2009-2010 Pre-Walk Article
Just finished up working the summer at Lake Powell Resort near Page, Arizona, and ready for my next big walk. Leaving Page, Arizona November 9th 2009 and walking south for Phoenix, then west for San Diego, north to San Fransisco, east to Sacramento, south to Barstow, and east for Las Vegas and back to Page, Arizona by about March 1st. Looks like about 2200 miles, so at about 20 miles a day, it should take me about 3 to 4 months. Looking forward to getting back on the road walking again. I fell off my bike last winter when my seat post bolt broke, and fell right on my tail bone. Chiropractor took x-rays and said I compressed some discs, so I had to quit my job in Florida and take a couple months off. Real boring not working or having a walk going on. Did a little bit of walking, biking, reading, and watching way to much TV, but way to many hours in a day if I do not have something like work or a adventure going on.
So far I have walked 20,161 miles across the USA, Europe, UK, Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. I have about 18,000 more miles to walk across Asia, Africa, and South America to break the Guinness Book World Record of 38,000 miles for walking around the world, set by Arthur Blessit (www.blessitt.com). Although they no longer list his world walking record in their book every year, they skipped 5 years, then put it in the 2007 edition with a photo of him dragging his cross. Plus he is still walking about one month a year dragging a big wooden cross and preaching about Jesus and adding to his total. So I might have a hard time catching up with him and passing him till he quits walking.
I will be working till November 1st 2009 at The Lake Powell Resort near Page, Arizona if anyone wants me to give a free talk about my world walk to any local schools or groups. Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also email me if I will be passing by your area on my walk and you want me to stop by for a visit or to give a talk to your local school or club. I just gave a talk at the local Desert View Elementry School and was interviewed at the local radio station here in Page, Arizona.
Not sure about my next walk. I probably will go back to work at Lake Powell Resort next spring and then maybe fly to Adana, Turkey in the fall of 2010 and continue my walk across Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and India if I can get a visa for Iran. Or I could fly to London in the spring and walk across Northern Europe and part of Asia. I usually only plan the next 6 months and then have several different options for the next 6 months. Will have to check the weather, road conditions, visa requirements, etc. Will have to see about getting a visa for Iran. So if anybody knows anyone in Iran that could help me get a visa for winter 2010 let me know. Maybe if I contact some kind of school or sporting organization they might sponsor a visa for me.
Every night right after sunset I pitch my tent just off the road and get a good nights sleep. Up one hour before sunrise every morning, I cook up a single pot of oatmeal, with 2 eggs, instant coffee, sugar and sometimes chocolate stirred in, while sitting on my sleeping bag. Then I break camp and start walking just about as the sun rises. Usually I average about 20 miles a day, stopping to shop for food, take rest breaks, talk to locals, go swimming, and enjoy observing the local plants, animals, and people. Lots of nice people stop to talk and ask me what I am doing. People are always giving me food, drink, advice, and sometimes invite me into their home for a home cooked meal, hot shower, and to stay over. Always makes me appreciate my favorite things in life, a hot shower, home cooked meal, and friendly people.
Still using Teva Wraptor (www.teva.com) running sandals 90% of the time and some leather walking shoes like Rockport or Clarks when it is cold or raining. With my Gore-Tex suit and wool pants and sweater on, I can walk through any cold weather. Also using Udderly Smooth Udder Cream on my feet to keep them blister free. Wal-mart sells it in their pharmacy dept.
I write a weekly article about my journey on my Asus netbook computer and post it with photos on my website at www.walkingman.org. Just bought a Nikon Coolpix digital camera, so I should be able to post more recent photos with my weekly articles. Also have a few new Walkingman comic strips about my walk drawn by Micheal Treat on my website. You can also see an ABC News video and a Youtube video with me walking and answering questions. My webmaster Mike Kreidel has a real cool flash movie with photos of people I met and the song Walk 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. My webmaster is also redoing my website with new software so I can post my own journal and photos with my new computer and camera as I travel. I have been emailing my articles to him and having him post them.
Lots of people ask me why I am walking around the world. I tell them I am doing it for fun, adventure, exercise, and a cheap way to see the world. Every day I get to see the sun rise and set, meet lots of nice people, get lots of good exercise, and something unusual happens to me everyday. You never know what’s going to happen, whom you will meet, or what the weather will be like. It always reminds me of reading my favorite books like "The Hobbit"by JRR Tolkien, "Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins, or "Siddharta" by Herman Hesse. You never know what kind of adventure you will have, what you will learn, who you will meet, or how your life will be changed. . Always nice to lay down in my tent after a full day of walking, watch the moon and stars, and think about what happened over the course of the day.
Email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or from my website at www.walkingman.org. I got rid of my pocketmail computer and email address, If you have any questions or comments about my walk. I always enjoy hearing from anybody that is interested in my world walk and always take the time to answer all emails as soon as I can. I might take a while to answer as it will be a long way between towns with wifi reception for my computer, but be patient and I will answer all emails.
Keep on Walking, Life is Amazing. Singing Zippity Do Dah, All Day Long.
Gary Walkingman Hause.