An edition of WorldWide Travels of a Common Man
(2007)
Worldwide Travels Of a Common Man
by Jeremy C. Price
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This is an astonishing account of a Global journey of over a million miles through all the World's major Continents over a period of 30 years,illustrated with over 270 color photographs and the history of the last millennium. Beginning behind the Iron Curtain during the Communist Era in Berlin and Poland, the scene moves to the game parks and Copper mines in Africa, to Scandinavia, central and south East Asia, the Middle East, around the Indian ocean and the Exotic Islands such as Hawaii, Seychelles and then the Americas and beyond to over 65 countries. This is more than just a travel guide, focusing on historical events such as the Cold War and the decline of Communism with the downing of the Berlin wall and how it has affected people's lives. The book chronicles the diversity of the World's peoples, culture and scenery to provide the reader with a rich appreciation of the human species, its history, heritage and world geography in over 60 countries, without leaving your armchair.
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Book Details
Table of Contents
CONTENTS PAGE
Chapter 1 Behind the Iron Curtain
09
Chapter 2 In and Out Of Africa
46
Chapter 3 Land of the Vikings
71
Chapter 4 Land of the Rising Sun 91
Chapter 5 Islands of Paradise and Fantasy 121
Chapter 6 Western Europe 137
Chapter 7 North America 188
Chapter 8 Central Asia 243
Chapter 9 The Middle East 264
Chapter 10 South East Asia 274
Chapter 11 Meso-American Territory 299
Chapter 12 South America 326
Chapter 13 The Australian Outback 341
Chapter 14 In and Around the Indian Ocean 349
Chapter 1
The first chapter describes the early years of the journey behind the Iron curtain in
Poland, Berlin and the Soviet Union. The political and historical events such as the rise of
the Solidarity Union in Poland as well as the collapse of Communism with the falling of
the Berlin Wall are chronicled into the draconian descriptions of living and working in
Eastern Europe. An account is also provided of some of the magnificent architecture
encountered along the way.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 covers the southern Africa continent as the writer describes life in post colonial
Zambia and travels to Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
(formerly Rhodesia), Zanzibar and the Zaire Congo. Particular details are portrayed about
the magnificent scenery and the game parks and how tribalism is still a part of everyday
life even as the countries have gained their independence from colonial powers over the
last thirty years.
Chapter 3
Land of the Vikings traces the history of Scandinavia over the last 1000 years by
detailing the authors travel through the most historic cities and historic sites of every
country in the region. The many myths surrounding the Viking era are discussed and
dispelled as many of their ancient artifacts are gradually uncovered and their nomadic life
reconstructed.
Chapter 4
Land of the Rising Sun is totally devoted to travel to the major cities and tourist
attractions in Southern Japan with references that illustrate the history during the last
millennium. Of particular interest are the three ancient capitals and how they compare to
the massive metropolis of arguably the World's most modern city, Tokyo. The unique
facets of Japanese society are addressed in some detail as the country has developed over
the years since World War II.
Chapter 5
Islands of Paradise and Fantasy provides an account of world wide renown resort islands
where people eagerly venture to find their own "Shangri La". From the many beautiful
but unique Caribbean islands that extend from the Bahamas to the Venezuela coast and
onwards to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu then Bali and La Isla Bonita, off the
Central American coast, each place has its own charm, beauty, history and story to tell.
Chapter 6
This chapter details a journey around many of the two dozen countries in Europe while
addressing its complex history. From Portugal in the far -West to Greece in the East the
uniqueness of each countries, sometimes breathtaking scenery is described. The
architecture and its people's culture are also illustrated and highlighted in many of
Western Europe's most visited cities. The last one thousand year history is well
documented in its relation to society lifestyles in the present day.
Chapter 7
The massive North American Continent is described through its contrasting landscapes
wondrous National Parks and the most important cities. The Social-economic issues in
the USA are also related as the chapter progresses from city to city including the major
differences between Canada and the USA. For one common language and few varieties
of religious beliefs, no one continent possesses such a diversity of life in its short history
in time.
