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February 22, 2005

The Best Walking Shoes and Boots

Just the other day I received an email from a Nick Teel in Houston, Texas. He was curious as to which brand of shoes I thought would be best for long distance walking. He mentioned that he was 21 years old and had taken some 30-mile-long walks to the outlying towns around Houston. He loved the idea of walking long distances into the unknown, as I had done in my walk around the world in the 1980's, but he wisely noted that he thought it important to have the right kind of shoes for such a challenging trek.

Well, I am familiar with only two brands of shoes, because they are the only brands I've ever worn in my long walking/hiking career. And, frustratingly enough, one of those two brands (Rocky) no longer makes walking or hiking boots. And the other brand (Worldwalker) is sold only in Japan. So, as you can see, the two brands I've done my tens of thousands of miles of hiking in aren't even available to the American public!

Oh I can get the Worldwalker shoes and boots (afterall, they are named after me). But you see, even that is not as simple as it sounds. The shoe samples I receive are individually made solely for me. Since the Worldwalker shoe and boots are marketed exclusively to the Japanese, they are manufactured only up to size 9. That is because the average Japanese man has size 7 feet. Thus, it is not good business sense to manufacture the larger sizes that are common in the USA.

That said, I can however add some valuable first-hand expertise to the subject of which footwear is ideal for the long distance walker/hiker.

On the over 15,000 miles I walked across Europe, North Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America I wore only lightweight, nylon-topped hiking boots. Why? Because in that four-year-long journey I knew I would be encountering every kind of terrain known to man--from frozen snow fields to steamy jungle swamps to the planet's hottest deserts. And quite frankly no shoe ever built could hope to last long in such oftentimes trecherous conditions. Only boots--and tough ones at that--could give me the assurance I needed that my feet would be protected fully at all times. Also, the ankle-high support the boots provided would help prevent my ankles all the more from being twisted or even snake bitten. And in my research at that time, I dicovered that the Wiiliam Brooks Shoe Co. in Nelsonville, Ohio, had just developed a very light boot that had Cordura nylon uppers and tough Vibram rubber soles. It was the perfect boot for everything from swamps to deserts, in that the uppers allowed the feet to "breathe" out, while at the same time being largely impervious to outside water sources. In addition, the Cordura--even though so very light--was said to be some five times tougher than leather!

Well, my choise was a wise one: the now-defunct style of Rocky hiking boot I chose proved to be a champion, whether I was walking down Wall Street or running from wild boars in Africa. Incredibly, it took me just four pairs of the boots to walk the world--or, as the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records noted: A record in itself.

In most of my "post-worldwalk" long-distance walks (e.g. down the lengths of South Korea and Taiwan, and on Shikoku Island), I have chosen to wear the mostly athletic-style Worldwalker shoes and boots. Those areas of the Far East that I just mentioned are highly civilized and have an extensive infrastructure of modern roads and sidewalks. A person can walk nearly anywhere in those countries on smoothly-paved surfaces. There just aren't the large amounts of risky walking surfaces and vemonous ground-dwelling critters that are found in the world's poorer nations. Also (and this is very important) because of the high population of those countries, there has been no need for me to carry any more supplies than can be squeezed into a knapsack. Thus, with less weight on my back I haven't had to worry as much about twisting an ankle. As such, shoes or light boots do the job equally well. And, indeed, the very lightweight Worldwalker athletic style shoes have been excellent. In the over 1,400 miles I've done with the Worldwalker shoes I've yet to be cursed with any blisters. With the Rocky boots it took my feet several weeks to make the adjustment. There's simply a lot more cushioning and arch support in the soles of the newer quality walking shoes these days.
All that said, I would recommend that Nick search for the hybrid walking/hiking boots that seem to be popular these days. However, he should make sure that what he chooses has lots of cushioning in the soles, and lots of ankle support, and is definitely waterproof. Afterall, if the feet go, then so goes the journey. There is no excuse for sore, wet feet with today's high-tech fabrics and computer-generated shoe designs. Long-distance hiking or walking always holds the chance of serious injuries and discomforts, and the peace of mind that high-quality boots or shoes gives one is worth the extra expense.

So what brands of shoes or boots would you recommend to Nick? I would like to see him get some good recommendations from the readers of this entry. I've told him to check in every so often, to see what other walkers and hikers are saying are their favorite walking and hiking shoes or boots. Please take the time to write your comments into the COMMENT box below and to post your recommendations and experiences. Just remember that the feet you save may be Nick's.

