By Krisztina Fenyo and Krisztina Than
KOMAROM, Hungary (Reuters) – Karl Bushby, a British ex-paratrooper who set out to walk around the world in 1998, is on his last 27-year home stretch, trying to cope with the pressure of social media in a world that has changed profoundly.
Driving through heavy rain in northwestern Hungary, Bushby, 56, who started in Chile, said he had a cheap plastic Instamatic camera with rolls of 35-millimeter film to cover his journey across Latin America, and the presence of the media was the last thing on his mind.
It was all about survival and finding enough food before crossing the dangerous Darien gap, between Colombia and Panama, to the north.
“Back in the day, there was no social media or anything. So there was no reason to take pictures and photos of everything or film stuff … it was just a whole different ball game,” Bushby told Reuters, adding that he resisted TikTok until this year.
“It’s almost an added layer of pressure because suddenly there are a lot of eyes. People want to know, like you can’t hide anymore. But at the same time … it’s a huge tool.”
Bushby’s trip, named the Goliath Expedition, is being done without the use of motorized transport. He crossed the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia on foot in 2006 and swam across the Caspian Sea in 2024.
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It was originally expected to complete the 36,000-mile journey in eight years, but has suffered delays due to the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical shifts and visa restrictions.
“We’ve been through financial crises, wars, pandemics… All seriously interfere with the expedition’s journey… you just roll with it,” he said, adding that he is expected to arrive home by September-October 2026.
The mental challenges were sometimes overwhelming, Bushby said as he pushed his cart with his tent and belongings along a muddy bike path.
“Sometimes the monotony is incredible. You are in the deserts and the landscape does not change for days to weeks. This can have a little mind. The same with the Arctic, “ he said. “It (the Arctic) just feels like it’s trying to kill you all the time.”
Arriving home, however, will pose a whole new challenge.
“The best way to deal with finishing something like this is to start something new that is very challenging and get involved as quickly as possible,” he said.
“My other passion is science literacy and science engagement. So that’s what I want to get into when I’m done here..”
(Writing by Krisztina Than, editing by Ed Osmond)