Backpacking Across Asia, 1973

In 1973, at the age of 23, John set out alone to travel for about five months from Sydney to the UK and back to Continental Europe, visiting along the way Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, the UK and Ireland.

The story is told using the text of J's letters home to his parents.

Unfortunately the quality of the photos (scanned from 50-year-old slides) leaves much to be desired. (No digital photography in those days.)

This map gives the general idea of the route followed:

Saturday 27 January 1973: Sydney-Brisbane-Bali

27 January - 7 February 1973: Bali

See letter written from Bali.

See second letter written from Bali.

8-12 February 1973: Java

See letter written from Jogjakarta.

12-19 February 1973: Singapore

See letter written from Singapore and second letter written from Singapore.

19 February - 2 March 1973: Malaysia

See letter written from the Cameron Highlands.

See letter written from Penang.

See letter written from Butterworth.

3-13 March 1973: Thailand

See letter written from Bangkok.

See letter written from Fang.

See letter written from Bangkok.

13-20 March 1973: Burma

See letter written from Rangoon.

20 March - 19 April 1973: India-Nepal-India

See letter written from Calcutta.

See letter written from Kathmandu.

See second letter written from Kathmandu.

See letter written from Agra.

See letter written from the Kulu Valley.

19-23 April 1973: Pakistan

See letter written from Rawalpindi.

23-28 April 1973: Afghanistan

See letter written from Kabul.

28 April - 4 May 1973: Iran

See letter written from Tehran.

See continuation of letter written from Tehran.

See letter written from Isfahan.

4-8 May 1973: Iraq

See letter written from Baghdad.

8-10 May 1973: Jordan

See letter written from Amman.

14-18 May 1973: Turkey

See letter written from Ankara.

18-22 May 1973: Greece

See letter written from Athens.

23-24 May 1973: Jugoslavia

25-26 May 1973: Austria

See letter written from Salzburg.

26 May - 1 June 1973: Germany

See letter written from Aachen.

1-2 June 1973: Belgium

2 June - 16 July 1973: UK/Ireland

See letter written from London.

See second letter written from London.

See letter written from Loch Lomond.

See letter written from Fishguard.

See letter written from Chester.

See letter written from Pinner.

16 July 1973: Frankfurt

See letter written from Bad Homburg.