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Hometown

Athens, Greece

Location now

Bangkok, Thailand

Work published

Odysseus' Last Stand, is my book detailing seven years on a bicycle around the world. The book won the Silver Medal for Travel Book of the Year in 2006 from the Society of American Travel Writers. I have a short story in the new book: Cycling's Greatest Misadventures. My articles appear regularly in Tom Yum Magazine, Untamed Travel, and the Nation (Thailand's leading English newspaper) to mention but a few.

Travel philosophy

Have less money and more time, take the road less traveled, and take the time to get out of your comfort zone and out of the box, you will be all the more enriched for it.

Craziest place

Probably Georgia, after it separated from the Soviet Union. Police officers chasing down cars to bribe them, then sharing a bottle of whiskey after issuing a "parking ticket."

Bizarre experience

Being served sheep's eyeballs as the guest of honor in Kyrghyzstan, being beaten with sticks in the sauna as the guest of honor in Uzbekistan, being chased up a mountain pass on my bicycle by an entire village of naked boys in China, and being handed sweet potatoes to eat on a daily basis by Dani warriors (who are former headhunters) in Irian Jaya (West Papua).

Advice

Take the time to drink lots of tea.

Dream destination

Bhutan, just because I cant afford the entry tour fees that the government levies. Also, Arunachal Pradesh in India, which is still slightly off limits and difficult to visit without a tour.

Traveled before

Just about everywhere in the world, most extensively in Asia

Going next

Leaving for northern Pakistan in two weeks, to try to get to Concordia and K2 Basecamp, known by many as the "Throneroom of the Mountain Gods."