Today’s Thursday interview is with the prolific travel writer Mark Moxon. If you thought I wrote a lot, think again – Mark’s been around the earth and back, and wrote down every last second of the journey. He’s got a way with words, so I’ll shut up and let him take the stage. And with that….
First of all could you please introduce yourself?
Well, let’s see… my name is Mark, I’m 38, and I live in west London with my fiancé, an iMac and a suitcase of memories from far-flung places. I first went travelling in 1995, when I quit the rat race for a gap year that ended up lasting for three years, and that’s where I learned to be a travel writer, out there on the road. I’m just as fascinated by technology as travelling, which is why I choose to pay for my travels by working as a freelance web developer – it pays more, to be brutal – and between contracts I take time off to generate more memories for the suitcase. And sometimes I pop open the catch, fish around inside and stick the results on my website Mark Moxon’s Travel Writing, where people seem to enjoy reading them.
Stumbling into this happy fusion of technology and travelling was a bit of luck, because I hit the road at a time when the Web was in its infancy: when I flew out to Australia in 1995, the UK’s first internet café had been open for little more than a year and email was only just catching on. I thought it would be fun to take a palmtop computer with me, write about my travels and email my thoughts home, so I’d sit on distant beaches and type away, then attach my computer to the phone in the nearest call-box, dial into Compuserve, email my writing to the only other person I knew who had an email address, and they would fax it on to my parents. It all sounds rather quaint in this age of iPhones and mobile broadband, but ever since that first trip I’ve taken a computer with me on the road, written about what I see and uploaded it to the Web… and that’s how I became a travel writer: I went travelling and wrote about it, simple as that.
Mark’s original travel Kit. Uhm, didn’t I see this in a museum the other day? 
On your site, one can access “over 490 pages of travel writing and advice from 17 countries and six continents, plus over 1550 photographs and at least one good joke…” That is a *lot* of travel writing. Looking back at all those miles (and words), how do you feel?
I feel as if someone else did it! My earliest travel writing dates from 1995, when I was 25, and it’s so long ago that when I read it now, it might as well have been written by a complete stranger – not only have I changed a lot in the intervening 14 years, but I’ve forgotten more than I can remember. I’ve always viewed travelling as a great way to build up memories for future enjoyment, and writing things down keeps those memories alive; I’m so glad I started doing this from day one, because otherwise I’d have forgotten most of it, so I guess what I feel most of all is relief that I’ve managed to capture my travels, coupled with a warm, fuzzy feeling when people say they like it.
That’s a lot of steps over the years….
Many of your favourite places seem to be in Asia. Any idea why?
I think it’s probably because Asia takes your Western preconceptions, giggles at them in a good-natured way, and then tosses them over its shoulder with a big grin on its face. Go travelling in Australia, north America or Europe and ask the question, ‘When does the bus arrive?’ and the answer will be ’11:40 am.’ Go to Asia and ask the same question, and the answer will be, ‘When it arrives.’ This can either be deeply frustrating or deeply liberating, depending on your outlook; if it’s the former, you should probably avoid Asia unless you’re on a package tour, but if you take a deep breath, jump in and forget about things like plans and deadlines, then floating along the Asian river of life is a wonderfully rewarding experience. Sure, it drives you mad at times, but pain is so close to pleasure and there’s *always* a funny side.
It’s making me smile just thinking about it…
Andy’s Note: I’ve always struggled to put into words what it is about Asia that is so unique and special. I think that Tony Champion’s recent recommendations for the best of Asia was getting near the target, but you’ve hit the nail on the head Mark. Now, I must go and book some Asia travel straight away…
What was your most inspirational travel experience?
One word: India. I’ve travelled to quite a few places, but the country I keep on returning to is India, where I spent six incredibly happy months in 1998. It’s a cliché, but India was where I found myself, and it’s difficult to pick out highlights from such a diverse country – how can you choose between the astonishing Islamic architecture of Mandu and Bijapur, the spiritual bustle of Varanasi, the rock fortresses of Rajasthan or the tropical paradise of Kerala? But the one memory that keeps coming back was my visit to Bhavnagar in Gujarat, back in 1998.
