The First Ten Beers : My Misadventures in Travel

Francis Williams has been to 104 countries, most of them with beer. Some of them more adventurous than others: eating sacrificial snakes in China, drinking with locals in Artsakh, and climbing Everest Base Camp. Ultimately, nothing compares to being toasted to by a Georgian mother. This book is meant not only for people who enjoy travel or wish they'd travelled, but for those seeking inspiration (sometimes on what not to do), young and old, experienced travellers and everyone else alike. Back in 2011, when times were good, my parents thrust upon me a solo trip to Scotland. I flew from Gatwick to Glasgow, then on to Tiree – a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. It was quite a tense trip, spending most of my time in and out of Tesco stocking up on Coca-Cola and £3 meal deals, inbetween trying not to miss ferry connections. I spent a Summer in 2012 roaming solo in Yorkshire. Then in 2013, my first foreign solo trip - to Cambodia. I knew little of Asia, let alone where Cambodia really was, but my parents wanted me out of the house and the flights were booked and paid for – by them. My parents were - and I'm still not really sure why - aggrieved that I decided to extend the trip into Vietnam for a few days. Pioneering spirit, I'd call it. I've since visited over one hundred countries, either for tourism or to study, made worldwide friends, and gathered what I think is a pretty good collection of travel stories. Some of them are certainly not fit for publication, either for my own or for someone else's good, but lots of them are featured here. Grab a beer, sit back, and enjoy the book.