Into the Unknown Region

International travel has been off the agenda for most during the pandemic, even the brief city breaks that are so easy to take in such a well-connected, diverse and compact continent as Europe. Yet, though some claim to have experienced a revelatory new relationship with the local during lockdown, the desire to look beyond our own horizons is unlikely to wither. Not so long ago, in what seems like another world – that of the 1960s and the Hippy Trail – westerners could make an uninterrupted journey from the UK to India, passing through countries – including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan – which are now largely off limits.