“Hi, do you remember me?” I emailed the then P&J editor.
He’d been very good to me publicity wise when I owned a dance school a number of years pervious.
“Yes,” he replied. “How are you? What are you up to these days?”
I told him I was now based in Budapest. I also told him about my constant travel through Russia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and into countries he’d never heard of, and that I kept dairies.
“I’d like to write for you,” I pitched.
His initial reply was somewhat lukewarm. “I don’t really do travel writing…” came the email reply.
“Good, because neither do I,” I typed back. You won’t get an “isn’t this wonderful, everything is perfect here, travel guide from me.”
He was intrigued.
I emailed him again, in more depth, and explained what I planned to do, ie me going solo, off the beaten track and interviewing people.
I attached Word documents of three columns I’d already penned for him. On the rooftops of the Caucasus, Stalingrad and the call to evening prayer.
He read them, then replied to me later that day. “These are excellent. But do you really think you can write one of these every single week?”
He meant could I really come up with a never a dull moment situation from far-flung countries every single week?
I paused while a voice in my head said: “No, you can’t.”
“Yes.” I replied. “I can guarantee you every week for a full year. After that, well we’ll see!”
That would have been 52 columns in total. A challenge, but doable. After that, I really wasn’t sure how many more I’d manage.
Well, I managed those 52 columns. In fact, today is my 500th. And at least 400 of these columns have been from highly dubious parts of our world.
And since 2017, I’ve had a double-page spread for which I am extremely grateful.
Having said that, I’d like another page, please! I’ve got too much to write about.
As numerous report cards from school did point out: “George talks too much.”
I’ve brought you columns from the far corners of the world. From minus 48 degrees in Russia’s frozen Yakutsk, to the bone-dry, pushing plus 50 degrees scorching heat of Bukhara in Uzbekistan.
I’ve been turned over at a land border at Kyrgyzstan – suspected of having a bag of cocaine in my bag. It was sea salt, for a nasal rinse.
I’ve visited the ancient city of Petra in Jordan; been hauled off the streets and accused of being a spy in Nagorno Karabakh.
Faced years of corruption and bribery by policemen all over Russia; been denied entry to Abkhazia; toured Syrian refugee camps; been in countries that don’t officially exist; had food poisoning and been hospitalised three times; fallen down stairs in Iraq; been scammed in Romania; attacked by dogs in Kosovo; stood in Kiev’s Maidan during the 2014 revolution; witnessed, in-depth, the intense divide between Israel and Palestine.
I’ve been detained and questioned by Hamas; I’ve come face-to-face with armed masked men in the Gaza Strip; and also interviewed the chief spokesman for Islamic Jihad.
I have interviewed countless real people about their lives in and around some of the most highly contested borders in the world. I have witnessed the best and worst of humanity.
I’ve often been asked, what’s the best thing about your travels?
That’s easy to answer. It’s people.
Meeting people and hearing their stories.
Yes, even those masked terrorists. Or “freedom fighters”, depending on your viewpoint, I suppose.
When you take away the flag, the nationality and the often state-whipped-up hatred and suspicion of the other side, not to forget the religion, what are you left with? People, just people, who want a better life for themselves and their family.
I was constantly on the road right up until the first lockdowns. Then for almost two years, apart from Canada, Kosovo and Macedonia, I went nowhere.
My world drastically shrank, as restrictions remained in many countries.
And even now, with the world fully opened up, I am in no hurry to go back out there again.
Never say never of course, but lockdown did for me what I was seemingly incapable of doing, ie deciding enough is enough with dangerous situations and war zones.
I used to be eager, desperate even, to get myself back into, say, Palestine – but now when I view on TV the senseless day-to-day violence, I currently have no desire to be there.
I can still write about it, and numerous other destinations. I still have contacts there who keep me up to date and a plethora of photos.
These days I prefer writing what I call standalone columns. Be they more feature style articles or straight-up opinion columns. There’s so much to write about.
Plans for the future? Well, I’m in the process of relocating back to Aberdeen, so, I’ll be based there from now on.
While I’m sure I’m done with dangerous destinations, crossing land borders into corrupt unrecognised states, I will of course still head off somewhere – just not into such intense situations.
A long-planned but sidelined pre-Covid trip into the old East Germany is still on the cards…
Russia, unfortunately. is out for the foreseeable future. It’s been three years since I’ve seen countless friends over there. But with all media now silenced, and new laws throwing anyone in jail for even questioning the war in Ukraine, I am not going back anytime soon.
Whatever I keep writing about, I hope you stay with me and keep reading, be it by digital subscription or good old-fashioned print, the best in my view.
And of course, do keep emailing me as you do on a regular basis. I reply personally to each and every email, so keep ’em coming.
So, it’s 500 columns, not out. Dare I tempt fate and say here’s to the next 500 – starting with me enjoying breakfast in Europe, lunch in Africa and dinner on British soil, all in one day and without taking a flight anywhere?
Next week – Life is for living!
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