Rosie Swale-Pope
Encyclopedia
Rosie Swale-Pope, MBE
, born 2 October 1946, is an author
, adventurer and marathon
runner who successfully completed a five-year around-the-world run, raising £250,000 for a charity that supports orphaned children in Russia
and to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of prostate cancer
. Other achievements include sailing single-handed across the Atlantic in a small boat, and trekking 3000 miles (4,828 km) alone through Chile
on horseback.
, Switzerland
. Her Swiss mother was suffering from tuberculosis
, and her Irish father Ronnie Griffin was serving in the British Army
, so she was brought up by the wife of the local postman. She was two when her mother died, and she went to live with her grandmother, called Carlie, who was bedridden with osteoarthritis
, in Askeaton
in County Limerick
, Ireland
.
When she was five, her father remarried and moved to Ireland, with his Swiss wife Marriane. They had four children, Maude, Greald, Nicholas and Ronnie. Although they were only in the next cottage, Rosie stayed with her grandmother and looked after four orphaned donkeys, seven goats, and a pet cow called Cleopatra. Rosie learnt to ride, often going out on her black horse Columbine all day exploring the countryside.
Her grandmother was very religious and worried that the local school would be a bad influence, so Rosie was schooled at home. Although her coursework mostly consisted of simply writing about what she had done each day, it proved to be useful training for her later writing about her travels and adventures.
Her father died in 1957, and when she was thirteen, Rosie was sent to a strict boarding school for girls in Cork
.
At 18 her first job was as a reporter for a local newspaper, the Surrey Advertiser. It didn't last long however, and she hitch-hiked to Delhi
, Nepal
and Russia
, with almost no money or luggage.
Rosie married Colin Swale in her early twenties. They originally lived in a small flat in London, but when their daughter Eve was born, they bought a catamaran
(named the Anneliese in memory of Rosie's sister she only knew from a photo) and sailed to Italy
, where Rosie's son James was born on board the boat.
via Australia
, with her first husband, Colin Swale and daughter Eve on their 30 feet (9 m) catamaran
, the Anneliese. The trip was part sponsored by the Daily Mail
newspaper and also by Independent Television News (ITN) who provided them with a camera to record their own news reports of the journey. They sailed 30000 miles (48,280.2 km) across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal
and across the Pacific, stopping at the Galapagos Islands
, the Marquesas, Tahiti
and Tonga
, before reaching Australia
in 1973. They were the first catamaran to round Cape Horn
.
Although both Swale and her husband were able to sail and had prepared as well as they could, the trip had its risks, and it nearly ended in disaster 3 times: when Rosie fell overboard in the Caribbean
900 miles (1,448.4 km) from the closest land; again when she needed emergency medical treatment in hospital; and a third time when the whole family suffered arsenic poisoning
from a meal of unsoaked beans. The hardships were survived, however, and the voyage was a significant navigational achievement, using only an old Spitfire compass
, nautical charts and a sextant
, in the days before GPS. By the time the family finally returned to Plymouth
, Rosie had not only completed her first book, Rosie Darling (often working below decks on her typewriter for up to six hours at a time), but had also written her second book, Children of Cape Horn.
"Shana Grey" for a number of editions of the magazine Fiesta
and an S&M magazine Kane, but it has given her a notoriety that is still noted in later reports.
in a small 17 feet (5.2 m) foot cutter, which she had found in a cowshed in Wales
and named Fiesta Girl. Aiming to be the fourth woman to sail alone to America in a small boat from England (the first being Ann Davison
in 1952-1953, followed by Nicolette Milnes-Walker in 1972 and Clare Francis in 1973), she also wanted to raise funds for a CAT Scanner
for the Royal Marsden Hospital in London
. Divorced from Colin Swale, Rosie also found her second husband, sailor and photographer Clive Pope, during the preparations for the trip, when he rigged the boat for her.
