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Backpacked: A Reluctant Trip Across Central America - Kindle Edition
by Essexgirl2006
Backpacked: A Reluctant Trip Across Central America [Kindle Edition]
Catherine Ryan Howard
Backpack Up Your Troubles
I purchased this book through a promotion on Amazon for Kindle books when it was free (now about the £2 mark). I have generally found some of the free or 99p purchases for the Kindle to ... be a bit hit and miss, and had avoided them for a while, in favour of spending a few pounds more and getting something I really wanted to read. However this appealed to me as I am a big fan of Central America having previously travelled around a small part of it some years ago.
Catherine Ryan Howard is a twenty-something Irish girl who had been working in Florida in the hospitality industry when she discovers that her best friend Shelagh would be passing through on her way to backpacking around Central America. Catherine had previously no desire to backpack, preferring her staff discounts allowing her to stay at top end hotels, and laze around the pool drinking lattes. She only went to spend time with Shelagh and to get some interesting Facebook photos.
Upon leaving Florida, Catherine and Shelagh roll up in Guatemala City, which is far from the most interesting or scenic place in Guatemala and I felt we were in limbo for a bit, waiting for the trip to get under way. Meanwhile Catherine is whining about broken ceiling fans and poor showers. Soon she gets to Antigua de Guatemala, which is an attractive colonial town, but Catherine likes the courtyard out the back of McDonald's. I didn't even see the McDonald's when I was there. I was quite worried at this point, thinking this book was going to one long rant or a series of whinges about how horrible it all was, which would wear thin pretty quick.
Fortunately, for the most part, Catherine got over herself and managed to appreciate the opportunities she had, mostly thanks to a very patient best friend and the beautiful Lake Atitlan. I enjoyed reading about the parts I had visited, more than the other parts. Although my experiences were often different, I could relate to what she had seen/was doing. Much of Catherine's problems were with other backpacker, she did seem to be a magnet for some odd sorts of people. That form of travelling does mean that you meet a variety of people, but I would suggest that Catherine is either very unlucky in the people she met, or else a very difficult person to please. However her descriptions of these people and some of the other backpacker clichés are rather amusing.
To be fair to Catherine, the book is generally amusing and entertaining to read, even her rants can be quite funny. It is a very easy read and she has a friendly and informal style of writing, much as if she was sitting down with you and telling the stories herself. The book is not a large one either - about 270 pages. I read the Kindle edition and found the last 20% of the book was about Catherine's life when she got back, her blog and a few chapters of her previous book 'Mousetrapped' about her time in Orlando. I don't know if that is the same in the paperback.
As a retired (but still occasional) backpacker myself, this obviously appealed to me and I think other backpackers/travelers may enjoy it also. You won't learn a lot about the places from the book however, so don't think of it as a guide of any sort. As it is such an accessible read I think it could be read and enjoyed by armchair travelers too. However it is a short book so I would recommend keeping an eye out for offers.
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Time Out Buenos Aires 5th Edition
by hildy
I have always been a fan of the Time Out City Guides, as they are written by locals or journos who have been living in the city for a long time. This means that the guides tend to be a little edgier, skimming over the touristy sights and taking their readers to places which have a more underground vibe. With absolutely no existing ... knowledge of Buenos Aires/Argentina, and having never visited South America, I wanted a guide book that listed a wide range of bars, clubs and restaurants and that also gave historical context to the city I was visiting. When choosing my guide, I was stuck between 2 and choosing was pretty difficult. The Hedonist's Guide... promised reviews of the most exclusive bars, restaurants, shops and clubs and with Buenos Aires being a relatively cheap city, this guide was very tempting for the type of trip we wanted to have. But having bought the Time Out guides in the past, I decided to opt for the safe bet as I knew this was likely to contain all of the info I wanted.
Like other Time Out guides, this one is split into the following chapters - In Context; Sights; Consume; Arts & Entertainment; Escapes & Excursions; Directory; Maps - with each chapter further divided into subcategories which makes it a great reference tool as sections are easy to find again and again. The information listed is comprehensive and in this edition very precise, with opening times and admission costs to attractions nearly all printed accurately (although it might be worth noting that this edition was published in January 2011 and we visited BA in May later that year). As someone who was completely unfamiliar with Argentine history, the 'Context' part of the guide was extremely helpful as it gave background to the history of the Argentina and its capital - from the16th Century colonial period (when European immigrants settled in the city), right through the Argentine Civil War and more recently, on the Peronist Years, The Falklands War and the recession of the early 2000s. Though extremely informative, the format isn't too dense however and remains very easy to read. Information is broken up with lovely high-res images of the city which give you a feel of each area and some essential information (often relating to customs or traditions such as tipping, food, greetings etc. which are particular to the city) is displayed in side bars on the page. Formatting the book in this way means that readers aren't confronted with rows and rows of writing and this means that relevant information stands out to the reader much more easily.