Chapter 8
Central Asia as one of the world's unstable places, which stretches over 7000 miles east
from Turkey to the depths of Soviet Sakhalin Island at the doorstep of Japan, is
characterized by poverty and a constant decline in many city infrastructures.
The region is a volatile boiling pot of many different religions and cultures that are
examined in some detail in an area that evolved along Marco Polo's Silk Road and the
infamous exploits of Genghis Khan.
Chapter 9
This description of the world's Holy Land region is chartered through Saudi Arabia, the
richest oil nation and its changing way of life, particularly among women, the United
Arab Emirates and the tranquil island of Bahrain. The life and society of this land of
continuous conflict that was immortalized by Thesinger is more than any other continent
dominated by the religious beliefs of its people
Chapter 10
This chapter begins in Indonesia, the world's longest archipelago on the Pacific "Ring of
Fire", with 17 active volcanoes and traverses north through the lush Malay peninsular to
the "Super State " of Singapore, Bangkok, the "City of Angels" and the nerve center of
South East Asia, Hong Kong. The earth's most diverse array of language, religion,
culture and beliefs is highlighted while traveling through the region.
Chapter 11
Central America's complicated history and development has been heavily influenced by
the USA to the north, South America and the conquistadors from Spanish Europe. This
subject that spans almost 700 years is related while traveling extensively in Mexico and
down to Belize. In particular, the beauty of the Mexican Riviera, the Yucatan Peninsula
and its Mayan heritage are compared to the polluted, bewildering Mexico City metropolis
and other industrial cities.
Chapter 12
The character and Latino spirit of South America is conferred with visits to a surrealistic
but unstable Colombia, a humble conservative Bolivia and the unpredictable Brazilian
outback. Its sometimes turbulent history and Hispanic influence has produced a people
whose passion for life, festivals and celebrations is not experienced anywhere else on the
planet. The region has therefore produced many martyr's and liberators such as Che
Guevara and Simon Bolivar.
Chapter 13
The Australian outback is a narrative that traces the origins of the Aboriginees, their
habits and culture, and the first arrival of the British and the penal colony. Specifically
the North West region of the country around Darwin is described including the famous
and unique home of Crocodile Dundee, Kakadu National Park
Chapter 14
The Rim of the Indian ocean and its interior is blessed with many of the world's exotic
places including the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and India. The chapter relates the
natural beauty in contrast to the ethnic struggles that have raged there over the last twenty
years. How the history and culture of people on the mainland has influenced the islands is
captured during a journey through the region.
PREFACE
Travel conditions have changed much over the last 500 years. I realized just how much
several years ago when I toured the replicas of Columbus’s flagships, the Nina, Pinta and
Santa Maria that are docked in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is extremely difficult to imagine
the living conditions of the 90 brave men, who in 1492, left their European homeland on
those three ships to travel to the unknown and the uncertainty of what they might find.
The conditions they must have endured for months on end, the cramped space with no
cover from the elements and as monotonous diet, all perplex the mind. It was an
achievement that is easy to appreciate in today’s World.
This journey resulted in the “first seeds of exchange” between Europe and the Americas
with corn, potatoes and sugar going east with disease and horses going west. Now, five
centuries later the region they found evokes starkly contrasting images of islands
sparkling like jewels in a tropical ocean or places darkened by a history of slavery, greed
and suffering. More recently, just 35 years ago, man journeyed again into the unknown to
land on the moon for the first time and achieved another giant leap for mankind. This will
surely be followed by more adventurous journeys to outer space in the 21st century for the
benefit of all mankind.
Even during the last fifty years travel has changed a great deal as more people are
traveling than ever before on overcrowded flights from more congested airports into less
spacious airspace, making travel more uncomfortable. With deregulation, access to the
internet and cut-price fares travel has become more accessible to everyone young and old.
In the past this was not the case when life was more intense, people less aggressive and
fewer people ventured abroad. Travel seemed to be more pleasurable when I began just
over 30 years ago and less strenuous than now, even though technology has improved.
Unfortunately airline mergers have transformed air travel into a form of medieval torture
rather than an exhilarating experience as known previously. During the last thirty years I
have traveled well over a million miles on thousands of flights and countless road miles
to relate a unique travel experience, when there is always something to be learned from
every culture, country, its people and their history.
