The world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style and set to music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. 'Best travel podcasts 2020'- The Guardian, 'Thrilling Stuff'-Sunday Times, 'Ear Candy for Listeners' - Washington Post

SPECIAL EPISODE: Surviving Thailand's 2004 Tsunami with Aaron Millar (Adventure Sports Podcast)

January 09, 2024 1:09:00 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Today's episode is a little bit different - because our very own Aaron Millar is our guest! This re-released episode is one of the most memorable conversations he's ever had, and we're very excited to share it with you. In this interview, which originally aired with the Adventure Sports Podcast in 2020, Aaron shares stories from his years as a travel writer - from doing a ridiculous 100-mile pub crawl in Britain to trekking with Shugendo monks in Japan. He also shares a never-before-shared story about surviving Thailand's devastating 2004 tsunami, which you won't want to miss. If you've always been curious to learn more about the man behind the show, sit back and get ready for a conversation that is at times silly, at times sentimental, and at all times thoughtful. FIND MASON AND THE ADVENTURE SPORTS PODCAST Listen to the Adventure Sports Podcast everywhere you can find podcasts, or learn more on their website AdventureSportsPodcast.com. You can also find Mason on Instagram @alive_adventures. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revisiting the Herd at the End of the World: Christine Amour Levar's Journey With the Nenet Reindeer Herders of Siberia

December 25, 2023 0:48:36 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

It's hard to imagine Christmas without reindeer. But long before the beloved antlered animals were pulling Santa's sleigh, they were providing a way of life for indigenous peoples around the world, including the Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula. The Nenets of Siberia’s Yamal Peninsula are among the world’s oldest existing true nomads, making a living by herding reindeer in a place that literally translates to ‘the end of the world.’ And when Christine Amour-Levar learned that she had a third-degree connection to the tribe, she set about arranging an unprecedented trek to accompany them during their southward migration. Five months later, she was leading the largest - and only all-female - group that the Nenets had ever hosted, as they prepared to live, migrate, and journey alongside the tribe for a week. Cozy up and get ready for an episode that celebrates this traditional symbol of the holidays in a decidedly non-traditional way...even including the occasional consumption of fresh reindeer blood. FIND CHRISTINE Follow Christine Amour-Levar on Instagram (@christineamourlevar) or visit her website at christineamourlevar.com for more incredible stories, photos of her expeditions, and more. You can also find her book, Wild Wisdom: Life Lessons From Leading Teams to Some of the Most Inhospitable Places in the World, online or at your local bookstore. Finally, we encourage you to learn more about her two nonprofit organizations, Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth, where you can volunteer, donate - or even sign up for an upcoming expedition yourself! SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bicycles, Bad Violin Playing, and Blank Maps: Redefining Adventure With Alastair Humphreys

December 18, 2023 1:00:52 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

When Alastair Humphreys was young, he craved something unknowable. That something - adventure, excitement, wisdom, whatever it was - was close. But he suspected that in order to find it, he'd have to step outside of the familiar shapes of his routines. He'd have to break free from the expectations of his friends and family, of advanced degrees and office jobs and apartment living. In his search for something, he moved to a rural village in Africa at 18. And after university, he cycled across 6 continents and pedaled the circumference of the globe. But he still hadn't quite found that something - and his quest for it would reveal a truth that would change everything. Whether you're looking for an epic saga about a cross-continental bike trip or the wildest story about playing the violin you've ever heard, you're going to enjoy this episode about the many types of adventure that exist, how we can have them, and why we need them. FIND ALASTAIR Learn more about Alastair, his adventures, and his books at his website, AlastairHumphreys.com, or follow him on Instagram @Al_Humphreys. Find his latest book, Local, wherever books are sold (though we recommend ordering from your local bookshop!). SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born Among the Black Hills: On Location With the Lakota Sioux Nation of South Dakota

December 11, 2023 0:34:39 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

“It's kind of interesting that people that come here to Crazy Horse Memorial, because it's almost like there's a spiritual calling. They don't know quite what it is. But they feel it.” – Paul LaRoche, Lakota tribe member and founder of the band Brulé The great Lakota Sioux Nation have become the international symbol of America’s native people. Over 60,000 Lakota Native Americans live in South Dakota, and they believe that their very creation began in the Black Hills. Join us as we delve deep into South Dakota’s rich native American history and culture. We begin our adventure by stepping out onto the arm of the Crazy Horse memorial with head carver Caleb Zilokowski (the grandson of Korczak Ziolkowski, who started it back in 1947). At the base of Crazy Horse, we join Paul LaRoche who has been coming to Crazy Horse for 25 years with his award-winning band Brulé. Through his music and dance we learn about Paul’s journey back into a Native American life he knew nothing about. Along the way we uncover what makes Native American culture in South Dakota so unique. And as you hear these stories and the history of this fascinating and colorful culture, you’ll soon discover that you need to experience South Dakota for yourself. Find out more at travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Learn more at armchair-productions.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kite-skiing to Mars via Antarctica with Explorer Justin Packshaw

