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Great travel books
May. 13th, 2010 09:35 pmI’m obsessed with travel books! For someone who is content to spend a weekend at home with her partner, watching Netflix movies, cooking, and cuddling - I love to read about people who willingly suffer deprivations and travel to the far reaches of the earth, many of them traveling alone. So I started to catalog the great travel books I’ve read. Honestly, I think most of these writers are crazy, and I am grateful to them for detailing their experiences.
I am going to list travel books that I’ve loved, along with where the travel takes place, the author’s mode of transportation, and one detail that sticks with me. These books were all really good, all books that I had trouble putting down.
The Handsomest Man in Cuba by Lynette Chiang
Where – Cuba
How – Bicycle
One thing that sticks out for me – The poverty. A Cuban woman who has to choose between either having a bar of soap or just enough food for the month. Also, the author being on a truck in the middle of the night for hours, cold and hungry. Me being glad that I just read about this stuff and don’t have to do it.
Walking Home: A Woman’s Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail by Kelly Winters
Where- the Appalachian Trail
How – by foot
One thing that sticks out for me: The time the author was followed by 3 men who clearly intended to do harm to her. She out-hiked them; she was able to stay just far enough ahead of them that they couldn’t catch her and after several hours, they were too exhausted to keep following her. Very very scary. Also, references to the author’s creepy ex-boyfriend who masturbated in public. I know, I’m not really selling this one, but it was great
Crying with Cockroaches by Marianne du Toit
Where – From Argentina to New York
How – by horse
One thing that sticks out for me: I haven’t even finished this book yet! I have read nearly 200 pages in 2 days, but I can’t yet pick the one thing that stands out for me. Except she does catalog some pretty horrific cruelty to animals in Argentina.
Okay, time out. What’s wrong with me? Why are the items that stand out for me really sad or scary ones? When’s my next appointment with my therapist?
The Pirate Queen: In Search of Grace O’Malley and Other Legendary Women of the Sea by Barbara Sjoholm
Where – Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, and more
How – by sea
One thing that sticks out for me: This is a little vague, but the author’s descriptions of life in these out-of-the-way places that I’d never heard of – awesome.
No Horizon Is So Far by Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft
Where – Antarctica
How – an innovative method that involved skis and sails
One thing that sticks out for me: The teamwork between these two women, one straight and one lesbian. And that it was so cold that they didn’t have body odor despite not showering for days on end, until they reached a base where it was warmer. And how much it costs and how hard it is to get to Antarctica (there’s like this one airline that has a monopoly on it).
The Endurance by Caroline Alexander
Where – Antarctica
How – Ship, then on foot, then boats
One thing that sticks out for me: When most of the group is left on Elephant Island and a smaller subgroup heads off in a boat and looks for help. Also the fact that at the end they had nothing to eat but penguins. How close they came to the brink.
Making Peace: One Woman’s Journey Around the World by Jan Phillips
Where – Several different countries
How – Variety of methods
One thing that sticks out for me: The author’s idealism and hope that war can be ended and peace can prevail. My own sadness at how far from her vision we are.
Among Flowers by Jamaica Kincaid
Where – the Himalaya Mountains
How – on foot
One thing that sticks out for me: That I’d be frustrated if the porters carrying my bags were drunk and tardy, like they are here. And oh yeah, the beauty of the mountains.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Where – Mount Everest
How – on foot
One thing that sticks out for me: Just the fact that no one who went on this trek appeared to have the vaguest idea of the danger they were in. Thinking about which ones made it home alive and which didn’t.
Around the Bloc and Mexican Enough by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Where – Russia, Cuba, China; second book - Mexico
How – Variety of methods
One thing that sticks out for me: Rampant and deep sexism in modern Russia (e.g. – women being told flat out that they won’t get a job unless they sleep with the boss; women not even leaving the house unless covered in gobs of makeup). Library computers in Mexico that censored sites about breast cancer but that allowed a group of guys sitting next to Griest to watch a horribly violent porn.
The Cure for Anything is Salt Water: How I Threw My Life Overboard and Found Happiness at Sea by Mary South
Where – the waters between Florida and Sag Harbor
How – Boat
One thing that sticks out for me: This doesn’t have much to do with the actual book, but the fact that the author – a lesbian – has a relationship with a guy towards the end of the memoir and for a time it looks like they’ll sail off into the sunset together.
Down the Nile: Alone on a Fisherman’s Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney
Where – The Nile
How – A fisherman’s skiff (the title of this one was quite helpful in filling out the first two questions)
One thing that sticks out for me: Again, this has nothing to do with the book but the author’s references to female genital mutilation in Egypt got me. Also, the time she was followed by a guy. She got really scared, she rowed as fast as she could, and as I recall she gave him money and he went away.
Mr. Ding’s Chicken Feet by Gillian Kendall
Where – From Shanghai to Texas
How – Boat
One thing that sticks out for me: The horrible food that the Chinese crew had to eat (while the author and the other Americans on the ship had their own personal chef). The fact that the showers for the Chinese crew contained just a few icky towels on the floor and no soap. Oh, and the fact that that author nearly misses the flight that gets her to Shanghai in the first place. My heart raced just reading that section. God, I hate traveling!!!!!!
