Review: A brilliant description of Indonesia
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 10, 2013
I picked up "Journeys with the caterpillar" hoping to learn a few things about Indonesia, which is where one of my close friends was born. Before reading the book, I knew little about any of the Indonesian islands; now I feel pretty well informed about Flores and Sumba, and Indonesian culture in general.The author Shivaji Das is funny; I laughed at his description of "fake Arab" dress to keep cool in Labuan Bajo, the self-proclaimed tour guide whose only English phrase is "I speak English", and several other passages in the book. Das's journey covers many interesting locales whose food, climate, landscape, architecture and people are brought to life by vivid descriptions. I particularly enjoyed reading about Ruteng in Western Flores, which Das describes as a "United Nations of human faces" with a Carioca-style culture. I was also fascinated by the photographs at the end of the book, which show the tribal villages of Indonesia that have yet to be touched by modernity.I would recommend "Journeys with the caterpillar" to people who are interested in modern Indonesia for any reason, but especially to those who are considering a trip to the islands.