Escape From The Rat Race

I'd been planning my 'escape' for a long time and the day finally came last September when I broke free of my shackles and left work for the last time. Leaving the daily traffic jams, pressures, deadlines and hassles behind, I felt like a freed man ready to enjoy life a little.

My plans were clear. I'd already arranged a number of trips for the next twelve months with the first, a three week photographic holiday in Yosemite and Death Valley, starting in just a few days time. As expected, the landscape was stunning - I stood beneath some of the biggest trees in the world, saw sunrise from the lowest place in the western hemisphere (286m below sea level) and sat in complete and utter silence in the midday heat of an isolated Californian desert. And as a complete contrast I later gazed in awe at the casinos, lights and glitz in Las Vegas where you can shop till you drop and eat till you can't see your feet - 25 hours a day!

This is the beauty of travelling. To see the absolute chaos of fume belching buses, fragile rickshaws and people of all religions mixing together amidst the non stop hustle and bustle of Kathmandu. And then to compare it with the clear, crisp thin air of the Tibetan plateau, the north face of Everest at sunset almost within reach through the tent and the gentle clanging of yak bells nearby. To see a family of kangaroos playing in the stillness of a misty Australian sunrise or the grandeur of the Opera House at Sydney. Yes indeed, this is what travelling is all about.

It's not always so idyllic though. The stomach turning smell of rancid yak butter fuelling the candles in every Tibetan monastery; the pointless bureaucracy of having to visit the police station in Kathmandu five times after I'd had my wallet stolen, each time with another document for their file; the incredibly bumpy 'roads' in N Tanzania shaking every bone in my body; vehicle breakdowns at dusk in the middle of the Serengeti with lions prowling about; cooking dinner al fresco for 18 hungry campers in the middle of a raging Namibian sandstorm; driving alone out of LA at 5pm on a Friday evening after a 12 hour flight from London, and so on. Patience definitely is a virtue at times like these.

Imagine the feeling of camping in the heart of the Serengeti and being woken in the middle of the night by the growling of a pride of lions just feet away. Imagine the excitement (or sheer terror) of a 9000' tandem parachute jump or of sandboarding in the Namibian sand dunes at 50mph on nothing more than a sheet of hardboard. Imagine the panic of being driven down an endless series of hairpin bends with a 2000' drop on one side in a battered Toyota Landcruiser with a deep 5 inch split in the front tyrewall (it burst when we reached the bottom!).

Of course it's often the local people who really make an impression. Just on my last trip, I met everybody from the charming and down to earth King of Nepal's brother, who I sat next to in first class during the flight to Kathmandu (free upgrade before you ask), to Tibetan nomads in their worn and dirty rags who probably had seen few westerners before and were in stitches on seeing my hairy arms. Even on a trip to Ireland in May, the happy go lucky attitude of the locals was quite relaxing and amusing - probably a few pints of Guinness and fresh country air had something to do with it!

As well as such far away countries like New Zealand, Australia and Singapore I spent some time enjoying my own green and pleasant land here in Britain. I completed the 190 mile Coast to Coast Walk a year ago, raising £750 for charity, and more recently walked the middle section of the Pennine Way. Although the weather on occasion was, to put it mildly, damp, the better days more than made up for it.

I have seen some of the worlds greatest treasures - Ayers Rock, Grand Canyon, Mt Everest, the incredible Namibian sand dunes, wildlife galore, etc etc. I have kept Fuji and Ilford quite happy throughout this last year. But wherever I go, it's always great to be back home with friends and family.

I don't think I'll ever tire of travelling and photographing our wonderful world and there are still many many places I'd like to see. But for now, it's back to work to keep the bank manager happy.