Steven Newman

Top photo: Me at a news conference in Chicago, in 1987, holding the sole pair of ROCKY boots that got me across all of Australia.

Bottom two photos: Recent Japanese full-page magazine advertisements for the Worldwalker shoe brand.

Posted by at 3:46 PM | | Comments (4)

The Most Magical Meal Ever

On my walk around the world in the 1980's I did not stay in hotels or eat in anything fancier than the local eateries. Most of my meals came from the local people, who more often than not were very poor. As a result, I would discover that nearly anything that crawls, walks, slithers, swims, or flies is edible. Some of my more unusual meals involved things like: camel's blood mixed with sour, warm goat's milk (North Africa's Sahara region); cockroach soup (Thailand); blood sausage (Spain); a five-foot-long goanna lizard roasted on a desert campfire (Australia's outback); and even live maggots (you don't want to know where).

Surprisingly, many of the unusual things I ate were actually quite tasty. I never turned down any foods offered to me, because for one thing I was always hungry during my world walk. Also, I did not want to hurt my hosts' feelings, and, too, I reasoned that the other cultures were very ancient and had had a lot of practice preparing and eating such the dishes they were offering me. More than once I was assured what I was about to eat would even be beneficial to my health. (Once I was even told that what I was about to eat would put hair on my boyish chest. It didn't.)

But of course even though I assure my American audiences that most of those "gross" foreign meals were quite delicious, I still get more doubtful looks than convinced ones. And for a long time that even included my wife, Darci. Afterall, she considered something as simple as pickles to be yucky.

But then, in June 2001, Darci was to be exposed to some of Japan's most exotic foods, and, believe me, from then on she was never the same.

It was all a result of another of Mr. Nakazawa's acts of generosity. (See the February 17 entry "Everyone Should Have a Mr. Nakazawa.") At the time I was walking the entire length of South Korea, and so Mr. Nakazawa decided to bring Darci over and spoil her for most of a week on the innumerable delights of both Japan and South Korea.

Darci of course was about to be exposed to those very unusual Asian meals that she had often heard me talk about. And what, we may ask, did she discover? Well, let's take a peek (with her permission) into her journals from that particular trip--in particular to a meal she shared with Mr. Nakazawa and his wife soon after her arrival in Japan. Let's read, in her own words, exactly what she thought about those foods of the Japanese that so many Americans seem reluctant to put into their mouths.

Sunday, June 24

I met Mr. Nakazawa and his wife in the lobby of the Miyako Hotel at 7 p.m. We went to a restaurant in the hotel that he had reserved entirely for just the three of us.

The dinner was the most magical, most different, most delightful one I have ever experienced in my entire life. It was in the same small restaurant that Steven has often talked so highly about to me. There was just the three of us and the chef.

The meal started out with a tofu soup and would include tempura fried vegetables and greens, as well as suishimi (raw tuna!, raw horsemeat!, raw horse neck fat!, raw whale meat!-- all very oishii!!!). Then at that point the chef showed me what I was to eat next while it was still alive. Mr. Nakazawa all this time was laughing, talking, joking--having a great time watching me enjoy myself. His wife was equally kind, and she helped me with how to properly eat the various foods.

All of the food was incredibly delicious--even the live thing I ate! It didn't hurt that I was buzzing from all the saki and wine being served along with the food. Every new thing was a delight, and the shrimp was the best ever! And then Mr. Nakazawa surprised me with beef, but not just any beef. It was the famed "Kobe beef" from Kobe, Japan! He jokingly told me not to tell Steven until after Steven and I got back to Cincinnati, because Steven hadn't had any on his latest trip over to here. Kobe beef, Steven had told me, is the world's most expensive beef and can cost hundreds of dollars in some restaurants.

Oh my word!....The Kobe beef was so succulent it melted in my mouth.

I was so stuffed. Even the chef was having fun watching my joy at eating. All the while, Mr. Nakazawa tells me about how no other place in the world compares to Japan,when it comes to the emphasis put on the taste and quality of food. And then he started talking about the country's fruits, and the chef brought out a honeydew melon that cost $150 in the supermarket. Mr. Nakazawa insisted I have a piece. I said no, but he said that I may never get another chance to eat a $150 melon. How could I argue with that? Oh was the melon so fabulous! Very juicy and rich with sweetness. Not at all like the American melons, which I normally don't care for.

