by Shane Solanki
Following on from our last post on the frontline of couchsurfing, we’d like to put forward the theory that disappearing off on a plane-free adventure is much easier than we are led to believe.
All over the world, dudes and dudettes are strapping their belongings to their back and choosing the path less travelled. Take Nancy Shepherd, who says, “I wanted to celebrate my fiftieth birthday with Something Big. I thought I would either ride my bike across the country or get a boob job. It was a tough decision.”
What does it take to forgo the fast-food convenience of intercontinental flights? You’ve got to travel lightly, and slowly. You also get to engage with so many more places and people, rather than just flying over their heads whilst being forcefed airplane food and the latest Hollywood dream.
British up-and-coming rapper Dizraeli recently received the offer of a gig in Cairo. One slight problem; he had vowed never to fly again. He decided to stick to his principles and go overland. Crossing borders and barriers, Dizraeli broadcasted his journey to the world at unplaned.com. He’s full of good advice as to how you can do the same and make an overland journey yourself.
Artist and ex Talking Head David Byrne has explored cities around the world on his foldable bike, and documented his travels for your perusal.
So activate your own inner Kerouac and hit the road, Jack. Tell your story through Facebook, Twitter and blogs, updating your peeps via your iPhone. Bikes and trains are much more romantic and reliable… feel free to tell us about how you’ve explored the road less travelled!
