The Journey: Around the World

By Vinod Mahbubani

The author recounts the true story of his travels. His adventures begin in Boston and end some five months later along The Great Wall of China. The journey sees him take in several of the worlds most important landmarks in around eighty towns and cities over a staggering 40,000 mile journey. Thats quite some adventure!

Whether its the Niagara Falls in North America, the Rainforest in Australia or Tropical Islands in Asia, there is something for everyone in this epic journey spanning four of the worlds six continents.

Across oceans, deserts and distant lands, there is a story to tell, packed with adventure and experiences of a different kind. Come join me on this special journey and may it encourage you to explore and discover the world on a similar journey of your own.

5 star rating on Amazon - "An entertaining read, substantially well written, informative and packed with invaluable traveller's tips. I thoroughly recommend it and whatsmore, I'll be looking out for Vinod's next book." Tracey Gaul

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Apr 23, 2008
• ISBN: 9781467878944

Vinod Mahbubani

Born Vinod Anil Mahbubani in Gibraltar, the author completed his secondary education there before moving to the UK to complete a BA (Hons) in Management, Spanish and Italian at The University of Leeds. As part of his degree course, he spent valuable stints in Florence, Italy, and Malaga, Spain. On graduating, he ventured south to London where his career took off working as a Media Researcher for The Press Association and then a Marketing Manager for Dow Jones International. At the same time, he worked as a part time Tour Director for EF Educational Tours, taking up to sixty North American based students and adults on ten to fifteen day cultural tours of Western Europe. His position with Dow Jones saw him work out of its Paris office for two years, before he returned to his native Gibraltar where he currently resides and worksin Sales and Marketing.

Book preview

Contents

Author’s Profile

Real Life Work

Acknowledgements

1

Touchdown at Boston

2

New York, New York

3

Bonjour Montreal

4

Niagara Falls

5

Fast Food and Chicago Greats

6

Nation’s Capital

7

Longest Pleasure Beach

in the World

8

Fortresses and Slave Plantations

9

Fashion Designers and

American Sports

10

Cuban Connection

11

Museums, Mountains and

American Indians

12

Hurricane Katrina and the

French Quarter

13

Desert Cacti and Cowboys

14

Missions and Ghost Towns

15

The Grand Canyon

16

Movie Land and its Stars

17

Hammering Men and Gold Diggers

18

Heads of State and Little Britain

19

The World’s Sixth Biggest Economy

20

Las Vegas, City of Fun

21

World Famous Zoo

22

Welcome to Mexico

23

Capital City of Culture

24

Creation of the Place of Gods

25

Hill of Frogs

26

Golden Gate and The Rock

27

Fiji Beckons

28

Pacific Island Dream

29

Sugar Cane Fields and Giant Geckos

30

In the Land of Oz

31

Kangaroos Unite

32

The Red Centre

33

Desert Camels and Ayer’s Rock

34

King’s Canyon

35

Flying Doctors and Schools

of the Air

36

Crocodile Rivers and

Virgin Beaches

37

The Rainforest

38

Meeting Aborigines

39

Underwater World

40

The Buddhist Way of Life

41

The World’s Longest

Serving Monarch

42

Floating Markets and

Famous Bridges

43

Ruined Cities and Crocodile Farms

44

Lady Boys and Sugar Daddies

45

Biking around Ko Samui

46

Tsunamis and Setbacks

47

Skylines, Star Ferries, and

Giant Escalators

48

Happy Valley and the Boat People

49

Outer Islands and Ocean Park

50

Macau and Beyond

51

Train Ride to Beijing

52

The World’s Fastest

Growing Economy

53

Olympic City

54

The Forbidden City

55

The World’s Longest Wall

Epilogue

Home Sweet Home

TRAVEL TIPS

Prior To Setting Off

Pre-departure, or during

the trip itself

Advantages of Travelling Abroad

Abbreviations

Imperial to Metric Conversion Guide

Content

Thinking of Publishing a Book?

