Jim Eagles: Dream your dream then do it

How many people have said to themselves, "When I retire (or win Lotto, or the kids leave home, or we've paid off the mortgage) I'm going on my dream trip"? Lots, I'll bet. And how many have actually done it? Sadly, not many.

If you're one of many with an unfilled travel dream, these books may be an inspiration.

Sure, it's often hard to get away, but if an Aussie in a wheelchair can travel across Asia, Europe and the Middle East; if a Kiwi can cycle all the way home from Britain to get a pie; and if a couple of mad Poms can sail a canal boat across the English Channel, what's your excuse for sitting at home?


First pass under heaven
by Nathan Hotuora Gray
Penguin, $29.96

The obsession which led to Nathan Gray devoting two years of his life to walking the 4000km length of the Great Wall of China - possibly the first New Zealander to do so - was slow to build.

When an invitation to join a walk along the wall came from a film-maker friend he initially turned it down. As he tells it, the driving factor in going was a teasing email from another friend asking, "Do you want to be known as the man who almost decided to go on that walk with that Kiwi legend Sir Kelvin Jones?"

But once he started on the walk, at Jiayuguan Pass in the desolate Gobi Desert, he was utterly committed to meeting the challenge of what he came to see as an ancient dragon sprawled across China.

So he kept walking in spite of the break-up of the group who started the journey, which meant he often had to walk alone.

He endured hassling from the authorities, some of whom saw him as a spy; sickness, hunger and emotional exhaustion, which twice forced him to leave the wall to recuperate; extremes of weather, which ranged from desert heat to mountain blizzards; and the challenge of the wall, at times so steep as to be almost impassable, at others so dilapidated he was at risk of plunging to his death.

The story of that journey is a fascinating mix of personal struggle and mysticism, descriptions of landforms and analysis of Chinese politics, tales of bureaucratic obstruction and - probably the key point - the extraordinary generosity and friendliness of the ordinary Chinese he met along the way.

And, finally, there it was, the Bohai Sea, east of Beijing, the end of the wall, the end of the saga, the end of an obsession, and the chance to start life again as a person deeply changed by his encounter with the dragon.

This a fascinating story. My only grizzle is that the maps showing the route of the wall are almost unreadable and the photography doesn't live up to the lyrical descriptions of the landscape. Gray would have been better off relying solely on his passionate flow of words.


Narrow dog to Carcassonne
by Terry Darlington
Random House. $26.99

Me and you and a dog named Boo, so the song goes, but in this case the dog is called Jim and he is pivotal to this hilarious travel adventure, a saga of boating incompetence, sheer good luck and cheerful fortitude.

After a steady diet of worthy travel books, it was a joy to find humour on every page of this entertaining, informative and delightful tale.

Me and you in this case are author Terry Darlington and his wife Monica, while the dog named Jim is a whippet, a seemingly hairless creature, whose appearance almost guarantees discussion whenever he appears in public, usually alongside his owners in a pub.

This unlikely trio set off from Stone, in Staffordshire, on an extraordinary journey - some might say mad - aiming to take a vessel designed for canals across the turbulent waters of the English Channel on their way to Carcassonne in France.

The experts said it couldn't be done, but that didn't stop the Darlingtons. They make their way through the English countryside to London, on to Dover, across the Channel to Calais and along the canals of France to the Rhone.

We share the drama of the sea-crossing, learn about gongoozlers - people who like watching action on the canals - discover the drinking habits of canal travellers and their dogs, suffer the difficulties of getting a pint of beer in France and enjoy the inevitable language misunderstandings.

Move over Bill Bryson. I'm sure Terry Darlington has more amusing travel writing to come.


Emails from the edge: a journey through troubled times
by Ken Haley
Transit Lounge, $39.99

This is a book about two journeys. One is the entertaining story of Ken Haley's journey across some of the most difficult countries in the world in his wheelchair. The other is the moving saga of the mental breakdown and suicide attempt which led to his being in a wheelchair.

The story of his wheelchair trip across 50 countries, many of them often regarded as too dangerous to visit, is conveyed with wry good humour, and mainly told in short, sharp snippets, rather like emails.

It focuses on the people Haley meets in these foreign lands, a few of them obnoxious, officious and prejudiced; the majority warm, generous and welcoming.

It is a marvellous tale of perseverance overcoming difficulty, of how an open mind makes a mockery of the prejudices that often rule our lives, and of joy at the wonders the world has to offer.

The saga of Haley's personal journey, by contrast, is spelled out at greater length and in clear, honest, unsentimental prose.

Its main messages are that even the toughest of us can succumb to the darkness that lies in our minds; and, more importantly, if the worst happens and you're lucky enough to survive, it is still possible to lead a rich, fulfilling and exciting life.

These intertwined stories make for an inspirational book, both on the personal level, and when it comes to travelling.


Long ride for a pie
by Tim Mulliner
New Holland, $29.99

An increasing number of people seem to make unusual journeys so they can write about their experiences, and it seems as though the more bizarre the trip, the more interest is generated.

Long Ride for a Pie falls into this category, especially if you accept Kiwi Tim Mulliner's premise that he rode his bicycle 24,115km across 22 countries in 14 months, solely so he could once again eat a New Zealand pie, the kind that melts in the mouth and leaves tiny flakes of pastry on the lips.

Mulliner enjoys a challenge, and he is challenged often, especially once he leaves Europe behind and cycles through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India and China. He has to contend with rock slides, endless deserts, and officious officials - mostly border guards and policemen who give him the runaround.

Then there is his trusty bike. It needs constant running repairs as tyres are forever getting punctures, and front forks and wheel spokes break in rough conditions. Fortunately Mulliner carries lots of spares and finds offers of help in the most unexpected places.

Despite his obsession with unhealthy food, our hero survives much of the time on a diet of dried noodles.

Unsurprisingly, his health suffers and he gets boils on his backside from long hours in the saddle. However, he meets many helpful strangers, sees spectacular landscapes and eventually gets his pie.


A year in the world
by Frances Mayes
Random House, $29.95

I enjoyed Under the Tuscan Sun, the film of Frances Mayes' popular book.

Her fifth travel book, A Year in the World, is a departure from Mayes' love affair with Tuscany to take in wider Europe.

Imagine! Twelve months - with her poet husband Ed - in Europe, sightseeing, eating and drinking in newly discovered cafes, making friends and generally having a good time.

The leave their home in Cortona, Italy, and the first stop is Spain, which they've never visited before. Ed gets off to a rocky start when he forgets to take his passport, but they quickly fall in love with the country.

Mayes is a keen observer and writes with a passion about beautiful churches, art museums and Arab-influenced architecture - not to mention food and wine - which are described in loving detail, although her referrals to Spanish literary figures are a little overpowering.

In Portugal they are in a lighter mood. Mayes writes of delightful encounters with people in a land relatively untainted by tourists, is lyrical in her praise of the countryside and discovers special places.

They have similar interludes in Naples and Sicily, Fez, Burgundy and Britain, and, one of her best pieces, on a cruise through the Greek islands, which produces some amusing vignettes of fellow travellers.

There is little doubt that Mayes, writer, poet and former university teacher, experiences her travel from a literary viewpoint. What others have written before on the countries she visits is important to her and presumably to her many fans as well.

They will not be disappointed in A Year in the World, which is full of erudite comments, as well as details about history, art and cuisine.