Since I started travelling properly on my own after finishing University, I had been looking for a travel mascot that could accompany me on my journeys around the world.
But it couldn’t just be any mascot for the sake of it, I had to pick something that both had an immediate draw and which also was small enough to take on my travels and to carry around in a pocket on my utility trousers.
After a few years, during the 2010-2011 holiday season, I was in the branch of Paperchase near Tottenham Court Road underground station in London and my eyes were drawn to a bunch of stuffed gingerbread men wearing Christmas hats.
I knew immediately that one of these was to be the mascot that would come travelling with me.
The name I gave the Gingerbread man that I chose is Charlie. I have no idea why I chose to call him Charlie, but I hope that you enjoy following his travels around the world.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO UPDATES FROM EACH OF THE PLACES THAT HE HAS VISITED WITH ME
Charlie has been a loyal travelling companion since then, and in addition to a few locations in the UK he has travelled with me to:
- Atlanta, USA
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Uganda
- Amsterdam, Holland
- Ukraine (including Chernobyl)
- Thailand
- Myanmar
- Hong Kong
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Uzbekistan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, and Salamanca)
- Qatar
- Tanzania
- Malawi
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- South Africa
Plus the following airports in transit
- Moscow, Russia
- Panama City
- Kigali, Rwanda
- Brussels, Belgium
CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTO UPDATES FROM EACH OF THE PLACES THAT HE HAS VISITED WITH ME