It is the vision and intent of this book to describe in some detail the richness of world
travel and how we can learn to experience the immense diversity of our civilization and
history. Only through the appreciation of this unique world with its web of life, nature
and contrasting geography that prevails in every corner of this beautiful and wondrous
planet that we call Earth can we achieve this. The future of our fragile planet and the
reliance of its 6 billion people, who speak 6,000 languages, will depend on how we
control our immediate surroundings and understand the risks that beset it; to provide
confidence that, in the next century, mankind will have the prolific hope that somehow
our destiny will be in our own hands. Just as we should cherish our world we should also
examine its frailties and self-destruction such as the effects of environmental pollution
that attacks the heart of our ecosystem, deforestation, the pressures of tourism that have
poisoned coral reefs and the mistakes of government that all interact to what we love
most. Fifty years ago the balance between man and nature started to change after it
seemed all so powerful. It is clear that if we do not take steps to counteract this change,
some places on our planet, where the ozone layer is damaged for instance, may not
survive until 2050. Our climate is changing because of global warming and the effects of
El Nino that has brought many recent environmental catastrophes such as the massive
floods in Asia, East Africa and China. The recent signing of the Kyoto agreement will
hopefully be a step in the right direction.
I have been enthralled with the century old National Geographic magazine for many
years, which has provided some excellent reference material. This publication is a tribute
to this unmatched icon that continually graces our magazine shelves and all the celebrity
travelers such as Michael Palin and many others over recent years. These travel
chroniclers have given me plenty of inspiration to write this book, which is partitioned
into fourteen chapters that represent every region of our magnificent planet that we
should never take for granted. The book also chronicles many of the world’s more
important events, such as the Cold war, over the last thirty years and each chapter
includes the regions history during the last one thousand years. Civilization has seen
immense changes during this time and new technology has taken man to new heights and
horizons. I have attempted to highlight the diverse nature of our planets people including
their language, history, culture, customs, religion, hopes and esteems as they go about
their daily lives. Many of these people live in poverty, including one half of the world’s
two billion children and 1 in 3 in Africa, particularly Niger and Sudan. Many of these
people are also battling Aids and its staggering statistics where 24 million have died and
1 in 3 people are still affected; the refugee population continues to grow and starve in
Darfur and millions elsewhere in this continent, many of whom are victims of their own
religious beliefs and trying to recover from pointless wars that are just beginning or
thankfully have ended.
Unbelievably, a quarter of the world’s population exists on less than a dollar a day and
eighty percent of its resources are consumed by twenty percent of its people. Many
thousands are still dying every day of starvation through famine and civil war, as we are
experiencing genocides just as we did the holocaust just sixty years ago. How can we
forget the images of Kosovars in the Balkans returning to their burnt out villages and the
other religious conflicts as Hindus fight Buddhists and Muslims who in turn are fighting
Christians and Jews in Asia and beyond. There is an uneasy world peace as the war on
terrorism, the cancer of civilization, rages in Iraq and the Middle East as well as our
homeland. These cowardly acts such as 911 and the tragic loss of thousands of lives
prove how fragile peace is in our World. Religious reconciliation does have and has had a
positive role to play in alleviating these problems and hopefully the blessed peacemakers
can find a way to use it successfully in our lifetime.
It was on October 12 1992, 500 years to the day that Christopher Columbus set foot on
San Salvador that I sat foot on my fiftieth country Grenada, before gazing down on the
coral reefs surrounding San Salvador. This day more than any other provided me with the
impetus and enthusiasm to chronicle this thirty-year world travel odyssey, to every part of
the globe and over 75 countries, half a Millennium after Columbus’s famous voyages,
and my story of a modern voyage of world exploration illustrated with over 250 color
photographs that have catalogued this journey.
It was the late Carl Sagan, the Astronomer, who said,
We were wanderers from the beginning
We depended on one another,
Making it on our own was as ludicrous to imagine
As was settling down
Since our species came to be, we were hunters and foragers,
The frontier was everywhere,
We were bounded only by
The Earth And the Ocean And the Sky
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