Come Away with Me: Notes from a Sixty-Four Thousand Mile Honeymoon
by
Peter Burdon
Former Child Okeford resident, Peter Burdon, has recently published his first book, Come Away With Me, which tells the story of a 64,000 mile journey through Russia, Asia and South America. Peter will donate a minimum of 50% of any proceeds from his book to support the work of Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, Mines Advisory Group and Emilie’s Charities.
Download PDF file of extracts from the first two chapters of his book, link at the bottom of this page.
Tell me about your links with Child Okeford.
My parents bought Millbrook House in 1977 when I was one, and I lived in the village until 1997, when my mother retired. Moving away was a huge wrench - the village had always been my home. I have many fond memories of long walks up the hill, Hey Days, raft races and running errands for Mum to Diffey's (where Mrs Diffey senior would more often than not give me a sweet treat).
Have you been back to the village?
I live in Scotland now, so it is not so easy to visit. However, my grandparents are buried at St Nicolas Church and I pay my respects when I can. My last visit was in May of this year when I travelled down with my wife, Lindsey. We went for a lovely walk along the river. The countryside was as beautiful as ever, but the road through the village was far busier than I remember! Perhaps I'll visit more frequently in the future though as Mum still talks about moving back one day…
What did you do when you left Child Okeford?
I moved to London to read pharmacology at King's College London. I originally planned to live there for three years but ended up staying on to complete my PhD at Imperial College - I was interested in how white blood cells migrate to and from the bone marrow and the role this plays in lung disease.
So how did you come to write a travel book?
It all happened by chance really. I have always enjoyed writing and when I was a student in London I wrote popular science articles and spent six weeks as a science journalist with Focus Magazine. Lindsey and I had often talked about going travelling but it wasn't until I finally proposed that she came up with her grand master plan: an epic honeymoon. Our friends and family bought us various things to do on our travels, such as tango lessons, whale watching and a climb to the top of the Khongoryn Els sand dune in Mongolia. A few people suggested I write a blog so that they could keep track of how we were getting on. I agreed and slowly built up a small but loyal readership! When we got home we thought it would be a good idea to turn my notes into a book and use it to raise money for three charities that we had come across during our travels.
Tango orchestra in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Whale tail, New Zealand
Climbing Khongoryn Els, Mongolia
Which charities will you support, and why?
We had many fantastic experiences on our travels. However, it is impossible to travel through countries such as Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia and Bolivia without witnessing extreme poverty, the impact of war, and a lack of opportunity for many of the young people. Therefore, we have decided to support Christina Noble Children's Foundation www.cncf.org which helps children in need with education, medical care, social opportunities and job placement, Mines Advisory Group www.maginternational.org which clears the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide, and Emilie's Charities www.emiliescharities.org.uk which supports projects involving under-privileged children and young adults in developing countries. (To learn more about the charities please follow the links above).
Lake Chalalán, Bolivia
Teenage miners, Potosí, Bolivia)
Is there anywhere in particular you would like to return?
We spent five days at an eco-lodge called Chalalán, deep in the Bolivian rainforest. It is an extraordinary place. When it was time to leave, our guide, Sergio, asked if we might return one day so that he could take us to his village and introduce us to his parents. I promised we would, and have every intention of keeping my word!
And anywhere you would never return?
After much deliberation, we decided to enter the mines of Potosí, also in Bolivia. I have no wish to venture inside those mines again. We are hoping to use some of the proceeds from the book to help support community and health projects in Potosí.
64,000 miles is quite a distance to travel - how did you get around?
I worked out that we used 27 different modes of transport! However, we mainly travelled by train and bus and, in the interests of cost and time, took four long haul flights.
The bus to Zoige, China
Did you and your wife ever fall out?
In the first 7 months we spent about 20 minutes apart, so there were inevitably a few difficult moments, especially on some of the longer, more uncomfortable bus journeys! I was also decidedly unamused when I discovered that Lindsey had stashed a load of stones in a secret compartment in my rucksack. She'd picked up her favourite from each country as a souvenir and aesthetic appeal had clearly been more important than weight or size! But on the whole, I think we got on very well and made very good travel companions. And the stones now make a very nice decorative piece at home.
Other than the long bus journeys, were there any other low points?
We were gassed and robbed on the night train from Hanoi to Hué in Vietnam. I lost all of my photographic equipment, some photographs, my precious notes and, for a short while at least, my sense of humour.
Did you work whilst you were away?
No. One of my only conditions before setting off was that we saved enough money to cover the cost of the journey and had enough to set up home again when we returned. We had a very frugal 18 months in London before we left, but it was worth it.
You mentioned that your friends and family bought you experiences to do on your travels - what was the most unusual wedding present?
I think they were all a little unusual really! My father bought us two one-way tickets to Siberia, which I suppose is not exactly a normal present to give your son and daughter-in-law. But he insisted it was because he loves trains and was not down to my choice of bride.
The view from the Trans-Mongolian Express, Russia
Was it difficult to adjust to life at home again?
After 14 months on the road, we were both ready to stop, but it still took a bit of time to re-adjust to a working, domesticated life. I didn't miss the Little Black Budget Book though...
Was it difficult to find a publisher?
Yes. Each submission took a lot of time and effort and I invariably didn't get a reply - understandable given the volume of submissions publishers receive. So Lindsey took matters into her own hands, set up MacAdam Books, and the next day wrote me an acceptance letter. It took time to edit and typeset the manuscript but at the end of it I had a book, rather than a folder of rejection letters. The other advantage is that we do not have to give an agent or publisher their cut, so a greater proportion of the sale price of each book goes to our nominated charities. The disadvantage is that we don't have a large marketing budget and as amateurs we have struggled to generate the necessary publicity. We are hoping that word of mouth will see us through, so if you do buy a copy, and enjoy it, I would be very grateful if you could help spread the word or, better still, buy a copy for a friend or relative!
How can somebody buy a copy of your book?
Our preferred option is by mail order direct from MacAdam Books. Please send an email to info@macadambooks.com stating the number of copies required and your billing/delivery address. We accept cheques, BACS transfer and credit cards. This way, we do not have to pay what is usually a hefty commission to a 3rd party retailer, which means more money goes to the charities. Alternatively, the book can be bought worldwide through various online stores, such as Amazon, or can be ordered from any good book shop (ISBN 978-0-9563149-0-1).
Do you have any more books in the pipeline?
I am currently working on a coffee table book of colour photographs from our journey to tie in with my first book. I hope to publish this in 2010.
Bird of prey, Mongolia
Finally, would you do it all again?
Yes, definitely, I have no regrets, which is probably just as well - Lindsey has already said she’d like to retrace our exact route when we retire in thirty odd years time (health and geopolitical situations permitting!) I may well be insisting on an upgrade from economy by then though. But for now, our wings have been clipped a little…
Peter, Lindsey and Ruari
Extracts from the first two chapters of Come Away With Me. 
[1.0MB] Adobe Acrobat document. (Use the back button to return to this page)
Help page on Adobe Acrobat files