December 04, 2023 0:49:24 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

"Humans are meant to excel. And when you start pushing that and seeing how capable we are, it's phenomenal what you can actually go and do." -Justin Packshaw When Justin Packshaw was trekking in Antarctica several years ago, he noticed something disturbing: The ice shelf had visibly melted since his previous visit, just a few decades prior. "In the grand scheme of how old our world is, and its present state, that's a really quite frightening thing," he said. And with that, he had an idea. Not all scientists have the time, resources, or, frankly, the stamina to conduct invaluable in-person research in the heart of Antarctica, which holds the record as the world's coldest, windiest, and driest continent. But Justin did. He and his adventure partner, Jamie Facer-Childs, proposed a data-gathering mission to several universities: They would cross Antarctica's heart and gather critical scientific data about climate change. But other agencies were interested in the trip as well. As it turns out, pushing the human body to its limits - physically, psychologically, mentally - is one of the key areas of research for space agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency. Justin and Jamie's expedition would collect critical data on behavior, coping abilities, teamwork, endurance, even eyesight, that would be invaluable for future space missions in which astronauts will live for years in a space no larger than a studio apartment. This is a good, old-fashioned adventure romp - but it's more than that too. It's also a story about science, psychology, Mars, and climate change. It's about how we cope with the most extreme physical challenges imaginable and ultimately how that defines us as humans. FIND JUSTIN Learn more about Justin and his adventures at his website, JustinPackshaw.com, or follow him on Instagram @JustinPackshaw. Find more details about the Antarctica expedition at ChasingTheLight2021.com. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Out of the Grocery Store, Into the Field: Discovering the Joys of Slow Food On Location in Yolo County, California

November 27, 2023 0:51:39 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Yolo County in Northern California is one of the world’s premier destinations for slow food. But that doesn’t mean waiting for your dinner - it means savoring every bite and building a connection to the land from which it comes. We live in a fast world. 20% of all meals are eaten in cars. One third of Americans eat fast food every single day. That has consequences. When we forget that food isn’t grown in supermarket aisles or materialized in drive-through windows, when we fail to remember that the true joy of food comes not from the instant gratification of everything all the time, but from the scarcity of the seasons, and the rhythms of the land, we sell ourselves – and our tastebuds – short. That’s what this episode is about, and we’ll be unpacking what that means on a slow food road trip across Yolo County, exploring fresh organic farms, meeting the leaders in Yolo’s Slow Food movement, and eating one of the best meals you will ever eat. “Slow food is a way of both reminiscing, and yet bringing food into the present with a shinier sense of purpose. It's allowing those who aren't privileged enough to be stewards of the land to enter into that world, even if only for a few hours. And through doing that, without listening to a sermon or reading a book, they are experiencing those values and then they can take it home.” - Ann Evans Ready for a delicious food and wine vacation in Yolo County? Plan your own road trip at VisitYolo.com. Also, please share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Ridiculous Road Trip: Crossing India in a Three-Wheeled Rickshaw With Simon Parker

November 20, 2023 0:38:01 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

This week, we're digging into the Armchair Explorer archives to bring you one of our favorite - and most ridiculous - stories. If Monty Python went on a road trip, this is what it would be. Follow along with journalist Simon Parker as he travels 2,500-miles and two weeks across the length of India … ...in a rickshaw. You read that right. The rickshaw is perhaps the least suitable vehicle on the planet for long distance travel. Used commonly across many parts of Asia, it’s basically a three-wheeled moped with a roof on it and room for a couple of passengers to squash in the backseat. It has no sides. It falls over often. It's essentially a glorified lawn mower. Dreamt up by a load of nutters called The Adventurists, the Rickshaw Run is all about challenging yourself with proper adventure, whilst belly-laughing at your own ridiculousness at the same time. Simon and four of his friends traveled from the far reaches of northern India, in the shadow of the Himalayas, all the way to the steamy jungles of Kerala on the southern coast. There was no set route. No pre-planned stops or hotels. No convoy or safety car or back up of any kind. Smart phones are scoffed at; Google maps are barred. They simply set off with a pocket map of India and a vague sense of where the finish line was. What would happen in between? Nobody was certain - that was the point. FIND SIMON AND THE ADVENTURISTS Follow Simon's work and see his photography on his website, SimonWParker.co.uk, or on Instagram and social media @SimonWiParker. Considering a rickshaw run yourself? Learn more about all the crazy exploits of the Adventurists at TheAdventurists.com. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We'll Make a Cowboy Out of You: On Location in Laramie, Wyoming

