Alastair Humphreys » India

What This Book Is Not

Al Humphreys — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:28:33 +0000

“For I have discovered that there are other rivers. And this my boys will not know for a long time nor can they be told. A great many never come to know that there are other rivers.” – John Steinbeck

There Are Other Rivers is my new book. It’s been a long time coming. There’s been a lot of sweat, tears and frustration. But I am really pleased with the final product.
I am a nervous though, as I know that a lot of people won’t like it. So, before you part with your hard-earned money that could be better spent elsewhere (on this, for example), I want to explain the book. There’s nothing more annoying than getting a 1-star review on Amazon and a comment like “This book was nothing like I thought it was going to be.“

First of all then, here’s what this book is not:

A book about India.
A chronological account of a coast-to-coast walk across southern India.
An epic adventure tale.

So what is it? Primarily this book is an attempt to articulate my fascination with the open road and the magnetism of the next horizon. I hope it will strike a chord with anyone restless and yearning for a long journey. I wrote it because I spend much of my time on big trips asking myself why on Earth I am doing it. And the answer is often not particularly clear.

The days are hot, hard and repetitive. I am often lonely, thirsty and tired. Yet I keep coming back for more. What is the enduring appeal of these days that have forged my adult life? They have made me who I am, both the bad and the good. These days have created most of my strongest memories and all my best anecdotes. These are the days of clarity that I turn to when I’m looking for answers and direction in my life. And I think to myself, “one day, on the road…”

I also wanted to try to share what a day on the road is actually like. So this is a tale about a single day on my walk through India, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury. I wanted to describe any day on the road, from any journey like this. It could have taken place anywhere, at any time since people began taking on these questing adventures. This is why I have removed all dates, time frames and names. Everything in this book is true. I have only re-ordered the incidents to build up my “day”. It’s a bit like Morecambe and Wise. They defended their terrible piano playing by saying they had “all the right notes, although not necessarily in the right order.”

Most travel and adventure writing focuses on the occasional extraordinary stuff that happens amongst all the humdrum ordinariness. By definition, these incidents are not how most of the time on the journey is spent. The greatest expeditions in history are nothing more than a string of single days, most of them pretty uncomfortable and mundane. Perhaps long adventures are about nothing more than mining for the extraordinary? I don’t think so. The average day on the road, the hundreds and thousands of normal days that make up the majority of my adventures, has a magnetism that draws me back time and time again. The terrible food, the sore feet, the repetitive conversations, the fungal rashes and the pummelling heat. The happiest days of my life. Any day, any journey. One day on the road.

There Are Other Rivers is on sale now

Designing Book Covers

Al Humphreys — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:51:45 +0000

My new book (There Are Other Rivers) is nearing completion. It will be ready for Christmas…
It’s a little different to normal travel books and I’m planning to publish, print and distribute it in a variety of ways. I’ve decided to go back to self-publishing for this book for loads of reasons which I’ll explain shortly. I’m excited about it all.

I don’t like the months of computer-tapping. Then I don’t like the sleep deprivation, deadline chasing phase (right now).
But once all that is done I love writing books. And I particularly enjoy sorting out the book’s cover.

It’s a difficult, delicious dilemma.

I thought I’d share a selection with you. And ask for your help in picking the best.

Despite this book being about my walk across southern India it is not a book about India nor is it a rip-roaring adventure.
It’s a book that tries to explain why I enjoy long journeys, and a book that tries to convey what one normal day is like on a long journey.

Given that, which cover (from those shown below, or the grid here) do you like the most? Just click on the picture and you will have voted for it. You can click on as many as you like…

Finally, if you would like to be informed when the book is available (in print and on Kindle) add your email address here:

Many thanks to Jim for these fabulous designs.

If you would like to be informed when the book is for sale (in print and on Kindle) add your email address here:

Things I Love about Travelling in India

Al Humphreys — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:44:10 +0000

Is India the most colourful, mad, exciting country in the world? Probably.
Here’s a photo essay on in which I documented ten things I love about India.

And here is a short two-minute video from my walk across India. Hope you enjoy it!

Try Travelling With A One Way Ticket

Al Humphreys — Tue, 17 May 2011 13:22:01 +0000

I don’t know where I am. My feet hurt. My shirt is heavy with sweat. It’s been a hard day. I have walked since dawn, about eight hours, down red dusty tracks beside the sliding green waters of the Kaveri River.

I am hiding from the sun in the shade of a chai stall, enjoying a sweet glass of milky tea given to me, free of charge, by the smiling stall owner. As always happens in India a crowd has quickly gathered to quiz this strangely pink, sweaty visitor. Some of the crowd buy glasses of tea. The stall owner’s smile grows. He waggles his head in disbelief and amusement as I explain that I am walking across India.

I have followed the Kaveri from its mouth and I will continue walking all the way to Talakaveri, the temple at the source of this holy river.

