Hello.

And welcome to this episode of Tripology is the only backpacking podcast where there's a greater number of passports between us than employers.

I'm Alan and I'm here with the ever literary Adam.

We're back for another show.

Thanks ever so much for joining us.

We really do appreciate it.

Hell of a show.

This week we're going to give you some updates.

As we usually do.

I'm going to tell a hell of a story where I was left stranded last night out in the rain on my own without a clue.

And then of course, we've got Tripping Point, everyone's favorite travel quiz.

Have you books at the ready?

And then we go to Tales of a Trip where we hear from one of you guys.

What a gorgeous summation of the show, flawlessly executed by a gorgeous man.

I'm very happy to join you here on this episode of Tripology.

I'm sorry to hear that you, like me last week, have been having mishaps, Adam.

Yeah, I've been feeling very isolated, mate.

I've made a few blunders over the last few days, actually.

I'll tell you what I will in the Patreon section.

If you head over to the Lost and Found and sign up there, I will tell you a wicked story where I did a trial shift in one of the world's best restaurants and let me tell you, I still haven't heard back from them.

But anyway, on to what happened last night, mate.

You know I've got this camper van.

I've heard rumours about you in a camper van.

There's been some sightings from the tripological audience.

Some little pictures get sent to me.

Oh, there's Adam in a camper van.

What's been going on?

Yeah.

Put your underwear back on.

No, so I've got this camper van and as you know mate, I'm a bit of a technophobe.

I don't like anything to do with technology or the future.

Electricity sometimes and that extends into mechanics and engineering.

So I I know almost nothing about cars other than how to drive one.

I don't know if that does that surprise you.

No, I've always thought of you as a bit of a Ned Ludd sort of figure.

So, yeah, it sounds like a compliment.

So imagine yesterday, right?

I had left work after what was a nine and a half 10 hour shift.

It was absolutely bucketing it down.

If anyone's got their finger on the pulse with what's going on in New Zealand at the moment, I mean, the rain is outrageous.

The rain has broken records in September, on October.

I think it's the most rain that's ever fallen in the history of the world.

Roads are falling apart, rivers are running over buildings.

Not quite as bad as a tsunami, but yeah, you, you get the idea.

Anyway, the weather's proper shit.

I left work and I went to my van.

I was happy to start driving home and as soon as I opened the door there was a ticking sound.

Ohh.

God, and your your mind goes crazy when you hear a ticking sound.

Don't you think it's gonna?

It's gotta be a bomb.

It's gotta be.

Clock.

A countdown to something you almost My instinct when I hear a ticking sound is just to wait and see because either something really bad or really good at the end of.

It yeah, it was, it was a repetitive ticking sound and the keys weren't in the ignition yet.

And I thought if this is a bomb, if I was making a bomb and I planted it in a campervan, I would probably, you know, where you, what do they call it when you set off a bomb, when you detonate a bomb.

I would make it at the moment almost with comical timing that the person put the key in the ignition and turned it.

I mean that that would be for comical value.

That would be great, wouldn't it?

That's probably when you would how you would rig a bomb.

Yeah, and it's important.

I I'm sick of people doing these explosive assassination attempts with no diligence paid to comedic timing or effects.

It's how you see it on the cartoons.

You put the key in the ignition, you turn the key and all of a sudden, kaboom.

Yeah.

So I thought maybe I'll just leave it in case it is a bomb.

The best assassins are outside the car lighting a fuse with a match, are they?

That's exactly it mate.

I was, I was terrified.

I thought, well I already know nothing about cars and I know even less about bombs.

So what am I going to do here?

I I was actually giving my boss a lift home, who was getting soaked by the way, because he was standing outside thinking, you know, why has he turned the van on yet?

Unlocked the door or something?

Why?

Didn't you unlock the door?

I don't know, just wait until I've sorted this out.

Save yourself.

Another comedic choice by you.

This whole scene's funnier if my boss is outside in the rain.

Yeah, something like get your cameras, come on.

But anyway, I turned the key and nothing happened and it was at that point I realised that the battery was dead and I had absolutely no way of getting home.

And the the dread, I was just immediately filled with dread because I was already thinking, well, my entire night is a write off at that point, isn't it?

And your bosses?

Yeah, yeah.

