Sandy and Darren Van Soye are currently traveling around the world on an epic trip visiting 50 countries on their way. We had a chat with them about the trip, their expectations and motivations for taking on this fantastic journey.

You are traveling 424 days around the world. Can you tell us where the trip will take you and what your expectations are for the trip?
Yes, we are traveling to 50 countries on six continents over 424 days or 14 months.  We call our journey Trekking the Planet. We are taking this trip in hopes of getting kids excited about the subject of geography.  We are making it accessible to them by publishing educational materials from the road.  To date, we have received 850 subscriptions from educators located in 20 countries, representing 55,000 students. We also have a “Friends” subscriber base (representing our friends and family plus others who just want to come along for the ride).  

During our trip, we are taking a series of multiple day hikes or treks to some of the most remote and unspoiled places on the planet.  Each location was selected because of its natural or cultural significance.  We have already completed six treks, hiking over 250 miles.  When we can, we focus on sustainability practices, celebrating the successes that we find as we travel.   We are also staying “close to the ground” meaning that, instead of flying, we try to use local public transportation whenever we can, whether it is a bus, a train, a ferry or a ship.  To date, we have covered over 36,000 miles, with more than 80% of that on land or sea.

Where are you now and what are your favorite experiences till now?
We started off in Australia and then spent three months in Asia.  Since July, we have been in Europe.  We began in Riga (Latvia) and headed north, through Estonia, Finland and Sweden, ending up in the far north of that country above the Arctic Circle.  Next, we traveled south along the coast of Norway and then into Denmark before crossing the Baltic Sea to Poland.  We are currently in Romania in the middle of our journey through Eastern Europe. Our time in Europe will conclude at the beginning of October.  Then, it will be off to Africa, the Middle East and finally to South America.
Some of our favorite experiences have occurred during our treks.  Our first trek was the Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia.  It is a seven-day bushwalk through several types of terrain, including alpine and rainforest, in just a span of 50 miles!  Our most-recent trek was just about two weeks ago in the Julian Alps of Slovenia.  We found it to be a beautiful and untouched place.  Outside of trekking, we count Hobart (Australia), Singapore, Riga, Krakow (Poland) and Bled (Slovenia) to be our favorite cities.  The island of American Samoa and the country of Uzbekistan were also big surprises.

What inspired you to take on this massive journey?
In 2003, we took our daughters (10 and 12 years old at the time) around the world for 4 ½ months. We actually took them out of school for a semester and home schooled them on the road.  We saw what an impression a trip like this made on them and also on their classmates back home.  We were sending emails to their teachers each week which we later found out were being read to the entire school!  Nine years later, we came across the results of a National Geographic study which found that 29% of U.S. 18-24 year olds could not find the Pacific Ocean on an unlabeled map.  We decided then and there to use this journey as a way to “give back” as we travel, to hopefully get kids around the globe excited about geography.

What are the goals for the trip?
We want to engage classrooms by providing them with free weekly materials that correspond to our current location that they can integrate into their curriculum.   We hope that these materials will provide students with an opportunity to learn more about geography and to become more curious about the world.  Our original goal was to have 100 classrooms following our journey.  But, we quickly exceeded this number even before we left home.

We also have a goal of speaking to as many schools as possible.  We spoke to over 2,000 students before we left.  During our adventure, we have spoken to schools in American Samoa, Thailand, Laos, Nepal and Latvia. The schools in Laos were some of the most remote places we have visited – the buildings were made of bamboo and had dirt floors. But, to see the kids’ faces as we talked about our journey made the trip worth it!  During our visits, we always ask the students questions that we received from the classrooms that are following us.

By what means are your traveling?
We saved for seven years to finance this trip.  In addition, we receive some income from the rental of our home back in the U.S.  We have a detailed budget and we track our expenses carefully to make sure that we stay on or under our plan.

What gear and equipment are you bringing along on the trip and what do you consider absolutely essential when traveling the world?
Since we are taking multiple treks during our journey, we have a significant amount of gear, including a stove, a water purifier, a cook pot, dishes, mattress pads, sleeping bags and tent. This makes our bags rather heavy and at times we wish we could go lighter. We send some items ahead to help to lighten the load a little.
We both carry laptops that we use to maintain our website, process video and pictures and write our blog, but the one thing that we consider essential is our smart phones. They are great for making emergency calls, reviewing emails, texting, taking notes and doing currency conversions. In some countries, Darren has been able to purchase a local SIM card which has given us the ability to upload photos and even video while we are on the move.

What are you most looking forward to on your journey?
We are a little more than halfway done with our 14-month trip.  We still have lots to look forward to, including a walking safari in the Maasai Mara area of Kenya, a trek to Petra in Jordan and a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by ship on our way to Brazil.  We also have more school visits scheduled in both Africa and South America so that will be great as well!

We will keep touch with Darren and Sandy on their onwards travels and you can also follow Darren and Sandy’s adventures on their website Trekking the Planet and on Facebook.

This interview was brought to you by Adventeer.com. Follow Adventeer on Facebook here.

Guest Interview by Laura Rosensteel

I’ve always been inspired by the adventurous things my old friend Christi did – traveling the world, climbing rocks and mountains – not just because they were challenging, but because she’s legally blind. She and her nearly going blind friend Tauru have just set off on their biggest adventure yet: Tandem biking the Americas. These adventurers will cycle from Ushuaia, Argentina to Deadhorse, Alaska over the next year and a half. Along the way they’ll stop to visit and share their story with schools for the visually impaired.   If you’re wondering how they see.. Christi is completely blind in one eye and has extreme blurry vision out of the other. Tauru has tunnel vision. His condition is degenerative and he will eventually go blind, so now is the time for this trip.

Tell us about where are you right now in your journey?

We are in Coihaique, Chile, which is about halfway between Ushuaia (the southern most tip of Argentina) and Santiago. In these first few months, our focus has been primarily on working out all of the kinks, both on and off the bike. There is a distinctive rhythm for cycle-touring: finding the best method for packing the bike, developing a system for cooking and arranging the tent, dividing roles of responsibility (food shopping, journal writing, coffee boiling, etc.), and of course repeating the routines day in and day out. Riding a tandem means that we have also been honing our communication and synchronizing our intuitions.

Please tell us what was the hardest part of your journey so far?

There is a section of gravel road in Argentina (just south of El Calafate), which we both agree was probably the worst bit so far, though this just narrowly wins over the 200kmph winds on Tierra del Fuego and the single-track hiking trail that we had to haul our gear over to reach the Carretera Austral. The challenges this bit of road presented are different for each of us. For Tauru, the problem is visual: the road condition was terrible with large rocks and deep piles of stone. There were narrow tracks cut out by the tires of the infrequent traffic passing through, but there was not much of a color distinction to show the way, and as the sky was full of grey clouds, there were no shadows to help guide him. Also, his field of view is so narrow that if he takes his eyes off the track for any reason, like watching for an oncoming truck, he will then have to relocate where that track was, which takes time and in the flat light was not always possible. Additionally, our bike is extremely long – not only is it a tandem, but we are also pulling a trailer. If Tauru corrects the front wheel, the trailer doesn’t always feel the change in time; bumping the large rocks throws the whole bike off balance. Without being able to see why the bike is leaning one way or the other, Christi often corrects her own center of gravity out of intuition. This shift in weight can cause further difficulties for Tauru with steering. But that brings us to why this day was also the most difficult for Christi: trust. Riding stoker is 100% a game of trust. Not only does Christi have no control over the steering or shifting, but she also can’t see the road in front of her. She has to completely trust that Tauru is going to be a safe driver. This kind of trust is not so much intellectual as it is reactionary – when the bike is bouncing all over the place and fishtailing through loose rocks, even a fully sighted captain would likely lose the trust of his stoker. In short: it was scary. To add fear to the atmosphere, this stretch of road winds through the desert over a bit of barren dirt with no water, no inhabitants, and only a few vehicles passing each day. Giving up was not an option.

What inspired you to want to do this adventure?

We both have a lust for travel and activities, and this trip just seemed like the logical next adventure. Christi has never been able to drive or ride a bike due to her vision, which really limited her mobility. The idea of reaching a far away place under our own power is luring for us both, but with a history of depending on others to get around, it’s an especially irresistible concept for her. We’ve done lots of adventures in the past, which always provide ample time for reflection, and we came to the conclusion that we wanted our next adventure to make some kind of an impact and to affect the world in some positive way. Raising awareness about low vision just makes sense.

Can you give us an insight of how you are feeling on this trip?

The trip so far has been nothing short of incredible. The riding is good, the scenery is spectacular, but most of all – we are always inspired by the people we meet. They have been warm, generous and always intrigued with our project. It seems as though everyone we talk to is linked by some thread to blindness – either they themselves have had something affect their eyes, or they have a friend or family member who has. All it takes is one element of commonality and we go from being strangers to friends in the blind of an eye. This continues to astound us.

Tell us what your favorite places are that you have visited so far and why?

It is really hard to pick, but one of our top memories is a lake on Tierra del Fuego near the Paseo Bella Vista. This is really a road less traveled; to cross from Argentina to Chile we had to wade across a river ferrying our bike and gear. The winds had been horrendous the day before, literally knocking Christi over (walking, forget about riding) and kicking the dirt from the road up into our faces for hours. When we came to this pristine lake, we called it a day and spent the afternoon just enjoying the peace that comes with being in such a remote place. Probably the most beautiful place we’ve ridden so far is the stretch of road north from Villa O’Higgins and the start of the Carretera Austral. This part of Patagonia seems unreal. Every lake and river is impossibly blue, and all around are mountains with glaciers that send water trickling down around every corner. Amazing.

Do you have any advice for anyone else on wanting to bike the Americas?

People are often asking us how we trained for this ride. This question first seemed a bit silly to us – why would we need to get in shape when our entire journey involves pedaling a bicycle over 16,000 miles? Fitness is an unavoidable byproduct of cycle-touring. But there is one element that is critical to train – without skills in this department, any good adventure could quickly be ruined. And that is: patience. We waited for more than a month in Ushuaia for our bicycle to arrive after problems with customs. We waited again in Punta Arenas for a welder to fix a broken part on our bike. We waited for ten days on a remote lakeside beach (with a diminishing food supply) for a ferry to collect us, delayed by fuel shortages and bad weather. And now, again, we’ve been in Coihaique for more than two weeks as we awaited new parts to be sent to us from the States. But when people ask us if we are losing our minds with all of this waiting, the answer is typically: no. This is part of the game. So far, all of the problems we’ve encountered have opened the door to unforgettable experiences that we couldn’t have imagined and would have otherwise had. Patience is also what got us through the relentless wind, across the gravel roads, and over the single-track hiking trail.

