Worldwide Travels Of a Common Man
Publisher: www.lulu.com/content/169870
Published: 2008
Place of publication: USA
Language: eng
Format: E-book
Number of pages: 350
Table of contents: title: CONTENTS PAGE; title: Chapter 1 Behind the Iron Curtain; title: 09; title: Chapter 2 In and Out Of Africa; title: 46; title: Chapter 3 Land of the Vikings; title: 71; title: Chapter 4 Land of the Rising Sun 91; title: Chapter 5 Islands of Paradise and Fantasy 121; title: Chapter 6 Western Europe 137; title: Chapter 7 North America 188; title: Chapter 8 Central Asia 243; title: Chapter 9 The Middle East 264; title: Chapter 10 South East Asia 274; title: Chapter 11 Meso-American Territory 299; title: Chapter 12 South America 326; title: Chapter 13 The Australian Outback 341; title: Chapter 14 In and Around the Indian Ocean 349; title: Chapter 1; title: The first chapter describes the early years of the journey behind the Iron curtain in; title: Poland, Berlin and the Soviet Union. The political and historical events such as the rise of; title: the Solidarity Union in Poland as well as the collapse of Communism with the falling of; title: the Berlin Wall are chronicled into the draconian descriptions of living and working in; title: Eastern Europe. An account is also provided of some of the magnificent architecture; title: encountered along the way.; title: Chapter 2; title: Chapter 2 covers the southern Africa continent as the writer describes life in post colonial; title: Zambia and travels to Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe; title: (formerly Rhodesia), Zanzibar and the Zaire Congo. Particular details are portrayed about; title: the magnificent scenery and the game parks and how tribalism is still a part of everyday; title: life even as the countries have gained their independence from colonial powers over the; title: last thirty years.; title: Chapter 3; title: Land of the Vikings traces the history of Scandinavia over the last 1000 years by; title: detailing the authors travel through the most historic cities and historic sites of every; title: country in the region. The many myths surrounding the Viking era are discussed and; title: dispelled as many of their ancient artifacts are gradually uncovered and their nomadic life; title: reconstructed.; title: Chapter 4; title: Land of the Rising Sun is totally devoted to travel to the major cities and tourist; title: attractions in Southern Japan with references that illustrate the history during the last; title: millennium. Of particular interest are the three ancient capitals and how they compare to; title: the massive metropolis of arguably the World's most modern city, Tokyo. The unique; title: facets of Japanese society are addressed in some detail as the country has developed over; title: the years since World War II.; title: Chapter 5; title: Islands of Paradise and Fantasy provides an account of world wide renown resort islands; title: where people eagerly venture to find their own "Shangri La". From the many beautiful; title: but unique Caribbean islands that extend from the Bahamas to the Venezuela coast and; title: onwards to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu then Bali and La Isla Bonita, off the; title: Central American coast, each place has its own charm, beauty, history and story to tell.; title: Chapter 6; title: This chapter details a journey around many of the two dozen countries in Europe while; title: addressing its complex history. From Portugal in the far -West to Greece in the East the; title: uniqueness of each countries, sometimes breathtaking scenery is described. The; title: architecture and its people's culture are also illustrated and highlighted in many of; title: Western Europe's most visited cities. The last one thousand year history is well; title: documented in its relation to society lifestyles in the present day.; title: Chapter 7; title: The massive North American Continent is described through its contrasting landscapes; title: wondrous National Parks and the most important cities. The Social-economic issues in; title: the USA are also related as the chapter progresses from city to city including the major; title: differences between Canada and the USA. For one common language and few varieties; title: of religious beliefs, no one continent possesses such a diversity of life in its short history; title: in time.; title: Chapter 8; title: Central Asia as one of the world's unstable places, which stretches over 7000 miles east; title: from Turkey to the depths of Soviet Sakhalin Island at the doorstep of Japan, is; title: characterized by poverty and a constant decline in many city infrastructures.; title: The region is a volatile boiling pot of many different religions and cultures that are; title: examined in some detail in an area that evolved along Marco Polo's Silk Road and the; title: infamous exploits of Genghis Khan.; title: Chapter 9; title: This description of the world's Holy Land region is chartered through Saudi Arabia, the; title: richest oil nation and its changing way of life, particularly among women, the United; title: Arab Emirates and the tranquil island of Bahrain. The life and society of this land of; title: continuous conflict that was immortalized by Thesinger is more than any other continent; title: dominated