Departing from Pembroke
in Wales
on the 13th of July, 1983, she sailed to the Azores
and Caribbean Islands. Simply equipped, Rosie navigated by the stars and was nearly run down by an oil tanker
. When she was 100 miles (160.9 km) north of Puerto Rico
, she was becalmed for so long she was without food and water for five days and nearly drowned when she was swept overboard in storms. She arrived at Staten Island
, New York
, after completing her record-breaking 4800 miles (7,724.8 km) in 70 days - navigating by the stars with the aid of her Timex watch.
A year after returning from her Atlantic crossing, Rosie decided that she really wanted to see Cape Horn
again and decided to plan a trek 3000 miles (4,828 km) through Chile
on horseback. The journey took her from the northern port of Antofagasta
to Cape Horn
, and she rode two Chilean Aculeos horses named 'Hornero' and 'Jolgorio'. From the Hacienda Los Lingues
, the horses of the Aculeo Stables were originally brought to Chile by the Spanish
Conquistadors in 1492.
Leaving Antofagasta on 22 July 1984, Rosie had secured the protection of General César Mendoza
, who was the head of Chile's Military Police (and later the leader of the military Junta
there). An Olympic horseman, Mendoza provided her with an armed escort for the first stage. The whole trip was planned to take four months but actually took fourteen. In the first week of her journey, Rosie was caught in a desert sand storm which scattered the horses and all her equipment. Later she fell from one of the horses and broke two ribs. She also faced starvation when she became lost in the southern rain forests and ran out of food. Delayed by bad weather, Rosie arrived at Cape Horn
on 2 September 1985, a total of 409 days after she had set out. Rosie wrote of her experiences in Chile in her book Back to Cape Horn in 1986.
to walk around Wales
in winter. She was carrying everything she needed, including a small tent to sleep in, and was supported by her husband Clive, who also walked with her when other commitments permitted. Rosie completed 1375 miles (2,213 km) on foot and wrote about her experiences in her book Winter Wales.
in a time of six hours and described it as her most memorable sporting moment.
' is run over six days and is the equivalent of five and a half normal marathons. Like all the other competitors, Rosie had to carry everything she needed on her back in a rucksack. She ran across the Sahara a second time in 2000
. The run took her from the Arctic Circle
to the capital, Reykjavik
.
', one of the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon
s, run over a distance of approximately 90 km (55.9 mi) between the capital of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa
, Pietermaritzburg
, and the coastal city of Durban
. The direction of the race alternates each year between the up run starting from Durban
and the down run starting from Pietermaritzburg
. Equivalent to running two marathons, Rosie Swale Pope completed it in 11 hours 1 minute 1 second. She was awarded a bronze medal for completing the race, which has been described as the roadrunner's equivalent to climbing Mount Everest
.
from Macedonia
. It was a dangerous run, and she was held up at gunpoint but managed to escape to reach the border. She flew into Skopje
on 11 April 2001 and ran across the then-closed border into Kosovo
, then across a closed border through Montenegro
, where she ran for twenty-four hours, through deserted villages and deep snow until she reached northern Albania
.
. It took 46 days and she was running the marathon distance every day (and several nights) with a 12 kilograms (26 lb) rucksack on her back and camping in a lightweight bivouac
. She lived on rice and sugar cane and had to avoid the Cuban Police, who were concerned for her safety. She also entered and completed the Havana
Marathon, finishing in 4 hours and 52 minutes. Crossing from West to East, and running alone to raise money for the charity Age Concern
, the straight line distance was 750 miles (1,207 km), but Rosie covered over 1000 miles (1,609.3 km), camping by the side of the road and in the jungle. The run took almost seven weeks. She reached the Punta de Maisi lighthouse, her finish point, on Christmas Day 2001.
in 2002, in aid of her local Hospital in West Wales where her husband Clive had died of prostate cancer
ten weeks before. She finished in a time of 4.15.35 (h.m.s), despite a nasty fall six miles (9.7 km) from the finishing line, and received the award for the fastest 55-year-old competitor.
to raise money for the Nepal Trust, a small charity which carries out development work in the remote rural areas of North-West Nepal in a region referred to as the 'Hidden Himalayas'. The journey from one end of Nepal to the other was 1700 kilometres (1,056.3 mi) and established a new world-record time of 68 days. Rosie also raised over US$8000 which was used to help sponsor a health camp at the district headquarters of Simikot
, Humla.
