Merrell News

Trek to India ends in France

Mark Boyle, the man who vowed to trek from Bristol to India without spending any money, has been forced to quit after getting to … Calais.

The 28-year-old, who started the expedition just a t-shirt, a bandage and sandals (it is unknown if they were Merrells or not), hoped to walk to Ghandi's birthplace in Porbander relying on the generosity of strangers.

However, he and his two companions had to abandon his pilgrimage because he could not speak French - and this resulted in him being unable to get food or shelter after he arrived in the country.

One of the last entries on his blog says: "[The French] had also seen us a bunch of freeloading backpackers, which is the complete opposite of what the pilgrimage is really about."

Mr Boyle, a member of the anti-money movement Freeconomy, wanted his 9,000-mile hike to show his belief in humanity.

He is now planning a walk around the coastline of Britain and plans to use the time to learn French.

Mr Boyle's aborted trek is reminiscent of the famous 'Hippy Trail' of the 1960s, where travellers would often hitchhike or rideshare from Europe to the east Asia.

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