Odysseus' Last Stand: Dave Stamboulis

On the high roads of Qinghai Province, China

“I wanted an adventure. I figured that an irrevocable change was coming to the mysterious world of foreign travel, of exotic lands, of princes and princesses, or unexplored castles and ruins. Guidebooks, air access, and visas to hidden kingdoms were becoming commonplace. The ends of the earth were no longer a myth passed down by a grandparent, but a package tour that included a rental car.”


Odysseus' Last Stand In 1992, Dave Stamboulis looked around and saw a world that was moving too fast, speeding out of its mind. He wanted to slow down. In an era of preplanned and packaged expeditions, he wanted a great adventure, complete with surprises, spontaneity, and lots of room for error. He decided to bicycle around the world. Odysseus’ Last Stand is the story of Dave’s seven-year and 40,000 kilometer journey around the world. Based on the detailed journals he kept throughout his travels, it conveys the richness of sights, sounds, and teeming life that make up the globe as experienced from the saddle of a bicycle. Dave learns about the differences and similarities that bind the world together; experiences firsthand the effect of international politics on media-invisible countries and cultures; and meets an endless array of unique and wonderful characters.		. Very few individuals have made the time, nor had the finances or inclination to attempt a journey of such scope, and Dave’s perspective on world travel and culture is startlingly and refreshingly different from what one might find in any ordinary travelogue. He immerses himself in the culture of every country he visits, learning languages and customs as he travels. As a cyclist, he explores the role that the bicycle plays in the lives of people around the world-and in the process, learns about its importance in his own life. At its heart, Odysseus’ Last Stand is a study of one man’s struggle to find his place in a world that never stops to catch its breath. Everywhere he goes, Dave sees the clash of values between the developed and developing worlds, and he examines the tension between tradition and progress with insight, compassion, and good humor.