Follow Christi and Tauru’s Adventure here.

Laura Rosensteel is the Director for their Documentary. Help get it made here.

At Adventeer we wish Christi and Tauru best of luck for the remaining part of their trip and would like to express our sincere admiration for the task they have taken on. Follow Adventeer on Facebook here.

We had a chat with Eric Wartenweiler Smith about his passion for the sea and exploration and the many exciting jobs and tasks he has worked on from excavation of sunken Egyptian cities to finding and disposing of underwater bombs.

What is your work and what do you do?

I am a Sailor and Diver and my passion is to share the excitement of exploration on the sea.

Depending on the circumstances, my job description can be as diverse as Research Vessel Captain, Scientific Diver, or Scientific field Technician. But no matter how exciting the project, sharing the story about the adventure and exploration aspects is always the best part.

I have been part of the team of world renowned Underwater Archaeologist Franck Goddio since 1996, and this alone has allowed me to travel and see some of the most remarkable aspects of nature and human history. I started answering questions from students while on site in Alexandria Egypt, and ended up starting a blog about it, but the subjects expanded to include the origins of human exploration, especially on the sea, and also where this inherent drive to find the unknown will take us in the future.

Please tell us about some of your previous expeditions, adventures and discoveries.

Although I appreciate the concept of travel for travels sake, I am much more satisfied when I travel in pursuit of a goal, and perhaps with a bit of a mystery involved. I love to be on a voyage of discovery.

I have been involved in projects as diverse as Diving into Volcano crater lakes, finding evidence from historical crimes, tagging critters and looking for shipwrecks.

One job that I had that had nothing to do with science at all was as a team manager for an Japanese/American entry in the Paris-Dakar Rally. I jumped directly from the heat of the Sahara into sailing with a friend through the Galapagos and French Polynesia. That was a fabulous voyage.

What fascinate you about the sea and archaeology?

A lot of land archaeology sites have been damaged or changed by the history that continued on top of them over the years. On the other hand, many underwater sites disappeared in cataclysmic events that caused them to sink, and therefore almost seem to be are almost frozen in time from the perspective of human interaction. You can often know that you are the first human to have seen these items since the day they disappeared off the face of the earth. And who doesn’t like to be under the sea?

What do you consider to be your most important task, and why?

The most important and difficult project I could ever hope to be involved in is the work of locating and ridding the earth of unexploded bombs, mines and munitions that continue to kill and maim innocent people and pollute on a daily basis.

Working with the sophisticated new technology of Aqua Survey, Inc. to find and identify dangerous bombs is very important for me, and I hope to take this technology to places it is badly needed. Unfortunately this work is like a Sisyphean task, as many countries continue to dispose of bombs in the sea and mine the land with explosives much faster and with greater ease than they can ever be recovered.

What are your plans for the near future?

My plans for this summer include:
Going to Laos to try to remove some of those bombs that haunt that nation like a nightmare that won’t end. To be involved with the Planetary Lake Lander, a test vehicle for programs and technology relevant to future exploration of the methane seas of Titan (that means a research vessel… in Space. How cool is that?). And of course to return to Egypt in June to continue excavation on sunken Egyptian Cities as part of Franck Goddio’s Team.

What is your ultimate dream relating to travel and exploration and why?

My dream is to create a large research station island comprising aquaculture, research projects, housing for students and scientists, a lagoon, and even a farm and navigate it through troubled oceanic zones to help resolve issues like plastic pollution and oxygen depletion.

This project would be open source and in collaboration with programs like The International Ocean Station.

See more about Eric on his blog. Follow Adventeer on Facebook.

Anthropologist and modern day African explorer Julian Monroe Fisher has announces a five year-seven expeditions-Ethnographical research project deep in the heart of Africa. Entitled, ‘THE GREAT AFRICAN EXPEDITION – A 21st CENTURY ETHNOGRAPHICAL FIELD RESEARCH OF AFRICA’, Fisher will conduct an Ethnographical documentation of specific regions of Africa by retracing the African expeditionary routes of the famed Victorian explorers to include Speke, Grant, Burton, Baker, Wissman, Cameron, De Brazza, Livingstone and Stanley.

The objectives of the project will be to compare the 19th century Ethnographic documentation of the African tribal kingdoms gathered during the expeditions of the Victorian age with the realities of 21st century Africa. Phase one of the project will begin in March, 2012, with Fisher travelling on an overland journey up the Nile River from Cairo, Egypt, to Khartoum, Sudan. During Phase Two later this year the explorer will travel from Khartoum up the Nile and across the new nation of South Sudan to Lake Albert in Uganda. He will then circumnavigate Lake Albert, then follow the Semliki River to the Lamia River tributary that flows down from the Rwenzori Mountains. He will follow that tributary up to the glacier on Mount Stanley. For the expeditionary journeys Fisher will implore the use of dugout canoes, feluccas, ferry boats, camels, donkeys, horses and on foot.

Julian Monroe Fisher is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London and an International Fellow with the British Chapter of The Explorers Club in New York City. Between 2007 and 2011 Fisher had the honour of carrying the Explorers Club Flag on five consecutive research expeditions to the African continent. In 2008 he and his team were
accredited by The Ugandan Wildlife Authority for establishing a new route in the Rwenzori Mountains, the famed ‘Mountains of the Moon’. In 2011 the explorer walked large portions of the African continent between the Indian Ocean coast of Mozambique and the Atlantic Coast of Angola during an expedition dubbed ‘EQUATORIA – A Walk Across Africa’.

See the official website about the “Great African Expedition” here.
The Official Website of Julian Monroe Fisher is www.JulianMonroeFisher.com.

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Anders Hjorth, a 30 year old dane, is currently traveling around the world on his motorbike. We had a chance to have a chat with him about his travel experiences and which advice he can give to fellow travelers.

Which route are you taking on your travels around the world?

I started in Denmark on July 1 2011 and basically rode east until I reached Vladivostok in east Russia. From here I sailed to Korea, where I could ship my motorcycle to Vancouver, Canada. In Canada I continued east to Boston and I been heading south ever since. My ultimate goal now is Argentina, from where I’ll go home again to Denmark. I think it’ll end up being about 60000km and 25 countries.

Where are you now?

Currently in Cali, Colombia having done 40000km during my 10 months.

What prompted you to go on this epic trip?

I am not sure, where I got this dream from, but once I said it out loud I started feeling really good in my belly and everything got a lot easier. Many people answer they want to travel the world and they told me it was impossible because we aren’t rich. I guess I want to prove them wrong, and who doesn’t wanna see the wonders of the world?

You travel by motorbike – can you tell us more about the bike?

I spent a lot of time looking for the “best” bike. I was looking at a Yamaha XT660 Z Tenere and the BMW F800 GS, but someone tipped me that there was a new 2007 KTM 990 Adventure sitting at Aagesen.dk. I talked to them and they gave me a good deal on the bike and luggage system I wanted. The KTM 990 Adventure is made for adventure so I run it mostly stock with crash bars, panniers and a Garmin Zumo 220 GPS system. I choose this bike, because I knew i’d do a lot of kilometers in a short time and even ride 2 up for about 16000km.

Please tell us some of your favourite experiences from your trip so far?

I love all the thumbs ups and smiles I get from people all over the world when I ride. Every one comes to talk every time I stop and even the military and police has been great. It’s the little things that can make a bad day into a fantastic day. One fun experience was meeting a redneck in Tennessee who invited me to his trailer to shoot guns and drink moonshine. Or the motorcycle guys in Siberia who gave up their own beds and apartment to my girlfriend and I so we had a place to sleep in Cita, or señor Saldana who helped us with insurance and reparation of a buddy’s motorcycle, when he crashed into a bus in Panama. People are in general AMAZINGLY helpful and nice.

Of the countries you have visited till now which fascinated you the most?

The boat from Vladivostok to Korea is like a time machine. Korea is incredibly, organized, clean, hospitable and probably the best food of anywhere I have been. Colombia and Mexico was also very nice surprises and I will definitely want to come back here some time.

Did you feel any disappointments during your travels and why?

Cancun in Mexico is Mexico’s asshole, if you ask me and doesn’t do Mexico justice at all. American gringos all over the place and everything has become very money centric with no hints of the original culture. No need to go there again. But besides from that I can’t think of a place that has let me down is such a way I’d mention it here.

Have you felt afraid during your travels and why?

All the time, but it’s mostly due to my own, and others, ignorance. People are for example super afraid of Mexico, but the problems there are not tourist related. Unless you are a member of a drug cartel or respectless tourist, you’ll only see an amazing country and meet nice people. I am nervous and scare every time the police or military stop me or I need to cross a new border, but by now I know it’s only my prejudices that make me nervous and that everything will most likely be great.

What were your expectations when starting your journey and have they been met?

Some people are afraid of traveling due to the bad stories which always get passed along, but my thesis was that people would be good. They have been so, and much more that I hoped for. To be honest I am currently reassessing if I am actually as nice and hospitable as I thought I was.

Which things are you bringing on your trip and what do you find absolutely essential?

I think one of my best modifications was a little plate on the end of my side stand, so I don’t sink into the dirty whenever I park my bike. A little thing but extremely useful. The leatherman pocketknife I carry is also an amazing tool and my Thermarest madras is invaluable to me.

Have you learned any “lessons of life” during the travels?

I’d like to think my world view have changed quite a bit by now and that I’ll have an easier time dismissing everyday “problems” which are not really problems after this trip. I have also learned that if I smile, learn and focus I can do anything. Smile: and people will help you with anything and things in general run much smoother and are more delightful. Learn: keep an open mind and remember others might interpret a different “truth” from the same facts as you. Try to understand why they feel they are right, before you say they are wrong and you’ll get further. Focus: I can do anything I want, but not everything I want. So at times reevaluate what really matters and then focus on that, instead of trying to do it all at once because then you’ll accomplish nothing.

Do you have any advice for people who are just setting out to travel around the world by motorbike?

Set a date for your departure and don’t over think it. If you do, you’ll talk yourself out of it. It’s not as scary as you think and once you get on the road all concerns and problems will solve themselves. But start by setting a date, which you say out loud to your friends. Then you’ll see everything gets easy from then onwards. – oh… and don’t ride at night… and the equipment doesn’t matter… but start out by saying the departure date out loud.

