Waypoints: A Journey on Foot

by Robert Martineau

A spellbinding travel book, exploring the psychology of walking, pilgrimage, solitude and escape.

'An extraordinary, dreamlike journey through West Africa' Adharanand Finn

At the age of twenty-seven and afraid of falling into a life he doesn't want, Robert Martineau quits his office job, buys a flight to Accra and begins to walk. He walks 1,000 miles through Ghana, Togo and Benin, to Ouidah, an ancient spiritual centre on the West African coast.

As he travels alone across rainforest, savannah and mountains, Martineau meets shamans, priests, historians, archaeologists and kings. Through the process of walking each day, and the lessons of those he encounters, Martineau starts to build connections with the natural world and the past - and, at last, to find the meaning he craves.

'Marvellous... A book about how to travel' Jay Griffiths, author of Wild

'[Martineau's] story, beautifully written, of how his pilgrimage of sorts changed him forever' Evening Standard

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Africa, Walking, Adventure

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Robert Martineau is co-founder of TRIBE, a nutrition company, and TRIBE Freedom Foundation, a charity fighting human trafficking. Waypoints is his first book. He lives in London.

At the age of twenty-seven and afraid of falling into a life he doesn't want, Robert Martineau quits his office job, buys a flight to Accra and begins to walk. He walks 1,000 miles through Ghana, Togo and Benin, to Ouidah, an ancient spiritual centre on the West African coast.

As he travels alone across rainforest, savannah and mountains, Martineau meets shamans, priests, historians, archaeologists and kings. Through the process of walking each day, and the lessons of those he encounters, Martineau starts to build connections with the natural world and the past - and, at last, to find the meaning he craves.

'Marvellous... A book about how to travel' Jay Griffiths, author of Wild

'[Martineau's] story, beautifully written, of how his pilgrimage of sorts changed him forever' Evening Standard

A wonderful book.
Giles Foden, i

Reviews

[Eyejaybee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having gone through the trauma of seeing someone he loved suffer serious illness followed by protracted recovery in hospital, Robert Martineau felt moved to undertake a life-changing adventure. He drew up some new rules for life, including limiting the number of his possessions and imposing somewhat Spartan parameters for what he should eat and drink. He also undertook to do a lot of walking. He also decided to undertake the challenge of a long (very long) walk through Ghana, Togo and Benin, ending at an ancient spiritual centre at Ouidah.

I found his approach initially appealing, and enjoyed reading about his trek through Ghana. I did, however, find my interest waning as the book progressed, and I started to wonder what the point of it all was – both with the walk itself, and with the book. I have read a lot of accounts of people’s wanderings, and even when the journey may have been aimless, in the stronger examples there has always been a sense of mission to the book. That was wholly absent here. When I have enjoyed a book, I often feel that reader’s quandary, caught in the dilemma of wanting to find out how it is all resolved, while not wanting the enjoyment of the book to finish. With this book, finishing it almost came as a relief, like being let out of school early.

[Alice Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I find myself thinking about a book for a long time after I have read it, I know it is a good book. Waypoints is such a book - captivating, inspiring, emotional, and incredibly interesting. It is packed full of adventure, history, and mesmerising tales from West Africa as you follow Martinaeu on his journey through jungle, desert, mountains and towards the sea. Would 100% recommend!

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of this book, some of the narratives of folklore and history were interesting and the book held promise but eventually I felt the writer could have done more to tie it into his personal narrative. It seems stuck between adventure travel and something else but I’m not quite sure what.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected to love this. It’s well-written and his descriptions are wonderful, and anyone doing a pilgrimage across rainforests, deserts and mountains is clearly very brave and I thought it’d make for a v insightful read.
But around halfway through I started feeling like the narrative was quite stagnant and it didn’t move forward.
His point throughout the book is that walking = freedom, but his narrative doesn’t make it sound very freeing. My main takeaway is that he vomited and collapsed multiple times :)
So the narrative is shallow and there’s something lacking throughout this book. I was waiting for a period of self-reflection/introspection and for him to express v deep gratitude for the kindness of people giving him food and shelter and help. But he doesn’t mention it once in the text! People save his life twice in the desert in Ghana and are given no acknowledgement. it comes across like he took local people for granted.
I suppose this is because he set out with a purely self-centred aim of ‘deconstructing the self’ (whatever this means) rather than a person-centred approach.
Overall creates a story where once again white man takes from Africa, uses Africa for his own self-improvement and gives nothing back to local communities. 2.5/3 stars when I hoped it’d be 5.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting to start with then it became a bit monotonous. Considering the author undertook a very challenging journey you never really get a feel for his endurance and strength or any of the numerous pitfalls he must of encountered in this terrain. It is padded out with historical references, some of which are interesting but do not really bring any cohesion to his journey.

[Prayash Giria · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a ramble than a book, with the author jumping randomly and abruptly from travelogue to historical anecdotes to shallow introspection. It’s not badly written, but it doesn’t really do justice to the author’s travels. Still, worth a read if you’d like a look at Western Africa (beyond Nigeria).

