Posts tagged ‘book review’

April 12th, 2010

Attention Lazy Backpackers! Do More Than Just Travel – Volunteer

If all the world’s backpackers were put on a list and I was told I had to choose the coolest – and I couldn’t choose myself – I would probably choose Kirsty Henderson as that person. You might know her from her blog Nerdy Nomad, and if not, then you should definitely grab her feed ASAP! She’s one cool chica, and here’s why:

  • Kirsty is a Canadian, but has been living abroad since 2002 in various places like London, Glasgow, Australia and New Zealand.
  • Kirsty left in January 2008 to travel the world, and has been going ever since.
  • Kirsty travels the world from the money she earns on her various websites!
  • Kirsty has spent the majority of her travels volunteering in disaster relief programs.
  • Kirsty has made it a goal to raise $10,000 for a good cause.

Those last two points bring me to the reason why I am writing this post: to introduce Kirsty’s new e-book, The Underground Guide to International Volunteering.

As we speak, Kirsty is back in Haiti volunteering with the Hands On Disaster Relief organization, and she would really like to use her e-book to raise some much needed funds for them. She is going to donate 50% of the revenue generated from her e-book to go directly to this organization and her $10,000 fundraising goal. The other 50% is going to help Kirsty fund future volunteering trips, which is something she is obviously very serious about.

You can help by purchasing The Underground Guide to International Volunteering e-book! It is available for only $14, which is a steal when you consider the wealth of information available inside.

As explained on Kirsty’s site, this guide includes:

  • Help deciding whether international volunteering is a good fit for you.
  • Advice on how to choose a volunteering experience that is right for you.
  • Information on different types of volunteering from conservation to development to disaster relief.
  • Practical information on visas, travel insurance, packing, health and hygiene, living conditions and communication.
  • Nine interviews with international volunteers sharing their experiences, giving advice and offering inspiration.
  • Tips for how to find free and cheap volunteering placements including website reviews that will help with your search.
  • A list of volunteering opportunities worldwide that are free or low-cost with organizations I trust.
  • Fee-based volunteering: Why I would never do it but why it is right for some people.
  • A list of fee-based volunteering companies along with information on whether they donate part of their fee to the actual project.
  • Free updates forever as I discover new free and cheap volunteering opportunities and make other updates.
  • Insight and first-hand stories and advice from an experienced international volunteer.

Honestly, I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this guide. I am a believer of doing more than just travel – which is why I have taken a bunch of language courses and an archaeology course while traveling abroad – but I have yet to get off my duff and volunteer. The reason for my laziness in this department is the fact that I always find organizations that want you to pay loads of money to help out for a couple of weeks, and that has always turned me off.

With The Underground Guide to International Volunteering, you are given numerous resources, including links to a bunch of free and low-cost volunteering programs. Can I get a big YAY?! There is also a bit of information on how to start your own volunteer project if you can’t find one that pleases you.

Beyond the need to fill my own personal quest to find free volunteering opportunities, I was quite impressed with all the bits she threw in there that I would never have even thought about otherwise. Take for instance her discussion on the need to bring your own comfortable bedding to a site that involves hard, physical labor. This made complete sense to me afterward, but I probably wouldn’t have thought about it without her insight.

Look, I could go on and on about why this is such a great read, and why you should buy it, but I think you already know. Purchasing The Underground Guide to International Volunteering e-book will give you all the information you need to get off your lazy backpacker butts and do something more than just travel.

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March 22nd, 2010

Reviewing Carl Hoffman's 'The Lunatic Express'

The Lunatic ExpressWow.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Carl Hoffman, you must have outdone yourself on this one. Seeking out the world’s most dangerous forms of transportation while traveling to some of the craziest places? Please sir, give me more; this is by far the most outrageous RTW trip anyone has ever attempted.

Rightfully named The Lunatic Express, Carl basically went on an extended suicide mission, or more likely, a game of transportation roulette. So what if 3 people had already died that day on the Mumbai trains; he still wanted to experience the chaos for himself, and he did so in a way that brought him (and the reader) face to face with culture, the people, as well as the harsh reality of what daily risk some parts of the world deal with just to get to work on time.

We have it so good living a life where our buses run on schedules, our planes rarely crash and our ferries almost never sink. Being in a developed world full of money, we never truly think about the underlayer that has to put their life in danger by taking low-grade death traps to get… anywhere. Sure, riding the chicken buses of Central and South America is almost a novelty for backpackers wanting a little excitement and authenticity, but how many times have you actually thought about checking the baldness of those tires before hopping on board?

