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Day 6: Shut Your Eyes And Hope For The Best

Got into Lima at 8am this morning. It was a rollercoaster ride last night, if you tried to stay awake it was just a non-stop cavalcade of terror as the crazy bus driver drove at break-neck speed while overtaking on blind corners on narrow mountain roads with a sheer drop just metres away. Not a single vehicle overtook up through the whole 18-hour journey – our driver managed to overtake over 200. Best just to shut your eyes and hope for the best.

Now in Lima city centre, spent the morning trying without much luck to find a new copy of Lonely Planet South America. There are tons of riot police in the central square standing about, at least four armed vehicles with machine guns sitting… waiting… don’t know what for. Maybe I don’t want to know. My bus leaves for the border with Ecuador at 12:45.

[…later on]

Turns out that the machine gun toting military lot were there to police the crowd of axe-welding lunatic mothers and their terrorist-like children with sharpened teeth who had turned out to celebrate the festival of the arrival of the three kings with their Gold, Frankenstein and Grrr (la fiesta des tres reios I think). Overkill perhaps? Hmm…

Anyway, before long I was back on the bus and heading north to Ecuador. The sunset into the pacific to the left of me, and the foothills of the Andes rose to the right. This job ain’t so bad.

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Graham Hughes is a British adventurer, presenter, filmmaker and author. He is the only person to have travelled to every country in the world without flying. From 2014 to 2017 he lived off-grid on a private island that he won in a game show, before returning to the UK to campaign for a better future for the generations to come.

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Tam

    Oh darl, it sounds sh*t, what a rocky start, but it will all be worth it in the end. You’re only just warming up, you’ll be “Super Gray” (Extreme Traveller, who needs a Lonley Planet, I laugh in the face of this kind of stress) Graham in no time!
    You’re doing it babe, your’re already a legend!
    Love your sis
    Tam
    xx

  2. Nicola Bourne

    Hi,

    Just letting you know that we are keeping up with your adventure here at WaterAid, I really hope you manage to find another copy of the Lonely Planet guide. The bus journeys sound crazy – hope you managed to get some sleep!

    Have a great day, best wishes
    WaterAid Events Team

  3. Sarah

    hey Gray, wow its so entertainiung reading everything you have been doing, it sounds so full on though but your blogs are so clever and funny so keep it up, it will all be worth it in the end!! We are looking after mands for ya, looking forward to reading more! im about to make a donation…

    Sarah and pabs

  4. James in Melbourne

    Hey Graham,

    I’m a mate of Ian’s in Melbourne, he told me about your odyssey a few weeks back and showed me some of your film work – really impressive mate.

    The whole concept is brilliant and its absolutely inspiring to see you getting out there and doing something like this. In fact it has inspired me to pursue a film project of my own as I’m travelling throughout south-east Asia and India this year.

    It sounds like the first leg of the journey is throwing up a few minor bumps, no doubt there’ll be plenty of surprises along the way.

    You are living the dream Graham! While most of us are rotting away in our own Groundhog Days, you are out there seeing every country on the planet!!

    Will be keenly following your trip, take care – and good luck!

    Cheers,

    James.

  5. Peter

    Nice one Graham – have only just found your website but will be reading regularly from now on!

  6. Mel

    Aw Gray, your last video blog made me cry like a girl. Not the missing the bus part (which was of course a serious bummer but you recovered in typical Graham style) but the saying good bye to Mandy part – ouch. Christ! Killer. Promise to give her a squeeze for you. You’re doing ace though mate! We’re all proud of you. Han’s got me logging in every day to check on your progress. He reckon’s it’s the best thing he’s ever seen! I’m inclined to agree. You’re living your dream darls and you’ll do great. Be safe ok.
    – M
    xoxo

  7. Claire Meadows

    Hey Graham, my mum works in the college with Mandy back in lovely Bootle and suggested I should check this out as a means of carrying on my avoidance of University revision at all costs. Pretty impressed. Will look forward to reading about the rest of your trip. Good luck.

    Claire.

  8. Michelle

    Hi Gra,

    Great footage! Happy new year and travels. Can you do a running total of countries visited so far on your website? We want to sponsor you per country…

    Love Michelle and Daniel xxx

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