Charity and an orphanage in Kitezh
, Russia
which provides children with education and care.
Her aim was to run around the northern hemisphere taking in as much land mass as possible, with no support crew and just minimal supplies and sponsorship. Rosie started from her home town of Tenby
in Wales on her 57th birthday, 2 October 2003, where her first footfall is engraved in a flagstone on her front step. Equipped with just a small specially designed cart of food and basic camping equipment, the trip was funded by renting out her cottage. By 5 April 2004, she reached Moscow
, Russia
, and on 15 September 2005, she reached Magadan
in far eastern Russia
. After facing extreme conditions in the Alaska
n Winter, she reached the road again on 17 April 2006, and in October 2006, she was in Edmonton
, Canada
. Four years after the departure, on 2 October 2007, she reached New York City
, USA
.
She ran harnessed to her cart, which was designed for sleeping, shelter and storage. Her son James maintained a website that was followed closely by her supporters and provided regular updates and messages about her progress. Her supporter Geoff Hall organised supplies and equipment to reach her around the world. In the Faroes, she took part in an organised midnight hike to take in the scenery. She also gave cultural talks while on the road, and described how she met a naked man with a gun, how Siberian wolves ran with her for a week, and taking a break to run the Chicago marathon
along the way.
Surviving on minimal rations, Rosie fell ill near Lake Baikal
in Russia
, possibly from a tick
bite, and wandered into the path of a bus. She was knocked unconscious and taken in the bus to hospital. In Alaska
, she had to cope with temperatures of -60 F and nearly froze in her sleeping bag at night. She was stuck in a blizzard
by the Yukon River
and got severe frostbite of her foot. She had no alternative but to call friends in Wales
for help, who then called the Alaskan National Guard, who helped her get the frostbite treated, so she could continue on her run.
She left Canada by air from St John's
(Newfoundland) on 24 January 2008, to make a short visit to Greenland
before flying to Iceland
on 9 February 2008, and continued running to eastern Iceland. While running, she slipped on the ice, breaking several ribs and cracking her hip. She was over a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest house from where she fell and had to walk two miles (3.2 km), with her injuries, before she was found and got medical attention.
On 18 June 2008, she arrived at Scrabster, in Scotland
's far north, by ferry from Iceland, and ran from Scrabster back home to Tenby. Rosie successfully completed the journey, and despite stress fractures in both legs, which turned the final few miles back to Tenby into a hobble on crutches, she returned to her home on 25 August 2008, at 14:18 local time. A large crowd of Tenby residents and Bank Holiday visitors turned out to witness her return and welcome her home. Her distance travelled was 32000 kilometres (19,883.9 mi).
Swale wrote a book about her experiences entitled "Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes", which was released on 28 May 2009.
, from Rosslare
to the Giant's Causeway
, pulling her cart which she named 'Icebird' to highlight the importance of cancer awareness. She completed the run on her birthday, 2 October 2009 and the anniversary of setting out on her round-the-world run in 2003, and said that the Wicklow Mountains
were one of her toughest challenges.
for her charity work in the 2008/9 new year honours list. Queen Elizabeth II
presented her with the MBE.
's documentary film Revenge of the Rain Gods, directed by Simon Normanton, about her journey around the Maya
World. In the documentary, Swale explores Mayan ruins and meets surviving Mayan communities, which cameraman Desmond Seal described as 'a very wet trip around the edge of the Caribbean
, Guatemala
, Belize
and Mexico
'.
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, born 2 October 1946, is an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, adventurer and marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
runner who successfully completed a five-year around-the-world run, raising £250,000 for a charity that supports orphaned children in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. Other achievements include sailing single-handed across the Atlantic in a small boat, and trekking 3000 miles (4,828 km) alone through Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on horseback.
Early life
Rosie Swale-Pope was born as Rosie Griffin in DavosDavos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Her Swiss mother was suffering from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, and her Irish father Ronnie Griffin was serving in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, so she was brought up by the wife of the local postman. She was two when her mother died, and she went to live with her grandmother, called Carlie, who was bedridden with osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...
