This October, a 57-year-old British adventurer stepped onto English soil after spending nearly 28 years walking around the world. Karl Bushby had travelled approximately 50,000 kilometres through 29 countries. He crossed jungles, deserts, frozen landscapes and political borders. To reach Britain, he even waded across the English Channel. 

Yet, it seems, as he approached the end of his extraordinary expedition, the most difficult part of his journey might not be behind him. It might be waiting at home. 

Bushby began his journey from Chile in 1998. A former British paratrooper, he had conceived the idea while serving in the army. He drew a line on a map, connecting South America to his home in Hull, England. What began as an ambitious adventure became a personal mission. Reportedly, he set himself two rules: he would not use transport to advance his journey, and he would not return home until he could complete it on foot. He expected to finish in about 12 years. It took almost three decades.  

However, intriguingly, there was another story unfolding behind the........

© Greater Kashmir