Stories from my travels to 195 countries of the world
As the subtitle suggests, this book is a collection of anecdotes from the author’s travels to all of the United Nations recognized countries of the world, plus some that maybe one day will become countries. From the UK, ...
As the subtitle suggests, this book is a collection of anecdotes from the author’s travels to all of the United Nations recognized countries of the world, plus some that maybe one day will become countries. From the UK, his first country visited, to Cabo Verde, his final country visited, the book is packed with quirky observations of everyday life across the continents. There are amusing misunderstandings due to language issues in Japan, Iran, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, scenes at border crossings into Serbia, Zimbabwe and Paraguay, total embarrassment in a hotel corridor in Germany and an aircraft hangar in Indonesia, the joys of having a local haircut in Antigua, Cuban Miami, Hulhumale and Krabi, surviving brushes with a civil war in South Sudan, Islamic police in Iran, surfers in Australia, a coup in Libya, Kalashnikovs in Equatorial Guinea, a reggae club in Kingston Jamaica, gypsies in Romania, a police search in Gambia and Transnistrian gangsters in Ukraine, but a headlong fall into the trap set by the most dangerous of them all, time-share sellers in Cyprus. Every country gets a mention, sometimes more, sometimes less, with a charmingly tongue-in-cheek style not to be taken too seriously. The book is not a travel guide; it is simply memories, anecdotes and stories split into chapters named with hidden meanings, written in a roughly chronological way, and contains several references at semi-appropriate moments to some of the authors favorite songs and artists. The title is words from the mouth of the author’s wife who didn’t fully understand the purpose of his lifelong mission to visit all the countries of the world, but nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed the holidays in some very non-holiday places.
Author
Walty Ladder was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North-East of England during the frozen winter of 1962/63 when the snow was so bad that his mother couldn’t take him out in the pram until the tender age of three months. During his childhood he became fascinated by his father’s stories and numerous trinkets around the house from his days as a Merchant Navy seaman visiting all corners of the world. This, combined with inheriting an old relative’s stamp collection, gave him a burning desire to traverse the globe. This desire started to become a reality when entering a lifelong career in aviation that gave him the opportunity to travel to many far-flung places, in addition to living half his life in the UK and half in France, interspersed with periods of living in Spain and India. He continues to be a philatelist, which has also given him a deep interest in the history of world geopolitics. His love of rock music has nothing to do with philately or geopolitics. Walty is now retired from his aviation career and lives a simple life on the south coast of France with his wife of nearly forty years, whilst their two grown-up children continue the family tradition of living elsewhere, both on outpost islands in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.
"A wonderfully entertaining collection of travel stories from someone who has truly seen the world. The humor, unexpected adventures, and cultural encounters make this a fascinating read. Highly recommended for travel lovers—definitely worth picking up on Amazon."
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