Twenty years ago, I was walking through the tourist district in Kathmandu, when a guy in full leathers on a large BMW motorcycle with metal bags over the rear wheel slowly passed. Looking over my shoulder in amazement, I recognized the British license plate. I had to meet this guy. He arrived in Nepal some three and a half years after leaving London, recently retired as a major from the Royal Marines. He had ridden from London to Gibraltar, through West Africa to Capetown; Buenos Aires to Cartagena; Panama to New Jersey to California. After covering much of Australia, he was working his way back to London. It took five years. We have been friends since trekking together in the Everest Region of Nepal.

David planned on returning to work for awhile to save for the next adventure. His military background led him to a job with Control Risks in London, working as a hostage negotiator. Spending much of his time in Columbia, one of his cases was made into the popular film, "Proof of Life" with Russell Crowe and Meg Ryan. Although as David said, "We didn't really go in with guns blazing. That only happens in Hollywood."

His new career was cut short and his plans to sail around the world were delayed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Now, at 65, after an experimental operation that implanted a pacemaker which sends electrical impulses to the electrodes in his brain, David Parkinson is three years into his circumnavigation aboard Santana, a 40' Saltram single hull.

His mobility is becoming more impaired and he depends on volunteer crew to help with sailing and daily upkeep, but he is determined to finish what he started. He comes alive when he is at the helm.

Recently, I joined him for three weeks in French Polynesia with his Spanish crew member, Magi, and Tom, the boat cat.

My three weeks with David were joyful and a little sad, but they left me with an enormous amount of respect for a tough, determined man.