Note: This is a revised second edition , first published 2001 by Thomas C Lothian Pty Ltd, Port Melbourne as "Farewell Hippie Heaven." This is a light-hearted celebration of travel and exploration and an account of a personal odyssey. It is a long story, but not the whole story. Some of the byways and detours have been skimmed, glossed over, or even bypassed altogether to leave a volume it is still possible to lift without assistance. Even with those omissions, the narrative quite literally covers a lot of ground. It takes us from England to the 'Outback' of Australia and then meanders back to Europe by the overland route known to recent generations at least - as the 'Hippie Trail' - through Indonesia, South-East Asia, India and via a score of countries back to Europe. It was a long trip. As the journey continued, the seasons came and went and hostilities broke out here and there as I meandered from east to west. Observant readers will notice from the historical references that this is not a very recent story. Although I was born just too late to be a real hippie, this tale definitely has something of the 60's in it – but the events related here occurred in the late 1970's or later. One last point; while the essence of each anecdote in this book is true, some names, locations and inconsequential detail have been changed here and there to protect some identities and to maintain continuity. Everything else - from the gurus and the guns to the bedbugs and the bordellos - is real...