I felt so bad.

I looked at him immediately.

I said little mistake, could have left the lights on all day.

Yeah, I mean, maybe that was what happened.

Maybe the the ignition was turned.

I don't know.

The the bottom line is this van is going absolutely fucking nowhere.

So if you wanna get a bus home instead.

You're you're not the ever empathetic Adam this week, are you?

Just like, Oh my nights ruined.

Meanwhile your boss is there.

You're absolutely pelted by never precedented New Zealand weather.

Well, the ironic thing was that I actually worked later than he asked me to so that I could give him a lift home.

That is ironic.

But I felt quite bad and then I was thinking, OK, what options have I got?

Bless him, he immediately got on the phone to one of our other friends who knows a little bit about cars.

You know, he's ridden motorbikes and that.

Can you give?

Me a lift.

Yeah, yeah.

Now don't worry about Adam.

It'd be fun.

He's all right.

This is fault anyway.

But I I phoned the A a Alcoholics.

Anonymous.

I decided to drain my way out of everything.

But I, I phoned them and the first guy that answered the phone had no time for me, probably because it was coming to closing time.

It was about four minutes to 8 in the evening.

And he kept on asking me whether I was a member.

And I said, yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm insured with you.

And I said he said no, no.

Are you a member of the AAI?

And I couldn't because I couldn't hear him that well because of my phone and also the the rain.

I kept on saying, yes, yes, I am a member.

I am a member.

And he was trying to ask me something.

I was trying to reply to what he was saying.

And then he just hung up on me.

He just hung up.

Ellen, Can you believe?

It unbelievable.

I can't believe that.

And luckily in the meantime, my mate had arranged for one of our other friends, unbeknownst to me, to come round and and sort the whole thing out.

And thank goodness someone knew something about cars.

So there I was, like damsel in distress, as I am with you sometimes, just trying to help, trying to lend a hand.

B turns, turns up, you know, big French stallion with the cables or whatever they're called, what they call.

Yeah, jump cables.

Jump cables.

Yeah, Reese.

Don't worry mate, you'll be fine.

I was like, no, no.

I think I'm probably gonna have to charge the entire camper van for about 8 hours.

It's like, no, no, I'll just connect this to this, turn the engine on and you'll be you'll be away.

And lo and behold mate, that is exactly what happened.

But it probably cost me a good 45 minutes if it wasn't for the help of some dear friends.

Well, that is a shame to hear.

I'm glad that there was sort of someone progressed through the hierarchy of, you know, towards alpha and alpha male.

I'm glad there was an alpha male there to sort of assist you car people.

They're quite a rare breed, aren't they?

Nowadays.

Yeah, but I was thinking, you know, you were hung up on by that A a guy.

Yeah, I've only ever been hung up on by one person in customer service, and it was in New Zealand, so I'm noticing a theme.

Wow, that is interesting.

There are, you know, I did, I have said this, maybe this next thing that I'm about to say.

I won't necessarily cut into a reel and put it on Instagram.

But I have noticed that in Australia and New Zealand with my dealings across various industries, whether it's, you know, doctors, medicine, banks and finance firms, logistics, obviously now car insurance, they are lacking, mate.

Yeah, they are lacking they.

Are they are?

The person that hung up on me was actually they're working in a pizza shop.

Right.

Why did they hang up?

Well, we can do a role play if you like, but you will have to play me.

I'll play the pizza God.

And I'll and forgive me, I'm gonna play the pizza worker, but forgive me, I'm gonna do an Australian accent for those listeners who have some nuance.

And that's not an easy an accent.

I am gonna try and just get by.

All you have to do, Adam, is say I would like a pizza, please.

It's so funny you should say that because just yesterday I was talking to a Kiwi who I thought was Australian and I implied that they were Australian and they took offence and said what?

How could you possibly think I'm Australian?

Why can't you tell by my accent?

And you are in New Zealand?

The irony is like you do sound fairly similar.

Quite, quite the same really.

And to a lot of people's ears.

Yeah.

All right, mate.

So you're you're calling me up, OK.

And you're saying I would like a pizza?

OK, do you want me to do the ringtone I?

Think it's better?

Yeah, give some context.

Yeah.

OK.

So bring, bring, bring, bring.

