A WORD WITH AN AUTHOR
French-SwissFilipina expat CHRISTINE AMOUR-LEVAR wears many hats: author, adventurer, human rights advocate, philanthropist – and regular EL contributor! Her new travel book Wild Wisdom recounts the amazing all-female expeditions she has led across the gl
When was your first real travel experience?
When I was a child in Manila, my family and I visited the island of Boracay one summer. No one had really heard of it – it seemed that the only tourists who ventured there were intrepid European backpackers. My family and I took an overnight crowded boat from Manila and docked at Caticlan port, before transferring to a smaller banca boat to get to the pristine island. It was breathtaking: sand white as sugar, turquoise waters and glorious stars. I even caught my first firefly there. I never forgot that exciting feeling of being like Robinson Crusoe on a deserted island. No wonder I kept looking for that in my travels later on!
What are some of your favourite travel books or writers?
A favourite novel growing up was Shogun by James Clavell. Set in medieval Japan, it tells the epic story of a bold English captain who found himself alone in this alien land – it gave me a romanticised vision of Japan and made me want to study there. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing recounts Shackleton’s harrowing attempt to reach the South Pole in 1914 – it’s an inspiring read about resilience in the face of adversity. And I love Felicity Aston’s Alone in Antarctica, a bracingly honest look at the daily grind of adventure – her story inspired me to explore Antarctica.
What was your most recent expedition?
In May 2022, I took a team of female divers to my home country of the Philippines, on a coral restoration project to support the Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organisation. We also met with women from the local communities and had constructive discussions and exchanges on how best to protect nature in this region.
Name a life lesson that being an expedition leader has taught you.
Good leaders inspire their team to be a part of something bigger than themselves, something more meaningful and ultimately more fulfilling. I believe that we should all aspire to help others grow closer to who they are meant to be, and our real value as human beings ought not to be measured by how much we have achieved in life, but by how well we advance the lives of others along the way.
What’s harder: climbing a mountain or writing a book?
When I told Robert Swan that I had written a book and asked if he could write the foreword, he said, “I’m proud of you. A book is a hard task to master.” This, from the first man to walk to both poles, was eye opening.
Perhaps writing a book is similar to climbing the tallest mountain. However, on a mountain you have no choice. Once you reach a certain point, going back down is just as hard, and sometimes more dangerous. With a book, you can give up after you get started. My advice for people who want to write a book (or take up any challenging endeavour), is to approach it like climbing a mountain. There is no going back, you have to reach the summit somehow – only to feel the joy and satisfaction of a challenge overcome.
What do you hope readers take away from Wild Wisdom?
My biggest wish is that my journey can inspire others to take their aspirations into their own hands, find their purpose and go for it fearlessly, without limitations.