Lanka-born 'Superman' conquers the world

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Jules Verne's hero may have travelled Around the World in 80 Days, but by all accounts he visited only a few countries.

But here in Sri Lanka, there is a "Superman" who has travelled to all 196 countries in just three and a half years.

No mean feat, considering that travel was virtually forbidden through many countries gripped by war.

But then, Captain Russel Berenger is not your average hero. He makes a powerful first impression with his unusual attire.

The man who calls himself the "world's most powerful traveller - Superman in reality" is dressed like no other in a trademark dress. He is truly in a class of his own. The 58-year-old Lanka-born Australian was really on his own during the long voyage. He believes that he is the first man to travel through 196 countries in so short a period.

"The world has ended for me. There are no more countries for me to conquer, unless you ask me to be on the moon," muses Berenger, who met us at the Lake House front reception.

As documentary proof, he showed his four stamped-out- Australian passports (since he has been an Australian citizen for the past 23 years). "Can you put a finger in here ?," Berenger waves the page at me. I realised I could not. Stamps edged each other out to remain on page. "My passport is the world's most powerful book," he said.

He said he has beaten several world records. "I have flown in 36 planes in 56 days in the Caribbean Islands and travelled in 79 trains in 28 countries on 31-days European train pass, saving mountains of cash."

According to Berenger, he has written the world's longest song named Thriller while on a seven day long train trip in Canada. This song contains 1334 words and takes 18 minutes to sing.

"I am the world king of disguise and Prince of Darkness. The white man can't paint himself black and pass off as a local in the black continent, Africa.

But I did it. That's how I was able to travel all over the world day and night. I am proud of my achievements because I did not seek or ask any sponsors to finance my ambition."

"Travelling in war-torn countries, I was robbed 13 times, nearly killed 23 times, died in Istanbul when a car smashed me and rose from the dead at the city hospital on the third day." His adventures will be described in detail in his autobiography.

Berenger claims he also drew the World's largest single-man drawn map taking all the space of his two storeyed Maharagama house from top to bottom. His abode, named "The White House" depicts his travels around the world. His van, a kaleidoscope of colour, also depicts a world map.

Berenger says he has brought the world's largest bicycle to Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans will soon be able to see Berenger riding the world's largest bicycle. Now he is writing his autobiography which he described it as the "world's powerful book" which explains how a simple man born in Sri Lanka conquered the entire world within three and half years.

He had climbed the great Canyon of Colorado, USA, seven miles down to the Colorado river in three hours and climbed up to the peak in four hours.

He had cycled through Malaysia, Singapore, Java, Jakarta and Hong Kong and spent three weeks in Japan, before piercing the 'Bamboo Curtain'. From here he boarded a ship to the Persian Gulf, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Damascus, Syria and Beirut. Berenger was nearly killed by rebels in seven trouble-hit African countries, facing civil wars and communal fighting and also in Turkey.

He was robbed in Los Angeles, Copa Cabana, Beach, Istanbul and Chittagong forcing him to return for money.

Sometimes he had to act like a master of disguise, having posed as a pastor in Central Africa, A fellahin (a peasant farmer in north east Africa) and as a turbaned Muslim in Saudi Arabia.

He has walked across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, travelled on a mule in the Grand Canyon and has seen fragments of the collapsed ancient Colossus of Rhodes and walked along the Pyramids.

He said his suit consists of a Caribbean wig, specially stitched leather jacket and jeans "dressed to kill" with pistols blazing, a dagger, silver belts for his shoes, three chain stone belts on the waist, bullet studded necklace, as well as 6 inch bullet studded leather wrist-bands and a foot long bullet studded leg bangle, a special designer foldable ring worth Rs.10,000 and gold embroidered jacket.