Here you can follow Smithy's exploits as
he circumnavigates the world, most likely leaving a trail of devastation and
utter confusion in his wake.
Unfortunately sometimes when travelling things
go badly wrong.Here is a story that I think needs to be on my web site. I
have been in contact with the lads mother to try and help them due to my
experience of traisping around the sewers of ASIA.
Hopefully something will break and Eddie returns safely.
Eddie Gibson has not been heard from since
October 24th when he emailed his mother to say he was planning to return to
UK from Cambodia on a flight due to leave Bangkok, Thailand on 1st November.
He was last seen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and is not thought to have crossed
the border into Thailand to catch the flight.
Reply from his mother to me.
=====================
Hi Martin
Tks for you info.
Yes we have searched Sikouville intensly but although the police and private
investigators have done checks on the borders of Ko Kong we have not
searched their.
At the moment we are into a big investigation into Cambodia, Phnom Penh and
Poi Pet particularly as these places seem to be the last place Eddie was
seen. One of eddies best friends in searching in Thailand and Cambodia for
him too. Many of us have been to
cambodia too.
It has now been 10 months since eddie dissappeared and i really find it hard
to understand that if nothing bad has happened to him, why would he not get
in touch, he was a family boy.
Tks for you help,
Kind regards Jo Gibson eddies mum
Many lads have asked me what ´spirtual enlightment´did I get on this trip !!
Well thats a hard one, but I can say with the advent of INET and Mobile
phones you are NEVER out of touch so this BULLEN SCHEISE that mostly German
and Israeli travellers talk of getting ´spirtual enlightenment´is pure
bollix.
What I learned is as follows :
1. MONEY STILL NUMBER 1
(with the exception , ME number one, if I hold the wallet.....)
2. Being born in the ´West´ is just like winning a lottery, we dont know our
luck.We dont know whats its like to starve.
3. Poverty is the killer.
4. Most people friendly and I met many wonderful people on this trip.Its the
governments who have set us all against each other.
5.Maybe I did get ´spirtual enlightenment´I shaved me head and looked like a
monk !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Yes the trip ended just like that.A Tommy Cooper end ´just like that´!!
Time now to reflect on the effort....
This trip although SOLO , I was backed up by team AILA.
My visit to these legends in South America in
the year 2002/2003 gave me the spark for my RTW. Pestering both the lads
with emails regarding my potential route etc I then went off and did me
trip.Thanks lads for the inspiration. See their website www.ihana.com (they
now operate an agency for 4*4 adventure tours in South America) also see
thier 2 year incrediable trip www.ihana.com/big_trip
A phone call on November 24th 2004 from Europes
Nr 1 contractor on the eve of my journey and the immortal words were
spoken...´Smitty , Let me do you a website ´´
Thousands of photos later and stories we have the monster called
www.aila.keydeck.com
Comments from other travellers such as ´this is the best site on the net´etc
can all be attributed to Roger's unique web design.This website has indeed
generated much talk and speculation. THANKS MAN.
Route Planners
IHANA.COM, Adrian O Connor (Advice on India and seeing me off)
MORAL and IMMORAL Support
Many lads rang me at many stages of my trip.I must say a great thanks to
these lads as they lifted me at low points and saved me when I was about to
go over the edge (Pattaya,Thailand.)
Lads --- forever Thanks.
you are ...
Noel Black Berlin, Peter Devitt Prague, Holger Jansen , Australia, JP Phelan
, New Zealand, Me Mother and me brothers and sisters, Oliver Mallon, Ashley
Glass and Chris Hruby USA.
LAYOVERS
On me trip I stayed with the following people.THANKS for saving me from
hostel overload !!
Holger and Thaila, Australia
JP Phelan and Bernadette, New Zealand
Wille Wade and his wife ,Australia
Sylvie and Rainer, Bolivia
The Grunt
Thanks to me,the grunt, who did the journeys,the bus trips, the
nightflights,the dragging of the rucksack,oh Jesus I get tired just thinking
of it.....
Thanks to all who lived the journey through my website, those who used and
even abused the guestbook, you made made eveings fun when I was sitting in
the INET shop on the todd.
To the other travellers I met, thanks.You made this journey special,