Where are you off to next? Tomorrow I’ll head to Ecuador and Peru and then I gotta figure out what I should see there.

You can follow Anders’ adventures on the road here and here.

This interview was brought to you by Adventeer.com. Follow Adventeer on Facebook here.

Jamie Patrick, 41, is a long distance endurance and adventure swimmer, who has swum the Sacramento River and crossed the Lake Tahoe. He is currently preparing for his next big swimming adventure and tells us below of what inspires him to undertake these massive feats and goes through his mind during a swim.

“My name is Jamie Patrick. I swim to experience life at water level. I design, create and live my adventures in the water. I first tasted life in the water at the age of seven, and now at age 41, I continue to swim. Not to break records, not to go farther or faster than anyone else, I swim to explore. I choose where I start, and where I finish. I train, plan and prepare for swims of extreme distances. I like to push myself to grow mentally, physically and spiritually. I seek the true spirit of life while in the open water. I love to not only visit new geographical places, but new thresholds of endurance through my swims. As much as I physically explore the world in the water, I mentally and spiritually explore the furthest reaches of my inner self. I am an Adventure Swimmer.

To date, the longest continuous swim I have ever achieved is 31 hours and 26 minutes. It has taken me years of incremental steps to get to this duration, which I accomplished while swimming in the majestic Sacramento River. Over the course of my swims, I do not exit the water. I float only to take eating breaks.

I have done other endurance events, but what’s unique about distance swimming is the lack of visual simulation. Even before entering the water, my world shrinks behind the lenses of my goggles. And once I start swimming, it’s all blurry darkness. My face is in the water, my vision vaguely focused on the mysteries of the water, punctuated by moments above water as I breath. Sometimes I can make out shapes in the sifting silt. Sometimes, like when I swam in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, I watch amazing fish play in their natural environment. And at other times, like when I swam in the shark-infested waters off the Farallon Islands, the lack of vision was just as much of a cocoon as anything else. Believe me, it’s far better to see uniform grayness than the large, dark shapes of your nightmares.

The dynamic underwater world has proven to be fertile grounds for my imagination. Everything feels heightened in the water. The pain, and the joy, is far more intense than anything I’ve experienced on land. I dream in the water, I think about my amazing wife and daughter, I watch the sunlight dance…all of it feels possible in the water. And most of all, it all feels very much alive in the moment.

I have completed more than a dozen swims of over twelve miles in preparation for my two biggest swims of my life.  In 2010 I completed a 44 mile double crossing of Lake Tahoe.  This took me just over 25 hours of non-stop swimming. In 2011 I swam 111 miles, aided by the current, down the Sacamento River, my longest swim and my greatest adventure yet.

But the point of adventure is that it is never over. As I train, I am continuing the adventure. As I plan with my crew, I continue to explore new grounds. And right now, I am planning my next big dream, which will bring me back to the beautiful Lake Tahoe that holds a special place in my heart and mind. I will swim the entire perimeter of Lake Tahoe, a journey of approximately 70 miles, and 40 hours, which I am calling the Tahoe 360.

I have a globe that sits next to my desk at my office in San Francisco. Every day, I spin the globe, and imagine where my adventures will take me next. I know that I’m going to swim the Strait of Gibraltar in preparation for the Tahoe 360. I know that I will also swim across Lake Shasta. But the world is a big place, and is mostly covered in water. I have a list hanging next to the globe of other amazing places where I want to swim. From Africa to Italy. Down the River Thames. Yamdrock Lake in Tibet. As fellow open water swimmer Karen Rogers says “If you can dream it, then you can swim it.”

My name is Jamie Patrick. My adventures will continue, because I am an Adventure Swimmer.”

Read more about Jamie Patrick’s underwater adventures here: www.thetahoe360.com.

This article was brought to you by Adventeer.com. Follow Adventeer on Facebook here.

Here we bring you an interview with Pankaj Lagwal, Senior Mountain Guide and Outdoor Instructor at Ascent Descent Adventures, an indian based adventure company dedicated to mountaineering and trekking in the Himalayas. Pankaj talks about his love for the Mountains, what his company offers and his most exciting stories from trekking in the Himalayas.

You work for Ascent Descent Adventures. What is your role in the company?

I am Senior Mountain Guide and Outdoor Instructor, planning the season and training guides and staff as well as opening new trails and routes for trekking/climbing enthusiasts. Other than the outdoor I also manage the business development part in Ascent Descent Adventures.

Can you tell us a bit about Ascent Descent Adventures. Which services do you offer?

Ascent Descent Adventures (ADA) is an outdoor adventure company based in India and we do our best to make the trips safe, simple and comfortable for our clients. Safety is our priority so we don’t compromise with safety to make our trip easy / short and comfortable.

ADA operation area is Himachal Pradesh Ladakh and Uttarakhand in Indian Himalayas.

ADA offers a wide range of trips from leisurely trekking and serious climbing. Jeep safari, rock climbing, climbing  expeditions, camping and rafting, custom made trips and mountaineering courses.

For trekking usually our costing says:

Cost includes: all travel from Delhi and back to Delhi by road/ rail / air as applicable (by non ac car / 2 or 3 tier ac coach), all arrangements for staying and camping while on the trip, accommodation on twin share basis in tents / rest houses / hotels, all meals, professional guide fee, peak fee, sanctuary fee / royalty / permits where applicable, all trekking arrangements with India’s most experienced guiding team, camp staff, cook etc.
Cost excludes: Railway station / airport transfers in Delhi, any stay and meals in Delhi, sleeping bag, items of personal clothing, expenses of personal nature like laundry, phone calls, alcohol, cigarettes, insurance, camera fee and any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances beyond our control.

Please tell us some stories about your most memorable treks in the Himalayas.

April 2003, early spring in Indian Himalayas. My every season starts with a recci (reconnaissance ) trip in Himalayas. I was all geared up for the new trail – which I always enjoy. This time to the Dodital trek in Uttarakhand (30.33°N 78.06°E) which is a state in the northern part of India.

Dodital (30°53′53″N 78°31′29″E) the sacred lake situated at a height of 3,024 metres (9,921 ft). The lake is famous for its Himalayan trout. The trail starts from Bhagirathi valley and you enter into Yamuna valley while crossing Darwa pass above Dotial Lake. The perfect vista of the Bandarpunch and Swargarohini range of peaks from Darwa Pass ( 4160 m.13640 ft). There is a traditional route for Dodital trek i.e. 4 days, but recci was to find a new route through the thick Devdar & Rhododendron forest with another trekking guide (Shashi) from Delhi. After reaching the base i.e. Uttarkashi we hired a local guide (Vasudev) to lead the unexplored and virgin route through the thick forest famous for the Indian Black Bear.

Everything was going great initially towards the majestic and mythological lake. After 2 days of trek our local guide lost his way when we were at 14000 ft in snow and white out on Darwa top. We tried really hard to get back on the trail but at that time the weather was getting worse minute by minute, making it difficult to find the trail. So finally we decided to camp there on Darwa top. As it was late, we all were tired and we decided to pitch our 2 man tent. We melted the snow, cooked some maggi and settled inside the tent. We had only one personal tent and it was cold so all of us squeezed into that one tent. Now inside the tent we were planning for the next day and how to get out from there. Plan one was to descend back to the lake and start the climb again but then the days would be less to finish the recci and we had to find out the way to reach the next camp site. So I decided, instead of going back, we will spend a day more to find the way ahead. I always carry my complete emergency kit and required equipment to deal with any situation. I decided to use the compass and map (as GPS was not common in India in those days).  Third day we started early, navigated the route and did make a lot of markings to not loose our path again. Next day we didn’t find the camping site as we were not on the original trail though we managed to land in the village below the camping site. So the reconnaissance was not over yet and we had only a day in our hand to finish the trip. Then I started the recci again to figure out the original trail from the other end of the trail. Went up to Drawa pass and descended to  the village the same day.

What a relief! So much we had done in a short period of time.

This is the most memorable trekking story to me because in this hard time we (me and Shashi, my fellow guide) developed an attraction towards each other and got married 3 years after. Indeed a trek to remember and cherish!

What does your customers usually expect from your company and what feedback do they give you?

Clients expect fun, memorable adventure and safe trips on the Himalayas. Their  feedback  is mostly positive and we usually become friends on the trip. They recommend us and plan their next trips with us.

Please tell us about the different treks you offer. Which sights can you see? How do they differ? What can the customers expect?

We are operating in three different regions on Indian Himalayas.

Himachal Pradesh Treks – A. Triund  B. Hamta Pass C. Beas Kund D. Shiti Dhar Peak Ascent
Uttara Khand Treks – A. Dodital B. Chopta TungNath C. Kuari Pass D. Kalindi Khal Ascent
Ladakh Treks – A. Stokla  B. Ripture Valley C. Stok kangri Peak Ascent.

As these three regions are on different part of the Himalayas,  so terrain, trails, culture, flora and fauna makes them different and ADA offers treks from easy, moderate and demanding treks almost in all these 3 regions.

Himachal Pradesh is much greener in comparison of the other two regions and is also well connected by rail, air and road to trek destinations. As it is in western Himalayas you get a view of Pirpanjal and Dhuladhar ranges of Himalayas. Hanuman tibba, Friendship, Shiti dhar, Ladakhi are some of the massive peaks and all are about 17000 plus feet. The Dalai Lama settled here after his flight across the Himalaya following the Chinese invasion of Tibet in October 1959. There is a monastery at McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala Himachal Pradesh  a short distance along from the Dalai Lama’s residence and a library.

Utarakhand comes in Central Himalayas/Gharwal Himalayas and it is a very new state earlier it was the part of Uttar Pradesh. Here you can get a view of Black, Bandar punch, Chukhamba, Nandadevi, Dunagiri, Neelkanth etc. Mother Ganges in Rishikesh  is the hub for rafting in India. Haridwar is regarded as one of the seven holiest places to Hindus. Also all four pilgrims (Char Dham) for Hindus lies in this state.

Ladakh  is completely different from above two regions as the monsoon has no effect there because of the Great Himalayas. Ladakh is a cold desert and only opens for majority of tourist in monsoon time. It only has a four month season for trekking and climbing. Leh is the main town here for tourists situated at the altitude of 11000 feet. Above this town there is Kardungla pass with the highest motorable road. Since the 8th century people belonging to different religions, particularly Buddhism and Islam, have been living in harmony in Leh Ladakh. These offers views of  Stok,  Zanskar, Karakoram ranges in this region.

