times than I may remember. If there is a writer that I could emulate, it would be Pico Iyer. Well-educated and well-traveled; his writing is a soulful meditation. When I read his words, I hear his mellifluous voice, as he reveals a fleeting glimpse of the human condition.
The next journey has commenced – South America – see you on the other side.
garthmonroe 