ET's conversation with adventurer and travel writer Richard Bangs

I have told only half of what I saw, because no one would have believed me. — Marco Polo

AN INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD BANGS

By Don Heimburger
Photos courtesy Richard Bangs

ET: In your book Quest for Kaitiakitanga, you ask about the ancient Maori secret that could change, perhaps save, the earth from itself. Can you describe this secret and tell us how it plays out in your life and in your travels?
 
RB: I wish I could share the secret of Kaitiakitanga, but I really don’t grasp it wholly, and I am afraid nobody can who is not Maori, and who has not lived it for the past 1,000 years...the best I could do was write the book, which only scratches the surface and provides a liminal understanding...but, on the epidermal level, it is about a cosmology that believes that all things—rivers, rocks, mountains, the moon, and the mist—have a life force, and that we are all inextricably bound together; we are all fastened by a genealogical web and share in the unfolding frond of the universe. It is the idea that we are all a part of nature, not separate from it. That simple notion may hold the promise of long tomorrows, and is perhaps a truth for the whole of the world. It certainly has been a suitcase I have carried with me, as it is about respect of all things we see and touch; not exploitation, but celebration.

ET: In your many travels, you seem to have a certain connection with nature and people that moves them to more fully understand how nature and man can come together for good. Where did you learn this unusual technique, or was it just part of your nature from the beginning? 

RB: It is part of this theology that travel is fatal to prejudice and bigotry...if we have an emotional connection with a place or its peoples, then they are like family, and it is that much harder to abuse the relationship...it is open-mindedness and acceptance, and an understanding that we are essentially the same, with similar desires, goals and delights...we all sing and dance and make love and enjoy laughter and good food and beauty...the danger is isolation, as that breeds misunderstanding and contempt...I don’t know that I learned this...it is an organic by-product of travel...

ET: What travel writers and adventurers do you place high on your list and why?

RB: Richard Burton, as he was the first polymath explorer/author/everything; Mungo Park, as he was on the bleeding edge before such existed; James Bruce, as he described the unknown world like a poet on absinthe; James Baker, as he described true love as adventure; Jan Morris, as she brings grace to the unpolished scapes...she is dean and dutchess. There are scores more...

ET: Of the numerous adventures you have enjoyed, which one or two would you say rate "the best" in your memory, and why?

RB: There is no best, as they pile on one-another making each a higher experience than the one before...

ET: When you traveled to Mount Cook in New Zealand and walked where Edmund Hillary "cut his eyeteeth," what were your thoughts about your adventures and your life? 

RB: Following in the Big Man’s footsteps made me admire him even more than I had following his fame when I was a child, but it was mostly for what he did with his notoriety...he never turned it into his own spotlight, but rather used it to help others for the rest of his career...he has made the world so much better for the Sherpa and others, and he did it all with humility and humor and extraordinary kindness.
 
ET: How do you explain how solitude in a rain forest, on the top of a large mountain, or next to a beautiful river can change Man's focus on nature and how we need to protect it?
 
RB: In wilderness is the hope of the world...without it we are drenched in noise, and it is impossible to find the fresh perspective, and  the creativity and inspiration that comes from solitude and nature. Wilderness gives us solace and optimism; the sun on the back; the feel of crisp mountain water on the lips; the rush of wind on the face; the perfume of pines...all these elicit validation, and excite the soul, and give us spirit...there is nothing more vital than wilderness.
 
RB:Tell us a bit about how your childhood prepared you for your great life adventures?

RB: My mother was a great outdoorswomen, and took me camping at an early age, and I fell in love with the dirt. She supported all my crazy ideas every since, and would drive the Oldsmobile to the end of the river runs down the Potomac when I was in high school to pick me up after a whitewater run. And she sent me care packages of popcorn and cookies when I first went to Africa at age 22...she loved my wacky ideas, and always gleamed when I described them.

ET: Since European Traveler's domain is Europe, where would you recommend people travel to on their first time there, and why?

RB: That’s not easy, as there are so many...New Zealand is like much of Europe, only more so, with more spectacular scenery, and cleaner air and water, and more wilderness and adventure. Morocco is so close yet so different that it delights and sends the visitor to new and unexpected realms. But, the list is long...
 
ET: What is your favorite city in Europe and why is it top on your list?

RB: Oslo, because I just returned...but ask me again after my next European trip..
 
PS: My latest book, just out, is Quest for the Sublime.

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