When did you first get into adventure trekking and mountaineering? and why?

I am a mountain boy and brought up in Shimla the summer capital for the British.
My school was more than an hour away from my house and I used to walk to school every day up and down the mountain which I liked. Slowly I developed an interest in rock climbing and to fulfill that urge I joined the mountaineering institute in 1995 to learn the skills of mountaineering and I finished all the mountaineering course including Method Of Instruction in 1998. Before going to the institute it was my hobby and I used to do trekking with friends in college. I started doing freelancing when I was in University to make some pocket money. My hobby turned to my profession as I developed new tastes of learning like rafting and skiing. Somewhere deep inside I had a courage to choose this profession  as it is not very well paid compared to the toughness and risk involved. But I find myself very lucky that I am doing good in the hobby that turned my profession.

What is it about trekking and mountaineering that appeals to you?

Mountains themselves appeal to me (their hugeness, their tallness, their beauty). Trekking and mountaineering is not a deal of 9 – 5 and that’s the one big reason that I can’t sit in the office, I would rather prefer to go out in mountains for a trek or a climb. I personally feel good when I am close to nature away from cell phones, TV and the stress of city life.

What is your favorite place in Indian and in the Himalayas and why?

Shimla because it is my beautiful home town and it is also in the middle Himalayas.
“Lahul and Spiti”, another of my favorite places, in Himachal Pradesh because it is one of the regions which needs to be explored more, as it is the region which is less travelled by people.

How do you see the future for Ascent Descent Adventures?

I see it is very bright as we concentrate on quality of travelling not the quantity and we never compromise with the quality and safety of our product.

Read more about Ascent Descent Adventures. This interview was brought to you by Adventeer. Follow Adventeer on Facebook.

This week we bring you an interview with world traveler Gary Arndt who has been traveling around the globe since March 2007. He is running the succesful Everything Everyewhere Travel Blog and in this interview he tells us about the countries he has visited, his most memorable adventures and he gives some advice on how you can become a world traveler.

In 2007 you sold your house and started traveling the world. What inspired and motivated you to take this big step?

I didn’t really know what to do with my life so I decided to travel around the world. I had gone around the world once before on a 3 week whirlwind tour for business and I always wanted to do it again.

What was the first countries you visited and what were your plan at this point?

I started in the Pacific. I’ve always had a fascination with smaller countries and I also knew it would be one of the more expensive areas to travel in because of the flights. I spent 3 weeks in Hawaii learning to SCUBA dive then went to Tahiti, Easter Island, Cook Islands, New Zealand and Fiji.  The basic goal was to keep going west.

You must have many memorable experiences on your travels, which are dearest to your heart?

I wrote a post last March of my 10 favorite experiences to celebrate my 4th year on the road. These included swimming with jellyfish in Palau, being in the water with Great White Sharks in South Africa and spelunking in Borneo.

Which cultural events and traditions around the world can you recommend and why?

I had the pleasure of visiting Jerusalem during Holy Week, which was quite the experience. It is something I’d recommend to anyone, regardless if you are religious or not. I had a great time during Songkran in Thailand. There are many small festivals all over Spain during the year which are unique and interesting as well.

Where are you now and what are your plans for traveling in the near future?

As I write this, I’m at the airport on the Isle of Man. Today I’m flying to Glasgow, Scotland. From there I’ll head down to London, fly back to the US for a few weeks and then go to Antarctica in January. I am planning to spend a month working in Belize in February.

How do you decide where to go?

I wish I could give you a straight answer. Sometimes I depends on where I’m invited. Sometimes it depends on what I’m near. Sometimes it depends on the weather.

You travel mainly overland, why is that and what are your favourite means of transportation?

I’ve been flying more the last 2 years, but that being said, I really don’t enjoy flying. Land travel is cheaper and you don’t have the hassle of going through an airport.

What things in your luggage do you find absolutely essential?

For what I do, I need my camera and laptop. Without those I wouldn’t be able to run my website.

Do you ever get tired of traveling and if so why? When will you settle down?

I can get tired in the short term. Especially if I am in a stretch where I am in a new city every day, but I try to keep those stretches few and far between. I still love traveling and I still love what I do. If I stay in one spot for more than 2-3 weeks, I start getting the itch to get moving again.

How do you fund your world travels?

It started to travel with savings from selling my house and my business. Now I am often invited by tourist boards and I earn revenue from my website.

What is it about traveling that you find most fascinating?

Learning new things. You are confronted with new things every day you are on the road. Some are big and some are small, but there is a whole world to learn about and you can never come close to learning it all.

Do you you have any advice to people who would like to take up long term and long distance travelling?

Do it. I don’t know anyone who has gone on an extended trip an regretted it. Don’t worry too much about your planning. Your plans will fall apart the moment you start traveling. Save up your money, be frugal  and just hit the road.

See more from Gary Arndt on his travel blog. Photos from Everything Everywhere.

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Umlando in South Africa specialises in heritage impact assessments and archaeological surveys. They offer heritage management expertise in archaeology, palaeontology, history, historical archaeology and anthropology. We had a chat with Elena Mauri about the company, their archaeological excavations and the joy of experiencing the wildlife and nature of South Africa directly. Elena also explains how you can join Umlando and get your first hand experience with archaeology in South Africa.

Please tell us about Umlando South Africa. What is your expertise and what do you do?

Umlando is a private company based in South Africa specialized in archaeological surveys and heritage impact assessment. They offer heritage management expertise in archaeology, palaeontology, history, historical archaeology and anthropology. They have been conducting excavations on many different kind of sites during the last ten years and have recently decided to open their projects to the international public  inside protected areas and game reserves to promote and protect the heritage in South Africa.

For them I deal with the public relation aspect of the field courses program and I follow the groups in the field as assistant. Gavin Anderson and his wife are the owners of the company, they are both archaeologists. Gavin is a specialist in Rock Art, Iron Age and Stone Age.

What does a normal working day look like with Umlando?

There is not really a normal day, as being outdoor and in touch with wildlife one can’t always predict what will happen. Normally we wake up early in the morning, get ready for the day with a nice breakfast and drive to the area we are working, once there we begin to walk and record all the sites we might find.

When the working day is over we drive back to the camp or wherever we are sleeping and each person is free to relax, shower and rest. At dinner time we cook by the fire all together and chat outdoors with a nice glass of wine in the best South African style until it is time to sleep.

Can you tell us a bit about your archaeological finds and surveys?

Currently Umlando is working on 3 main public projects. The first one is about the Anglo-Boer war. Gavin has found various objects, features and graves related to the Battle of Vaalkrantz. Some of the burials of the soldiers fallen in the battle are lost and he thinks that one or more of the graves we recorded might belong to them.

On our last survey we have noticed that an animal dug a hole through one of the graves so we asked for the authorization to excavate it and we are getting a good response, we hope to begin the work in January 2012. We intend to undertake systematic survey of the battlefield and probably to open some excavations there as well. The engravings left by the Boer soldiers on the hill are probably unique and deserve a specific study too.

Our second project is a study of some engravings we have found in proximity of late iron age settlements. There are over 100 of them scattered on three small rocky hills. More may occur in the Umphafa Game Reserve which we need to survey. Gavin thinks there might be a relation between the images and the Late Iron Age settlements and we need to record and organize a database of the engravings.

Our last project is a systematic survey of Phinda game reserve. We need to locate and record all of the sites that occur in the reserve, which will then be studied and protected. These may be used as part of the general tourism of the area. The reserve management would like to promote the historical, paleontological and archaeological heritage within it’s border along with the wildlife and nature of the place. The sites we already have recorded have many stone tools and some pottery. We know that there are a lot more since the area used to be a trading route in ancient times.

Apart from this Umlando undertakes surveys and excavations in the sand dunes where Richard’s Bay Minerals is working. The excavations are also open to the public.
Gavin works as a consultant for several private companies.

What is the greatest archaeological finds that you have worked with?

I am not an archaeologist, I’m an artist and a graphic designer, and my link with archaeology begun several years ago, when I have collaborated with Centro Camuno di Studi Preistorici in Capo di Ponte, Italy.

I worked at the illustrations of a book about the Har Karkom project which is runned in Israel, in the Negev desert, where professor Emmanuel Anati has located the biblical mount Sinai. I could follow all the research and the studies of the team directly, and I worked at the illustrations of one of the books side by side with the professor and his collaborators, this was my first impact with archaeology, and I could never leave it afterwards.

I also joined several excavations in Valcamonica lead by the department of the Centro Camuno. Valcamonica is one of the main European rock art sites and is protected by Unesco, the rock art present in the area can be as old as 8000 years, some people suggest even 10.000, and the area has been engraved up to the medieval time, so the amount and variety of engraving one can find there is amazing.

I’m currently cooperating with the museum of the reserve located in Nadro (BS, Italy), organising courses for their experimental primitive skills school called SASP Valcamonica, which I have created with the coordinator of the museum Maurilio Grassi.

How is it to work in South Africa and what appeals to you working there?

Coming from a country like Italy, where all is ruled by a crazy bureaucracy, I really appreciate the organization and speed with which Umlando works, and the variety of topics I can face through them.

On the technical side Umlando has a combined professional working experience of over 27 years in heritage management. Gavin is rated as a Principle Investigator by the Association of Southern African professional Archaeologists with expertise status in Stone Age, Rock Art and Iron Age. He also has a lot of Historical Archaeology experience.

Commercial archaeologists, that is Impact assessors, in southern Africa work very differently to the European counterparts, they have to be registered and be a Principle Investigator to undertake any assessment. This means they have to have a Masters degree in Archaeology, and at least 5 years field experience as a field director. All reports for any assessment are submitted to the South African Heritage Resources Agency, or KZN Heritage, and these are then sent for peer review. A development may not go ahead unless this report has been approved, this guarantees full respect and protection of the sites and also of the landscape surrounding them.

I also love nature and the outdoors. South Africa offers many amazing opportunities to be in contact with nature and experience the beauty of it directly. South Africa has some incredible places like the Drakensberg and Phinda game reserve, which I had the luck to see in a unique way, the feeling of being so close to animals and places which are totally untamed is exciting and fascinating at the same time and there are many game reserves at only 1 or 2 hours drive from any place in Kwazulu Natal. It makes me feel grounded to realize how vulnerable and yet how strong we are as human beings, and how far from nature our modern western society has driven us.

