All About My Hat - The Hippy Trail 1972

The story of a young man who travelled along the "Hippy Trail" to India in 1972, narrated through "Myhat". With little money and no travel experience, Al meets Myhat in Greece and they travel together through places few westerners would visit today, crossing Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the many that travelled the Trail and survived, few have told their unique and remarkable stories, this is one, told now by Myhat..
READERS' COMMENTS
Alosh Tom, Germany: "I have read All About My Hat. It was a fantastic read. Thank you very much for sharing the experience and opening a window to a world forgotten.".
Carrie Evans UK, author: "I've read Alun's book and can heartily recommend it. It gives a wonderful idea of just what it was like travelling in distant lands on a skimpy shoe string in those hedonistic days of the early 70s. Be prepared for some gruelling ordeals along with the natural and hashish- induced highs. All About My Hat is an amusing and compelling account of the vicissitudes of life on the Hippy Trail charmingly told by Al's observant but unworldly Hat."
Cdariotis UK: "A travel story written from a different perspective, that of a hat on a traveler’s head. Excellent descriptions of the local populations and of the Hippies on the trail to India in 1972, a journey that I also made in 1969, but from the reverse direction."
Isabel B, UK: "Funny, inventive and even educational! What more could you want from a hip hippy trip, back when you could do it and not think or plan, just go. Strongly recommend, especially for those who've never listened to the narrative voice of a hat."
Ali T, UK: "This is the first of Alun's books that I read, and I really recommend it. As someone born a generation after, it was a pleasure to be able to travel vicariously to a time and journey well within my knowledge, but outside of my experience. It's an easy read, but vividly describes the adventures and insights of the author, or rather the hat, to the point that you really feel like you're there."
Rev Philbin, UK: "Fantastic read, Spellbinding."
L Hendry, Edinburgh: "Al's hat has been there, seen it and maybe got the T-shirt by now. This is the story of a journey that could be done then, without much planning. They wander off to India on a meandering trail of meetings and partings. Marvel at the heedless way this group of young people was able to travel into excitement and danger. Sometimes what they thought was dangerous was not and other times safe things became dangerous. From excitement through illness and tragedy, staunchly vegetarian all the way.m. A diary, a story and historical documentation of its time. For the countries you can still get to by land, sea or air its also a guidebook of places to visit, things to see and of what to do and what to maybe avoid doing."
Joan Bello, author: US: "I am quite sure that I have just finished reading what should be recognized as an all time classic. Buffry is a master storyteller. All About My Hat kept me spellbound from the first page. This is a precise recounting of true adventure that every hippy-minded person will be in awe of regardless of age. Thankfully, Buffry has found a delightfully unique literary vehicle that completely disposes of the usual ego distraction of so many biographical accounts. It is effortless reading, nothing superfluous, no fillers, with an ease of language and a precision that is admirable. My Hat is a constant reminder of the camaraderie shared among all cannabis supporters around the world. Bravo!”
Ann C, UK: “This is a fascinating book packed with stories about adventures on the ‘Hippy Trail’ in all its reality. It was harsh with extreme discomfort, heat and dust and sometimes illness. It took strength and endurance ..but then... the rewards were a rich awareness of other cultures and beliefs”
Winston M, Surrey, UK: “Great read and so much interesting found it hard to put down.”

Alun Buffry was born in Wales in 1950 and graduated in Chemistry at UEA in 1971. After finishing his course he travelled across Europe and Asia to India. Buffry served time in UK prison for cannabis offences and became an advocate for legalisation. Alun Buffry to author of several other works and has had many letters published in the press. In 1999 Buffry co-founded the UK political party The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA). He served as Nominating Officer, National Coordinator and Treasurer. In 2001, Alun Buffry contested the seat of Norwich South in the general election.