by Neil Rawlins

By the late 1970’s & early 1980s the classic Overland tours between London and Kathmandu, which had had their beginnings in the mid-1960s, were drawing to a close. The Soviets had occupied Afghanistan, the Shah of Iran had been deposed and an Islamic State established. In Iraq Saddam Hussain was about to embark on a devastating war with Iran and the seeds of unrest were lying latent in Syria. This was the scenario when the author embarked upon his career as a tour guide on the Overland routes across Asia to Kathmandu. This book is a continuation of the author’s previous Kindle book – One Foot in Front of the Other – First Steps, which recounts his experiences travelling the Overland routes in Asia, Europe and in Africa in the halcyon days of the early ’70s.

After 3 years back in New Zealand & a year working on a uranium exploratory drilling-rig in Wyoming, the author completed a training trip with Sundowners in Europe then, as a rooky tour leader headed to Istanbul with coach & driver to collect clients flying in from Kabul before setting off for the Middle East. It was a memorable trip and a precursor for further tours and the Overland routes to and from Kathmandu.For the next 3 years there were the ups and downs of political vagaries to content with, the frustration of border crossing and the sudden introduction of visa requirements. There were happy times and sad times although the happy times always outweighed the sad.
Moving on to Explore Worldwide, the author became involved in operating Camel safaris across the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, leading tours to Kashmir and Ladakh, to Darjeeling and Sikkim as well as Turkey, Jordan and Tunisia.
This book documents the highs & lows of tour leading: the funny incidents and the, not-so-frequent sad episodes. The frustrations dealing some passengers and with bureaucracy on borders, at embassies and elsewhere. But also an insight into the information a tour leader/guide was expected to impart on the places visited.