A spaceman with his head in the clouds

When the first men walked on the moon from that astonishing Apollo 11 space voyage I was off on my own journey into the unknown – my unknown - overland.

 My journey took me in effect back-to-front on the traditional Overland Route, through some very faraway places - Singapore, and Malaysia, Thailand, then across to India, Nepal and Pakistan, up the Khyber Pass and into Afghanistan.

The sights were amazing, but not sufficient to keep my eyes from returning time and again to the heavens where the astonishing Apollo 11 space journey was underway.

I was reminded of much of that journey this week when excerpts from the book of the first man on the moon slipped into the inbox, thanks to the excellent DelanceyPlace.com email.

In many ways, that extraordinary space voyage played a quite important part in my growing desire to become a Cape Horner, and a solo Cape Horner, at that, with no ego troubles from crew.

Sputnik beeps

I suspect some early encouragement for the desire was also encouraged by sputnik journeys, with the distinctive beep beeps we could monitor on radio, and the searching of night skies for a bright light passing way up there. 

Then came the real thing, America seriously piqued by those Russian sputniks, sent three men off to the moon.

The book, The Eagle Has Landed: The Story of Apollo 11, by Jeffrey K. Smith (New Frontier Publications) tells of ego complications that can come with a crew of more than one.

The three handsome fellows were Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Michael Collins's role was clear. He would remain in control of the spacecraft while the other two travelled by lunar module down to the Moon's surface, and back up.

 Exposed to enormous risks

All three, of course, were exposed to enormous risks, from take-off to the return. The two travelling down to the Moon's surface and back, however, may well have wisely done so with fingers crossed.

Whether NASA's plans were followed to the letter or not, one of them would be the first man to step onto the moon. More than courage would etch his name into human history.

Jeffrey Smith's story reveals the challenge of ego within the lunar module. He says that Buzz Aldrin lobbied hard to be selected for the role of the first human to stir the moondust.

Buzz attempted to explain his rational …. Continues on the blogs for my ocean-travel adventure book, Sailing to Purgatory, at SailingToPurgatory.com