, in Askeaton
Askeaton
Askeaton is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. Located on the N69, the town is built on the banks of the River Deel some 3 km upstream from the estuary of the River Shannon. There is also a secondary school in Askeaton...
in County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
When she was five, her father remarried and moved to Ireland, with his Swiss wife Marriane. They had four children, Maude, Greald, Nicholas and Ronnie. Although they were only in the next cottage, Rosie stayed with her grandmother and looked after four orphaned donkeys, seven goats, and a pet cow called Cleopatra. Rosie learnt to ride, often going out on her black horse Columbine all day exploring the countryside.
Her grandmother was very religious and worried that the local school would be a bad influence, so Rosie was schooled at home. Although her coursework mostly consisted of simply writing about what she had done each day, it proved to be useful training for her later writing about her travels and adventures.
Her father died in 1957, and when she was thirteen, Rosie was sent to a strict boarding school for girls in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
At 18 her first job was as a reporter for a local newspaper, the Surrey Advertiser. It didn't last long however, and she hitch-hiked to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, with almost no money or luggage.
Rosie married Colin Swale in her early twenties. They originally lived in a small flat in London, but when their daughter Eve was born, they bought a catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
(named the Anneliese in memory of Rosie's sister she only knew from a photo) and sailed to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where Rosie's son James was born on board the boat.
Sailing round the world
Beginning in December 1971, Rosie sailed around the world from GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
via Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with her first husband, Colin Swale and daughter Eve on their 30 feet (9 m) catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
, the Anneliese. The trip was part sponsored by the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
newspaper and also by Independent Television News (ITN) who provided them with a camera to record their own news reports of the journey. They sailed 30000 miles (48,280.2 km) across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
and across the Pacific, stopping at the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
, the Marquesas, Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, before reaching Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1973. They were the first catamaran to round Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
.
Although both Swale and her husband were able to sail and had prepared as well as they could, the trip had its risks, and it nearly ended in disaster 3 times: when Rosie fell overboard in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
900 miles (1,448.4 km) from the closest land; again when she needed emergency medical treatment in hospital; and a third time when the whole family suffered arsenic poisoning
Arsenic poisoning
Arsenic poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the element arsenic in the body. Arsenic interferes with cellular longevity by allosteric inhibition of an essential metabolic enzyme...
from a meal of unsoaked beans. The hardships were survived, however, and the voyage was a significant navigational achievement, using only an old Spitfire compass
Compass
A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The frame of reference defines the four cardinal directions – north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions are also defined...
, nautical charts and a sextant
Sextant
A sextant is an instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects. Its primary use is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon which is known as the altitude. Making this measurement is known as sighting the object, shooting the object, or taking a sight...
, in the days before GPS. By the time the family finally returned to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Rosie had not only completed her first book, Rosie Darling (often working below decks on her typewriter for up to six hours at a time), but had also written her second book, Children of Cape Horn.
Modelling work
Rosie Swale only worked briefly in 1981 as a model with the pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Shana Grey" for a number of editions of the magazine Fiesta
Fiesta (magazine)
Fiesta magazine is a British soft-core pornographic magazine, published by Galaxy Publications. It is a sister publication of Knave.Launched in 1966, Fiesta quickly became Britain’s top selling adult magazine...
and an S&M magazine Kane, but it has given her a notoriety that is still noted in later reports.
Atlantic Crossing
In 1983, Rosie Swale sailed solo across the AtlanticAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in a small 17 feet (5.2 m) foot cutter, which she had found in a cowshed in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and named Fiesta Girl. Aiming to be the fourth woman to sail alone to America in a small boat from England (the first being Ann Davison
Ann Davison
Ann Davison was, at the age of 39, the first woman to single-handedly sail the Atlantic Ocean. She departed Plymouth, England in her 23 foot boat Felicity Ann on May 18, 1952. She landed in Brittany, Portugal, Morocco and the Canary Islands, before setting sail across the Atlantic on 20 November...
in 1952-1953, followed by Nicolette Milnes-Walker in 1972 and Clare Francis in 1973), she also wanted to raise funds for a CAT Scanner
Computed tomography
X-ray computed tomography or Computer tomography , is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing...
for the Royal Marsden Hospital in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Divorced from Colin Swale, Rosie also found her second husband, sailor and photographer Clive Pope, during the preparations for the trip, when he rigged the boat for her.