All right, mate, Hell's Pizza.

Hi mate, yeah, I've just called.

I'd like a pizza.

What do you want mate?

Sorry, I can't.

What do you want?

I'd like a pizza please.

What's that?

Mate, a pizza.

I'd like a pizza.

What kind of pizza?

What kind of pizza do you want?

I can't hear you mate.

Oh wow, just like that.

And evidence was because I made subsequent calls to different establishments, there was nothing wrong with my phone and he could in fact hear me.

So if you work at Hell's Pizza and you remember that on New Year's Eve 2017 you hung up on a guy who just wanted a little bit of pizza on his New Year's Eve, fuck you.

Was it because of your pronunciation of pizza, do you think?

It's pronounced pizza Mate.

There's no Panini at this place, no.

I do think just rounding off me, that so many things like that have happened in my life.

Actually, that is the first time that I've ever let my car go dead and had and it's had no battery.

That's never happened before.

I've never changed a tyre in my life.

I've had very, very good luck even on my long cycle rides.

I've also never had to fix a puncture and people seem to help me out in my moments of need like I am a damsel in distressing these things.

I do wonder sometimes if it would actually be better for me and my development and growth if you know when shit hits the fan.

I just had to do it on my own.

I've.

Long thought this about you.

I never have to do it on my own.

Yeah, because I always ask for help.

Yeah, I know what you're going to say, but you know, obviously you know what I mean, because I ask you for help on a daily basis.

I think people actually almost get into two categories with this and it really is that simple.

There are people who are willing to ask for help all the time and that serves them in a wide array of contexts.

And there are people that really prefer not to ask for help.

And I think people who prefer not to ask for help end up like, I have changed the tyre.

Yeah, yeah, several times, you know what I mean?

So like in those situations if on my own, but but I probably can't change a tire as well as that burly Alpha Australian that came to help you so.

No, he was French.

Oh French by that burly alpha Frenchman that came to help you so.

But you do you do know how to do many more things than I do as a result.

But we've both still won an independent podcasting award, so.

Swings and roundabouts.

You know, path of least resistance.

And I bet if you called up on New Year's Eve trying to get a pizza, maybe you'd have given you one.

Maybe you do got 1.

So who's who's bad at the end of the day?

That's what I'm saying.

I think that asking for help whilst travelling is a very valuable skill though, because I have been travelling with you in context where I'm trying to solve a problem and I'm like my, this is what am I going to do here?

Where do I go here?

And you just go up someone like, hello, I'm looking to try and just have my whole day organised for me for free.

Oh, Alan, I've sorted it.

Some of this guy's just going to take us.

I'm like, OK, cool.

That's good, isn't it?

You're like, but but the app.

Yeah, that's funny.

Exactly.

You are right.

You are right.

Well, mate, I think that's about time we go off into the next section of the show.

And I know that you were delaying the process.

I know you were trying to make this first third as long as it could possibly be because I've got no doubt you're quaking in your boots at the next part of the episode, which is of course, everyone's favorite travel quiz is tripping point.

Tripping point.

Tripping Point, of course, the section of the show that gives me that anxious feeling deep in my belly as I know that not only am I going to be tested, but I'm going to be tested with some of the best questions that Adam can possibly devise.

So I'm willing to take them head on.

Last time we played Tripping Point, of course, it was what the kids in Gen.

Z call an epic fail.

I didn't answer anything correctly.

It was quite a hard episode, but I can only imagine you've adjusted the difficulty accordingly.

Yeah.

I mean, I, I have adjusted the difficulty I would say more accurately.

I've probably gone a little bit out of left field with this one.

And even though it is heavily travel related, it's also sort of publication and book related, which is of course, thanks for listening.

You keen need listen listeners, which is why you refer to me as the literary literature.

This is a book special.

How much have you read in the way of travel novels, travel publications, famous travel, iconic sort of books and magazines?

I've in my whole life I've read maybe 5 books.

I've listened to a few more than that, but I've got an English language degree.

I'm the only person on my course who didn't read a single book during the English language degree because on day one the lecturer said this isn't like a level you won't pass unless you read the materials.

And I saw that as a kind of sexy challenge.

So I haven't read much Adam, but I'm going to do my best regardless.