by the religious beliefs of its people; title: Chapter 10; title: This chapter begins in Indonesia, the world's longest archipelago on the Pacific "Ring of; title: Fire", with 17 active volcanoes and traverses north through the lush Malay peninsular to; title: the "Super State " of Singapore, Bangkok, the "City of Angels" and the nerve center of; title: South East Asia, Hong Kong. The earth's most diverse array of language, religion,; title: culture and beliefs is highlighted while traveling through the region.; title: Chapter 11; title: Central America's complicated history and development has been heavily influenced by; title: the USA to the north, South America and the conquistadors from Spanish Europe. This; title: subject that spans almost 700 years is related while traveling extensively in Mexico and; title: down to Belize. In particular, the beauty of the Mexican Riviera, the Yucatan Peninsula; title: and its Mayan heritage are compared to the polluted, bewildering Mexico City metropolis; title: and other industrial cities.; title: Chapter 12; title: The character and Latino spirit of South America is conferred with visits to a surrealistic; title: but unstable Colombia, a humble conservative Bolivia and the unpredictable Brazilian; title: outback. Its sometimes turbulent history and Hispanic influence has produced a people; title: whose passion for life, festivals and celebrations is not experienced anywhere else on the; title: planet. The region has therefore produced many martyr's and liberators such as Che; title: Guevara and Simon Bolivar.; title: Chapter 13; title: The Australian outback is a narrative that traces the origins of the Aboriginees, their; title: habits and culture, and the first arrival of the British and the penal colony. Specifically; title: the North West region of the country around Darwin is described including the famous; title: and unique home of Crocodile Dundee, Kakadu National Park; title: Chapter 14; title: The Rim of the Indian ocean and its interior is blessed with many of the world's exotic; title: places including the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka and India. The chapter relates the; title: natural beauty in contrast to the ethnic struggles that have raged there over the last twenty; title: years. How the history and culture of people on the mainland has influenced the islands is; title: captured during a journey through the region.; title: PREFACE; title: Travel conditions have changed much over the last 500 years. I realized just how much; title: several years ago when I toured the replicas of Columbus’s flagships, the Nina, Pinta and; title: Santa Maria that are docked in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is extremely difficult to imagine; title: the living conditions of the 90 brave men, who in 1492, left their European homeland on; title: those three ships to travel to the unknown and the uncertainty of what they might find.; title: The conditions they must have endured for months on end, the cramped space with no; title: cover from the elements and as monotonous diet, all perplex the mind. It was an; title: achievement that is easy to appreciate in today’s World.; title: This journey resulted in the “first seeds of exchange” between Europe and the Americas; title: with corn, potatoes and sugar going east with disease and horses going west. Now, five; title: centuries later the region they found evokes starkly contrasting images of islands; title: sparkling like jewels in a tropical ocean or places darkened by a history of slavery, greed; title: and suffering. More recently, just 35 years ago, man journeyed again into the unknown to; title: land on the moon for the first time and achieved another giant leap for mankind. This will; title: surely be followed by more adventurous journeys to outer space in the 21st century for the; title: benefit of all mankind.; title: Even during the last fifty years travel has changed a great deal as more people are; title: traveling than ever before on overcrowded flights from more congested airports into less; title: spacious airspace, making travel more uncomfortable. With deregulation, access to the; title: internet and cut-price fares travel has become more accessible to everyone young and old.; title: In the past this was not the case when life was more intense, people less aggressive and; title: fewer people ventured abroad. Travel seemed to be more pleasurable when I began just; title: over 30 years ago and less strenuous than now, even though technology has improved.; title: Unfortunately airline mergers have transformed air travel into a form of medieval torture; title: rather than an exhilarating experience as known previously. During the last thirty years I; title: have traveled well over a million miles on thousands of flights and countless road miles; title: to relate a unique travel experience, when there is always something to be learned from; title: every culture, country, its people and their history.; title: It is the vision and intent of this book to describe in some detail the richness of world; title: travel and how we can learn to experience the immense diversity of our civilization and; title: history. Only through the appreciation of this unique world with its web of life, nature; title: and contrasting