Departing from Pembroke
Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
Pembroke is an historic settlement and former county town of Pembrokeshire in west Wales. The town and the county derive their name from that of the cantref of Penfro: Pen = "head" or "end", and bro = "region", "country", "land", and so it means essentially "Land's End".-History:The main point of...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on the 13th of July, 1983, she sailed to the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
and Caribbean Islands. Simply equipped, Rosie navigated by the stars and was nearly run down by an oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
. When she was 100 miles (160.9 km) north of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, she was becalmed for so long she was without food and water for five days and nearly drowned when she was swept overboard in storms. She arrived at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, after completing her record-breaking 4800 miles (7,724.8 km) in 70 days - navigating by the stars with the aid of her Timex watch.
Chile on horseback
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
again and decided to plan a trek 3000 miles (4,828 km) through Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
on horseback. The journey took her from the northern port of Antofagasta
Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905...
to Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, and she rode two Chilean Aculeos horses named 'Hornero' and 'Jolgorio'. From the Hacienda Los Lingues
Los Lingues
Hacienda Los Lingues, in English Los Lingues Ranch, is a 15th generation family company located in Chile’s Central Valley 78 miles south of Santiago...
, the horses of the Aculeo Stables were originally brought to Chile by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Conquistadors in 1492.
Leaving Antofagasta on 22 July 1984, Rosie had secured the protection of General César Mendoza
César Mendoza
General César Leonidas Mendoza Durán was a member of the Government Junta which ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, representing the country-wide police force, the Carabineros de Chile....
, who was the head of Chile's Military Police (and later the leader of the military Junta
Junta
Junta may refer to:Governance:* Military-led government:** By military junta or committee**Military dictatorship regardless of structure* Other governance:** Junta ** Specific to Spain:*** Junta , 1808–1810...
there). An Olympic horseman, Mendoza provided her with an armed escort for the first stage. The whole trip was planned to take four months but actually took fourteen. In the first week of her journey, Rosie was caught in a desert sand storm which scattered the horses and all her equipment. Later she fell from one of the horses and broke two ribs. She also faced starvation when she became lost in the southern rain forests and ran out of food. Delayed by bad weather, Rosie arrived at Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
on 2 September 1985, a total of 409 days after she had set out. Rosie wrote of her experiences in Chile in her book Back to Cape Horn in 1986.
Walk around Wales
On 25 September 1987, Rosie set off from the beach near her home in TenbyTenby
Tenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay.Notable features of Tenby include of sandy beaches; the 13th century medieval town walls, including the Five Arches barbican gatehouse ; 15th century St...
to walk around Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in winter. She was carrying everything she needed, including a small tent to sleep in, and was supported by her husband Clive, who also walked with her when other commitments permitted. Rosie completed 1375 miles (2,213 km) on foot and wrote about her experiences in her book Winter Wales.
London Marathon
In 1995 Rosie ran her first London MarathonLondon Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
in a time of six hours and described it as her most memorable sporting moment.
Sahara run
In 1997 Rosie ran 243 km (151 mi) across the Sahara desert in the Sahara marathon. Described as 'the toughest footrace on earth', the 'Marathon des SablesMarathon des Sables
The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons. The longest single stage is long....
' is run over six days and is the equivalent of five and a half normal marathons. Like all the other competitors, Rosie had to carry everything she needed on her back in a rucksack. She ran across the Sahara a second time in 2000
Iceland run
In 1999 Rosie ran 1000 miles (1,609.3 km) solo across IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. The run took her from the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
to the capital, Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
South Africa Ultramarathons
To mark the millennium, Rosie Swale achieved a long-standing ambition and successfully completed the challenging 'Comrades MarathonComrades Marathon
The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 90 km run in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race...
