Episode 63
April 10 , 2019
63. Adventure Traveller Sam McManus; Ditching Corporate Life, Kalashnikovs in Remote Africa, Training in a Shaolin Monastery and the Amazon Jungle with Cigarettes and a Machete
Having done what many people dream of – ditching a corporate career to travel, the proud founder of adventure travel company Yellowwood Adventures, Sam McManus, has created the life of his dreams travelling to remote parts of Ethiopia, Iran, India, the Himalayas, Mongolia and more. He’s been woken up by 30 men with Kalashnikovs in remote African mountains, shaved his head and worn orange pyjamas in a Shaolin Monastery and set off into the Amazon jungle with not much more than cigarettes and a machete.
On this episode we cover:
Yellowwood Adventures, taking people on the world less travelled
Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Iran, Ladakh in Northern Indian, the Lebanon mountain trail
Working in financial media and corporate events
Reaching 30 and ditching his city job
Backpacking in Ethiopia for three months
Tom Hall from Lonely Planet
Ethiopia being one of the ‘worst global PR disasters in History’
How the famine was a political famine
Lush banquets in Addis Ababa whilst people starved
The lush jungle where coffee originated from
Rolling golden fields of teff
Eating with pancakes instead of cutlery
95% of the population being farmers
Being one of the most beautiful countries in the world
Finding peace with Eritrea
100 million people and 82 languages
Deciding to start a travel company in a country he’d never been to
Staying in a stone house with villagers in Hashenge is a lake in the Tigray Region
Waking up surrounded by men with Kalashnikov AK47s guns
Being the first foreigner in the village in a year
Whether as a white male he has extra privileges when travelling
The remote Bale Mountains – the highest mountains in all of Africa
His British Indian friend’s reception in the remote hills
Working in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Iran
Living in Dubai
Spending time in Tehran
Ski chalets in the Iranian Alborz mountains
Getting to know the tantalising Persian culture
How Iran feels like a very foreign place
Persepolis, the ancient seat of the Persian Empire
How Persepolis beats the Acropolis hands down
Alexander the Great
The incredible detail of the carvings that haven’t been destroyed
How to get a Visa for Iran
Americans and their reception in Iran
The unexpected great skiing in Iran
1970s-esque ski resorts that parallel anything in the Alps
The stunning view of Mount Damavand – the perfect volcano
How Mongolia is one of the last great frontiers of the world
Million of 3 or 4 million people in a country the size of a good chuck of Western Europe
How communism was hard to stick in such a country
Staying in felt ‘gers’ with the Nomadic tribes
The harsh and unforgiving terrain’s effect on Nomadic life
Nomadic life being around preserving their animals
The stress of modern life melting away
Huge vistas of step and sky
The rewarding feeling of going back to basics
The strong sense of community and family of Nomadic life
The unbelievable snug and warm felt gers
Adjusting to normal life after an adventure
Travelling to China and the Himalayas in Nepal age 18
Finding it hard to adjust to an English supermarket after being in Himalayas
Lisa having travelled a lot but never been anywhere remote
Sam actively seeking out the most remote
Camping in Kyrgyzstan in the Tian Shan mountains
Seeing the huge starry skies and the Milky Way with no light pollution
Reading about the great explorers
Wilfred Thesiger crossing the desert in Saudi Arabia with the Bedouin
How the great adventures of past explorers but things into perspective
Megan Hoskin rowing across the Pacific
Ancient travellers and DNA showing migration patterns of the Vikings and more
How travel can reduce racism and change your perception
Reading about how the races have evolved
Lucy one of the earliest humans in the museum in Addis Ababa
Judging people on who they are not where they’re from
The times he has felt in danger when away
Having quite a good instinct for removing himself from travel
Learning to horse ride in the desert Middle East
Camping in the Tian Shan mountains with horses over no roads
Ignoring the warning bells at his own peril
Being attacked by a ferocious dog the size of a bear
The most exhilarating moment of his travels
How first trips make the biggest impressions
Trekking to Everest base camp age 18
The unbelievable colours and scenery in the Himalayas
The most powerful imagery ever scene
The bright purple sky and gold light of Everest at sunset
Studying Kung Fu and Kick Boxing
Joining a Kung Fu Shaolin Monastery in Northern China age 18
Shaving his head and wearing orange pyjamas
Running up stairs and around the lake
Having to fight every Friday
The strange dream that came true
Taking a beating by a big Dutchman who roundhouse kicked him in the face
The headaches that were cured by a traditional Chinese medicine man
Lisa’s world-changing mystical vision at the Kaiser Chief’s in the O2
How travel is about chasing this vision of life
Being younger and idealistic
Living in South and Central America
Being adamant that the old ways of the world were the best
Finding tribes in the Amazon jungle
Going into the jungle with nothing but salt, sugar, cigarettes and a machete
Living off fish from the rivers
The tribesperson struggling to keep his kids alive
Being realistic about what they you’re confronted with
Liking to experience the music of the country (this can go wrong!)
Some terrible music in the Iranian holy city of Yas
The magical musical moment in Iran
The how Ennio Morricone helps ease the hardships of travel