What is your favorite place in South Africa?

Without any doubt the Drakensberg, is so clean, full of energy and untouched as only few places on the planet still are, and holds a special beauty which makes it unique. The rock art and archaeology there is exciting and peculiar, it is really a powerful place and difficult to describe in words.

You offer volunteers to come and work with you. Can you tell us some stories of previous volunteers and what your programs offer?

I have been a volunteer too a good 10 years ago, and if I’m doing this today it is because of the experience I have gained then and for the people I have met. For me was the first time alone outside of Europe and the first time I was dealing with topics I never had heard about before, but is amazing how quickly and deeply one learns when the study is done directly in the field instead of in books.

The contact with nature was at times magic for things like the sunsets, the silence and darkness at night and the wildlife, and at times shocking for the climate, the insects and the snakes which are basically everywhere, but all this made the experience a stepping stone in my life cause it helped me to find myself by being so distant from all I was used to, and to discover what I really wanted and was capable to do.

One can meet all kinds of people in a group, I remember someone who was going to run alone every evening despite the warnings given about animals and other dangers, or a woman who performed a traditional Zulu healing on me while I was sleeping to chase away the nightmares, and most of all the evenings spent chatting outside by the fire in the silence. Living in towns we don’t have an idea of what silence and darkness are.

In Phinda we sleep in a tent, and in the Drakensberg the electricity in the camp goes off after 11pm and the only light left are the torches and the fireplaces -  it is an amazing feeling once the lights are off. It reminded me of what I have experienced switching off the light in a cave, total darkness, and complete silence, is a bit unsettling in the beginning, but when you go outside and look at the night sky, or you start hearing the noises of the nature, you can’t help but appreciate it, in Europe is not easy to get the right conditions to experience it.

Our programs offers a good basic training to all the people joining, directed on the topics related to the project one chooses to join. We’ll teach our students how to survey, map and record sites and engravings, how to recognize stone tools and their uses and pottery, how to spot and identify the various settlements, and we’ll give everyone historical and archaeological information on the sites we’ll find and work on. Who will come with us will also have the opportunity to experience wildlife and nature in a direct way, walking through game reserves and protected areas in very small groups of maximum 6 people, escorted by rangers or local guides where needed. All our study projects are on brand new archaeological areas, all the study is in progress and the exploration aspect is interesting and exciting too.

See more about Umlando here.

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Dr. E. Lee Spence with priceless, ruby studded, over one kilo, 22 kt gold sword handle once owned by 19th century pirate kings of Bali. It was part of a hoard of treasure hidden from the Dutch forces who invaded Java for the purpose of driving out the pirates.

Dr. E.  Lee Spence is an underwater archaeologist and has been credited with finding 100s of shipwrecks around the world, hereunder the submarine Hunley and the Civil War blockade runner the Georgiana. We had a chat with him about his life as a treasure hunter and archaeologist, his great achievement of locating the Hunley and the controversy that followed. Dr. Spence also gives his advice on how you can follow in his footsteps as an underwater adventurer and treasure hunter.

How did you first get into marine archaeology and what was it that fascinated you about the subject?

My original interest was in history, especially pirates and famous explorers, and it came from my father telling me stories about places we visited in his travels as an American intelligence officer. When I was about eight and we were living in Saigon (ca. 1955), my parents gave me leather bound copies of Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island, and those inspired dreams of shipwrecks and treasure, as did Cousteau‘s 1953 book, The Silent World.

When and what was your first experiences with marine archaeology?

I found my first shipwrecks when I was just 12 and my father was stationed in France. I found five wrecks that year. One was an extremely early wreck in the Mediterranean that I found when we vacationed on the northern coast of Spain. I saw no wood, only scattered artifacts. I recovered several small pieces of pottery, which I was later told were either Phoenician or Roman. On another vacation, this one to the French coast along the English Channel, while swimming along some rocks, I found numerous small copper nails, brass spikes and over 50 coins, most were copper but a few were silver (all circa 1800) but there were two badly worn gold coins that dated from the time of the Roman Empire. I suspect the gold coins were from an earlier wreck, but that’s only a guess. We lived in Chateau de Rueilly outside of Orleans, France, and near it I found the virtually intact wrecks of two boats in a canal. In the nearby Loire River, I found thousands of pieces of broken china but kept only those with unique makers marks. Down river from that spot, I found a small wooden wreck, but there was no cargo or other artifacts on it. I made detailed notes, maps and drawings of everything I found. I view those as my earliest attempts at underwater archaeology and they were the start of a long correspondence I had with the late Mendel L. Peterson, who was then Chief of Underwater Exploration for the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1970, you discovered the whereabouts of the submarine Hunley. How did you discover it?

The quick answer is I discovered it by serendipity. I found her when we accidentally snagged a fishing trap on a small portion of the wreck, which had been exposed by the shifting sand. But the real answer is far more complex and there was a lot more than just luck involved.

The Hunley as shown on a dock in Charleston.

I became interested in the Hunley because it was the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship. Before even looking for her, I spent years researching the Hunley and her victim, the U.S. sloop of war Housatonic.

The Housatonic’s location had been mapped after the Civil War, so its location wasn’t a mystery. Like other historians, I incorrectly concluded that the Hunley lay somewhere inshore of the Housatonic, and concentrated all of my search efforts in what should have been her return corridor to Breach Inlet at the eastern end of Sullivan’s Island, which is at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. I (and others before me) had come to that conclusion because documents clearly showed that the Hunley had survived the blast from her torpedo attack on the Housatonic.  The Housatonic was sunk in 27′ of water just over 3.5 nautical miles from shore. Since the Hunley failed to make it back, the logical conclusion was that she sank somewhere along her expected return corridor. Furthermore, according to government records, the Navy, immediately after the War, had searched with drags and divers for 500 yards all of the way around the wreck of the Housatonic, so that was one area I and others felt was unnecessary to search. We were wrong.

When I found the Hunley in late October of 1970, I had almost given up any hope of locating her. I had searched the entire “return corridor” without success. A friend, Captain Joe Porcelli, invited me out on his boat for a day of fishing. Near the end of the day, as we were pulling in the last of the blackfish traps that we had put out, one trap snagged. Knowing the bottom should have been a barren sand dessert, with no natural rock or coral to hang up on, I immediately warned the others not pull the trap loose and asked Joe where we were. Joe took out a chart and placed his finger on the approximate location of the Housatonic. I immediately thought that perhaps we had hung up on a portion of that wreck, which had been heavily scrapped after the War. Because the Navy searches had failed to find the sub in this area, I didn’t suspect it might be the Hunley.

Spence surfaces from a dive on the wreck of the steamer "City of Vera Cruz." Photo by Kevin Rooney, © 1987 by E. Lee Spence

I hadn’t been prepared to dive that day, but I wasn’t going to miss the chance to dive on an historic wreck like the Housatonic. Fortunately, Joe had his personal dive gear aboard. But, because I am much taller and wear size 13 shoes, I couldn’t wear Joe’s wetsuit or his fins. Instead, I went down in my underwear and a short sleeved shirt using his double tanks, his Royal Master double hose regulator, and an old style oval face mask, which was fit me poorly and leaked around my moustache.

The water was painfully cold and it was only determination and desire to see what was really down there that kept me going. When I came to the trap I was at first puzzled. It appeared to be caught on a long ledge that dropped 12 to 18 inches to the sand on the side where the trap set. Had we pulled from any other direction the trap would have instantly come free. But something wasn’t right, there shouldn’t have been any ledges in this area so I looked closer. Suddenly, I realized exactly what I was seeing. It was neither the Housatonic nor a ledge, it was the almost entirely buried wreck of the Hunley. The trap had hung up just aft of the forward hatch and the wreck was laying on its starboard side.

When I afterwards mapped the wreck, I found that it was not in its expected “return corridor.”  It was a little over 300 yards east (or offshore) of the Housatonic. Why it ended up there and why the Navy failed to find it when they searched in 1865 is still not known.

What went through your mind when you made the discovery?

Absolute elation. When I suddenly realized what I had found, I forgot all about safety and went soaring to the surface literally screaming underwater that I had “found the Hunley.”

What was special about this discovery?

It was a true discovery in that what happened to the Hunley was a real mystery and her location was unknown and not merely lost or forgotten with the passage of time. In the late 1800s the famous showman P.T. Barnum had offered today’s equivalent of a million dollar reward for the wreck, but no one could find it. Government officials have described the wreck as “the most important underwater archaeological discovery of the twentieth century.”

Later NUMA was credited with discovering the Hunley. Can you tell us more about how and why this happened?

Actually, it was not NUMA, but Clive Cussler who started NUMA, who was officially credited with the discovery by the South Carolina Hunley Commission. I personally find that absurd, because Cussler never dove on the Hunley a single time. He was not on the boat when the Hunley was dug up and videotaped for the first time. Nor was Cussler the director nor the sole funder of the 1994/95 Hunley Expedition, which many incorrectly describe as a NUMA expedition.

The team that dug up and video taped the Hunley in 1995 (roughly 25 years after I found it) was funded by Cussler, but it was part of a SCIAA (South Carolina Institute of Archaeology) expedition, which was initiated and officially directed by SCIAA underwater archaeologist Dr. Mark Newell. Dr. Newell has given sworn statements in which he has correctly described what his 1994/95 SCIAA expedition did as the first official verification that my 1970 find was indeed the Hunley. He further swore that he used my maps in planning the expedition.

Although Dr. Newell was not present and had not authorized the divers to dig up the wreck (which he felt was improperly done), he says it was one of two specific targets he had told the team about and had designated as most likely being the wreck of the Hunley. The other target was a magnetic anomaly he had found in about 18 feet of water well inshore of the Housatonic.

When the 1995 “discovery” was announced at a joint SCIAA NUMA press conference, Cussler told the reporters that the sub had been found well inshore of the Housatonic in only 18 feet of water, which, combined with the video, made it look like I had not found the Hunley, as my location, which I had mapped and published, was offshore of the Housatonic and in about 27 to 29 feet of water.

Almost a year later, Cussler finally admitted to a reporter that he had “lied” about the location. But, by that time the damage had been done. Thousands of newspapers published around the world had credited Cussler with the discovery. People say its impossible to un-ring a bell. I agree. To this day, many people incorrectly believe Cussler discovered it.