', one of the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
s, run over a distance of approximately 90 km (55.9 mi) between the capital of the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, and the coastal city of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. The direction of the race alternates each year between the up run starting from Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
and the down run starting from Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
. Equivalent to running two marathons, Rosie Swale Pope completed it in 11 hours 1 minute 1 second. She was awarded a bronze medal for completing the race, which has been described as the roadrunner's equivalent to climbing Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
.
Albania run
In 2000 Rosie ran through the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
from Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. It was a dangerous run, and she was held up at gunpoint but managed to escape to reach the border. She flew into Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
on 11 April 2001 and ran across the then-closed border into Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, then across a closed border through Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, where she ran for twenty-four hours, through deserted villages and deep snow until she reached northern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
Cuba run
On 8 November 2001, Rosie set off to run 1360 miles (2,188.7 km) across CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. It took 46 days and she was running the marathon distance every day (and several nights) with a 12 kilograms (26 lb) rucksack on her back and camping in a lightweight bivouac
Bivouac sack
A bivouac sack is an extremely small, lightweight, waterproof shelter, and an alternative to traditional tent systems. It is used by climbers, mountaineers, hikers, ultralight backpackers, soldiers and minimalist campers...
. She lived on rice and sugar cane and had to avoid the Cuban Police, who were concerned for her safety. She also entered and completed the Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
Marathon, finishing in 4 hours and 52 minutes. Crossing from West to East, and running alone to raise money for the charity Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
, the straight line distance was 750 miles (1,207 km), but Rosie covered over 1000 miles (1,609.3 km), camping by the side of the road and in the jungle. The run took almost seven weeks. She reached the Punta de Maisi lighthouse, her finish point, on Christmas Day 2001.
Cardiff Marathon
Rosie ran the Marathon in CardiffCardiff Marathon
The Cardiff Half Marathon takes place in October. In 2011, it is on Sunday 16 October. It is an annual half marathon race held in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. The event was established in 2003 and is organised by the children’s charity Barnardo’s...
in 2002, in aid of her local Hospital in West Wales where her husband Clive had died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
ten weeks before. She finished in a time of 4.15.35 (h.m.s), despite a nasty fall six miles (9.7 km) from the finishing line, and received the award for the fastest 55-year-old competitor.
Nepal run
In April 2003 Rosie ran across NepalNepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
to raise money for the Nepal Trust, a small charity which carries out development work in the remote rural areas of North-West Nepal in a region referred to as the 'Hidden Himalayas'. The journey from one end of Nepal to the other was 1700 kilometres (1,056.3 mi) and established a new world-record time of 68 days. Rosie also raised over US$8000 which was used to help sponsor a health camp at the district headquarters of Simikot
Simikot
Simikot is a mountainous town in the Himalayas of northwest Nepal, near the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is the administrative headquarters of the Humla district in the Karnali Zone of Nepal....
, Humla.
Running around the world
When her second husband, Clive, 73, died of prostate cancer in 2002, Rosie decided to run around the world to raise money for the Prostate CancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
Charity and an orphanage in Kitezh
Kitezh
Kitezh was a mythical city on the shores of the Svetloyar lake in the Voskresensky District of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast in central Russia. It appears for the first time in "Kitezh Chronicle", an anonymous book from the late 18th century, believed to have originated among the Old believers.-The...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
which provides children with education and care.
Her aim was to run around the northern hemisphere taking in as much land mass as possible, with no support crew and just minimal supplies and sponsorship. Rosie started from her home town of Tenby
Tenby
Tenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, lying on Carmarthen Bay.Notable features of Tenby include of sandy beaches; the 13th century medieval town walls, including the Five Arches barbican gatehouse ; 15th century St...
in Wales on her 57th birthday, 2 October 2003, where her first footfall is engraved in a flagstone on her front step. Equipped with just a small specially designed cart of food and basic camping equipment, the trip was funded by renting out her cottage. By 5 April 2004, she reached Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and on 15 September 2005, she reached Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
in far eastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. After facing extreme conditions in the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n Winter, she reached the road again on 17 April 2006, and in October 2006, she was in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Four years after the departure, on 2 October 2007, she reached New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
She ran harnessed to her cart, which was designed for sleeping, shelter and storage. Her son James maintained a website that was followed closely by her supporters and provided regular updates and messages about her progress. Her supporter Geoff Hall organised supplies and equipment to reach her around the world. In the Faroes, she took part in an organised midnight hike to take in the scenery. She also gave cultural talks while on the road, and described how she met a naked man with a gun, how Siberian wolves ran with her for a week, and taking a break to run the Chicago marathon
Chicago Marathon
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
along the way.
