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Private Notes
The Around The World For Free adventure starts with penniless traveler Alex and solitary crew member Zsolt leaving a TV studio in downtown New York to begin their uncharted trip across the globe. With just a backpack of clothes and gear on his back, Alex finds himself alone on the streets of the Big Apple without any means of getting out of town, never mind trying to leave the US mainland.
Alex arrives in the Caribbean where he helps out as a motivational speaker as a way to earn his keep and keep moving. After island hops in the USVI's and BVI's, he lands in raw, undiscovered Dominica where rappelling down waterfalls into undiscovered cave pools is the new normal. Getting off the blissful islands, though, proves a lot more difficult than expected.
Alex arrives in dangerous Venezuela armed with a few words of Spanish and nothing more. After navigating the jaw-dropping social disparities of the capital, Caracas, and pitching in to feed the hungry in its shantytowns, Alex's new friends put him on a 'scenic' bus ride through the Andes towards Peru. Bus breakdowns, human smuggling and persistent hunger accompany Alex's interminable journey.
Sunshine, surf, soccer - plus ceviche, pisco, even guinea pig are all on Alex's plate in Peru. He gets local insight on Lima's unique neighborhoods, paragliding over the Pacific Ocean to boot. The proud Peruvians insist on getting Alex to Cusco and the nearby wonder of the world, Machu Picchu. Alex also visits a pagan shaman, and makes a risky decision to continue towards Chile solely on his own.
Alex survives his all-night ordeal on the streets of Tacna, Chile, and decides to hitchike south along the Pan-American Highway towards Santiago. The problem is, no one actually picks up hitchhikers. With water and resources in short supply, Alex finds himself alone under the blazing sun of the Atacama desert, many miles out of town and in a very precarious position.
After lively Cape Town, Alex ratchets up the South African outdoors vibe with stops in Gaansbai to dive with great white sharks, and the more mellow penguins of Boulders Beach. His trip north begins with sketchy car breakdowns along the Garden Route, but stress relief arrives in the form of the world's biggest bungee jump. Alex then stops in Joburg, Pretoria and Soweto township while moving on.
Alex pitches in as a lifeguard on a tubing run in northern South Africa, and scores an open-top, day-to-night safari into Kruger National Park where hippos and rhinos roam freely. Jumping over to Tanzania, Alex enjoys the multicultural crossroads of Dar Es Salaam, then heads to Arusha and the savannahs beyond, where a Masai warrior brings him to his home village.
Alex works at a safari tent camp deep in the Kenyan Masai Mara, surrounded by spectacular wildlife. Later in Nairobi though, he finds himself in the middle of Kenya's post-election unrest, so his supporters hastily get him on a flight to India. Lacking a proper visa, Alex gets swiftly deported back to a Kenya in flames. He then joins journalists at a massive planned demonstration in Nairobi.
After spending a night in Bangkok in a 15-person Thai home, Alex is taken in by Buddhist monks for a deep immersion in temple life. An expat shows Alex more of Bangkok before shipping him south to Koh Samui beach paradise. Alex's journey continues to the "wild east" of Cambodia, where more monks, charity work with the Red Cross, the Angkor Vat temples and the exotic capital Phnom Penh await.
Alex helps out at a feeding centre in Phnom Penh and visits the city's infamous garbage dump, home to many. After a stop in the Khmer Rouge's killing fields, he recharges on Bamboo Island, a hidden gem in the Gulf of Thailand, before catching a bus to Vietnam. Alex joins with a wildlife protection group before 'accidentally' spending an unforgettable Lunar New Year on Nha Trang beach.
After working on a dive boat for his last international day, Alex flies out of Vietnam to San Francisco and begins crossing the States towards the NYC finish line. His last major trek includes unforgettable visits with Mormons in Utah, school kid superfans in Minnesota and family in Wisconsin before arriving at the TV studio in the Big Apple where he launched his epic journey six months earlier.
