Turning Left Around the World

I’m a huge fan of one sitting reads. Two sittings are good too, but basically a book I can finish in one day. This one took several and was happily enough well worth it. After all it’s a book 10 months in the making, since that’s how long it took this very British man and his wife to circumnavigate the globe, turning mostly left as the title promises. For a professional armchair traveler like me (sans armchair) this book was a delight. A travelogue of great detail, plenty of photos (sadly rendered black and white by my elderly Kindle, but still) and a terrific balance of historical facts, sociological observations and nature descriptions. It helped that the narrator, yes that very British man, David, was…well, so very British. The sort of man that says goodness…a lot. But he’s also funny and observant and doesn’t seem to have that condescending, colonialist, first world take on the world so many older British gents might or at least he doesn’t let it color his perspective to any significant extent. David is obviously someone who shows genuine interest in and pays respect to local cultures. And again…funny, funny guy. This was a trip to celebrate his retirement as a very reasonable age of 60 and, while obviously planned and done with a good amount of money, there’s still a genuine spirit of adventure throughout, aided by inquisitive nature and a certain joie de vivre. So this isn’t one of those travel the world on a dime books, but there’s still a good mix of local flavors to offset the first class resort stays and Michelin stars restaurants. In fact these Brits are serious gastronomes, it’s all over the book, and while it does nothing for me, my cook show loving fiancé and those like her would certainly appreciate that. For me it’s all about the stories behind the temples as it were and the author definitely delivers on that account, there’s plenty to learn, revisit and discover here as the happy couple traverses the globe, starting in Latin America and finishing in Japan, with some traditional and some less so destinations in between. Personally I’m sort of in awe of their spirit of adventure. I don’t travel at all. The only retired couple I know idea of travel is staying at a nice beach resort in a country not too far away. Frankly reading this book might be more exciting than that. The intrepid Brits did it all, climbed, hiked, biked…this was a sort of once in a lifetime trip everyone dreams about. And yeah, many might never get to do that, but it’s worth a dream, just reading this book might give you strong wanderlust. And for those who do travel and have the money to do it in style, this can probably serve as a tour guide. Really enjoyable read. Very long, there were two page count estimates on the internet, this is definitely the longer one. But what a trip. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow, what a book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about David and Helene’s amazing around the world adventure. David’s writing style was friendly, while being informative, funny and also conveying sometimes sad historic events which happened in the countries they visited. There are many photos included too which were all stunning and helped illustrate the adventures they had.

I would absolutely love to take a trip like this – unfortunately health and wealth prohibit me but I really enjoyed reading about all these magnificent countries. South America has never hugely appealed to me but this book definitely changed my mind about that. I loved the way the couple decided on where to visit – a map and a pile of blue and pink pins and boom – a ten month once in a lifetime experience. I also loved hearing about all the people they met on their travels and how they immersed themselves into the local cultures and took part in the traditions of places and people they visited.

This was an easy to read book which I struggled to put down. It has definitely fired up the travel bug once again in me and even though currently my destinations may have to be closer to home, I have found a new way of seeing and exploring things and have definitely added a few more places to my bucket list!

Some of my favourite bits and quotes –
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do, than by the ones you did do.

So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your ails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

H. Jackson Brown Jr. – Foreword

“The first day of our adventures was not shaping up the way I expected. It just happened to be the day of Chile’s elections, odd day for elections but that’s okay. So, Sunday 2nd July, voting day, was declared a ‘dry vote day’. No alcohol to be served in any bar, restaurant or hotel until 2 hours after voting closed at 11pm so that everyone could vote sober. Great!”

“We then attempted the walk across the Bridge Of Sighs. Custom has it that you hold hands and then hold your breath and then walk across with your loved one. If you can both hold your breath all the way across your wishes will come true. On the third attempt we made it”

“If I thought Fiji was rugby mad that’s nothing compared to the Kiwis… comically most of the toilet symbols are rugby balls for men and footballs for women”

“Our flight from Sydney to Uluru… took over 3 hours and moved our timezone back by an hour and half – I always thought time zones were in full hours, apparently not, there are even some that move by 15 minutes”

“It was Nippers Day at Coogee Beach and Santa was due to arrive on a surfboard, I was not missing this”

Waving beads and bible in his crutched hand he raised his other palm with fingers spread. Not quite sure what this meant I gave him a ‘high-five’. ‘What on earth are you doing David?’ screamed Helene. ‘You don’t high-five a Buddhist monk!'”

“pointing to the tray hanging in a cinema usherette style from the neck of a fierce looking local lady. Instead of ice creams, confectionery, popcorn and Kia – Ora drinks her tray displayed coiled snake on a stick, brochettes of scorpions, barbecued tarantula, big black bugs that could have been cockroaches and an assortment of plump white grubs, possibly wichetty.”

“I had the most extraordinary toilet experience in the airport lounge high-tech loos. It sensed me walking into the trap so the toilet seat rose automatically in a welcoming kind of look up from a bow, and bizarrely a rather comforting blue light came on in the bowl itself. This was not the only comfort, the seat itself was heated… upon sitting the personal piped music began to play…there was a digital display just above the auto loo roll dispenser offering a variety of flashing buttons and symbols including spray, +/- spray strength, nozzle position, cleansing, wide/narrow, bidet, blow and massage. Massage? Well we promised to try everything” – I couldn’t resist a toilet one!

“The tannoy announced that ‘crying children should be taken into the vestibules immediately and those leaving the train should do so in an orderly fashion'”

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book. What a great way to tell a story about travelling around the world with information about the history of the countries and details of all the places visited. I just loved their sense of humour with insights of their personal life. A must read book.

There is only one way to express my review of the author's (and his wife's) travel writing: Please take me with you on your next trip.

I was sent this book by Net Galley in exchange for an unbiased review. As someone who has always enjoyed travel writing, I was delighted to accept.
The book is well written and very easy to read, with humorous interaction between David and his wife Helene.
There are plenty of photos and historical facts - I learned a lot from this book. The history behind the temples and landmarks starting in Latin America and finishing in Japan made for a truly entertaining and informative read.
I thoroughly recommend this book!