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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel

Round the world in 13 years

Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Jason with his original companion Steve Smith. They set off from London in July 1994, crossing the channel to France in a 26ft pedal boat called Moksha. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
The next leg of the journey involved cycling across Europe to Lagos in Portugal. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
In February 1995 the pair completed the first-ever, east-west Atlantic crossing in a pedal boat. During the 111-day voyage to Miami they had a near miss with a trawler, a whale threatened to tip them over, and Jason was washed overboard when their craft capsized. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Arriving in the US the pair decided to go their separate ways. Steve chose to mountain bike, while Jason travelled the 3,500-mile trip across America on inline skates. On the way he was threatened by gun-wielding locals in Alabama, then in Colorado in September 1995, he broke both his legs when was run down by an 82-year-old driver. He had to spend nine months recuperating before completing the first inline skate crossing of the US. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Months later, differences resolved, Jason and Steve pedal-boated for 54 days to cover the 2,400 miles from San Francisco to Hawaii. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
There Steve left the expedition to pursue other interests - while Jason pedalled solo the 2,400 miles to the Pacific atoll of Tarawa. At one stage a shark repeatedly attacked the craft's spinning propeller. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Other hazards that he faced in the cramped boat included an attack by a 15ft crocodile in Australia. It chased his craft for 100m and pursued Jason up a beach - biting off his paddle blade when he tried to fend it off. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Jason covered the overland sections of the trip across Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, south-west China, Tibet and Africa by bike. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
At one stage he was questioned as a potential spy after entering Egyptian territory without permission. The craft's onboard satellite communications equipment, cameras, GPS raised further suspicion. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
London's Millennium Dome comes into sight on the last leg his global journey up the Thames to Greenwich - a building that didn't even exist when he first set out. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Crowds gathered in Greenwich to welcome him back onto dry land. Photograph: Expedition 360
Jason Lewis's Expedition 360
Celebrating the journey's end. Photograph: Expedition 360
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