Overview

At 16,500 miles, it was the world's longest road: a road on which travellers faced being baked in deserts, frozen in mountains, kidnapped and murdered by Colombian drug barons, buried under Peruvian avalanches, drowned by the Guatemalan rainy season, fleeced by eight-year-old Ecuadorean border touts, wasted by Montezuma's revenge, driven mad by blackflies in the Yukon, eaten by Alaskan grizzlies and, worst of all, limited to a glass of Chardonnay a day in California. The Pan-American Highway - it sounded brilliant. The next day, I went out to buy every book that I could find on it. And found that there weren't any. Then it's about time I wrote one, I thought. Hilariously funny, thoughtful and entertaining, this is that book. From the difficulties of getting bikes to Chile and the trials of South American border crossings, to the joys of the open road and the dubious delights of the local specialities (guinea pig, anyone?), you will love every twist and turn in the (very very long) road on this adventure.

Full Product Details

9780856408045

Table of Contents

Reviews

'A brilliant read, a book I simply couldn't put down.You become part of the adventure and all its ups and downs, and the book is bloody funny. It's like a cross between Ted Simon and Flann O'Brien - a cracker.' Hairy Biker Dave Myers 'An outstanding writing talent with a wicked sense of fun ... Brilliant writing, genuinely and originally funny.' Martyn Lewis, broadcaster 'Shift your arse, Kerouac, Geoff Hill's on the road. Faster, funnier and still alive.' Colin Bateman

A Belfast travel writer and his Scottish sidekick take a lighthearted ride up the 16,500-mile Pan-American Highway.Hill (Way to Go: Two of the World's Great Motorcycle Journeys, 2005, etc.) proves an amiable, witty guide as he jaunts north through desert, mountain and woodlands. That's not to say he and traveling companion Clifford Paterson don't encounter some bumps in the road. These include a fairly serious crash along a remote stretch of road near Cali, Colombia; endless red tape at a half-dozen Latin-American border crossings; and a ban on beer throughout Central America during Easter Week. Their journey begins in the remote village of Puerto Montt, Chile, aboard two donated vintage motorbikes: Hill's is a British Triumph, Paterson's an Italian Aprilia. En route to the Arctic Circle, both machines prove nearly as durable as their riders, despite close encounters with wandering Canadian moose and Ecuadorian protesters, a dearth of high-octane gasoline throughout South America and weather conditions ranging from subtropical to frigid. Hill and Paterson face each trial with equanimity and, when slowed, usually manage to make interesting friends among the locals. In Peru, they find a German immigrant who makes a comfortable living importing breast implants, which are stacked on the furniture of his spacious hacienda. In Mexico, they encounter an odd colony of exiled Mennonites. Once across the U.S. border, they relish endless oddball museums, including colorful memorials to vintage vacuum cleaners and an art gallery featuring landscapes made completely of lint. Hill's breezy, humorous narrative contains just enough dollops of history and local culture to satisfy travel fans.An easy, entertaining read, perfect for plane rides and road trips. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Geoff Hill is the features editor of the News Letter in Belfast. He has either won or been shortlisted for a UK. Travel Writer of the Year award eight times. He is also a former Irish Travel Writer of the Year and a former Mexican Government European Travel Writer of the Year, although he's still trying to work out exactly what that means. He regularly writes about travel for the Daily Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available