I am going to list travel books that I’ve loved, along with where the travel takes place, the author’s mode of transportation, and one detail that sticks with me. These books were all really good, all books that I had trouble putting down.
The Handsomest Man in Cuba by Lynette Chiang
Where – Cuba
How – Bicycle
One thing that sticks out for me – The poverty. A Cuban woman who has to choose between either having a bar of soap or just enough food for the month. Also, the author being on a truck in the middle of the night for hours, cold and hungry. Me being glad that I just read about this stuff and don’t have to do it.
Walking Home: A Woman’s Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail by Kelly Winters
Where- the Appalachian Trail
How – by foot
One thing that sticks out for me: The time the author was followed by 3 men who clearly intended to do harm to her. She out-hiked them; she was able to stay just far enough ahead of them that they couldn’t catch her and after several hours, they were too exhausted to keep following her. Very very scary. Also, references to the author’s creepy ex-boyfriend who masturbated in public. I know, I’m not really selling this one, but it was great
Crying with Cockroaches by Marianne du Toit
Where – From Argentina to New York
How – by horse
One thing that sticks out for me: I haven’t even finished this book yet! I have read nearly 200 pages in 2 days, but I can’t yet pick the one thing that stands out for me. Except she does catalog some pretty horrific cruelty to animals in Argentina.
Okay, time out. What’s wrong with me? Why are the items that stand out for me really sad or scary ones? When’s my next appointment with my therapist?
The Pirate Queen: In Search of Grace O’Malley and Other Legendary Women of the Sea by Barbara Sjoholm
Where – Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, and more
How – by sea
One thing that sticks out for me: This is a little vague, but the author’s descriptions of life in these out-of-the-way places that I’d never heard of – awesome.
No Horizon Is So Far by Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft
Where – Antarctica
How – an innovative method that involved skis and sails
One thing that sticks out for me: The teamwork between these two women, one straight and one lesbian. And that it was so cold that they didn’t have body odor despite not showering for days on end, until they reached a base where it was warmer. And how much it costs and how hard it is to get to Antarctica (there’s like this one airline that has a monopoly on it).
The Endurance by Caroline Alexander
Where – Antarctica
How – Ship, then on foot, then boats
One thing that sticks out for me: When most of the group is left on Elephant Island and a smaller subgroup heads off in a boat and looks for help. Also the fact that at the end they had nothing to eat but penguins. How close they came to the brink.
Making Peace: One Woman’s Journey Around the World by Jan Phillips
Where – Several different countries
How – Variety of methods
One thing that sticks out for me: The author’s idealism and hope that war can be ended and peace can prevail. My own sadness at how far from her vision we are.
Among Flowers by Jamaica Kincaid
Where – the Himalaya Mountains
How – on foot
One thing that sticks out for me: That I’d be frustrated if the porters carrying my bags were drunk and tardy, like they are here. And oh yeah, the beauty of the mountains.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Where – Mount Everest
How – on foot
One thing that sticks out for me: Just the fact that no one who went on this trek appeared to have the vaguest idea of the danger they were in. Thinking about which ones made it home alive and which didn’t.
Around the Bloc and Mexican Enough by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Where – Russia, Cuba, China; second book - Mexico
How – Variety of methods
One thing that sticks out for me: Rampant and deep sexism in modern Russia (e.g. – women being told flat out that they won’t get a job unless they sleep with the boss; women not even leaving the house unless covered in gobs of makeup). Library computers in Mexico that censored sites about breast cancer but that allowed a group of guys sitting next to Griest to watch a horribly violent porn.
The Cure for Anything is Salt Water: How I Threw My Life Overboard and Found Happiness at Sea by Mary South
Where – the waters between Florida and Sag Harbor
How – Boat
One thing that sticks out for me: This doesn’t have much to do with the actual book, but the fact that the author – a lesbian – has a relationship with a guy towards the end of the memoir and for a time it looks like they’ll sail off into the sunset together.
Down the Nile: Alone on a Fisherman’s Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney
Where – The Nile
How – A fisherman’s skiff (the title of this one was quite helpful in filling out the first two questions)
One thing that sticks out for me: Again, this has nothing to do with the book but the author’s references to female genital mutilation in Egypt got me. Also, the time she was followed by a guy. She got really scared, she rowed as fast as she could, and as I recall she gave him money and he went away.
Mr. Ding’s Chicken Feet by Gillian Kendall
Where – From Shanghai to Texas
How – Boat
One thing that sticks out for me: The horrible food that the Chinese crew had to eat (while the author and the other Americans on the ship had their own personal chef). The fact that the showers for the Chinese crew contained just a few icky towels on the floor and no soap. Oh, and the fact that that author nearly misses the flight that gets her to Shanghai in the first place. My heart raced just reading that section. God, I hate traveling!!!!!!