In terms of geography, each barrio (district) is described extensively in this guide so that you really get a fuller understanding of how areas differ in terms of their history, architecture and culture before. Famous tourist sights and attractions are listed here also, so you never miss out on the highlights that each barrio has to offer. Places such as restaurants, clubs and bars are listed and then further separated into more useful subcategories. Restaurants for example, are listed firstly by area, then by type of cuisine and then by price - so whether you're travelling on a shoestring or more able to splash the cash, the guide caters for all types of travellers - and I must add that we visited quite a few of the restaurants recommended in the guide and all were excellent! There are also sections on Football (mostly about Boca Juniors and River Plate) and of course, on the cultural significance of Tango. The book is also fantastic if you intend to travel outside of BA for a few days as it also gives lots of information about the surrounding areas and also on crossing the border into nearby Uruguay - which would have certainly have been something that we would have done if were staying in Argentina for longer.
All in all, I would say that this Time Out Guide is an absolute must for any visitor to Buenos Aires who wants to visit the coolest and more underground places in the city - with a far more discerning selection of listings than The Rough Guide for example. Having bought this book online for a mere £7.40, I can't stress how invaluable it was to our trip and for just getting around the city. At 256 pages, it's not the lightest book but it's not too big to fit into a smallish handbag and is so packed full of information that it made me feel safe in the knowledge that we could easily navigate the city.
In fact, we loved the Time Out Guide to Buenos Aires so much that when we lost our copy of it on a bit of a boozy night out half way into our trip, we spent the next day trawling the streets of Buenos Aires trying to find another copy. We eventually found one in an English bookshop in San Telmo (which coincidently, was also recommended in the Time Out Guide to the city!)
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Between Extremes - John McCarthy, Brian Keenan
by jeffjen
John McCarthy and Brian Keenan are names many will recall from the 1980's. McCarthy was a journalist who was kidnapped and held hostage in the Lebanon, whilst covering the story of hostage Brian Keenan.
Irishman Brian Keenan had been teaching at the American University in Beirut. He was then kidnapped and had been held for a week ... before John was kidnapped too. After four months had passed in solitary confinement, Brian was placed in a cell with John in an underground prison in Beirut. After their capture in 1986, they were then held hostage for five long years.
In their final year of being held hostage, the two men were given an ancient encyclopedia. They argued about who was getting what part of the world, with John wanting the Caribbean and Brian choosing Patagonia because he wanted to start a Yak farm!
In their tiny cell they only had each other, the encyclopedia and their imaginations as the only means of escapism from their long, dark days of captivity and together they envisaged walking in the Andes and across Patagonia.
Five years after their release, John and Brian travelled together to see if Chile was actually anything like they had imagined during their long days of captivity. 'Between Extremes' is the outcome of their journey. A journey which once again found them both far from home, but the difference this time being that they could live by their own rules.
After reading both these men's books about their experiences being held hostage in the Lebanon, I was keen to read this book, which is described as a travel book, but is also something which is deeply personal to both men. Describing it simply as a travel book isn't enough in my opinion, as it is also the outcome of a story of two very different men who were thrown together in horrific circumstances.
As well as being a travel book this is a testament to a friendship born out of adversity.
The book reads as more of an adventure than an actual travel guide. It contains a lot of humour and what comes across strongly is the friendship between John and Brian. For instance, Brian teasing John about his cycling shorts and also the amount of luggage he has taken with him and suggests maybe they should have visited Tibet to check out the Yaks, then John could have had a sherpa to lug all his gear along.
As I mentioned earlier, John and Brian are two very different men, which anyone who read about their time as hostages will know. This fact comes across once again in this book, as little things get on each other's nerves about each other, but there is an unspoken tolerance between the two, which obviously stems from their time spent in captivity.
Whilst John's ability to always look good and his obsessive planning got on Brian's nerves, it would never become a great issue, in the same way that Brian's snoring and abilty to sleep almost anywhere and at anytime irritates John, but you realise that because of these men's past experiences, it isn't going to cause any real problems. Despite the slight bickering, the two respect and enjoy each other's company. As they themselves stated, they have a friendship 'forged in fire.'
Throughout their journey the two adopt some danger-ridden modes of transport, as well as trekking over the Andes to Argentina on horseback with sheer drops either side and with neither of them having any real experience of horses!
It is all part of what makes the book both interesting and a good read as well as being informative too. There are some beautiful photographs included and it also contains poetry from Pablo Neruda.
I particularly like the way the book is set out, with separate points of view from both men, rather than mingled together, though I did find I had a slight preference for reading John's parts. This did not really surprise me as when I read both men's biographies about their time as hostages, I found I preferred John's account. Here I found his thoughts more entertaining than Brian's, but they were no less interesting all the same. Brian I find, is simply a deeper character than John, but together they seem to be totally compatible.
I think this book may appeal more to those who are familiar with John and Brian's background, but it is nonetheless an interesting read for those who aren't. It simply just touches the reader a little more if you are aware of their past experiences and the circumstances which brought two very different men together. It is a great read and you do get glimpses of the character and strength of spirit of these two men once again, as when there are arguments, what really shines through is the underlying mutual respect and deep bond these men share, which of course is rooted in those dark days where they kept each other alive. At least this time they are controlling their own destiny.
Between Extremes gives you plenty to smile about and the 'extremes' are not just the arduous journey they undertake here, but also the different personalities of John and Brian, which makes for entertaining reading throughout.
And as for the Yak farming dream, I won't spoil it for anyone but there is an outcome to that too even though you have to wait until near the end of the book to find out.
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