Travel Quotes

With Thanks

Why Others Would Want

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Author’s Profile 

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Born Vinod Anil Mahbubani in Gibraltar, the author completed his secondary education in his hometown before moving to the UK to complete a BA (Hons) in Management, Spanish and Italian at The University of Leeds. As part of his degree course, he spent valuable stints in Florence, Italy, and Malaga, Spain.

On graduating, he ventured south to London where his career took off working as a Media Researcher for The Press Association and then a Marketing Manager for Dow Jones International. At the same time, he worked as a part-time Tour Director for EF Educational Tours, taking up to sixty North American based students and adults on ten to fifteen day cultural tours of Western Europe. His position with Dow Jones saw him work out of its Paris office for two years, before he returned to his native Gibraltar where he currently resides and works in international real estate.

Real Life Work 

This book is not a work of fiction, but rather a work based on real life events, places, and people. In other words, it is the adventures and experiences that unfold during the journey that remain central to the work. It is this too, first and foremost, that the writer wishes to share with his readers in the hope that it might encourage them to embark on a journey of their own; a journey in which they may explore and discover their very own experiences and adventures.

Acknowledgements 

To my best friend, father and mentor, Mr. G. Singh Dhillon for his creative inspiration; my beloved late mother Mrs. J. L. Mahbubani for being my best teacher in the English language; my good friend Ms. B. Poussier for being the ideal travel companion; my learned colleague Mr. S. Attias for encouraging me to publish the work; my proof readers Mrs. N. Krull and Mr. R. Mitchell for their editorial experience; my DTP designer, Mr. P. Pryszlak; my cover and maps designer, Fine Design; and my family and friends in New York, Miami, Gatlinburg, Phoenix, Santa Barbara, Sydney and Hong Kong, for kindly putting us up during our travels; a special thank you to you all.

Last but by no means least, sincere thanks to the good Lord without whose wonderful creation there would not be a story to write about; and thank you too for your grace and support in helping bring this book to fruition.

The

Journey

1

Touchdown at Boston 

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The day had finally arrived. Our destinations had been chosen and our tickets had been booked with plenty of time to spare. With all the planning in place, all that remained was to board flight BA456 to Boston, our first port of call. It was a mild September morning.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vinnie and my travelling companion’s name is Anita. Together we had decided that we would like to realise a lifelong dream of travelling around the world. So here we were at the departure gate in London’s Heathrow Airport about to board our first flight of eight in all; a round trip that was going to take us on a 40,000 mile journey around the world. Awesome! Note how I was already practising my American English to good effect.

As I boarded the flight, I can still recollect my feelings. My adrenalin was high, and as the plane’s engines purred to life I experienced a slight shiver up my spine as it finally dawned on me that weeks of planning had led to this moment. I was leaving Europe for my first ever visit to America.

As the plane was leaving London behind, I wondered when we might touch down on European soil again as we had booked open tickets valid for up to 365 days travel, so when exactly we would return…nobody knew! Still, this was a time to look forward, so dismissing any thoughts about my return I sat quietly and imagined what adventures and discoveries might lay before me. Ultimately, only the Gods above knew, but I was relishing the prospect with a sense of awe and excitement, and a sense of learning and fun.

What can I tell you about our first stop in Boston? It is probably the best place for a European to start a tour of the USA because it contains a lot of European culture and gently introduces you to the American way of life.

First impressions and Bostonians look rather similar to their European counterparts; not surprising when you consider that the first European settlers around Boston were of Irish, Portuguese and Italian origin. Whatsmore, the language spoken is a common one for English speaking people.

What about Boston’s infrastructure? Well, its airport was clean and welcoming, while its subway was tidy and efficient.

How about the differences? We had heard all the stories about things being bigger in America – the size of Europe can apparently squeeze into the State of Texas alone – but now we were actually witnessing it for ourselves. The first evident difference was the imposing skyscraper landscape that surrounded us; a landscape that seems integral to big city American architecture.