Surviving on minimal rations, Rosie fell ill near Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is the world's oldest at 30 million years old and deepest lake with an average depth of 744.4 metres.Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, it is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, possibly from a tick
Tick
Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...
bite, and wandered into the path of a bus. She was knocked unconscious and taken in the bus to hospital. In Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, she had to cope with temperatures of -60 F and nearly froze in her sleeping bag at night. She was stuck in a blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
by the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
and got severe frostbite of her foot. She had no alternative but to call friends in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
for help, who then called the Alaskan National Guard, who helped her get the frostbite treated, so she could continue on her run.
She left Canada by air from St John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
(Newfoundland) on 24 January 2008, to make a short visit to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
before flying to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
on 9 February 2008, and continued running to eastern Iceland. While running, she slipped on the ice, breaking several ribs and cracking her hip. She was over a hundred miles (160 km) from the nearest house from where she fell and had to walk two miles (3.2 km), with her injuries, before she was found and got medical attention.
On 18 June 2008, she arrived at Scrabster, in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's far north, by ferry from Iceland, and ran from Scrabster back home to Tenby. Rosie successfully completed the journey, and despite stress fractures in both legs, which turned the final few miles back to Tenby into a hobble on crutches, she returned to her home on 25 August 2008, at 14:18 local time. A large crowd of Tenby residents and Bank Holiday visitors turned out to witness her return and welcome her home. Her distance travelled was 32000 kilometres (19,883.9 mi).
Swale wrote a book about her experiences entitled "Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes", which was released on 28 May 2009.
Chicago Marathon
While running around the world, she took a break from it during a week after having reached Edmonton, Canada. She took part in the 2006 Chicago Marathon, to which she was invited in order to support charity work. The marathon race took 4:40. After the race, she flew back to Edmonton and continued running around the world.Ireland Run
In September 2009, Rosie Swale Pope ran 236 miles (380 km) along the east coast of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, from Rosslare
Rosslare
The name Rosslare may refer to:*Rosslare Strand, a village in County Wexford, Ireland* Rosslare Harbour, a village in County Wexford, Ireland*The Rosslare Europort at Rosslare Harbour...
to the Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...
, pulling her cart which she named 'Icebird' to highlight the importance of cancer awareness. She completed the run on her birthday, 2 October 2009 and the anniversary of setting out on her round-the-world run in 2003, and said that the Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
were one of her toughest challenges.
Honours
Swale-Pope was awarded an MBEMBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for her charity work in the 2008/9 new year honours list. Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
presented her with the MBE.
TV Presenting
In 1990, Swale presented Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's documentary film Revenge of the Rain Gods, directed by Simon Normanton, about her journey around the Maya
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
World. In the documentary, Swale explores Mayan ruins and meets surviving Mayan communities, which cameraman Desmond Seal described as 'a very wet trip around the edge of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
'.
Published works
| Title | Publisher | Published | ISBN 10 | ISBN 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosie Darling | Macmillan | 1973 | 0330240005 | 9780330240000 |
| Children of Cape Horn | HarperCollins | 1974 | 0236177133 | 978-0236177134 |
| Libras Don't Say No | Elek (Paul) (Scientific Books) Ltd | 1980 | 0236401726 | 9780583134651 |
| Back to Cape Horn | HarperCollins Publishers Ltd | 1986 | 0002174154 | 978-0002174152 |
| Winter Wales | Golden Grove | 1989 | 1870876164 | 9781870876162 |
| Just a Little Run Around the World | HarperTrue | 2009 | 0007306202 | 9780007306206 |