Read: Suspected Hippie in Transit

Martin Frumkin was Walter Mitty before Ben Stiller was Walter Mitty. No, Martin wasn’t searching for Sean Penn but he was searching, as the subtitle of “Suspected Hippie in Transit,” says “Sex, drugs, Rock ‘N’ Roll, and the Search for Higher Consciousness on the International Trail, 1971-1977.” This book was of interest to me because a close friend who passed away also spent a good amount of time on this same trail. This was a very different time, and I find the sense of adventure of this past era to be far beyond most of what I see today. And there was little to no reward. Unless you consider six rolls of film and a Kodak Instamatic to be a reward, or perhaps the waiting for a year to get your film back.

Frumkin was like many of this era. He was a searcher. Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Little money, few plans but an open mind and hash as your companion. Was this a perfect world? No. Was everyone on the “enlightenment” path on the up and up? No. But Frumkin went and he went and he went. Back, again and again, to find what lived beyond the curve in the road. There is no doubt I want to see all to these countries before I expire. There is a sparkle to these places. Sure, dull in parts but the sparkle of the region is unique and I for one want to see what is what.