As a teenager I drooled over the purple bits of my school atlas; the Tibetan Plateau, the Andes, the Karakorum mountains. Aided by a regular poring over images in the National Geographical Magazine I fantasised about travelling to these exotic lands.  For years it was pure fantasy.  A fear of heights and a teenager, angst over any foreign matter in or touching my food soon brought me down to earth.  It was not until my post teens that I conjured up the courage to step beyond the confines of clean and tidy Europe.

​

Despite gross discomfort I found that put to the test, I could cope.  Building on a somewhat bizarre journey through Pakistan and India I pressed on over various school holidays into the recently (or not quite) opened parts of China and more.

​

My next phase of travelling has been since retirement.  Yes, backpacking is still possible if you have your health. 

​