Jean Beliveau, a 56-year-old man from Montreal walked the world in 11 years, in an attempt to break the feeling of depression of a middle-aged. He is finally back in Montreal after he was able to realize his dream.
Beliveau has to walk another 300 kilometers along Lake Ontario before he returned on 16. October to Montreal where he faces his longtime girlfriend Arkambo Luce, who was supported him at all times in an effort to realize his rather unusual adventure. She has even launched a website on which interested people could be informed about the details of his travels.
He left Montreal on his 45. birthday, 18 August 2000. after the bankruptcy. He decided to walk the world in order to overcome this painful episode in his life. The girl and two children from a previous marriage did not try to prevent him to do what he intended.
Beliveau started his journey by running to Atlanta, the capital of Georgia states, but then walked 75,000 kilometers through 64 countries. At one point, Arkambo encouraged him during his journey to promote peace and nonviolence on behalf of children and of UNESCO, and what began as an escape from his life actually got some purpose.
In 11 years, he traveled through the deserts and mountains, he fell in love during the nine days he spent in Mexico, wore a turban and long beard in Sudan, he was eating insects in Africa, dogs in South Korea, snakes in China and in Philippines he was carried out by soldiers.
Only ones Beliveau got serious illness in Algeria, attacked by two young drunks in South Africa and ended up imprisoned in Ethiopia for no reason, but he was released the next day.
Also in Ethiopia at one time he felt so lonely that he wanted to stop everything and come home, but his girl convinced him not to do so.
During the 11 years he slept under bridges, in homeless shelters, met the prison brutality, but often slept and ate with people who have admired him for what he does.
He left Montreal with 4,000 Canadian dollars. Every year, his girl with whom he was in touch via Skype had sent him the same amount, but mainly he relied on the kindness of strangers. Today he is completely out of money, but he points out that he is richer for the experience he got.
Beliveau said that he went without anything, but he came back with great knowledge and understanding. He intends to write a book about his experiences and to gives lectures about what he experienced, adding that the most important is the harmony among the people, to listen to each other and accept their differences.
On the private plane, his love story will have a happy ending. Arkambo said that she is his Penelope, and he is her Odysseus. Every year at Christmas she flew to where Beliveau was located to celebrate this holiday together.
Source: interestingtopics.net
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