“There is an illicit and vicarious pleasure in reading the details of another traveler’s follies, mistakes and near death experiences . . . Fascinating” (Good Reading Magazine).
When A.J. Mackinnon quits his job in Australia, he knows only that he longs to travel to the well at the world’s end, a mysterious pool on a remote Scottish island whose waters, legend has it, hold the secret to eternal youth. Determined not to fly—he claims it would feel as though he were cheating—he sets out with a backpack, some fireworks, and a map of the world and trusts that chance will take care of the rest.
Traveling by land and sea, train, truck, horse and yacht, Mackinnon travels across the world, getting caught up in a series of hilarious, sometimes surreal, adventures. He survives a near-fatal bus crash in Australia, accidentally marries a Laotian princess, is attacked by a komodo dragon, and does time in a sketchy Chinese jail, among many other mishaps and misadventures along the way. Each new continent and each new mode of transport brings the possibility of a near-miss or happy accident, all on the quest for eternal youth. This is the astonishing true story of a remarkable voyage.
“A great travel writer and more importantly a great traveler.” —Sydney Morning Herald
“Travel literature either makes your feet itch or settles you down in a comfy chair with a Scotch handy. A.J. Mackinnon’s book belongs to the latter variety . . . his narrative should please the vicarious traveler.” —The Sunday Age
“A delight.” —The Herald Sun