Judge for yourself whether you prefer to be surrounded and dwarfed by towering glass and metal buildings, or if you would be happier with Europe’s on average five rather than fifty floor buildings. As a wise Bostonian pointed out, ‘If an earthquake were to hit America and Europe at the same time, surely the Europeans who lived in lower buildings would have a greater chance of survival.’

The next thing that caught my eye was America’s huge food malls. This is a great idea as it allows the consumer a wider choice of both national and international cuisine all under one roof. The concept of ‘Big in America’ also spreads to its bigger roads, bigger cars, and bigger food portions. But more on that later.

The main reason why Boston is a great city to start your tour of the USA is because the story of America starts right here. Being the largest city in America around the 1750s, it was Boston that was most directly affected by the whims of the British Crown. It was here that Bostonians first took up opposition against colonial rule which led to a revolutionary war and finally American independence in 1776. Imagine how history would have changed had Bostonians remained servants to the British Crown and America as a consequence remained a British colony to this day.

So a visit to Boston gives us the opportunity to discover how the American nation came about. A walk along its Freedom Trail traces the country’s independence and covers the famous historical events of The Boston Tea Party, The Boston Massacre, and The Battle at Bunker Hill; all of which led to America’s independence from its colonial power.

There is a second reason why I have included these historic events within my account of Boston. For someone who had to study history during his school days and The American War of Independence in particular, a visit to this city is a must for it brings to life what it was like back in the days when Americans were fighting for their independence from the mother country.

Take The Boston Tea Party for example. A walk down the local harbour allows visitors to simulate the actual event. So what happens? You board a colonial ship, lift up a sealed box supposedly containing tea, and chuck it overboard in defiance of the British colonial tea tax introduced at the time. It was this simple act by a few rebellious natives back in the day which was the first open display of discontent toward the British Crown. Whatsmore, it was this very small – yet significant – act that was to lead to the full blown War of Independence right across America in only a matter of days.

Getting to simulate the whole act and chuck the tea overboard myself, made me feel mighty good. It was as if history had suddenly moved from boring to fascinating and enthralling, for it was like I was suddenly re-living it and could fully identify with what the colonists were going through.

Having taken in the historical delights of Boston, a visit to the city would be incomplete without a stop at its internationally famous University of Harvard. While visiting, why not pick up that special Harvard souvenir sweatshirt just to let the world know that you made it to university too; and not just any university, but one of America’s finest.

2

New York, New York 

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Following a short train ride south from Boston, we arrived at New York’s famous Pennsylvania Station in the early evening. As we walked out onto New York’s streets for the very first time, the culture shock that is New York was about to take over!

I will never forget it. There we were, two Europeans looking somewhat lost with our backpacks, standing on one of New York’s sidewalks. In no time at all, we found ourselves being accosted by a couple of shady characters in what was reputedly one of New York’s rather dark and dingy streets.

To our left, a homeless character was happily rapping away to himself while staring at us as if we were Martians; while to our right, there appeared a suspicious looking individual who was initiating conversation of an unwanted kind.

Add to this, the fact that it was evening and back home we had seen several unsavoury gangster movies set in New York by night. Cast your mind back to The Warriors for example, a somewhat scary late 70s flick set in New York’s mean streets; or the more recent Gangs of New York, an ultra violent film covering the lives of real gangs in 19th century New York. Okay, so this was the 21st century, but all told, it was of no comfort at all to us being where we were.

Indeed, the vibe was not good at all, and I wanted out fast! My main concern was Anita’s safety. God alone knows her parents would never have forgiven me should anything happen to her while out on the trip.