By the time we got done with the meal, it was 9:30. I couldn't even begin to speculate at what the meal must have cost Mr. Nakazawa. Part of me is like a child feeling sheer joy, and another part of me feels a little guilty at being so spoiled. I have never had anyone do so much for me, and I don't kow how to even express how much it has meant to me. On this trip to Japan, I have been taken to so many magical places. I could never have afforded a trip like this on my own. I feel like a queen.


Incidentally, in case you're wondering, the meal above likely cost Mr. Nakazawa many hundreds of dollars. And that is actually not a bad price. I have been to dinners with Mr. Nakazawa and his business friends that cost thousands of dollars. But of course those meals involved at least 10 persons and were in restaurants that serve only the very well-to-do. (In other words, in addition to the food and drinks, you are charged a lot extra for the "privilege" of even being allowed into the establishment. And the items offered for eating can make even Kobe beef seem a bargain.)

Ironically, some of the best meals I've ever tasted in Japan were in the mom-and-pop restaurants that seem to be on every block. A good example would be one small place that specialized in cow tongue. It was in the city of Sendai, and the dimly-lit place was practically in an alleyway. But oh my goodness! Let's just say that if Mr. Nakazawa hadn't made me stop, I might still be there slurping down yet another bowl of their cow tongue soup.

Steven Newman

Top photo: Darci all too obviously enjoying the meal(and prior wines) she wrote about above in her journal.

Bottom photo: A plate of dessert fruits I had while walking the length of Taiwan. And, no, those are not flames shooting out of the one large fruit.

Posted by at 11:48 AM | | Comments (5)

February 17, 2005

A Journey of 88 Temples

Unless you are an ardent student of Japanese culture, or a fervent Buddhist, chances are that those of us who live in the USA have never heard of what is Japan's oldest and, most certainly, longest Buddhist pilgrimage--the "Shikoku Henro" journey. In existence for over 1,000 years and stretching over 900 miles, it is also reputed to be the only religious pilgrimage route of such length in the entire world that is in the form of a circle. (Please don't hesitate to let me know in your comments if what I just said is incorrect.)

My first knowledge of this challenging journey of the soul (so to speak)came from a Worldwalk book fan of mine who lives in Toronto, Canada. His name is Michael Jellen. Though he was over 60 years old, and had just had heart surgery, he was so inspired by the story of my solo walk around the world that he decided he was going to take some long exotic treks of his own. And so like many book readers of mine over the years, he paid a visit to Darci and me here at "Worldwalker Hill" and shared his renewed enthusiasm for exploring life.

Strangely enough, it wasn't long afterwards that Mr. Nakazawa (see "Everyone Should Have a Mr. Nakazawa" entry)asked me when I was visiting him in Japan if I had ever heard of the Henro pilgrimage to Shikoku Island's 88 temples. Ever since my walk down the length of Japan in the fall of 1987, Mr. Nakazawa had wanted very much that I return to explore on foot the only major island of the Japanese archipelago that I'd missed in that journey 18 years ago. The Shikoku pilgrimage seemed, to him, to be the perfect manner in which to learn about that sparsely-populated region. Of course I thought so, too. And off we went at once from his headquarters in Osaka on Honshu Island to Shikoku Island. That initial trip was to be a teaser, however, and not a part of any actual pilgrimage. On that first, short sightseeing visit we traveled as we so often do when I'm in Japan to help with the Worldwalker shoes: in the back seat of his chauffered black Buick (his "mafia car").

Through dozens of flawless mountain tunnels and across two of the world's longest, highest, and most beautiful bridges we rode, with an island-dotted sea often to one side. And in a few hours time we reached the even more mountainous Shikoku, where it was obvious from the very first glance that it may well be the best part of Japan yet. A quick lunch and we were back on our way to Osaka--a ride that was made all the more heart-pounding by the fact that the young driver kept threatening to nod off to sleep. I still believe I am alive today only because I feigned several times the need for us to stop, so I could pee--upon which time I would get a hot coffee for the driver from one of the many vending machines that populate every rest stop in Japan.

