Previous journeys had taught me the danger of taking too much stuff.

These days no one challenges us,' he said. 'And because there is no challenge, there is no reason to work hard. And with no reason to work hard, we have all become lazy.

Contemplation is a luxury, requiring time and alternatives.

The taste for glory can make ordinary men behave in extraordinary ways.

Move to a new country and you quickly see that visiting a place as a tourist, and actually moving there for good, are two very different things.

There can be few situations more fearful than breaking down in darkness on the highway leading to Casablanca. I have rarely felt quite so vulnerable or alone.

Lured by the wilderness, and by the chance of spotting rare desert elephants, a few intrepid tourists make their way to the Skeleton Coast each year. It's just about as remote as any tourist destination on earth, but one that pays fabulous dividends.