Surface male
Subtitle: round the world without flying
By: by John Barclay
Publisher: Matador
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Leicester
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9781848767928
Subjects: Travel; Voyages around the world
Description: "This light-hearted travel memoir poses a serious question: in a world alarmed by climate change, how easy is it to go long distances without relying on fuel-guzzling aeroplanes? [It] is the true story of John Barclay's challenge to travel around the world, doing as much as possible by land and none at all by air. In a journey that took half a year, crossing three oceans, four continents and 23 countries - by passenger liner, container ship, freighter, motorboat, train, bus, tram, trolleybus, minibus, truck, motorcar, taxi, tuk tuk, motorbike and on foot - not a drop of aviation fuel was consumed. Journeying on his own (and off the tourist track), without the benefit of pre-planning, he faced numerous difficulties and dangers. Equipped with little more than his own dogged nature and zest for adventure, John soldiered on, frustrated by language, confused, lost and molested - often the only European to be seen. Yet he found humour everywhere and was heartened by the warmth of strangers. The experience changed his outlook on the world. The story includes amazing scenes such as a hot night in a low dive in Mexico, the terror of a no-go area in Panama, a death-defying bus ride in Vietnam and John's escape from the authorities in Kazakhstan. He tells it all candidly, with wit and humanity, in a crisp style that holds the attention for 32,000 miles. The fascinating photographs are the author's own"--Book jacket.
Table of contents: title: Steeling myself (1. The Atlantic ; 2. The United States [of America] ; 3. Mexico ; 4. Guatemala ; 5. El Salvador ; 6. Honduras ; 7. Nicaragua ; 8. Costa Rica ; 9. Panama); title: No worries (10. The Panama Canal ; 11. The Pacific ; 12. Tahiti ; 13. More of the Pacific ; 14. New Zealand ; 15. The Tasman Sea ; 16. Australia ; 17. The Indian Ocean); title: Under pressure (18. Malaysia ; 19. Thiland ; 20. Laos ; 21. Vietnam ; 22. China ; 23. Kazakhstan ; 24. Russia); title: Heading home (25. Ukraine ; 26. Poland ; 27. Germany ; 28. Belgium, France, the [English] Channel tunnel, the United Kingdom).