November 13, 2023 0:56:17 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

The 'Old West' is alive and well in Laramie, a small city at the southern edge of Wyoming's great expanse. Here, ghosts of outlaws stalk the streets as the bustle of 21st century commerce and culture whirs to life. This is a pioneering town to its core - a place where layers of history intermingle with the ever-evolving, trailblazing present. And today, you'll come to see why Laramie is known as the place where 'the Old West meets the New.' Join us as we embrace the cowboy lifestyle in its entirety - from booting up with Western apparel to going horseback riding, sitting around a campfire, and even visiting the infamous Wyoming Territorial Prison - the only one to ever hold the legendary Butch Cassidy. By the end of the episode, you'll be ready to saddle up and ride! Interested in recreating some of the experiences from today's episode? Plan your trip at VisitLaramie.org. Also, please share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Akashinga - Africa's All-Women, Plant-Based, Anti-Poaching Unit - is Changing the Faces of Conservation with Founder Damien Mander

November 06, 2023 0:53:32 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Wildlife poaching is a complicated problem. But for many years, most anti-poaching groups had only one way of fighting it. Many organizations adopted the same formula: A battalion of men, armed to the teeth, ready to act as a last line of defense between the poachers and the animals. But these efforts lacked community stewardship - they didn't build solutions, they burned bridges. They were costly, they were deadly, and they were lacking one critical thing: Women. Now, Akashinga - Africa's first all-women, plant-based, armed anti-poaching group - has forged a new model for anti-poaching and conservation. Beginning as a group of 16 women, Akashinga is now over 600 strong, protecting over 9 million acres across several countries. Each Akashinga ranger comes directly from the communities that she is working to protect. And the ripple effects are massive, shifting conservation into something truly community-led and sustainable. Despite their revolutionary approach, the group was founded by somebody who never expected to be working in anti-poaching. Damien Mander is an Australian who began his career working in some of the most elite military groups in the world. When he developed a passion for anti-poaching, he knew he had to do something. "I had two things," he says, "and those were particular set of skills, and some money." So he liquidated his life savings to train the first class of the women who would become the original Akashinga Rangers. This is a story about how to truly build change from the ground up, how to protect what matters most, and how to harness one of the most powerful forces on this planet - women - to create a more vibrant future for everyone. FIND AKASHINGA AND DAMIEN Learn more about Akashinga on their website, Akashinga.org. You can watch the National Geographic short film titled 'Akashinga: The Brave Ones' on National Geographic's website or on Disney Plus. You can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook, X, and other social channels @weareakashinga. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Cover artwork courtesy of Akashinga.org. In-episode video excerpts from the short film courtesy of National Geographic and Akashinga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Restoring Coral Reefs and Rescuing Turtles: Marine Conservation On Location in the Florida Keys

October 30, 2023 0:42:30 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

From colorful schooling fish to dolphins, sea turtles, crabs, sponges, and more, the Florida Keys are known for their abundant marine life - so it's no surprise that they're also a hotspot for marine conservation. That's why today's episode is a special 3-in-1 feature, showcasing clips from three different episodes of our on-location series, Florida Keys Traveler. And not only will you get to hear highlights from multiple episodes - you'll also be hearing from a special guest host, travel writer and radio personality Elizabeth Harryman Lasley! First, Elizabeth she'll speak with Dr. David Vaughan, who is revolutionizing coral restoration around the world with a new process that he discovered completely by accident. Next, she'll stop by the Turtle Hospital in Marathon - the world's first licensed veterinary hospital just for sea turtles - to meet some patients and learn about the rescue process. Finally, she'll chat with Ken Nedimyer about the unique methods he's developing to restore coral on North America's only barrier reef (hint: rope and cement). Recorded entirely on location, this episode will drop you directly into the sun-soaked paradise known as the Florida Keys. So grab your favorite tropical drink and join us! Learn more about the organizations featured in today's episode: Plant a Million Corals Foundation Turtle Hospital in Marathon Reef Renewal USA For more details and travel inspiration, visit Fla-Keys.com. To call from the United States or Canada, dial 1 (800) FLA-KEYS or contact your travel advisor. Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond: In Search of the Sasquatch with Writer John Zada

