Aircon Class by Peter Holroyd

About the Reviewer:

This book has been reviewed, for your reading pleasure, by Steve Skabrat of Escape from Cube Land. As described in his blog feature, Steve admits he’s a “meat & potatoes” kind of guy. He’s also one who is ready to give up the “meat & potatoes” cube life for something more exciting. Hmmm… Could be travel… Well, only if he can find tasty food, figure out directions and how to leave the very large iguana statue to fend for itself. Now we know he also likes to read (maybe to the iguana).

The Review:

Some people might think Carl Hoffman is a lunatic. Hoffman is a veteran contributing editor to various magazines. I’m not sure what his agent and editor thought when he pitched them on his latest idea, traveling around the world on the most dangerous modes of transportation. Whatever they thought, they bought it and Hoffman took off from New York City in a bus to Canada. That doesn’t sound too dangerous, depending on the time of year. However, it got worse from there, as Hoffman takes notoriously dangerous rides in South America, Africa, and Asia. I hope he had his life insurance policy fully paid up.

The trains in Mumbai are death traps for some riders on a daily basis. They even have morticians whose job is to handle the train casualties.

A few of the conveyances were fascinating. Hoffman’s day spent with a taxi called a matatu in Nairobi was the most interesting. The efforts the taxi drivers go through every day to survive are simply amazing. He rode an overloaded ferry in Senegal along the same route where a ferry had sunk some years before, taking 1,800 lives. A multi-day ferry ride in Indonesia made me shudder at the lack of comfort for the passengers. My back hurt just thinking about sleeping night after night on a linoleum covered wooden bench. Yet thousands of Indonesians ride these old ferries to move between islands. The trains in Mumbai are death traps for some riders on a daily basis. They even have morticians whose job is to handle the train casualties. Hoffman’s craziest trip involved driving across Afghanistan in a war zone.

Hoffman’s narrative bogs down in a few places, but overall this is a compelling story that reminds us that many in the world are not fortunate enough to have safe transportation. Millions of people are on the move, using whatever transportation is available and affordable. In comparison, as westerners we’re spoiled with the modern transportation available to us.

Despite the dangers, everywhere Hoffman goes he meets friendly people. No matter what the circumstances, people around the world like to meet an American. It’s up to us to respond appropriately.

Broadway Books, published 2010, 286 pages.

Editor’s notes: This article contains affiliate links.

Buy now on Amazon: The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World . . . via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes
This book is also available in paperback and Kindle versions.

© Gretchen for TravelBlogs, 2010. |
The Lunatic Express – Discovering the World… via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes |
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Post categories: Book Reviews
Post tags: Africa, Asia, ferry travel, overland travel, South America, transportation