IF THESE SHOES COULD TALK …….

I bought the shoes in London in 2001 for the following 6 years I remained relatively homeless, travelling largely between London and Australia for work.

My Moabs were virtually the only pair of shoes I owned for these 6 years and along with my Macpac backpack are the only two items to survive the rigors of the constant travel.

They were my constant companions on many journeys including multiple treks through the rainforest of peninsula Malaysia.

On a recent trip to Malaysia, in Taman Negara I came across an English lad wearing the identical pair of shoes, we stood in the forest on the side of a torrential rain flooded river bonding over the adventures we had shared with our shoes. He too had owned his pair for around 10 years and had travelled extensively.

I wore those shoes across Thailand, down the Mekong, through Laos and into Cambodia to the Angkor Wat (where they filmed Tomb Raider). So impressed with the archaeological wonder I saw there, I jumped on a plane to Egypt so that I could compare the Wat with the Pyramids (I found the Wat was so much more interesting, enjoyable and authentic).

My Moabs have taken me through most of Europe, North America, Canada and Mexico. They have been everywhere in South East Asia except Burma and the Philippines. I have travelled Asia so many times that I was picked up as a suspected drug trafficker on the border between Malaysia and Thailand. I was on the wrong side of the country, on my own and I had 24 Malaysian immigration stamps in my passport. I guess it was a little suspicious.

They served me well travelling south along the west coast of India through Goa and Kerela before hitting Sri Lanka and to experience some of the best wildlife safaris you could ever imagine. Sri Lanka was great the food was revolting! Fortunately they have groceries from Australia everywhere; however you really start to struggle when your diet consists entirely of Vegemite, Kraft cheese and dry biscuits.

Oh, I also trekked across the forests of Sweden with a stunning Swedish girlfriend I picked up, courtesy of my cool shoes, after 2 days of walking through the forest I came across another couple trekking the opposite way, a large guy with crappy shoes and a stunning Swedish girlfriend. He walked straight up to me and said. GDAY MATE with a thick Aussie accent, yep we Aussies are everywhere.

Hope you get to travel soon, start with South East Asia.

Mick

World Explorer

Currently in Brisbane QLD