Review: Hurray!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 28, 2013
Journeys with the Caterpillarby Shivaji DasWhat a great book. Five stars. Or a million stars. Or countless stars, as there must surely have been in the skies over the Indonesian countryside. The book title comes from the charming custom of the villagers to select cartoonish stuffed caterpillars to ride on the dashboards of all their vehicles, as colorful mascots and good-luck charms. And ride we did, over hill and dale, in buses, vans, boats and on motorcycles. Mr Das and his fiance introduced us to so many fine characters: fun, earnest, friendly or somber. He showed us poverty without squalor, lack of excess without hunger.Most of the time, I was not really sure where we were traveling. I didn't know much about the islands of Indonesia when the journey began. I am happy to say that I learned quite a lot about the islands of Flores and Sumba, including interesting facts (and fables) about the komodo dragon, about the spider-rice fields of Cara, and about the changing colors of the three lakes of Kelimutu, along the way. For all that, I believe Mr Das would still have earned the stern disapproval of my fourth grade geography teacher. It didn't matter, so long as this writer and his fiance had me stowed away in their luggage. “Perhaps”, in the words of this writer, “I wouldn't have minded staying all my life stuck at this moment, in this centre of the universe...” But, alas, I could not.I most fervently hope that hundreds of millions of people will buy this man's book and his many books which are sure to follow, solely for the purpose of funding more trips, treks, jaunts, vacations, cruises, sabbaticals, and forays on which I might tag along, through reading about it. I think Mr Das could make a trip to the garbage dump sound ultimately entertaining. Lobo, dear girl, if you don't marry this man, I will.I received a free copy of this book through the Kindle BookReviewin exchange for an independent, fair, and honestreview. I am  not associated with the author or Amazon.