Realizing One’s Passion in Traveling the World [Archives:1999/40/Last Page]

By: Raydan Al-Saqqaf
Russell Berenger was born in Sri Lanka. However, he left Sri Lanka 23 years ago, and started selling old cars. For ten years, he repaired cars. He did all this work by himself. He did not take the help of anybody because it was his own guarantee in his private work in Sidney.  He harbored a passion to challenge the world. Now aged 52, and an Australian citizen, he has the Christmas left to conquer 195 countries of the world in the shortest possible time. Papua New Guinea and other Pacific countries were part of the remaining 32 countries to be covered in three months time that is left. He has already covered 163 countries in a journey that started two years ago in Melbourne, Australia. From Papua New Guinea, he will slowly work his way back to the headquarters of Guinness Book of world records to check how he has fared. But for now, he seems close to completing his world journey, if not close to realizing his passion. It started in Sri Lanka when his father bought his bicycle. In course of his marathon mission he has stopped only three times.
He claims to have broken three world records, subject to confirmation by Guinness Book of world records. He has written the world’s longest song with 1334 words. He has flown in 36 planes in 56 days in the West Indies, he traveled in 69 trains in 35 days in 25 countries inside Europe. The fourth record he is attempting is to write is the world’s most powerful overland travel guide with the title: “An exotic world of sin, sex, crime, drugs and temptation”. The fifth aim is to have a movie made on his life. He claims to have initial contact with film maker Stephen Spilberg at Universal studies in Hollywood. He has another aim of taking the risk of traveling around the world so as to become the master of disguise.
He was robbed seven times and attempted to be killed nine times. Some of the robberies were of a magnitude that forced his return to Australia to replenish his needs. In Turkey a man poisoned his drink to rob him.
The pacific leg of his overland non-stop journey around the world cost US $ 10,000. The pacific islands are twice as expensive as the West Indies in terms at air-fares but on his first stop over in Port Moresby he praised the country for the generosity and hospitality of its people.
Well, for him it is a pleasant surprise having traveled around 155 countries, and some islands.
Russell is very much impressed by the hospitality of Yemenis in comparison with the other countries. He describes Yemenis as “open and kind-hearted, while showing you places or giving you the details”.
His mission in traveling the world through the 163 countries is to break records in the world, and that mission is still to be accomplished. Russell said that in Yemen he felt safe, not like in some other countries where he was forced to disguise himself. His concluding message was to thank the people of Yemen for their hospitality and readiness to offer help at any time.

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