There’s not a lot for the tourist in Bhavnagar – the nearest thing to an attraction is the industrial hell-hole of Alang just down the road, where huge oil tankers are driven into the beach and broken down by hand – but strolling around town reveals the true heart of India: the people. Under the shade of a neem tree in the corner of a park, I wandered past a group of men crowded round a large piece of sackcloth, and they welcomed me in with smiles, head wobbles and not a word of English between them. They were playing the board game chopat on a board drawn on the sackcloth, and I sat there for hours, completely unable to work out the rules but totally entranced by the men. In one corner was a gaunt Muslim with his long chin beard, no moustache and white cap fitted over his short hair; he concentrated hard on the game, seeming serious but ever willing to join in the jokes and laugh along with everyone else. Opposite him was a man with such an incredibly hooked nose it made his moustache look like a furry caterpillar trapped between his upper lip and his nostrils. Just along from him was an evidently well-educated man who analysed the game, providing a running commentary on every move and tactic and, when he threw the shells that they use as dice, twisting his wrist in such a flourish that it didn’t really matter whether the throw was good or bad, because it looked so stylish; even taking other pieces was a display, as he smashed the piece taken with the victorious piece, sending the unfortunate loser careening off into the dust. Then there were the four clowns who spent most of the game throwing stones at people, pretending to get furious with each other and, on the point of throwing punches, collapsing into huge grins and belly laughs, dragging everyone else with them into their boyish humour. And all the while the men fished out beedis from their top pockets, filling the air with acrid blue smoke that added a certain mysticism to the event, a ritual only matched by the frequent chai breaks and passing round of the cold water.
I liked it so much that I swung by there again the next day on my way back from Alang, and they beckoned me over, made me sit down, plied me with chai and made me feel utterly welcome once again. That’s India for you; the people are uniquely wonderful and it’s truly inspiring.
Men in Bhavnagar…
I love your Great Journeys section of your website. Does one of these amazing adventures stick out at you as a real winner? Why?
That’s easy – the Australian road journey from Perth to Darwin wins hands down, especially if you like amazing landscapes. The gorges of Kalbarri and Karijini are breathtaking, Shark Bay is a little piece of paradise, the Kimberley is mind-boggling – especially in the Bungle Bungles – and in the Northern Territory there’s a trio of world-class sights at Litchfield, Katharine Gorge and Kakadu. Add in lonely desert driving, coral reefs, great weather, tame dolphins, friendly locals, excellent trekking and picture-perfect beaches, and you can’t beat it. I’d do it all over again, if I had the time…
Stunning scenery along Pillinginni Creek
I see you are a big fan of walking, like myself – and some of your favourites are in New Zealand, one of my favourite countries as well. Any walks that are a must-see for those with boots and a plane ticket?
You’re right – New Zealand is *the* place for walkers; I’ve walked in quite a few countries, but it’s hard to beat tramps like the Tongariro Northern Circuit around the volcanoes in the North Island, or the Hollyford Track through the wild rainforests of the South Island. Australia is also a good spot for trekking, even in the tourist spots; I spent a week walking in Fraser Island, and it doesn’t take much effort to get away from the drunken 4x4s on the beach and into the heart of the island. If you’ve packed your boots and splashed out on a plane ticket down under, you can’t really go wrong.
But despite walking around towering mountain ranges, through tropical rainforests, up active volcanoes and along pristine beaches, my favourite walking is here, in Britain. In 2003 I walked from Land’s End to John o’Groats and finally got to know the country I live in, and last summer I walked the route of the entire London Underground network, from station to station and line by line, and I got to explore London in a way that’s hard to beat. Sure, the Pennines aren’t quite as spectacular as the Himalayas, and Epping Forest isn’t in the same league as the primeval rainforests of Malaysia, but sometimes you have to go away to come back, and there’s something special about walking in Britain. And now, every time the weather map appears on TV or I glance at the Tube map, I think, ‘Blimey, I’ve walked that,’ and you don’t get that connection with everyday life when you go on a walking holiday abroad.
Besides, British beer is the best in the world, and every walker knows *that’s* the most important part of any walk…
Knee-deep in the oozing goo of the Black Swamp
Andy’s Note: Oh gross! And yes, the UK has some fab walking – the Lake District and the Mull of Kintyre being two of my favourites. But walking the entire Tube? Wow – you’re cool!
If you’d like to check out Mark’s writing, your best best is to visit Mark Moxon’s Travel Writing, where you can find the aforementioned 490 articles, a photo library, audio books, eBooks, travel tips and more. For armchair walkers, check out Walking Land’s End to John o’Groats and Tubewalker: The Tube, On Foot. Enjoy!
Andy’s parting note:
Please go check out Mark’s site. It is gorgeous and it’s a veritable treasure trove of information. Unbelievable. I suspect we’ll be seeing Mark around this part of town again soon. Thanks again Mark for a whole lot of inspiration.
All images courtesy of Mark Moxon.
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