Book Review : The Hippie Trail – F. Van Alphen

 

So recently I have read: Hippie Trail by Frank van Alphen.

Unfortunately this book is only available in Dutch language. But an alternative is: Magic bus by Rony Maclean. Which is written in English. ( I haven’t read this one yet, but im planning to. This book is actually very similar because it is also about the hippie trail)

 In the sixties and seventies thousands of goodwilling long-haired hippies took a leap of faith and were drifted with the hippie stream to Asia. So did Frank and his travel buddy after saving up some money. From Amsterdam they took ‘The Magic Bus’ all the way to India. In search of peace and cheap drugs. Along the way they met inspiring, interesting and crazy people on their journey in search of something bigger, something better. Overland they went from Amsterdam-Yugoslavia-Athens, Greece- Bulgaria- Istanbul, Turkey from Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. It wasn’t Just a ride.It was a journey. A journey full of flaws, discomfort and trouble.
  Thousands of youngsters where inspired to take this long trip overland. The Hippie Trail (also called Road to Kathmandu) became a phenomenon.  With a small amount of money Frank and his travel mate went all the way to India by ‘The Magic Bus’ but also through trains, hitchhiking, buses and by just walking.Frank van Alphen has undertaken this trip two times. Unfortunately the second time was different. Changes began to come within Iran and Afghanistan. The battle between the Mujahadeen and the Russians had started and a bloody revolution in Iran broke loose when the Sjah was beaten off his throne. With less than 100$ each they succeed to travel back from India, all the way back to the Netherlands. 

 

The story is inspiring and so interesting because nowadays it is nearly impossible to undertake such an adventure due war. It takes you back to an age of possibilities. An age of rebeliousness and an age of long-haired peacefully mined explorers.