For a year, he travelled the world in search of beauty and moments of higher consciousness. It became the kind of journey people refer to when they talk about their aspirations or look back. Bastiaan Brink decided to travel the world when he had to interrupt his life as a concert pianist due to an injury. For a year, he travelled the world in search of beauty and moments of higher consciousness. It became the kind of journey people refer to when they talk about their aspirations or look back on the highlights of their lives. In this book, he gives a compelling account of his adventures. Brink expresses his experiences in such evocative terms that you get the impression you are there with him and experiencing it yourself: from an avalanche on Mount Everest to a stay with a nomadic family on the Mongolian steppe, from a trip through the dark forests of Fiordland to a descent into a Bolivian silver mine or a demonic ritual in Peru. In the meantime, we become part of his fascination for untouched wilderness, strange cultures and remarkable lifestyles. His stories are like pearls strung on a line around the world. Each has its own unique shine and together they form a beautiful image of the beauty of our Earth. A source of inspiration for anyone who wants to travel the world themselves, but also highly readable for those who prefer to travel from the comfort of their own homes. Brink expresses his experiences in such evocative terms that you get the impression you are there with him and experiencing it yourself: from an avalanche on Mount Everest to a stay with a nomadic family on the Mongolian steppe, from a trip through the dark forests of Fiordland to a descent into a Bolivian silver mine or a demonic ritual in Peru. In the meantime, we become part of his fascination for untouched wilderness, strange cultures and remarkable lifestyles. This book is so much more than a travel and adventure story. It is a remarkable insight in the life of a man who's world collapsed, and his journey towards new goals. Contents PREFACE NEPAL 1 The Little Pyramid – Everest 2 Jungle Book – Chitwan 3 The Land of the Snow Leopard – Dolpo BEIJING 4 Transit MONGOLIA 5 Traces Towards the Horizon – Gobi Desert 6 Nomads in the Distance – Steppe JAPAN 7 Shrines and Lamentations – Kyoto I 8 True Perfection is Never Quite Perfect – Kyoto II 9 Sitting on Japanese Moss – Omachi NEW ZEALAND 10 Sandflies in Paradise – Fiordland 11 Dolphins Ahead – Akaroa 12 Samwise Gamgee – Mount Doom FIJI 13 Interludium PERU – CHILI 14 The World an Interplay of Lines – Nazca 15 Virgin Adventures – Arequipa 16 Planet Earth – Atacama BOLIVIA – PERU 17 The Stone Tree – Altiplano 18 The Mountain that Devours People – Potosi 19 The Lost City – Machu Picchu 20 Shamanism in the Night – Huancabamba NEW YORK 21 Epilogue