One man’s trek across South America

THE journey from Argentina to Guyana took 10 years for Ignacio Fitzsimon who arrived here by walking and hitch-hiking. The 30-year-old Argentinian told the Pepperpot Magazine that it was worth it- all while noting what a beautiful, picturesque country we live in.

Fitzsimon arrived in Lethem from Brazil by foot on January 17, 2018 and spent 15 days there before heading for the city of Georgetown. The foreigner is hoping to get his passport so he can return to Argentina to visit his siblings before heading for the Caribbean.

Fitzsimon said he walked barefoot through the trails in the interior and he instantly fell in love with Guyana. He described the town of Lethem as a ‘storybook town’ which made him almost want to stay there.

He said he was on a spiritual journey called “Nirvana”, a Buddhist term which involves seeking the fulfilment of the perfection of a human being.

While in Guyana, Fitzsimon said that he is staying in the streets and has received generous donations of food from people he has met.

He told the Pepperpot Magazine that all he has on his journey is the clothes he is wearing and his arrival in Guyana is the last lap of his 10-year journey which he describes as ‘bittersweet’.

Fitzsimon was a software developer before he embarked on his journey. Ten years ago, he quit his job and abandoned his normal everyday life to make his way across the world barefoot; a journey which he said was not easy.

As a child, Fitzsimon knew that he yearned for more and when he was older he started meditation and then he read some books and realised his true calling was to go on a spiritual journey around the world.

He related that within an eight-year period he mustered the courage to set out on the journey and with great suffering he lived on the streets having journeyed to Chile, Peru then Brazil from his home country of Argentina.

Fitzsimon said when he was younger he had several jobs but he never felt like he was truly fulfilling his purpose in life and wanted to step out of the box.

As it is, he has no plans of getting married but says if it happens, so be it. He stated that after his parents passed away he wanted to live free of all material things, and soon he chose to surrender himself from everything.

Fitzsimon said his journey entails finding inner peace and on the way around the continent he was able to accomplish that. Eventually, the man admitted that all the experiences he gathered in his life were replaced by inner peace.

“Inner peace is not in a place but it is in one’s self and is the perception; a state of mind. I would like to encourage people to face their fears and go beyond their limitations to set themselves free,” Fitzsimon said.

Fitzsimon said Guyana is a very beautiful place. He even attempted to climb one of the mountains in the Rupununi but found out it was not such an easy task.