A fool or an idealist?

Version 1

By Priscilla Spaans | Published Monday 19 December 2011

Christopher Mccandless was born in February 12, 1968 in California. He was a love child of Walt Mccandless and Wilhelmina Johnson. Walt also had children from his first marriage and they were living in California. Although Walt was still legally married to his first wife when Christopher and Carine were born. This is something that Chris found out later which infuriated him to the point where he thought his life had all been a lie. He exchanged his safe life for living off the barest of essentials. He wants to find the meaning of life. He donated all his savings to Oxfam International and left home. Inspired and fascinated by Jack London his written work he decided to go to Alaska. Live with nothing produced by human being but itself. 

Live like a tramp
April 1992 he took on a different persona in taking the name Alexander Supertramp which he got from the book The Autobiografy of a Super-tramp by William Davies in 1908. In his writings he talks in the  third person about Christopher Mccandless and Alexander Supertramp. This references that he was suffering from schizophrenia. He said things like “Christopher Mccandless is not searching for anything in Alaska, he was instead running for something”. Probably for the materialistic life and not least; his parents. When somebody asked about his family he answered he didn’t had.

142 bus 

The hunters bus which Christopher used as his hide is now a tourist draw. Though you need to be self a sort of super tramp. The trip to the bus takes roughly three days. Bring enough food and water. It’s a heavy trip. There’s a Stampede Trail Map which offer two roads. A heavy and a less heavy road. This hiking destination is popular but don’t start this hike when you are a beginning hiker. It’s a forty miles roundtrip dedicating three days. If it has to happen, go with a group of minimum four persons. Because bears rarely attack groups. A good chance that they attack you when you are alone. Little tip: sing a song for them and they will relax.  

Into the wild

His road trip is made into a film called: Into the Wild. This film version directed by Sean Penn of Christopher’s life in the wild is popular. The beautiful music made by Eddie Vedder in combination with the amazing pictures makes his trip as a fantasy. Eddie Vedder even received a Golden Globe for the magnificent title song Guarenteed.

Living like a “foolish” tramp is Christopher Mccandless his ideal. Offering his own life to make people aware of the capitalistic society. He wrote some great one-liners in a journal. I will give you some of these.

“I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may god bless all!” “If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed."

And I want to close this blog with Christopher Mccandless his last quote: 

“Rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth.”

Christopher Mccandless and his famous bus

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