OK, well I think I think you're going to do fine mate because even if you don't know the answer, your methodology and your game in game strategy that often helps you win very famous UK game shows will prevail.

So here we go.

Are you ready for #1 Are you ready for the first question?

Well, I would like if you introduced something in the way of a wager.

OK, because it is about books and I have been reading.

Actually, you'll be pleased to know I'm currently reading three books at the same time.

Not literally literally at the same time, but I'm sort of halfway through one, just about to finish another and just started another one.

I would quite like an Amazon.

Are they Amazon the the Kindles?

Are they owned by Amazon?

I can do you an Amazon gift card mate.

Yeah, for a first, sort of put that towards a Kindle.

If you get 4 out of five, it's actually technically going to be 4 out of seven because there are a couple of cheeky bonus questions for you.

So how does that sound?

I would, I think if, if I get less than three, I'll give you an Amazon gift voucher and if you if I get more than three.

I'll read a book to you.

Sure, I'll come and read a book to you.

How about that?

Let's get on with it.

So here we go, number one.

Yeah, Lonely Planet was founded in 1972 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, with their first guide being published in 1973.

But what was it called?

Is it A across Asia on the cheap?

Is it B budget Backpackers Bible?

Is it C Europe on a shoestring?

Or is it D the Banana Pancake Trail?

I think it was the budget backpack Bible.

Okay, are you locking it in?

Yeah, I'm afraid mate.

It's across Asia on the cheap.

I could tell by the little smirk you quite liked the question.

That is going back a very long way, isn't it?

I once read an article on those individuals who started Lonely Planet.

Yeah.

And I did remember vaguely that there'd been a name change, but obviously couldn't quite remember what it was.

Frankly, I thought that the other the.

I don't think all the titles were.

I mean, I'm glad they changed it to Lonely Planet, so bit of a toss up for me there, but I'll take the.

Loss.

There are some really interesting things.

So did you know Lonely Planet has since printed over 150 million copies worldwide with the Wheelers very first guidebook back in the very early 70s being written on a borrowed typewriter in an apartment in Melbourne, Australia, which is pretty cool.

I also just off the top of my head was when I was doing a bit of research about this question, I think it was back in 2007, they sold 75% to BBC Worldwide.

Did you know that?

That isn't, but congratulations to them.

I've heard BBC Worldwide pray Penny, Yeah.

Have you got any idea how much it was?

5 mil.

5 million for a 75% stake in Lonely Planet.

Yeah, when it was arguably at it's height it was.

It was more like 60-70 million.

10 times why I would have negotiated.

So Congrats to the guys over there at Lonely Planet.

Yeah, the audacity of calling it across Asia on the trip the cheap, you know, Fast forward three years.

Yeah, 30 years.

Beg your pardon?

Here's our new book, How to Travel Asia if you just made 50 million from the BBC Step one, stay in a.

Hotel.

Yeah, get off your first class flight having down a bottle of champagne.

Wipe the caviar out of the corners of your mouth.

The locals don't like it.

#2 the magazine Conde Nast Traveller historically used the tagline Truth in Travel, but in 2013 the tagline was redefined as what Is it A the world made local?

Is it B luxury for less?

Is it C fashionable wanderlust?

Or is it D the planet in pages?

It's either the planet in pages or luxury for I think it's planet in pages.

I think it's planet in pages.

I'll pull the wool over your eyes, mate.

That was one I came up with last minute.

I'm really glad you went for it.

It's actually the world made local.

It's quite a nice tagline, isn't it?

Oh dear, Adam, Yeah.

I mean, I recently tried to get Tropology featured in Conde Nast and so looked at their pages and and I can't remember seeing that.

So obviously not very prominent, badly designed.

What do you think of Planet in Pages?

We can copyright that if you want.

I mean, I did just make it up a couple of days ago.

I think it's better than what Conde Nast are doing.

Yeah.

Oh, Adam is the developer of such great travel tag lines like Conde Nast Planet in Pages and Tripology Travel Podcast.

Dear, Oh dear, here we go #3 let's try and get you some points on the board.

I really need to, otherwise my Amazon account is going to look a little bit.

Like I know I could do with a new book as well.

I've only got 3 on the go #3 what is often considered the oldest continuously running travel magazine still in publication?