October 23, 2023 0:56:16 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Whether you known him as Sasquatch, Bigfoot, Yeti, Thla'Thla, Sninik, or something else, you've heard the legends - the stories of the hairy mountain man who lives, as writer John Zada says, "in primeval nature and collective memory." And today, we're plunging deep into Canada's ancient forests to find him. But make no mistake - this isn't Bigfoot searching like you've seen before. There are no infrared cameras, scanners, or traps. Instead, we'll follow John as he listens and learns from Canada's First Nations peoples, framing his investigation within a greater story of indigenous myth, community, and sacred land. When John first began hearing about a flurry of Sasquatch sightings, he was visiting the Heiltsuk Nation in British Columbia on an unrelated assignment. But he couldn't shake the stories from his mind. Intrigued, he decided to embark on a trip dedicated entirely to following these stories to their roots. And in so doing, he uncovered something that goes much deeper than footprints or rumors. This is a story about monsters - but it's also one that tells us about ourselves. And along the way, it's about the power of myth, the need for environmental activism, and the tangled webs of our own psyches. FIND JOHN Get a copy of John's book, In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond: In Search of the Sasquatch, online or from your local bookstore. Connect with John and see more of his work, including his photography, at his website johnzada.com, and follow him on Instagram @JohnZada. SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Campfire Ghost Stories and a Haunted Lodge: On Location in Rocky Mountain National Park

October 16, 2023 0:56:48 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Estes Park was founded more than 100 years ago, and of course it was inhabited for thousands of years before then by the Ute and Arapaho Native American tribes. You don’t get that kind of history without a few tall tales building up along the way; legends and ghost stories retold through generations. But myths are more than just tales. They are a part of living history, part of the fabric of a place passed from campfire to campfire, woven through the land in the invisible threads of our imagination. And by following those threads, we’ll not only have some fun, but we’ll also see a side to these Rocky Mountains that most people don’t even know exist. This episode follows three different stories: the Earl of Dunraven, the legend of the blue mist and the story behind the keys at the Seven Keys Lodge, which historically was called the Baldpate Inn. Two of these stories are told by Estes Park’s professional storyteller, Kurtis Kelly. Learn more about historic characters from Estes Park through Kurtis’ upcoming events or book a private show. Learn more about the Earl of Dunraven here. Learn more about the haunted sides of the Seven Keys Lodge and the blue mist here.  The Seven Keys Lodge opened their tasting room this past summer in their famous key room marveled about in this episode. Here you will find handcrafted cocktails and a variety of an ever-changing menu of food. Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Retracing the Buffalo Soldier's Pioneering 1,900-mile Bike Trip with Erick Cedeño

October 09, 2023 0:38:43 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

“Those are my heroes, those guys paved the way for me to be able to travel through this country, free, and they're almost superhuman to me.”   -        - Erick Cedeño, Bicycle Nomad In 2013, Erick Cedeño, aka. Bicycle Nomad, came across an old photograph that changed his life. Taken in 1897, it showed 20 black soldiers riding bicycles across the American West. As he dug deeper, he learned that these were the Buffalo Soldiers, an all-black infantry regiment formed after the civil war. The photo was taken during a grueling 1,900-mile journey, in which they traveled by bike from Montana to Missouri in order to test the efficacy of the bicycle as a form of military transport. To this day, it is one of the most difficult bike trips ever undertaken.  As a black man, growing up in America, Erick had never seen people that looked like him riding bikes. It changed his life, and he knew he had to bring their story back to life. But he did it not by telling it, but by living it - pedaling every mile that they did, sleeping where they slept, eating where they ate, taking the hard roads where modern paved highways do not go. And in doing so he invites us to live it too. “Curiosity drives me. It fuels my insatiable desire to know what’s beyond the next bend of the road, to discover what’s there beyond the edges of the map. If it is my muscles that propel me forward physically, it is curiosity that propels me mentally.” FIND ERICK CEDENO Follow all Erick’s adventures at iambicyclenomad.com, Instagram: @bicycle_nomad, and Facebook:@bicyclenomad SOCIAL If you enjoy this show, please take a minute to leave a review, it makes a huge difference and enables us to keep brining these stories to you. Remember also to subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about our network partner, APT Podcast Studios, on their website. This show was produced by Armchair Productions. Jenny Allison and Aaron Millar wrote and produced it; Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap. Find our other shows: armchair-productions.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Moonshine, Mad Scientists and The Scariest Distillery in the World: On Location on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail

