This website illuminates my life and adventures. My longing for freedom has led me to over 2600 of the world’s 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the summit of the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come see the world as I see it: as a peaceful place, full of nature and beauty. With the right spirit and intent, we can make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.
DISTINCTIONS: BBC 2017 Travel Pioneer • Journal Articles • Explorer’s Club Flag Expeditions
World Parks Project • Walk Across South America • Jeff Shea Travel Map
Seram, Cornelius, 2006 - Cornelius lived in Lafoko, a place in the interior of Seram which had few if any other people living there. He came to Pak Manu's house. Martinus put him up to pretending to be one of the Suku Terasing. But actually, he admitted, his was not. He had serious medical problems. There are no doctors in the rain forest, at least not here. I sent some medicine for worms through an intermediary (to give to Dunias to give to Cornelius), just in case that worms were the cause of his problem. It is an ethical question of whether it is better to administer medicine with a chance for possible cure (and very low probability of side effects) or to simply do nothing, in which case he would certainly continue to suffer.
Man Carrying Wood
Slovenia, Bled Prov, Mountain
Laos, Attapeu, Woman And Child
Slovenia, Crensovci Prov, White House, 2008 -
Slovenia, Bistrica ob Sotli Prov, Insect On Stalk
Mali, Bankass, Dogon Falaise, 1987 - We arrived in Bankas shortly before sunset. I rushed to a Campenent and paid 500 CFA to leave my unnecessary baggage there overnight. They tried to convince me to take a guide for 6000CFA, then 2500 CFA out to the Dogon village. I preferred to walk to the Falaise (escarpment) by myself under the night sky and bright moon. One of the men sitting by said I could find it myself. The prospective guide walked me to the edge of the village and pointed the way. I stuck to my 2000 CFA offer hoping it would be declined.
A group of his friends stood by. It was suggested that I might encounter a sorceror on the road. It was also pointed out to me that I don?t speak Dogon. One man asked for my address. I said I?d give it on my return tomorow. He shook my hands, and with an eerie glint in his eye, he said in French, ""I might be dead by tomorrow or maybe you will be.? I thought, 'If that the case then there?s really no use in us exchanging addresses, is there?' All these forms of cheap intimdation only served to convince me I wanted to go alone. I bragged to them how I travelled in far more dangerous places, how I got by using hands and expresssions instead of language. I departed. It was very beautiful out there, quiet, moonlit. I had a cigarette, then started considering if there really were sorcerors and got just a tiny bit spooked. I came to a village. A man was crying out a chant loud and long, echoing into the muted sounds of women and chidren bathing at the well in the dark. After an hour, I stopped and fell asleep in the deep sand of the road. I awoke suddenly and peered to see a man and a donkey. He sensed my alarm! He wanted to put my bag on his donkey but I declined & he moved on. As I had planned, I walked until I thought I was within about two kilometers of Inde. I made camp in the sand. I had a few coffees and fixed dinner. After a hot chocolate I slept.
N Ireland, Limavady Prov, Farmstead
UK, Barnsley Prov, Beautiful Woman
Djibouti, Lake Asal, 2002 - Lake Asal in Djibouti is the saltiest body of water in the world, having a salt content ten times that of normal seawater. In 1984 I floated in the Dead Sea in Israel, noting my body was half out of the water. In 2002, I floated in Lake Asal and noted that my body was more than half out of the water! I had to wash off my body when I got out, as the salt crystals began to cake on my legs.