I quickly grabbed her hand and together we crossed the avenue to what appeared to be the safer side. My eyes scanned the street in the hope of finding some accommodation where we would at least feel safe. Luck had it that there was a sign which read ‘Hostel’ above non-other than a ‘Sex Shop’. With no real alternative choice, we secured two mattresses for the night – no real beds here, only mattresses huddled together – and forked out $50 USD for the privilege!

I relate this anecdote because it is still so vivid in my mind and my stay in New York would be incomplete without a mention of it. It also serves to offer first-time travellers to the city some invaluable lessons. Firstly, be safe and try to arrive in New York by day. Be aware that in a city of eighteen odd million inhabitants, you are likely to come across the odd shady character.

Whatsmore, do note that the city can be very expensive, so be prepared for this. Finally, given the choice, opt to stay in a decent place while in New York if at all possible, for expensive though it may be, a large part of your final impression of the city will stem from where you stay; so the investment in a good hotel is likely to make your visit all the more memorable.

First impressions aside, New York’s charm came alive the following morning as we managed to locate my cousin who lived in the city and was kind enough to put us up during our stay. Having settled in at his apartment, we could not wait to head outside and explore the city’s many delights.

Arguably one of the greatest things about travelling around the States is that if you are a film buff who enjoys Hollywood movies or American TV shows, the country becomes all the more exciting to explore. Remember the sitcom Cheers set in a Boston bar, for example? Well, we were lucky enough to visit the bar that inspired the series during our stay in Boston.

Yet the city of New York boasts many more locations that have been used as movie sets, and your visit will offer recollections of some great American movie or TV show. Remember the delightful comedy series Friends set in Central Perk? It is ‘Perk’ because that is the name of the café the six friends hang out in and it is a play on words with New York’s own, Central Park.

Or perhaps you might recall one of the many romantic comedies or action adventures that have used New York’s majestic skyline as a backdrop! Interestingly, the concept of using various parts of a city as one big movie set is not only true of New York, but also of other cities like Miami and Los Angeles too.

So what is there to visit while on a stay in New York? Well, Europe lacks the skyscrapers that America has, so why not start our visit here! We headed towards downtown Manhattan and one of the world’s tallest buildings, The Empire State Building. Standing below it for the first time and looking right up, I couldn’t help but feel that this was a great engineering feat; a colossal, concrete giant right in the heart of Manhattan Island.

Rising to over a hundred floors and reaching a height of some 1400 feet, it came as no surprise that the bird’s eye view on offer from the top was unsurpassed, and it made me feel as if I was standing on top of the world!

Similar panoramic views of New York can be enjoyed from the city’s Rockefeller Center. Take the elevator up to the 70th floor and you will be rewarded with fabulous views of the city’s Park and skyline.

On the subject of skyscrapers, we must reserve a mention for Freedom Tower, the construction project that will pay homage to the Twin Towers which graced New York’s skyline pre 9/11. When completed, Freedom Tower will stand 1,776 feet, a number that symbolizes the year in which America won its independence from Britain.

With reference to these high rise buildings, it is their accumulation across Manhattan which forms part of a metropolitan ideal where the goal was to exploit technology by building cities in the sky to offer lighter and airier homes. As one New Yorker put it, ‘The skyscraper delivers the American Dream in this way, while The Statue of Liberty inspires it.’

And what a Statue it is! We caught the free ferry service from Manhattan to Staten Island across the Hudson River to get a closer look at one at the world’s most famous icons. Conceived in 1865 in France by engineer Gustav Eiffel and standing some 150 feet high, the Statue of Liberty was France’s gift to America to celebrate its final abolishment of slavery and its centenary of independence. It arrived in 1886 on Ellis Island, a small island just off Manhattan.

Before 9/11, visitors could walk up its spiral staircase that rose up to Liberty’s crown and get a magnificent view of the bay and skyline beyond. Sadly, post 9/11 it has been closed to visitors. In a conversation with a New Yorker, he questioned whether ‘…actually closing the site down was an indication that terror – rather than liberty – had won the day;’ so much so,