Reading The Lunatic Express will definitely get you to question vehicle safety standards while on the road, so I do suggest not reading it while on the train (like I did), in a car or on a plane to name a few. And, if you can, it is best to not dwell on the fact that you may have flown Aeroflot from Ukraine to Moscow to Kyrgyzstan in 2008. Who knew I was that much of a gambler?!

Beyond the facts, Carl gives us so much more. As a traveler, I could somewhat relate to his personal story; the one where travel became like a drug, but for him it was so much so that he lost touch with himself and what was important in his real life while seeking it out. I think with many travelers, we all have a sense of needing to experience more, and this sometimes leaves us taking for granted what we already have available to us.

However, the trip did lead Carl to realize this downfall, and when he finally had the time to think about his own life and why he was doing what he was doing, he made a lovely little quote that every traveler traveling for the sake of travel should think about:

“Travel was only worthwhile when your eyes were fresh, when it surprised you and amazed you and made you think about yourself in a new way. You couldn’t travel forever. When you stopped seeing, when you lost your curiosity and openness to the world it was time to return to your starting point and see where you stood.”

The Lunatic Express is a book I cannot go without recommending to any off-the-beaten-path travelers I know. From the superb writing and captivating storyline, to the chaos and intrigue of a world unknown, the reader will surely want more. Thank you, Carl, for sharing it all with us.

If you would like to learn more about Carl Hoffman and The Lunatic Express, please visit the website or follow @lunaticcarl on Twitter. You can purchase a fresh copy of the new book by visiting Amazon or many other sellers.

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September 16th, 2009

Reviewing 'Imagine: A Vagabond Story'

Grant Lingel’s ‘Imagine: A Vagabond Story’

Instead of dealing with the uncertainty of life that comes after university graduation like most other young Americans, Grant decides to head out on the journey of a lifetime. Just 7 credits shy of his own degree and only $300 to his name, he travels south to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala on a scandalous adventure and no real end in sight.

vagabondstory

As this is Grant’s first publication, the story seems to start off a little bit on shaky ground. The writing is definitely rough around the edges, much like someone’s own personal journal, but I guess that just adds to the whole authentic, backpacker vibe it wants to portray. The opening scenes describe the apprehension for the future that finally leads him to his plans for travel, and the goodbyes to his parents and life in Buffalo that ultimately leave him in tears.

After that we are whisked away to Playa del Carmen, Mexico and taken through the personal experience of someone staying in a hostel for the very first time. He is quickly brought to a natural high while surrounded by the expectedly fun and laid-back atmosphere travelers from all around the world bring to these temporary homes. This natural high, however, is soon replaced with severely drug-induced nights that melt into days after he finds a job at a 5 star resort, turning his trip into more of an extended Spring Break instead of a true cultural experience. Talk of his numerous sexual exploits (exploits being the appropriate word here), his run in with the corrupt Mexican cops and his constantly-getting-stoned habit leave the reader (me) feeling little sympathy over his apprehension for the future, but definitely keep him/her (me) wanting to know what happens next.

Finally, Grant cuts a break and hitches a ride with six others driving a van south to Belize and Guatemala. It is at this point the reader gets a breath of fresh air and the feeling of true adventure and vagabond life begins. We get to see more of what this part of the world has to offer as these guys jump off waterfalls, explore caves, and hike through the jungles of Tikal. The adventure seems of an overly free and fun nature, but eventually Grant says his goodbyes, yet again.

At this point, Grant finds himself bouncing from hostel to hostel and, like a true vagabond, plan to plan with a live-for-today mindset. His story’s experiences start to stack on top of one another, building a more well-rounded book in general and making the mix of excitement, sadness and happiness come alive.

I can’t help but think about how different Grant’s travels have been compared to my own. Even though his book talks about reaching many of the same places I did while in Guatemala and southern Mexico, his descriptions and stories of daily life are barely relatable to the ones I carry in my mind. For the first part of the book, I had to wonder why he even decided to write it, and who he was writing it for. By the way he kept talking about women and his sexual exploits, it almost seemed focused on gaining him bragging rights to other men. However, it is probably this blatant honesty and carefree behavior that kept the pages turning.

Overall, I think what we do gain is the ability to see Grant grow as a writer and as a person from start to finish. I would be interested in seeing what he is able to accomplish in future works, and whatever travels spawn from this initial outing.

‘Imagine: A Vagabond Story‘ is a whirlwind tale of Grant’s journey with freedom, spontaneity, love and lust through Central America. If this sounds like something you would like to read more of, visit Grant’s website and order a copy today. You can even preview the first few chapters there, as well as view actual photos from the trip!

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