An adventurous soul is embarking on the trip of a lifetime as he travels from France to Los Angeles but without catching a single flight – even managing to snag a ride on an operational cargo vessel.
Enzo Terranova, 24, took off from Marseille in April and has set himself the ambitious target of circumnavigating the globe in a sustainable fashion – eschewing air travel entirely.
Enzo’s voyage has to date included thumbing lifts across Europe, embarking on the epic Trans-Siberian Railway, and setting up camp in the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert. The prospect of marine passage was essential yet elusive for Enzo until the CEO of a leading French shipping firm got wind of his quest and offered a helping hand.
Currently biding his time in Saigon, Vietnam, Enzo is all set to board his next maritime transport, with sights set on Halifax, Canada. Once ashore, the hitchhiking leg of his journey will lead him to his final destination, Los Angeles. Hailing from Fos-sur-Mer, France, the globetrotter expressed his philosophical view on the journey: “This journey has been about rediscovering the world at a human pace. I wanted to avoid flying, primarily for environmental reasons, but also to embrace the beauty of slowness.”
He said: “That’s why I didn’t go straight across the North Atlantic from France to the states, because I wanted to make the journey last. Moreover, it holds a personal significance for him, allowing him to demonstrate self-reliance: “It’s also deeply personal as it has become a way to prove to myself that I can overcome any challenge.”
This intrepid traveller has forged his path from one European nation to another before continuing on the fabled Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Irkutsk, just above Mongolia. Summing up his odyssey, Enzo confides: “Every step has been an emotional rollercoaster. I’ve crossed Europe hitchhiking, going through Germany, Poland and Belarus before grabbing the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow.
“I then arrived in Irkutsk which is right above Mongolia, so I travelled south and camped in the Gobi Desert. I’ll never forget surviving a sandstorm in the Gobi Desert, where I could barely see or breathe.”
Enzo then travelled further south through China, primarily on overnight ‘standing trains’ and in Shanghai he realised he would need to travel by boat to America. After a French journalist published a piece on Enzo’s journey, he received a WhatsApp message from Rodolphe Saadé’s office, CEO of French shipping company CMA CGM, saying he’d lend the traveller a hand.
Enzo boarded the CMA CGM cargo ship from Nagoya, Japan, to Saigon, Vietnam, on November 4 and became the only passenger to travel on these ships in 2024. Enzo said: “Four months into the trip I made it to Shanghai, China, which is where I realised I would need a boat to really move forward.
“I started knocking on the doors of the maritime giants like Maersk, CMA CGM and Costco Shipping. One by one, those doors closed. Every company told me it was no longer possible, that post-Covid security measures had put an end to such voyages.
“Then, while I was in a Muay Thai boxing camp in Thailand, I was contacted by a journalist from the local French newspaper La Provence who wanted to write an article about my adventure.”
His time on the ship was filled with memorable experiences, including enjoying a blow-up swimming pool with a breathtaking view. Enzo recalled: “A few days into being on the ship, some of the crew set up an inflatable pool at the back of the vessel.
“They invited me over and I spent time hanging out with the Indonesian and Burmese guys who had blown it up. What blew my mind was that just the day before, this spot was occupied by towering containers. Seeing a pool suddenly appear in its place was surreal. It was a moment of pure joy in the middle of the vast ocean.”
The cargo ship took Enzo to Saigon, where he is currently waiting for another cargo ship to take him to Halifax, Canada. Once in Canada, he plans to hitchhike 3,728 miles to Los Angeles. Enzo said: “My journey is far from over but I already feel transformed.”
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