But that was then, over two years ago. By now I have been back to Shikoku four other times, and so far I have reached--on foot and solo--64 of the temples. And what have I experienced? Well, you might say it's been a lot like what the Buddhist bishop Taisen Miyata wrote in his popular guidebook A Henro Pilgrimage to The 88 Temples of Shikoku Island: "To visit these old esoteric temples and historical vilages surrounded by evergreen trees and verdant mountains is to go back in time to the quiet, ancient ambience of Japan."

I am not a Buddhist by faith (though I believe there is a lot of the Buddhist nature inside me), and so some may ask: Why explore Shikoku in such an arduous and time-consuming manner as circling the entire island, when you you could just simply walk in a straight fashion across it's width? Well, I might just as easily ask: What better way can there be to explore a holy land than in the manner of the monks whose sandled feet created the original trail? Again, as bishop Miyata so wisely observes: "Human beings have always had a fascination with the nature of unknown country and a mystical encounter with the great savior, and there is no other place in Japan where one can hike and walk along the island in such splendid isolation..."

Alas, the very isolation and physically exhaustive terrain of Shikoku have reduced those who would actually hike the Henro pilgrimmage to a tiny number. As I have acutely discovered, I am almost always on my own--alone with but the darkness of deep bamboo forests, the gaze of wild boars, and the eternal roar of wild streams as my companions. Oh there are usually many other pilgrims upon my weary arrival at each temple, but they are the proteges of modern society: they zipped along paved roads in autos or tour buses. I, however, followed as much as possible the original narrow dirt path, with all its interminable ups and downs.

Supposedly a charter bus takes 13 days to cover the full length of the pilgrimmage, while a taxi or car can do it in 7 days. Those on foot need at least 50 to 60 days. Thus I can understand why the modern-day pilgrim in work-crazy Japan needs the faster mode of travel to seek his or her salvation. But, still, such a shame to realize how much of the island's character they shall never know!

Shikoku is blessed with the kinds of temperatures found in southern California, but with a lot more rain. It's mountains are innumerable and every bit as steep as one would expect of former volcanoes. Their tops are oftentimes misted by clouds, while the forests that cover so thickly the slopes are as dimly-lit and eerily quiet as those in a Grimm's fairy tale. Wild pigs and grouse and even elk have bid me a safe journey through those wild lands, but the human is a rare creature indeed in much of the forest that lies between most temples. Thus have I found myself able to do a lot of thinking and contemplating, much to spirits' delight no doubt.

However, when forced to follow the main streets and to enter into the towns to seek the occasional temple that is contained within, the Japan of heavy traffic can rear its noisy face. Thankfully, Shikoku is the smallest and most rural of the four main Japanese islands, and so it is thus reflected in its towns. Mr. Nakazawa has warned me that the island's residents are the most down-to-earth and the most trusting to be found in Japan,and so far in the 40 days I've spent weaving my way through the island's quilt of paddies and peaks and canyons and patches of civilization he has proven to be very astute. Many is the day I've wanted to quit--especially after hours of plodding straight up a mountain against a fierce gravity, only to meet someone at the--finally!--elusive temple whose kindness made me forget that day's struggles. Surely there is a message for the soul in those moments.

There is much else I would love to include in this entry about my journey thus far on Shikoku Island, but for now I will save some stories for individual entries yet to be written. Most likely what I will do is compose an entry for each of the four stages done thus far, and in each entry I will include a colorful anecdote or two. So be watching for those in the days to come. The stories will definitely confirm my oft-stated belief that Japan is one of the world's most fascinating and beautiful nations.

For now, let me simply end with a quote from Jeffrey Hackler, a former Shikoku pilgrim, who wrote in his website guide to the pilgrimage: "Any method of getting from the start to the end of the pilgrimage is fine. Just as we all are born and die, it is the in-between which makes each of our lives different." (www.madala.co.jp/echoes/jhguide)

Steven Newman




Posted by at 3:23 PM | | Comments (8)

Everyone Should Have a Mr. Nakazawa

Every one of us should have a person like Mr. Nakazawa come into our life.

Imagine if you will a stranger,living on the opposite side of our planet, contacting you out of the blue one day and asking you if you want to explore at your leisure--and with all expenses paid--his exotic culture. And then imagine that this stranger, years later, calls you again out of the blue and informs you that he is manufacturing many styles of shoes and high-end man's clothing named after you. And--oh by the way--would you like to be paid thousands of dollars in royalties for those shoes, as well as travel back to the Far East to explore yet more countries with, again, all your expenses paid?

Now that's what I call an angel.

