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I had a lot of romantic notions about what it would mean to cross Asia by foot.

My parents took me around the world when I was young, so I caught the bug. Every person is different when he travels, and every travellers' story is uniquely his own.

I have travelled all over the world and one thing that amazes me is that I can communicate with people. My story may be different but emotionally we are all the same.

You have to remember that although Gandhi and Churchill only met physically once, their paths crossed again and crossed again all over the globe, from London and South Africa and India and back to London. In fact, I discovered that during the Boer War in 1899 they literally passed yards from each other on the battlefield.

From 'Embracing the Wide Sky', I went to the States, to Canada and to different parts of Europe as well. I gave interviews in several languages.

The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.

I sailed around Europe and lived with the Karen tribe in Thailand for a month.

My first inkling of what the Commonwealth might really mean came only when I escaped the oddly British-tinged Asia I had known and went to live in the Philippines.

Travelling is almost like talking with those of other centuries.

My father was a diplomat for part of his life and I jumped from country to country and culture to culture.