Karl Bushby, a man who has spent 27 years journeying around the world on foot, has shared his experiences of traveling through some of the most daunting places on Earth.
At 29, Bushby began his trek from Punta Arenas, Chile, with the aim of returning to the UK entirely on foot, avoiding all forms of transport.
Now aged 56, Bushby is nearing England, although he faces the challenge of potentially swimming across the English Channel from France.
Discussing this upcoming obstacle with CBS News, he remarked, “Swimming sucks, dude. It just sucks. I’m not a swimmer. I don’t like it.”
As he approaches the end of his extraordinary journey, Bushby confessed to feeling ‘uncomfortable’ and likened the conclusion to retiring from a long career.
In a conversation with CBS’ Ramy Inocencio, Bushby recounted some of the most frightening experiences from his 27 years of travel.
One of the most terrifying moments for Bushby occurred in 2000 when he traversed the Darién Gap, a treacherous area of rainforest between Panama and Colombia that lacks roads.
He described the region as being ‘in the middle of a war zone’, explaining, “There was a whole layer above that that was cartels and drug plantations, and then really, really tough jungle.”
Bushby also made history by becoming the first Brit to cross the Bering Strait, which lies between the Pacific and Arctic oceans.
During this passage, he encountered a polar bear, prompting him to reflect, “You’re in a very serious world that will kill you in 20 minutes if you mess up.”
In another interview, Bushby spoke about the challenges he faced throughout his 27-year trek.
Speaking on BBC Radio Humberside in June, he stated, “We’ve run into a lot of complications with visa problems, financial crises, the pandemic: we’ve had it all.
“It’s been extremely difficult but we’ve always stuck to our guns and never been willing to compromise on the route.”
Denied passage through Russia or Iran, Bushby had to resort to swimming across the Caspian Sea, becoming the first person to achieve this feat.
This vast body of water spans over 143,000 square miles and is bordered by Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran.