
This light-hearted travel memoir poses a serious question: in a world alarmed by climate change, how easy is it to go long distances without relying on fuel-guzzling aeroplanes? Surface Male is the true story of John Barclay's challenge to travel around the world, doing as much as possible by land & none at all by air. In a journey that took half a year, crossing three oceans, four continents & 23 countries
- by passenger liner, container ship, freighter, motorboat, train, bus, tram, trolleybus, minibus, truck, motorcar, taxi, tuk tuk, motorbike & on foot
- not a drop of aviation fuel was consumed. Journeying on his own (and off the tourist track), without the benefit of pre-planning, he faced numerous difficulties & dangers. Equipped with little more than his own dogged nature & zest for adventure, John soldiered on, frustrated by language, confused, lost & molested
- often the only European to be seen. Yet he found humour everywhere & was heartened by the warmth of strangers. The experience changed his outlook on the world. The story
Includes:: amazing scenes such as a hot night in a low dive in Mexico, the terror of a no-go area in Panama, a death-defying bus ride in Vietnam & John's escape from the authorities in Kazakhstan. He tells it all candidly, with wit & humanity, in a crisp style that holds the attention for 32, 000 miles. The fascinating photographs are the author's own.