This map was published in Spence's book Treasures of the Confederate Coast and is marked with the word "it" in quotes and an arrow pointing to an "X." The center of the "X" marked Spence's plot of the location of the Hunley.

The truth is, the center of the “X” marking my mapped location for the Hunley (published before the wreck was dug up by the SCIAA expedition) was within the length of the salvage barge later used to raise it from the GPS location for the Hunley as subsequently released by SCIAA.

A well researched, 2007 cover story on the Hunley in U.S. News & World Report correctly credited me as finding the wreck in 1970. Since that time I have used the web to publish numerous government documents (including maps and official correspondence) supporting my 1970 discovery. You can read more about my discovery and this controversy here.

What did you find inside?

I assume you are asking about the Hunley. Even though I applied for it in the name of the Sea Research Society, a non-profit research foundation, I could not get a salvage permit. So, I left her untouched and kept trying to get all of the requisite permissions. She was far too important to be torn open and dug into for souvenirs. As my numerous letters to government officials show, I wanted her raised intact and then properly excavated in a tank of freshwater.

What happened to the wreck?

In 1995, about five months after Cussler made his announcement, and at the official request of Senator Glenn F. McConnell of the South Carolina Hunley Commission, I donated my rights to the wreck to the State, with South Carolina Attorney General Charles M. Condon signing for the State. Senator McConnell had made the request at the Attorney General Condon’s urging only after the Attorney General office reviewed my paperwork and concluded that I was not only the discoverer but the legal owner of the wreck because of an Admiralty claim that I had filed against the Hunley in 1980.
The wreck finally came to the surface on August 8, 2000, not quite 30 years after I discovered it. Much like I had suggested decades earlier, it was placed inside a giant tank of freshwater so it could be properly preserved and studied.

Inside were not only the remains of her crew, which were later buried with full military honors, but also numerous artifacts including a diamond studded gold brooch, a diamond ring, and a twenty dollar gold piece. The gold coin had belonged to the sub’s commander, Lt. George E. Dixon, who had carried it as a good luck piece after it stopped the major force of a bullet when he was wounded in battle. The coin was heavily dented and inscribed “Shiloh, April 6, 1862, My Life preserver, G.E.D.” The wreck has been valued at between twenty to forty million dollars and is now on public display.

H. L. Hunley, suspended from a crane during its recovery from Charleston Harbor, August 8, 2000. (Photograph from the U.S. Naval Historical Center.)

You have discovered several wrecks from the U.S. sloop of war Housatonic to the Spanish pirate sloop Diamond. Which find are you most proud of and why?

Over the past 50+ years, I have found literally hundreds of shipwrecks. Other than the Hunley, I think my most important discovery was that of the wreck of the Civil War

Lee passes a large storage jar up to Steve Howard.

blockade runner Georgiana. The Georgiana was described in contemporary records as a privateer or an armed cruiser and as more powerful than the Alabama. She carried amillion dollar cargo of munitions, medicines and merchandise and, according to U.S. Secretary of War Gideon Welles, her loss was a major blow to the Confederacy. To read more about the Georgiana check out this link. Her legal owner was George Alfred Trenholm, who was the historical figure behind the Margaret Mitchell’s fictional sea captain, Rhett Butler, in Gone With The Wind. Trenholm’s identity as the real Rhett Butler was another of my discoveries. For more on the real Rhett Butler see this.

Can you tell us more about the finding of Spanish pirate sloop Diamond?

The Diamond was a Spanish sloop sunk off Cape Romain, South Carolina in 1813, while engaged in an act of piracy. I found the wreck using a linch pin from a giant shackle as a weight to drag behind my boat on a line. I felt the line shudder and tug as the pin slide over the sand then hit and bounced over the ballast pile. After anchoring my boat, I dove down and immediately spotted a still corked Champagne bottle encrusted into the wreckage. The identification of the wreck as the Diamond is tentative, but matches well with what we would expect to find. We later salvaged all sorts of artifacts ranging from pistols, muskets and cannons, to gold chains, thimbles and rings.

Can you tell us more about the finding of one of Henry Morgan’s ships?

The wreck I found that we believe belonged to Captain Henry Morgan’s fleet, lies just outside the spacious harbor between the Colombian islands of Santa Catalina and Providencia (formerly called Saint Catherines and Old Providence), which Morgan had used as the base of his operations against the Spanish before his sack of Panama. I discovered it by following a long trail of scattered ballast until I located the main ballast pile. There I found a large ship’s anchor, cannon, etc. The local divers had failed to note the ballast because, in general shape and size, it looked similar to much of the local rock on the island. The anchor and cannons had been completely covered by marine growth. From that wreck, we later raised arquebuses (early muskets), crossbows and English ceramics dating from the time of Morgan’s control of the island.

Spence removing one of the large brass gauges that he found still mounted on the steam engine of the "City of Vera Cruz." Photo by Kevin Rooney, © 1987 by E. Lee Spence

You are the President of the Sea Research Society and Vice President of the International Diving Institute. Can you tell us a bit more about these two organizations?

The Sea Research Society (SRS) is a non-profit educational research organization founded

in 1972. Its general purpose is “to promote scientific and educational endeavors in any of the marine sciences or marine histories with the goal of obtaining knowledge for the ultimate benefit to mankind.” It does both archival research and underwater expeditions in search of historic shipwrecks. Besides me, the Society’s founding board members included Luis Marden of National Geographic magazine; Mendel L. Peterson, Chief of Underwater Exploration, Smithsonian Institution; Frederic Dumas, French underwater archaeologist of Jacques-Yves Cousteau fame; Anders Franzen, Swedish underwater archaeologist and discoverer of the Swedish warship Vasa; Ron A. Gibbs, Curator Armed Forces History, National Park Service; Paul Tzimoulis, Publisher, Skin Diver magazine; Ed Bearss, Senior Historian, National Park Service; Sir Robert F. Marx, undersea explorer; Peter Throckmorton, “discoverer of the oldest known shipwreck;” Pablo Bush Romero, President, CEDAM; and others of similar note. Virtually all were published authors and internationally known for their works with shipwrecks. Several have been described as the “father of underwater archaeology.” Unfortunately, a number of the founding members are now deceased. For more on Sea Research Society go here.

The International Diving Institute (IDI) was founded in 1996 and offers advanced dive training, especially in the use of surface supplied air, underwater welding, rigging and hyperbaric chamber operation, leading to a certification required for commercial divers working on oil platforms in the offshore oil industry and for diving operations in the United States that are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. IDI is one of fewer than a dozen professional diving colleges currently operating in North America. It is a member of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADC) and trains to the Standards published by the Association of Commercial Diving Educators (ACDE), the American National standards Institute (ANSI), and the Sea Research Society (SRS). Its basic commercial diving course is 640 hours done as 40 hours per week for four months. For more on the International Diving Institute go here.

Spence with part of the Dominican Republic's share of artifacts found on various shipwrecks in their waters. These bags of artifacts are stored in a government facility and will likely never be displayed, as the government already has more than it can use in their museums. Photo © 2008 by Lauren Spence.

Are there anymore interesting discoveries to be done in the oceans and which ones are you aiming at next?

There are more discoveries to made than could be accomplished in a hundred of my lifetimes. Its said that, worldwide, there have been more than 3,000,000 shipwrecks and that well over half of all the gold mined before 1900 was lost in them.

Do you have any advice for people who would like to follow in your footsteps and would like to find discoveries of their own?

Yes. I would like to tell them that the biggest thing is to believe in yourself, and don’t let people tell you what you can or can not accomplish. Get prepared through hard work, research and study, then go after your dream with the expectation that you will succeed.

How do you get into this field?

The best way is to make friends with people who share your interests, but make sure they are self starters who are willing to work hard and are not just daydreamers looking for an easy way to riches (because this is anything but easy). Seek advice from mentors and experts. Read their books. Do thousands of hours of research and diving, teach yourself everything you think you might need to know, select a findable target, get your equipment and funding together, and then simply go out and start doing it. If you fail, figure out why and start over, perhaps with a new target.

What is your favourite place on earth and why?

There are so many amazing places all over the world that I can’t really say which I have liked best. But one I place that I absolutely loved and want to return to was the Colombian island of Providencia. Not just for its crystal clear waters and beautiful topside vegetation, but for its wonderful people.

What does the future hold?

Lots more discoveries and new books.

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The Amazon, Brazil

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Iguazu Falls, Argentina & Brazil

Jeju Island, South Korea

Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Puerto Princesa Underground River, Phillippines

Table Mountain, South Africa

See more here: http://www.new7wonders.com/

From www.adventeer.com

The App allows you to update your world map with the countries you have been, lived in and want to visit without leaving the comfort of your Facebook home. You can also pinpoint the places you have been and, off course, share the number of countries you have visited and your entire map with your Facebook friends. Check out the app here:

https://apps.facebook.com/adventeer

To use the App, simply click the country you have been or want to visit and then mark it by clicking the buttons under the map. If you are in a hurry you can also click “List of Countries” to quickly update the entire map from a list.

We hope you enjoy the app and have fun showing off and comparing and sharing the places and countries you have been with friends and family.

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Before they take off tomorrow we had a quick chat with them about their expectations, motivations and hopes for the trip.

Please tell us a little about yourselves. Where are you from and what do you do when not travelling?

We’re both 25 and originally from Lincolnshire, England. When not travelling, we both work in London – Lucy for a charity and Nick for the UK Government.

We both recently graduated in East European Studies from University College London and have a (slightly odd) love affair with all things Russian and East European. We’re therefore venturing out of our comfort zones by heading west! I enjoy baking cakes, and I’ll be sad to leave that behind whilst we’re walking and Nick will miss watching his favourite football (soccer, for US readers) team, Nottingham Forest.

You are planning to walk across America. Which route are you taking and how much preparation have you done before taking off?

We’re taking quite a southern route – starting near Savannah in Georgia and hopefully (if all goes well) finishing in San Diego, taking in nine states along the way (including a long time in Texas). This will mean needing to cross the desert, but we will avoid the mountains!

Preparation has largely revolved around walking to and from work – I walk about 8 miles a day and Nick does around 6. We also try to go for as many long walks on weekends as we can – our recent 21 mile walk through central London in 29 degree heat definitely made us realise how tough the walk is going to be. It always feels like you haven’t done enough preparation though.

What is your motivation for taking on this trip?

