“The porters could always be coaxed to continue a little further through driving rain by the mere suggestion of a Pot Noodle at the end.”

“The desert was bad, but nothing could compare with the horrors of a tropical rain forest.”

“In Morocco, before you even get to the matter of the sale, you have to coax the owner to sell.”

“For me, a journey to Damascus is an amazing hunt from beginning to end, a slice through layers of history in search of treasure.”

“The backstreet cafe in Casablanca was for me a place of mystery, a place with a soul, a place with danger. There was a sense that the safety nets had been cut away, that each citizen walked upon the high wire of this, the real world. I longed not merely to travel through it, but to live in such a city.”

“The rain of Madre de Dios is similar to that of the Amazon, but there is a petrifying aspect to it, as if it seeks to wound rather than to nurture.”

“A man who embarks on a journey must know when to end it.”