geography that prevails in every corner of this beautiful and wondrous; title: planet that we call Earth can we achieve this. The future of our fragile planet and the; title: reliance of its 6 billion people, who speak 6,000 languages, will depend on how we; title: control our immediate surroundings and understand the risks that beset it; to provide; title: confidence that, in the next century, mankind will have the prolific hope that somehow; title: our destiny will be in our own hands. Just as we should cherish our world we should also; title: examine its frailties and self-destruction such as the effects of environmental pollution; title: that attacks the heart of our ecosystem, deforestation, the pressures of tourism that have; title: poisoned coral reefs and the mistakes of government that all interact to what we love; title: most. Fifty years ago the balance between man and nature started to change after it; title: seemed all so powerful. It is clear that if we do not take steps to counteract this change,; title: some places on our planet, where the ozone layer is damaged for instance, may not; title: survive until 2050. Our climate is changing because of global warming and the effects of; title: El Nino that has brought many recent environmental catastrophes such as the massive; title: floods in Asia, East Africa and China. The recent signing of the Kyoto agreement will; title: hopefully be a step in the right direction.; title: I have been enthralled with the century old National Geographic magazine for many; title: years, which has provided some excellent reference material. This publication is a tribute; title: to this unmatched icon that continually graces our magazine shelves and all the celebrity; title: travelers such as Michael Palin and many others over recent years. These travel; title: chroniclers have given me plenty of inspiration to write this book, which is partitioned; title: into fourteen chapters that represent every region of our magnificent planet that we; title: should never take for granted. The book also chronicles many of the world’s more; title: important events, such as the Cold war, over the last thirty years and each chapter; title: includes the regions history during the last one thousand years. Civilization has seen; title: immense changes during this time and new technology has taken man to new heights and; title: horizons. I have attempted to highlight the diverse nature of our planets people including; title: their language, history, culture, customs, religion, hopes and esteems as they go about; title: their daily lives. Many of these people live in poverty, including one half of the world’s; title: two billion children and 1 in 3 in Africa, particularly Niger and Sudan. Many of these; title: people are also battling Aids and its staggering statistics where 24 million have died and; title: 1 in 3 people are still affected; the refugee population continues to grow and starve in; title: Darfur and millions elsewhere in this continent, many of whom are victims of their own; title: religious beliefs and trying to recover from pointless wars that are just beginning or; title: thankfully have ended.; title: Unbelievably, a quarter of the world’s population exists on less than a dollar a day and; title: eighty percent of its resources are consumed by twenty percent of its people. Many; title: thousands are still dying every day of starvation through famine and civil war, as we are; title: experiencing genocides just as we did the holocaust just sixty years ago. How can we; title: forget the images of Kosovars in the Balkans returning to their burnt out villages and the; title: other religious conflicts as Hindus fight Buddhists and Muslims who in turn are fighting; title: Christians and Jews in Asia and beyond. There is an uneasy world peace as the war on; title: terrorism, the cancer of civilization, rages in Iraq and the Middle East as well as our; title: homeland. These cowardly acts such as 911 and the tragic loss of thousands of lives; title: prove how fragile peace is in our World. Religious reconciliation does have and has had a; title: positive role to play in alleviating these problems and hopefully the blessed peacemakers; title: can find a way to use it successfully in our lifetime.; title: It was on October 12 1992, 500 years to the day that Christopher Columbus set foot on; title: San Salvador that I sat foot on my fiftieth country Grenada, before gazing down on the; title: coral reefs surrounding San Salvador. This day more than any other provided me with the; title: impetus and enthusiasm to chronicle this thirty-year world travel odyssey, to every part of; title: the globe and over 75 countries, half a Millennium after Columbus’s famous voyages,; title: and my story of a modern voyage of world exploration illustrated with over 250 color; title: photographs that have catalogued this journey.; title: It was the late Carl Sagan, the Astronomer, who said,; title: We were wanderers from the beginning; title: We depended on one another,; title: Making it on our own was as ludicrous to imagine; title: As was settling down; title: Since our species came to be, we were hunters and foragers,; title: The frontier was everywhere,; title: We were bounded only by; title: The Earth And the Ocean And the Sky