Is it?

A National Geographic.

Is it B wanderlust, Is it C travel and leisure?

Or is it D Condon S Traveller?

It's not Geo baby all the way.

Give me that point and relinquish me of my debt to Amazon.

OK, Yeah, you got one point on the board, mate.

That's a great answer.

Do you want a bonus point to guess the decade that it started in?

Is it the 19 hundreds 1900s right?

No, it's older, but not by much.

I was going to say, OK, I I wanted to just check if that was the case because I think it's 1890.

It's 1888.

My goodness.

It's a great guess.

It's a great guess.

I was going to say 1890 off the trot, but I thought if it's like, really not that I didn't want to appear a bit stupid, you know?

You got to go with your gut mate.

No one thinks you're stupid that's listening to this.

My goodness.

Some people do.

I've had a few hurtful messages recently from listeners saying things exactly like that.

Alan, you're stupid.

I got a message from my dad last week so just listening to the most recent episode.

Alan's not done very well on the tripping points recently, is it?

Really.

Did you actually get that message?

Your dad, of course.

One of my greatest critics when it comes to the old intellect arch.

Enemy, that's so funny.

OK, here we go, here we go #4 you'll like this one, mate, you really will.

Jack Kerouac typed the first draft of On the Road on a single roll of paper.

Approximately how long did it take him?

Was it a three?

Two weeks.

OK.

We'll just keep bear that in mind.

A three weeks, B three months, C six months or D1 year.

OK, yeah, three weeks then.

Obviously a huge Jack Kerouac fan.

He was one of the defining reasons why I initially went travelling and I know that it was a matter of weeks.

He locked himself in his apartment and just wrote and wrote, and famously his dog ate the end of that scroll that he wrote on.

So you can actually go and see the scroll in Lille is where he's from.

And then maybe the museum's in Lille as well.

But that's pretty cool.

Yeah.

The end of the paper is gone.

So three weeks is my answer.

OK, yeah, I mean, you're right, of course you're right.

That's fantastic.

And did you know the continuous scroll was 120 foot long?

Kerouac chose to write this way basically just to not lose the flow and the energy of what it was he was writing.

So how cool is that?

Yeah, I also like Kerouac's writing style.

Gives me a lot of solace when I think, oh, I'd like to write a travel book.

But the investment of time, it would take us so much, I think, well, Kerouac knocked one out in three weeks, so it's pretty cool.

Yes, no, I think especially with AI now mate, you'll be fine.

Here we go #5 when the Michelin Guide staff system launched in 1926, what did giving a restaurant one star originally signify?

Was it a worth stopping at?

Was it B culinary excellence?

Was it C exceptional service?

Or was it D good value for money?

Yeah, I believe when Michelin started giving out their stars, they were basically saying that if you receive a Michelin star, you are worth stopping at, you're worth wearing out your tyres to go make a journey to.

So it's a.

It is.

You're right, mate, you're right.

I think that's four points on the board.

Fantastic.

And you just touched on a really interesting point because I didn't necessarily know this, but the Michelin Guide was launched back in 1900 and the 1st, 35,000 copies no less, were given away for free.

And this was to encourage people to drive further, spending more time on the roads, thus wearing out their tyres more quickly so they could sell more tyres.

It was all part of their master plan.

Quite an insidious marketing strategy from Michelin there, rivalled only, of course by Swedish giant Spotify, who made copyright claims unrelentingly on accounts that don't deserve it.

Yeah, we're actually not sure whether you're gonna be able to hear this, of course, because this episode might just get deleted like the last one.

Yeah, amazing stuff.

Anyway, we've got a couple of bonus questions.

I'll RIP through these pretty quick #1 Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is a novel based heavily on the authors own life.

Which of these is true about Roberts journey that inspired the book?

A.

He escaped from Australian prison and fled to India.

B He lived in the slums of Mumbai for several years, or C He became involved with local organized crime while in exile.

Oh I actually haven't read Shantaram, I just remember in India people were talking about it a lot.

It's a bit of a trick question this one mate.

Is it?

Why?

Tell me?

Well, tell me what the trick is and I'll tell you the answer.

Well, no, because the because if I tell you that you will, you'll just get it right.

I might as well just tell you.