[Gonçalo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rob’s journey of self-discovery is carefully entwined with his childhood memories, great explorers and travelers biographies, and local folklore from the places he walks by. This was an enjoyable read that I can only find myself lucky to know the author.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love travel books about long journeys on foot, but this one just didn't work for me. I found it repetitive and monotonous. At the start, he says that he delayed writing because 'the world didn't need another adventure story by a white guy in Africa.' After a few years, his perspective changed and he wants to dwell on 'the ways I was tied to the histories of those countries...through lines of conquest, slavery and exploitation...and how fully the ideas which were rooted in the religions and folklore...had changed how I see the world.' Sadly, I think the book might have worked better if he had just made it 'another adventure story'. As it is, the sections about slavery, religion and culture just feel 'tacked on', and I felt quite uncomfortable reading some of it, since it felt too much like using the cultures he was walking through to try and make his book 'different' from all the other travel books - there didn't seem to be any real care or understanding. Perhaps the long delay between the walk and the book is to blame, but this account feels superficial and tedious.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Waypoints! Such a thoughtful and beautifully written book, I really felt as though I was treading the very ground as Martineau, across the deserts, forests and mountains of West Africa. This is so much more than just a travel book though - with cleverly interwoven cultural, philosophical and spiritual references amongst the authors honest narrative and inner thoughts, this is a captivating journey of belonging and being. Certainly a book I recommend, and one I will come back to time and time again to unearth more meaning, discovery and inspiration!

[RL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waypoints is a book of many paths. At its most simple, the story of a physical journey through the flickering landscapes of West Africa, it unfolds and unfolds to become much more. Lucid and elegantly written, drawing from philosophy, literature and science, Martineau’s search for meaning allows the reader their own reflective journey; through heat and history, forest and desert, on and on, until the next patch of cooling shade.

[Chris Chivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly reflective and energising

This is the sort of book that, if not quite making you want to undertake such a walk, nonetheless takes you on a journey yourself that is utterly transforming. Brilliant observation, narrative mixes with considered reflection that leaves space for the reader.

[Beverley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished reading Robert’s book. What a moving and eloquent account of his African walk. He has a way of making words work for him and I turned the pages enthusiastically, always with a map beside me.
It is a journey step by step and also a life journey to create a new chapter. It was moving and compelling. Highly recommended.

[Sarah Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible book. I was so captivated by his journey and by the many stories of other travellers snd tribes he referred to in such interesting detail. Couldn’t recommend it more. Gives me the thirst for travel!!!!

[Megan Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured every single word - just brilliant. This book captures the reflective nature of endurance activities like I have never seen before and cleverly weaves in the wonder of exploring different locations, cultures and the human experience around the world. A must-read!

[Cheryl Trafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waypoints is beautifully written and the reader is transported to West Africa to join Rob in his gruelling and revealing walk.We learn about the history of the places or ‘ points’ as we travel with him and understand the transformative nature of the journey he undertakes.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read on the very personal encounters from Rob along his trip.
He has an amazing way of describing the things he see with ideas and thoughts he’s had his entire life. A perfect look at life on the road without any judgements and a perlite manor.

[Tushar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journey of discovery with a walk across Western Africa, interspersed with stories of other explorers/writers/etc who made analogous trips. A decent read.

[Parshva Mehta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the power of walking, history of the places visited and a personal journey.

[Tom Cowling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Waypoints. Thank you Mr Martineau for sharing your quite remarkable journey (inner and outer). Highly recommended.

[Anna Glasswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and compelling. The author helps you to visualise his journey and reasonings behind such an expedition. Well worth the read and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Toby Adcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. A journey through depths of west Africa I know nothing about and an insight into the mind of a pilgrim. Really enjoyed it.

[Francesca Dickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learnt so much from this book :)

[Stanley Jessop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great first two thirds then It dropped off a bit I thought.

[Peter Mullins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, takes you through an experience few of us will ever have and shares some of what he learnt about travel and himself.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesti g

[Swarna Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times you will need peace and isolation to enjoy this work, a wonderful book, reminds of Ben Okri in spirit.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough journey well done

[Neil Lach-szyrma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read, full of interesting side stories. I found it very calming.

[Felicity Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was walking with Rob all the way. Loved the book. The information about the physical practicalities of the walk and the people he meets on the way is in just the right balance with the asides about aspects of the history and anthropology of West Africa and the writings by others on a wide spectrum of topics. And along the way we are learning about his childhood and growing up and, in particular, about coming to terms with the death of his father...walking is a such good way to work through these thoughts. When I had finished the book I immediately looked at his route on Google Earth ..a way of somehow grasping that sense of the distance and terrain.
I liked the very good bibliography and the maps are excellent too.

[Andy Pusey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly honest recollection of an ordinary man doing an extraordinary challenge to his life that was going in a direction that he wasn’t happy about. West Africa takes on a new look and the personal hurts of Robs journey. You feel like you are alongside him walking those many miles and meeting the many people that colour this wonderful book, cannot recommend it enough. Loved it and wanted more!