Where does one go in a tremendous city like Calcutta to find insider information? I recalled India's golden rule: do the opposite of what would be normal anywhere else.

The first rule of an expedition is that everyone should stick together.

In Morocco, before you even get to the matter of the sale, you have to coax the owner to sell.

Settling into a new country is like getting used to a new pair of shoes. At first they pinch a little, but you like the way they look, so you carry on. The longer you have them, the more comfortable they become. Until one day without realizing it you reach a glorious plateau. Wearing those shoes is like wearing no shoes at all. The more scuffed they get, the more you love them and the more you can't imagine life without them.

On a harsh expedition, there's no space for anyone who does not intend to finish.

There comes a stage at which a man would rather die cleanly by a bullet than by the unknown terror of the phantom in the forest.

Respect was one thing. Survival was another. It was important that I kept my priorities in the right order.