Did he become involved in some organised crime?

The trick 1 is a bit of a curveball.

It's actually all of them.

Every single one features in the book.

He's lived a hell of a life mate.

Really incredible stuff.

So it is one of those books.

Of course you, the people listening to the show, have probably read it.

I mean you see it in every single hostel and every single bookshelf.

It's definitely a book that people say is in the top ten books you must read if you travel.

I haven't read it yet and you haven't read it yet, so maybe that's something for us to do in our own timing.

There's a genius.

Question and a genius trick.

It's that kind of human touch that makes you know that this show is lovingly curated and not written by Vagabot.

Yeah, he couldn't have written this last one either, because one thing Vagabot does very well is come up with a lot of copy in almost next to no time.

But he doesn't know you as a person, and I do.

So this next question mate, it hasn't got multiple choice but I'll be surprised if you get it wrong.

No pressure.

This is the last question of the show, which famous travel writer said if you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.

Anthony Bourdain.

There you go.

There you go.

Yeah, amazing.

A great line.

It's a great line.

Andy Bourdain, of course, passed away just a very short amount of time after I started travelling, but was a huge motivating factor for me, one of the greatest travellers of all time, one of the greatest travel writers of all time, and holds a very special place in my heart there.

Adam as well, in that he helped me evade having to buy you a book.

And of course, now you're going to read something to me, which is going to be an exciting bit of Instagram content or something, I imagine.

But now though, Speaking of travel stories, we want the listeners to have the opportunity to tell us a great travel story by way of Tales of a trip.

You can head to tripologypodcast.com/tales of a trip and record 3 minutes of the greatest travel story that you have be at the time you jumped into a big waterfall and survived all the time.

You erode a lion through the savannahs of Africa.

That kind of hyperbolic nonsense is occasionally welcome if it actually is true.

So let's hear what I had to say.

Let's go there right now.

Hey Adam, this is one of my more interesting experiences while hiking the Tierra Rowan, which is from the north to South of New Zealand.

It's about a 3000 kilometer hike and this happened to me in the North Islands.

I was after a day of hiking, I wanted to go and resupply at the supermarkets so and the supermarket was about 3 kilometers away from the campsite.

So I tried to hitch there and I got a hitch which was pretty normal as usual.

And on the way back, I tried to get a hitch back again.

And this time there were two guys from the age around 19 and 20 who picked me up.

And they told me we can take you to your campsite, but we first need to go and get, we first need to go to the liquor store.

So it was just like, Oh yeah, for sure, don't worry about it.

And so they started driving to the liquor store, which was in a complete different direction and was on the highway and was about 10 minutes away, even though my campsite was about two minutes away.

So which is awesome.

I'm like, hey, it's everything still all right?

And are we still going to the same campsite?

Yeah.

They told me, don't worry, we're not kidnapping you.

So that was kind of reassuring.

And I asked them, oh, what are you guys going to do?

Or are you guys going somewhere special?

And they told me that they were going to play golf and they asked me if I wanted to join them.

So I said yeah, I will join you.

So they drove me back to the campsite.

They dropped off my stuff from the grocery and I went and played golf with them, which was a lot of fun.

And they shared their beers and we had a really good time.

They even took me to their dealer and we got some weed after I asked them if they knew somebody.

And the day after they texted me like, hey, do you want to go on a real, you're seeing that fan show?

And I was just like, yeah, yeah, for sure.

And they picked me up again and they took me fishing and from the weed that I got the day before, one of the other TA hikers, he mates edibles, he mates cookies.

And so as a thank you, I gave them also some of the cookies and we ended up having a really, really good time.

And all of this happened just by accident.

And yeah, and I was a was a lot of fun and I really enjoy and cherish the moment.

Thank you.

Being there, proving that if you have an open mind and an open heart and you're willing to go off the be in track and travel via hitchhiking and meeting strangers and being all open like that, a plethora of drug based experiences could await you.

Yeah, I do like it.

I think what that what that experience.

Well, it sounds like it lasts a few days.

It sort of epitomizes what I love about travel is if you do just say yes, you can't, you know, when you first hitchhike, you, you can't possibly imagine where it's going to end up if you just keep saying yes.