Beyond seeing a side of America that people often miss out (or travel quickly through), we’re also hoping to raise some money for a charity we set up. The charity supports community-led development projects in the Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan. We visited the region back in 2009 and were overwhelmed by the hospitality we received and wanted to give a little back, however small. It’ll hopefully spur us on to keep going at the end of a long day!

What are your expectations? and what do you look most forward to?

First and foremost, we’re expecting it to be tough! We’re not experienced walkers by any means, so we know it’s going to be a challenge. But we’re really looking forward to seeing those bits of America that people normally speed through, meeting lots of people along the way, and getting to sample some American cuisine; shrimp in Louisiana, chilli across the Deep South, blue cheese burgers and pecan pies – yum!

We wish you a great trip and look forward to follow your adventures on Adventeer.com. Do you have any last comments to our members before taking off?

If anyone finds themselves along our route and wants to say hi (or even share a cup of tea), please do – we’ll be easy to spot; the tired and bedraggled looking couple with big bags!

And finally, not only are we raising money for Tajikistan, but we hope to raise the profile of what is generally a not very well understood, but very beautiful, corner of the world. So, if anyone gets a free minute, then we’ve got a little bit of information on the country on our website www.walkamerica.co.uk and there’s lots more on www.pamirs.org.

From the entire crew at Adventeer we wish you a great trip and look forward to follow your adventures in your travels journals here. Also make sure that you subscribe to Lucy and Nick’s RSS feed for the latest updates on their Adventeer Journal.

Make your own Travel Journals on www.adventeer.com and show them off to the world (contact us in the bottom menu to see how we can help you further to promote your journey).

Louis-Philippe Loncke has crossed the Simpson Desert and the Tasmanian Wilderness. He has crossed Iceland from North to South. We had a chat with him about these adventures, what inspires him and where his adventures will take him next.

Please tell us about your previous expeditions – where did they take you and why?

My first 4 expeditions were in Australia between 2006 and 2008. It was there that I discovered the world of adventure after being inspired by local explorers in 2004. As I was traveling there in 2004-2005, it became the country I know the most and my expeditions focused on the terrain I had enough understanding to start with. I’ve done a charity expedition to the Everest base camp, and North-South crossing of Iceland between the highest and lowest latitude last summer and I just finished my first kayak expedition in Belgium. 



Tell us about the most exciting experiences that happened during these expeditions?

I like to learn and experience new things and also challenge myself by trying to answer the questions: why hasn’t this been done before? Why do locals believe it’s impossible? Why have previous people failed or not attempted an obvious journey? As an engineer I like to find solutions but I first try to find a problem. The experience I get from these expeditions (especially the world firsts) is enormous and profound. And I like it hard as a hard life is easier when you’ve been facing some of your fears and succeeded in something you were not sure you could achieve. I just go because I want to know the answers. Also in adventure there are a lot of surprises, this is where you have to keep creative to find a good solution while being tired or having lost or broken equipment.

What is it about the life as an adventurer that appeals to you?

There’s the excitement of having an original idea of a journey, then working hard for months or years to prepare the journey. Then doing it is just 10% of the effort. But it’s very rewarding emotionally when I succeed. It fills some sort of ego-centric gap that is I think is positive in the long run for me and for all the other who like to hear the story to get inspired. I remember the first time I spoke to kids about a journey, it was just incredible how they listened and looked with big eyes, the teacher said. I understood that day that they were inspired at 12 years old while I didn’t have that chance. I was 29 when I first got inspired. Adventure has made of me a better person, I have a passion and I love to share it.

Which of your endeavors are you most proud of and why?

The world first unsupported crossing of the length of the Simpson Desert in 2008 made me proud as Australian TV couldn’t believe I was first as they believed Jon Muir (Australian adventurer) had done it. Jon Muir was THE person who inspired me and still does. When he said he didn’t cross the entire Simpson and I was the first, well it was like receiving a Nobel Prize from Nelson Mandela to me. I was very proud. But I am much more proud of the crossing of the Tasmanian wilderness in 2007. As this was the hardest thing I’ve done, hard and dangerous. Local Tassie hikers who have some decades of hiking through the Tasmanian bush told me it was too hard and my chosen route would make me enter history dying or making it. Not many non-Australians have ventured for weeks off-track in Tasmania. You have to do it to understand what it’s like.

What is your favorite country in the world and why?

I haven’t been to more than 35 countries but insofar it’s definitely Australia for the various expanses of wilderness but it’s the size of a continent. So if compare to a rather average size of country, I’d say New Zealand. Being a North-South long country means many different climates from Alpine mountains, to rugged coastlines and it even has a tiny desert.

Of the places you haven’t been, which would you most like to go?

The list is long but here’s the top 20: Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Antarctica, Russia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Egypt, Norway, Japan, China, Micronesia, Madagascar, Japan, India, and Brazil. 



How do you fund your expeditions?

I do have a day job. I often find gear sponsors and I’m sure in the near future I’ll start to receive cash to pay for all of it and even a little extra for me.

Do you have any advice for people who would like to follow in your footsteps?

Do not follow my footsteps, make your own. But if you have a question with no decent answer on the internet, shoot!

What adventures are you planning to do next?

I’m in a feasibility study of an expedition that will mix mountain trekking and kayaking. Once I know it’s possible and the authorities let me go I’ll publish a website and it will be announced around March 2012. Then I’m still slowly preparing a winter crossing of Iceland. I have to delay it again to January 2013. I wanted to do it soon but I do not have the funds, the training and the company who can build a custom designed pulka is fully booked and has no time for me. I want to go back to Tasmania and attempt a winter crossing of the Iceland and I have been preparing for 10 years now a crossing of New Zealand but I need to be very good in kayak and have to determine the route I want to take.

Tell us about your adventures and show off where you have been on your own personal travel maps on www.adventeer.com.

Ripley Davenport has a fascination for the harsh desert environment and have explored various deserts from the Gobi to the Namib desert. We had a chat with him about this fascination, what motivates him, which advice he can give, beasts of burden and which deserts he find the most fascinating as well as difficult.

Please give us a summary of your desert travels.

I walked across the Namib Desert back in 1998 and the Kara-kum Desert. I spent several weeks in Niger after being offered the unqiue opportunity to spend time with a local Tuareg family. I spent 6 weeks in the Thar Desert in India and more recently both in 2010 and 2011, I crossed the Gobi Desert.

What is it about the harsh desert environment that fascinates you? and when did this fascination begin?

A small selection of black and white images in a second-hand book about Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence got my attention and that was years ago. The desert is a harsh environment and doesn’t allow for much error and I like that. I like the vast empty arid arena and how you can feel microscopic and vulnerable.
Which desert is your favourite and why?

Difficult question as I have not experienced them all. The world if full of deserts and semi-desert regions and I have hardly scratched the surface. However, I do like the Gobi due to its unique landscape and weather.

Which desert is the most difficult and toughest you have experienced and why? How did you cope?

The Namib Desert was very difficult being alone and I suffered from many bouts of illness throughout my 82 day traverse. I also lost one camel to injury right at the start of the expedition, which upset me a great deal.

The toughest was the Mongolia 2010 Expedition when I pulled a wheeled trailer for over 1000 miles with an average of 220kg loaded on. It was like pulling the devil’s tractor with square wheels. For both expeditions, I pulled through by having a solid frame of mind and clear personal goals. You can cope with anything if your mentally tuned.

What survival tips do you have for surviving in the desert?

My only survival tip is to keep mentally focused and don’t let a shred of doubt plague your thoughts. Keep moving forward and take each day as it comes.

What gear do you bring when you travel?

I travel very light and take minimal gear. There’s no point in taking anything that you are not going to use. If you have to question why you should take something then you shouldn’t take it at all. Use gear that can easily be adapted or repaired while on expedition and used for many purposes.

You have a special interest in beasts of burden. What can you say about this?

Looking back, no significant overland journey was ever taken place without the support of the beast of burden. Expeditions across the high plateau, mountain, desert and steppe regions were being made long before the third century, but at even greater peril, and only by the shortest routes.

The distances were sometimes immense with little or no populations but the use of the beast of burden, which has adapted well to its terrain and environment, enabled people to be highly mobile and self-sufficient for extended periods of time.

Much of the western world still views the lack of technology for backwardness and now the world has taken on new dimensions. Our outlook has shifted, showing how fragile we human beings are when deprived of our mechanical and belt driven machines.

I want to reconnect with the past and share the wonderful experience of traveling with animals.

Which indigenous people have you meet during your desert travels?

I briefly met the Himba people in Namibia, which was an eye opener and I have had the honour of sitting in the presence of the Tuareg and some small pockets of Turkmen, which were still very nomadic. I have also met many wonderful and hospitable nomadic families in the Gobi and Manchurian Steppe regions.

Do you have any advice for people who would like to experience the desert?

To just follow your heart and do what makes you happy. Don’t be scared to make mistakes but always learn from them and those of others. Do your research and enjoy!
Just do it. The only things you’ll regret are the chances that you’ll never take.

What is your main aim when exploring the deserts?

My main aim is just to enjoy the experience and seek to push my personal limitations. I also look to mingle with the people that live within these regions and share experiences.

Where will your travels take you next?

I head back out to the Gobi to guide a small group and then head out to the Namib Desert later in the year for an exploratory, educational expedition. The Namibia 2012 Expedition is especially exciting because I am in the company of Antony Jinman and we plan on using the expedition as an education platform for Education Through Expeditions. The website is: www.namibia2012expedition.com.

Pictures by Emmanuel Berthier, www.emmanuelberthier.com.

Tell us about your travels and show where you have been on Adventeer.

Mrs Johnson Sirleaf is Africa’s first female elected head of state.

Leymah Roberta Gbowee is an African peace activist responsible for organizing a peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. This led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president.

Tawakel Karman is a Yemeni politician who is a senior member of Al-Islah and a human rights activist who heads the group Women Journalists Without Chains that she created in 2005.

You were the first person in the world to travel all 194 countries in the world. What prompted you to take on this challenge?

It’s a beautiful world. I have experienced people as unique. Travel and Tourism enlightens the mind. Peace through Tourism will certainly bring sustainable World Peace and ultimately benefit all. Even last year during the recession, countries increased their Defense expenses when common people needed more care. Poor countries even Uganda are also spending. But the World is changing much with Internet and Satellite and majority of these expenses would be a waste – even if 20% is reduced, it will help people a lot. International Tourism brings confidence, bridge cultural gaps and bring people closer diminishing war threats. I had three major missions:

1. Sustainable World Peace through Tourism.
2. Equal visa for all International Travelers.
3. Global warming awareness – a concern for children & future generations

How long did it take you?