October 02, 2023 1:01:07 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

Armchair Explorer goes on-location! "Whiskey is a combination of fire, water, wood, time - and feelings." Join host Aaron Millar as he samples a recipe as old as the Revolutionary War; visits a haunted prison that distills one-of-a-kind moonshine; meets a mad scientist blending chemistry and artistry in the glass; and learns the untold tale of the legendary whiskey maker that the world never got to meet. Spanning 600 miles across the state of Tennessee, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail takes visitors through dozens of craft distilleries where no sip is like the last. Along the way, distillers share the inspiring - and often grisly - stories behind whiskey production in Tennessee, illustrate the process of creating a unique flavor, and of course, offer some delicious pours. Whether or not you're already a whiskey drinker, this episode will have you ready to pour a glass! How about a musical chaser with that glass? The Whiskey Trail has a sister series exploring the soundtrack of America, made in Tennessee! Produced in a documentary style, the Tennessee Music Pathways series takes listeners on a more than 1,000-mile road trip, from Bristol and the birth of country music to Memphis and the start of rock n’ roll. Along the way, listeners will hear bluegrass played fast as lightning and traditional Appalachian music performed live in the Great Smoky Mountains. Follow along as host Aaron Millar shops in Elvis’ favorite clothing store, bangs drums in the studio that made Uptown Funk, learns to play the spoons and drinks whiskey in a distillery housed in a more than 100-year-old former prison. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail knits together 25 distilleries across the state, offering visitors an immersive experience rich with history, culture, and taste. Learn more and plan your visit at TNWhiskeyTrail.com. The Tennessee Music Pathways is a guide that connects visitors to the rich musical heritage of our state. Visitors can curate their own path based on interests using an interactive guide at TNmusicpathways.com. Follow the conversation on social media using or searching hashtag #tnmusicpathways. TNvacation.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Thank you to our guests: Heath Clark, Company Distilling companydistilling.com Alex Castle, Old Dominick Distilling olddominick.com Bill Lee, Gate 11 Distillery gate11distillery.com Stanton Webster, PostModern Spirits postmodernspirits.com Nick Bianchi, Lost State Distilling loststatedistilling.com Canaan Brock, Brushy Mountain Distillery brushymtndistillery.com Fawn Weaver, Uncle Nearest Distillery unclenearest.com/distillery Visit Memphis memphistravel.com Visit Chattanooga visitchattanooga.com Visit Knoxville visitknoxville.com Discover Bristol discoverbristol.org Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Aaron Millar wrote and presented it, Jason Paton did the field recording and production. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Way of St James to the Burning Ghats of Varanasi: Walking on Sacred Ground with Travel Writer Rosemary Mahoney

September 25, 2023 0:48:50 0.0 MB Downloads: 0

“When I first decided to do these pilgrimages, I told myself I'm doing this as an investigative reporter. I'm doing it as an observer, and as an outsider … and in the end, that isn't what happened.” Rosemary Mahoney, author The Singular Pilgrim: Travels on Sacred Ground When Rosemary Mahoney got off the ferry at the tiny island of Tinos, in Greece, she witnessed something extraordinary. Pilgrims dressed in black exited the boat and immediately flung themselves to the ground, crawling on hands and knees to worship at a shrine at the top of a nearby hill.  Watching these men and women rolling in the dirt, sweating beneath a scorching sun, she asked herself a simple question. Every human culture that has ever existed has had some concept of the divine, however you define that. She wanted to understand why. Her search for an answer began a remarkable journey to undertake six of the world’s most prominent religious pilgrimages. Her journey would take her from the Way of St James, trekking hundreds of miles across the Pyrenees of southern France and Spain, to the burning ghats of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges River, in India, and beyond. This isn’t a story about religion, or faith. It is an investigation into one of the most fundamental, but little understood, aspects of humanity. It is a quest to discover the roots of belief itself. And to find it, she will have to travel to six countries, walk hundreds of miles, and stare death in the face.  Insightful, evocative, and inspiring. Rosemary’s story is an adventure into the heart of what it means to be human. FIND ROSEMARY Get a copy of Rosemary’s book The Singular Pilgrim: Travels on Sacred Ground, online or from your local bookstore. Find out more about her work at rosemarymahoney.net. Facebook: @RosemaryMahoneyWriter SOCIAL Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website. This show was produced by Armchair Productions. Jenny Allison and Aaron Millar wrote and produced it; Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music by the artist Sweet Chap. Find our other shows: armchair-productions.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices