ON THE HIPPIE TRAIL Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer

In 1978, Rick Steves left his job teaching piano lessons to set out on the legendary Hippie Trail. Starting in Europe, Steves and his friend Gene left the "wading pool of European travel" (as he puts it) to visit old friends in Bulgaria and then embark on an epic journey from Istanbul to Kathmandu. Steves's trademark enthusiasm and joie de vivre are on full display as he recounts his 23-year-old self's awe at seeing Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. Steves notes that shortly after this trip, and to the present day, several of these countries became regarded as unsafe for travel due to political upheaval. Nevertheless, he advocates continuing to travel where possible to quash ethnocentrism and make friends. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2025]