Mr. Nakazawa is a life-long resident of Osaka, Japan, which is known as Japan's business capital and home to 12 million other largely middle-of-the-road, hard-working friendly souls.) And my now 18-year-long relationship with the 72-year-old president and founder of Daiwa Corporation began in the summer of 1987.

I had been home but a few weeks after the finish of my solo walk around the world, when I first heard his voice over the telephone. At the time I was at my parents' home in Bethel, Ohio, (where I grew up), and I was busily writing what was to eventually become the Worldwalk book. This stranger from Japan(whose English was a little erratic but understandable)teasingly hinted that he was hurt I hadn't included Japan in the worldwalk's route. Caught a little off guard by this "criticism" of my four-year-long trek,I offered the excuse that the world is a big place and I couldn't possibly walk across every country. "And besides," I threw out as an appeasement, "I hear that Japan is very expensive."

His retort was quick and filled with the wit that I would soon find out makes up a lot of his wonderful personality: "Why we would never expect someone like you to pay to come to our country. We pay you!"

My reply was nearly as quick: "When came I come?!"

His laughter was instant and so was our friendship. Never mind that I had a $100,000 advance on the Worldwalk book at stake should I not get the manuscript in time to the publishers in New York City, or that Mr. Nakazawa wanted me to explore his 2,000-mile-long country by walking it, or that I had several groups wanting me to speak to their members...How could the adventurer inside me possibly refuse the once-in-a-lifetime offer of a free rein to explore such a mysterious place as Japan?

Well of course I did what I seem to do a lot of: I took the risky path. Soon I was jetting off to the Land of the Rising Sun. And over the course of the fall of 1987 I trekked solo the entire lengths of Japan's Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Okinawa islands. It was exciting, breathtaking, arduous, unforgettable, soul-spoiling, and every other adjective you can think of. To think I had walked around an entire planet, and again I was being vividly reminded that there is still so much more to learn and experience. And all thanks to a very unselfish admirer from a different world, so to speak.

And what, some may ask, does Mr. Nakazawa get out being a modern-day patron of some gawky, gangly Ohio country boy? Well, he gets an American friend to add to his others around the world, but, more importantly, he gets to realize a very important goal he has: the opportunity for Americans to better understand his culture. You see, in his sending me to his country (and later to South Korea and Taiwan)to explore it on foot, he knew that I would return to the USA to share with many others that which I've learned and experienced. And to Mr. Nakazawa that is even more important than making money. For in his many travels to the USA he has always noted with some sadness that we know so little about his world.

In a sense you could say I am the fortunate recipient of his wish to use some of his riches to bring our world closer together peacefully. And, yes, he does make money from using my name and image on his products, but in a sign of just how good his heart really is he always admonishes me not to promote the Worldwalker brands on the treks he send me on. Now you know as well as I that most businessmen would do just the opposite: Their primary objective would be to better advertise their business (rather than their country and culture).

My wife Darci calls Mr. Nakazawa my Japanese "sugar daddy." But don't think she's being derisive in any way. She really does think of him as a fatherly figure, and he has indeed treated her like a daughter. Sadly, Mr. Nakazawa lost his only daughter a few years ago, when she died of hemorraging while giving birth to twin boys. However, like the angels they are, Mr. Nakazawa and his wife raised the twins for their first three years as the boys' father recovered from his grief and put his career in order.

So you can see, Mr. Nakazawa is indeed an angel.

And so let me conclude this entry by stating that in several future entries I will share with you some small samples of the countless adventures Mr. Nakazawa's generosity has blessed me with. Those places he has sent my wandering curiosity have included the Japan walk, the entire lengths of South Korea and Taiwan, and my present project--the 88 temples of Shikoku Island's "Henro Pilgrimmage."

So let's say you are in for a treat.

And, by the way....I did get the completed Worldwalk book manuscript to the offices of William Morrow & Co. in time. Thus, I got to keep the $100,000 (well at least that which was left after the agent got his share).

Steven Newman

Top photo: Mr. Nakazawa's twin grandsons he and his wife raised for several years after their mother's death.

Middle photo: Mr. Nakazawa and myself standing behind a trail head sign at East Fork State Park in southwestern Ohio

Bottom photo: Mr. Nakazawa at his best--marketing his newest lines of shoes at a shoe show in Kobe.

Posted by at 11:47 AM | | Comments (2)