Everyone thinks that I am mad.

“But why are you not taking a train. In India we have a very good train system. Built by the British as a matter of fact!”

They could not understand why I wanted to walk across southern India, across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. And they had a point. It was a long way, and a difficult journey. When I reached the end of my journey – a deserted palm-lined beach on the Kerala coast – I jumped on a train to take me back to Chennai for my flight home. Crossing India (or re-crossing it) by train was a magical experience.

I spent the daylight hours sitting in the open doorway of the carriage, my feet dangling down, the wind blowing warm in my face. We raced past countless glimpses of villages and farms and families. At some of the numerous station stops I would treat myself to a drink of chai and a spicy snack. And at night I lay back in the darkness and dozed to the gentle rhythm of rattling rails. The whole thing was a lovely experience.

But the walk was also a fantastic way to experience a slice of India. The physical challenge was important to me so I walked far and fast. But I need not have done. Merely walking for a day through a landscape that is new to you gives real scope for adventure and discovery. Your slow pace helps slow a racing mind and you soon begin to relax. You become observant. You notice each new sight or smell or sound. You talk to people. You ask questions. You learn.

I tried to explain all this to the group of people gathered round me in the hot little village whose name I did not know. I am not sure that they were all convinced, but one man did decide that I was not totally crazy. He invited me to spend the night with his family. I accepted gratefully. Being on an adventure is all about embracing spontaneity. The opportunity to glimpse a very different way of life to my own is one that I am always grateful for. I finished my chai, said goodbye to the crowd, and walked down the street with my new-found friend. We walked towards his house, to meet his family, to share dinner, and whatever other adventures may lie in store.

Walking across India, and travelling back by train, gave a really interesting dual perspective on my travel experiences there. I urge you to try it for yourself. You don’t necessarily have to cross an entire country. Even taking your local train to a station 10 or 20 miles away that you do not normally go to, and then walking home would be an interesting, rewarding micro-adventure. Who knows, it may even give you the incentive to take on a bigger adventure!

What do you think? Have you had a similar experience on your travels? Please do share it with us in the comments section.

This post originally appeared in the Huffington Post.

Photo Friday Story – Exploring Sikkim

Al Humphreys — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 23:59:32 +0000

Istvan Hernadi is a Canadian adventurer and photographer. Here’s his Photo Friday story:

Exploring Sikkim with friends I met in Gangtok helped me learn about the culture of an ancient kingdom populated by the peaceful and shy Lepcha people who continue with their Buddhist traditions in the foothills of the Himalayas. I shall return to the Himalayas this year to teach at a new Business College in Bhutan and continue my quest to explore remote areas of the mountains with the help of new friends who live their traditional ways in these rugged lands.

Sikkim, a former kingdom, is a Buddhist state in northern India, next to the Tibet border. Mt Kanchenjunga is visible from every hilltop and is the protecting deity of Sikkim. Most mountains and lakes are considered sacred and temples have been built near them.

I spent several weeks at Burtuk Monastery near Gangtok, teaching English to the novice monks. Here I met a monk named Karma who invited me along for a trip to visit the holy Khecheopalri lake. The trip to the lake takes many hours along winding roads, past small villages and waterfalls.

Karma’s family is from this area, where his father, grandfather and others before them spent many years meditating in sacred caves on the mountains here. The Lepcha village here has a nice temple near the lake with a huge prayer wheel inside.

The lake is visited by many pilgrims, who attach hundreds of prayer flags to trees around the holy waters. People pray here at this “Wishing Lake” lighting incense and candles, while rotating the many prayer wheels that line the boardwalk to the shore. This clear lake is surrounded by dense forests, it is believed that the birds do not allow even a single leaf to float on the lake surface.

From the lake at 1800 meters, a narrow trail winds through the forest to a ridge 3 km away, where a small village and gompa are located.

Some of Karma’s relatives live here tending their fields and cows.

We continued our trek past farmhouses and fields to a thick forest and overgrown trail leading to a holy cave at 2400 meters. We were joined by couple of kids and a cousin of Karma’s.

Reaching the top opened up the views to the hills and villages below, with views of Mount Pandim (6691m) and other peaks.

Khecheopalri lake is seen below, as a giant footprint in the landscape, the shape is believed to be a footprint of the Goddess Tara.

This holy cave and a small house nearby has been used by many generations of Buddhists for meditation.

There are many other holy meditation caves in the mountains of northern Sikkim, some as high as 13,500 ft, such as the one north of Lachung where a trail leads into the alpine forests past old chortens such as this one.

Istvan Hernadi is a Canadian adventurer and photographer who spends much of his time exploring remote areas of the Canadian North. His hiking, climbing and skiing trips have also taken him to Europe, Asia and New Zealand. He is also a Trailpeak editor and contributes new trails and stories to the trails database website.