SHANGHAI: Five years may strike some as a fraction of a full life, but for Ludovic Hubler, five years is just enough for the journey of a lifetime.

The 29-year-old Frenchman has been touring the world since January 2003, and what a journey it has been 45 countries, a handful of continents and not a single cent spent on transportation costs.

At a time when cheap plane tickets have brought the furthest-flung destinations within the reach of even the most inexperienced travelers, Hubler has harnessed an earthier form of travel, making his way with just his thumb and the kindness of strangers hitchhiking.

Hubler shared some of the lessons he has learned along the way yesterday in Shanghai, where he gave lectures at a local international school and university. The occasion marked his first visit to Shanghai.

"Hitchhiking is a fantastic school of life," Hubler said.

"It's a school of persistence, patience, positive attitude and resourcefulness, tolerance, open-mindedness and diplomacy. All of my teachers are drivers from the world and people I have met."

He is due to complete his tour at the end of this year.

In the past four years, he has been to Europe, Africa, America, Oceania, Asia and even Antarctica, hitchhiking all the way.

Cars have obviously not been his only mode of transportation. He has also hitched rides on sail boats, icebreakers, donkeys and even a camel.

"I just carry two pieces of luggage when travelling around," he said.

"One is for some clothes for no more than nine days' use; another is for my laptop, camera, maps and my 'Bible' - a big clipping book of media reports of me, travelling photos and my profile," he said with a smile.

His daily budget is about $10 on average, though his costs went up when he was traveling in the West and declined in Asia, especially while in Indonesia.

He has used websites like hospitalityclub.org and couchsurfing.com to sort out accommodations, allowing him to save money that he can spend on food, Internet connections and entrance fees to local museums.

Besides sharing his journey through his own website, www.ludovichubler.com, Hubler also gives lectures to encourage people to travel and be open-minded and, more importantly, to raise awareness of global issues like global warming, population growth and poverty.

After leaving Vietnam last December, Hubler traveled to Beijing, where he celebrated Christmas with his parents, who flew in for the occasion. Then he hitched a ride down to Shanghai.

"I have met a lot of nice and helpful people here, and my journey is working very well so far," he said. "What really impresses me is the quality of highways, which I believe is even better than that in the USA and Australia."

He said he was also shocked to discover that there are so many Chinese cities that he had never heard of.

The Frenchman said tour some other cities in the next few weeks, and then head for India to continue his tour.

(China Daily 01/12/2007 page5)