But when you get on with the people you're hitchhiking with, one thing leads to another before you know, you know, a couple of days later or whatever, or you maybe the next day you're teeing off with them playing golf on the same day.

Then you they invite you on a fishing trip and then you're probably still in touch with those people.

It's it it really is important to to have that sort of open mind and just, you know, maybe be in the same frame of mind that remind yourself from time to time.

Not everyone is trying to kidnap you.

Yeah, it's something that I need to be reminded of, for sure.

I do often in a lot of situations, wonder, is this person trying to kidnap me?

Just today, I was buying a coffee at the local coffee shop here in Shagao.

And when she handed me a coffee and I gave her money, the thought did cross my mind.

Is this a kidnapping?

No, no, You're just buying coffee.

So I've learned a lesson there from Kayan's message.

Yeah, it's it is a lovely message.

Thanks ever so much for for writing Kim.

We really do appreciate it like you had a wonderful time.

Would you ever walk that sort of distance mate?

Few 1000 kilometers through hiking.

I love a long hike.

You know one of my life's goals is to hike the PCT.

I do know that and the reason I have another acronym.

Yeah, the Pacific Crest Trail.

The reason I've not done it is because, A, it's like very expensive, B, we'd have to really be on top of it with Tripology, because you hike through and then stop at like rest points.

And we could do the show from there.

But if we weren't doing it together, it would be a big ask for the show.

I yeah, I think we would at this point probably have to do it together.

It would have to be a thing that we did together in order to keep the show going as regularly as it as it is the way to.

Do it would be to like have 4 episodes done in advance record as we went which is mad because people saw their toothbrushes in half to save weight on the PCT.

So was hiking with these things would be knots.

But we'd have to just take the tape, a toothbrush to the other end, yeah, and make use of the shaft.

All I make like a rudimentary microphone with like a needle and some like ceramic film.

Yeah, I've got no idea how it would happen, but I'm sure it is possible in this day and age to do podcasts on the PCT.

We'll just have to.

We'll just have to try.

Yeah, we'd be getting how the Samsung goes, the old little mic because that we're used to, yes, that's for sure.

But I think it would be a lot of fun.

So through hiking is something I'm really interested in.

Yeah, it's.

The thing I love about through hiking is that it's, and I know this is going to sound a little bit cliched, but I think it's also the the way that Suraj's message made me feel in last week's episode, which is when you go from point to point or your journey is weeks or months long, you, you can't have had the experience at the end without of having, without having had the experience at the beginning.

You can't get to where you're going without coming from where you've been.

And I know that that might sound quite strange, but when you do just walk in One Direction for a long time, it is just about the stages that you go through and how you change and the people you meet and the stories you can tell.

Yeah.

And I kind of echo Kayan's feelings there because obviously the take away for him, the thing that he's remembered viscerally is like the warmth from those people after the hike.

And I think that the same with me, like that Everest hike that I did in Nepal, the most recent like long 21 day through hike.

I think the people that I'm with are the lasting memory, like they're the thing that I feel like beautiful about.

Yeah, mate, I mean, we really do have to do some more of that stuff.

It's experiences I would say a little blind spot perhaps on my travel CV, if you will.

Now I've got a camper van.

Now I'm going to be living the van life for a bit, which was another huge hole in my my travel experiences, I guess you could call it.

And through hiking is another one.

And yeah, I want to keep going.

I want to keep maybe having sort of a more goal oriented focus to my travels.

And if you ever want to do the PCT and we're still doing this award-winning, fantastic, wonderful, gigantic, bloody influential podcast, then I'd, I'd love to do it with you.

As long as there's no bears, please no bears.

Well, there you go.

I'm sure that we will be hearing more about your hiking adventures as you go on your Lord of the Rings themed adventures in your camper van, but for now, it's time that we dash off really, isn't it?

Thank you so much to Cam for sending in a message.

And you guys can do the same by going to tripologypodcast.com/hazel Trip.

3 minutes of your greatest travel story.

Or if you love what we're doing, you want to support me and Adam in a very wonderful, much needed way and you want to hear what happens after the theme music ends in the Lost and Found section.

It's patreon.com/tripology podcast, the greatest Patreon in all the travel podcast worlds.

Join us over the there, but for now, we'll see you next week.

We'll see you there.

Bye.