I hold four records till now and the periods:

1. First, 12 Yrs 08 months 13 days, May 27, 2008
2. Most Visited, 13 yrs 05 months, 27 days, Jan 10, 2009
3. Fastest, 06 yrs 10 months 07 days, May 24, 2009
4. First (195), 08 yrs 11 months 28 days, July 09, 2011

I would suggest to avoid touch and go as you see almost nothing and it is a waste of money and energy. A reasonable period to visit all countries is 8-10 years, as per me.

What are the most interesting stories and adventures you can tell from your epic trip?

There are many from best to worst. I am fortunate to experience so much. I got good receptions at many places. I had many troubles due to wars and noticed there were wars at many places.

How did you manage to get visas for this trip and where was it most difficult to get?

Visas to 70 countries were difficult during that time. I never faced visa problems at Europe, USA or Australia. I am methodical and believe in zero mistake. Since I am also the first person to put such an effort from Developing World, I had to struggle a lot with endless deportations, no mistake of mine. Imagine if you are traveling from New Zealand to Samoa/American Samoa via Tonga where visa was on arrival with return/onward ticket and hotel booking. But the Immigration officer by mistake deny you while passing others and send you back again to New Zealand where the visa has expired as you completed that trip. Or you finished your trip/visa at Nigeria and going to Kinshasha & Nairobi but Kinshasha deport you back to Nigeria? Or from Papua New Guinea to Vanuatu via Solomons where they send you back to Papua when Papua single entry Tourist visa has expired? Heaven falls on head. All such were with no valid reasons. But I have forgiven them as mistakes are part of being human. I developed tolerance, practiced non-violence and obviously a better example of – Think big, do great for which one don’t have to be a Saint.

I tried to educate people as far as possible so that the next travelers do not suffer. These days Immigration staffs, even in India, are improving.

How did you plan the trip and in which order did you decide to visit the countries and why?

I chose priority, segments and camped where more Embassies are located like Vienna, London, Helsinki, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Dakar etc. For starters, I suggest to take London – Dubai – Delhi – Bangkok – Seoul – Sydney – Los Angeles – Sao Paulo – Johannesburg- Nairobi – London, round the world trip with one year ticket. From these cities, you can get budget Airlines as there are many these days. It is possible to do around 100 countries.

How did you visit the countries? Did you go sightseeing? Did you meet the local people?

By Air, car, boat, foot – whatever was possible. Yes – I did lot of sightseeing and met the locals. Also, met or approached Tourism & Immigration officers and appealed for visa relaxations, to enrich their countries from Tourism incomes.

Did you have time to explore the countries you visited or was it more a matter of having been there?

I had enough time, explored very well and did many repeat visits.

What was your favorite countries and why? And which was the worst and why?

I have traveled extensively and I liked almost all countries also there is no worst feeling. Many are afraid about Nigeria but I have been there 14 times. I had a few worst incidents which I reserve for Publishers.

If somebody would like to take up this challenge, what advice would you give?

Happily guiding and will continue any advice as would be needed. They can also contact TTPGlobal for visa guidance too – it is free and reasonably accurate.

What is your favorite place in the world?

I am home sick, so love home better. My wife is a kind-hearted sweet Lady and she did 150+ countries, many places we traveled together.

Do you still travel? Where do you go and what is next?

Yes, a lot and hope to do more new records of other categories. Also, I have interests in marine life since childhood. For reference, I caught one 35 kg sail fish in the Indian ocean off Seychelles. If chances come for long research at HMRG deep or the Marina trench or even space – I wish to do this job with zero defect and much better.

from www.adventeer.com

The Adventeer World Map is a great way to show off the countries you have been, where you have lived and where you want to go. We have added a few extra functionalities to the map so you can now:

• Add the map to your profile box on Adventeer.com
• Save the map to your computer as a JPEG file, so you can add the map to your personal website as you wish.
  

You can off course also share the map on all major social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin etc. to show your friends where you have traveled and give them the opportunity to get their own Adventeer map.

Under the world map you can go into detail about the places and cities you have been by putting a pin on each place.

Enjoy the Maps on Adventeer.com and make sure to share them so the world can see your travel experience. You can also add a travel journal to each destination to go into the specifics of your world travels.

See you on www.adventeer.com !

Please comment below to let us know what you think of the maps and which features you would like to see in the future. We are making this site for travelers and would love to hear back from you.

This week we have a great interview with adventure company Barefoot Expeditions from Ecuador. Here founder and CEO Diego Altamirano talks about the company’s services, his love for the Galapagos, a normal day in the life of an adventure business in Ecuador, the current state of the tourism industry in Ecuador and his favourite places.

What is Barefoot Expeditions and what are your specialties?

Barefoot Expeditions is a multi-adventure travel company that offers tours and adventures around Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. We are professional in adventure travel and we focus on personal and customized tours at a reasonable price. We want our clients to experience adventure, fun and at the same time get a deeper insight in Ecuador and its culture.

What is your role in the company?

I founded Barefoot Expeditions and my role as CEO is to make my company grow to be one of the best adventure companies in Ecuador… by the way we are not too far away from reaching this goal.

What kind of visitors do you get and what are their expectations?

Our clients are travelers with a thirst of adventure and an awareness of culture as well as the fragility and importance of wild life, a traveler that is far more knowledgeable than ever before. Our clients look for something different, sometimes off the typical tourist paths. We offer them unique experiences they will never forget and their expectations are often surpassed by far.

What does a normal day in your working life look like?

Every day is a new challenge: in the office we are in constant search of new trips, interesting posts, tweets and try to be ahead of the general tourism market in Ecuador. We carefully observe our competitors’ activities and are very active in social media. We were very happy to find out a few weeks ago that we are among the 10 most followed brands in Twitter in Ecuador @TravelEcuador!

Do you go on any trips and do you have any fun or interesting stories to tell from one of these trips?

As I started as the only full time guide for Barefoot Expeditions, I went on many of the trips. I think I am very blessed to have a job which enables me to do what I like best and live my passion for adventure. That’s why I enjoy every trip and sharing my experiences with other people! Now, after over 10 years of experience, I can say that every trip is different in its kind and learnt to appreciate every moment and every person. Small details, like offering the clients a guayusa tea from the jungle as a welcome drink, can make a trip even better than it already is. I like being part of the people’s life, even for a day trip, and is good to know that hey will remember the experience we shared for a long time. I found my wife in one of this trips.

Many wish to visit the fabled Galapagos Island. Can you give us an insight in how it is to be on the islands, the atmosphere and sights?

I use to call them the magical Galapagos Islands. When you arrive at the airport, you are already welcome by some iguanas staring at you and lying in the sun. The landscapes never stop showing up: it is hard to decide which spot on the different islands is the most beautiful one! It just gets better and better:  friendly people and a huge variety of animals make the Galapagos islands very special. Snorkeling or diving are simply great on the Galapagos: being in the water with sharks that won’t bite, penguins swimming around you, sea lions playing with the waves without any fear. When you meet the giant turtles, you ask yourself how they can the survive there. When the guide explains the evolution theory and some of the history of Charles Darwin, suddenly everything makes sense! So many good histories are exciting to listen to as well, for example how the islands where used as a maximum security jail or as favourite spot of the pirates: The islands are declared as World Heritage Site and biosphere reserve.

What does Ecuador offer and when is the best time to visit?

For sure Ecuador is famous because of the Galapagos islands, but apart from that the country is one the most diverse areas on the planet. We have four different ecological systems within a very small area: the highlands, the Galápagos, the coast and the Amazon rain forest. Within a few days you can take a closer look at giant turtles and blue-footed boobies in the Galápagos, relax at the beach of your dreams at the coast enjoying fresh sea food, visit an indigenous market in the highlands close to active volcanoes, and fish piranhas, observe pink dolphins, caymans and other exotic animals and plants in the jungle!

We don’t have any seasons in Ecuador – the weather is pretty much the same all year around because we are right on the Equator. Quito is known as the city of eternal spring. The rainiest time is generally from March to May. The driest months are June to October with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures during the day, apart from some strong but short rainfalls in the afternoon from the end of September on. In the jungle the climate is hotter and more humid – there are less rainfalls from October to February. The dry as well as the rainy season have their charm! To our point of view the best time to come are the months June to February.

How is the tourism industry in Ecuador at the moment?

The tourism industry in Ecuador is still developing and has a lot of potential: there are so many things to do in Ecuador yet. The market is growing slowly but steadily. I think it is time to rethink the purpose of the travel industry. The companies that remain and truly believe in what they are doing are the ones that are going to conquer and stay in the market.

What are your favourite places in Ecuador and why?

Galapagos because is a place like no other in the world and you simply need to experience its magic. The Andes mountains and their culture are splendid, sometimes it seems like time has stopped there hundreds of years ago. I love the jungle, too, where you feel like in some Indiana Jones movie, meet shamans and learn about their ancestral knowledge about plants as well as life and death. You get such a close relation with the nature, which simply makes you feel alive. Fish piranhas, pink dolphins, find so many different Indian communities with different languages, shamans and their ancestral knowledge about plants and it’s close relation with the nature make you feel alive. I continuously discover new amazing places in my country when I go on week-end trips: a few weeks ago I did a wonderful 12km-hike from the Quilotoa lagoon to the village of Chugchillán through beautiful landscapes!

How do you go about promoting your business to attract new visitors?

I think we are on a very good way: we are taking advantage of free social media facilities like Facebook, Twitter or Youtube. We write a blog www.ecuadoradventures.com about traveling in Ecuador with news, tips, places to visit and things to do to gain more visits on our web site www.barefootexpeditions.com. We also have a toll-free number for clients in the US (1866 ECUADOR) to make it easier for our customers to get in contact with us. We also like to share information with other websites that have similar ideas and philosophies.

What is your best and worst experiences running Barefoot Expeditions?

The best experience is when a satisfied customer tells you “Wow, thanks for a great trip!”. That is the best thing ever and I feel happy because I have accomplished my mission. Our barefoot Pathfinders are trained to deal with many situations and have many years of experience. We learned how to make things better and how to take care of the details. The worst, at least for myself, is the paper work in the public offices with which I also have to deal with…not very adventurous.

How does the future look for the company?

Bright because we love what we do and Barefoot is a strong and very appealing brand! We had a great season and we are looking forward to the next ones.

See more on www.barefootexpeditions.com.

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