Achieved!

Until January 2018 I read very few books with most of my reading material coming from articles on the Internet! However I’ve enjoyed reading books throughout 2018 and regular reading is something I am going to continue.

Not surprising that most of these have been travel books… I tried a couple of ‘chick lit’ type fiction books but didn’t really find them too inspiring or exciting. For me, they were a bit of a slog to get through and I could take them or leave them.

This is the full list:

1. Kamikazi Kangaroos! 20,000 Miles Around Australia. One Van, Two Girls… And An Idiot by Tony James Slater
2. Just Off For A Walk (South West Coast Path) by Stephen Reynolds
3. No Wrong Turns: Cycling the World, Part One: Paris to Sydney by Chris Pountney
4. Travels with Rachael: In Search of South America by George Mahood
5. Balancing on Blue (Appalacian Trail) by Keith Foskett
6. The Long and Whining Road (around the world by camper van) by Simeon Courtie
7. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
8. Lone Rider (female motorcycle around the world) by Elspeth Beard
9. High and Low (hiking around Scotland) by Keith Foskett
10. Together by Julie Cohen
11. Five Years From Now by Giovanna Fletcher
12. Moods of Future Joys: Around the World by bike Part 1 by Alastair Humphreys
13. What Happened That Night by Sheila O’Flanagan
14. The Little Princess by Casey Watson
15. Thunder and Sunshine: Around the World by bike Part 2 by Alastair Humphreys
16. Cycling the World Part 2: Into the Sunrise, Sydney to Mori by Chris Pountney
17. Grand Adventures by Alastair Humphreys
18. Walk Sleep Repeat by Stephen Reynolds
19. Step by Step: The Life in my Journeys by Simon Reeve
20. It’s on the Meter: One taxi, Three Mates and 43,000 Miles of Misadventure Around the World by Paul Archer and Johno Ellison
21. My Life with Che by Aleida March
22. The Bolivian Diary by Ernesto Che Guevara

I enjoyed all of the adventure books which makes up most of this list! Books with real people having amazing adventures around the world from Keith Foskett’s long distance hiking to journey’s in camper vans, motorbikes and even a taxi! In particular I would recommend Simon Reeve’s book (no. 19) and the Alastair Humphreys cycle adventure books. These were the well written exciting books I found hard to put down although all have given me plenty of inspiration for future adventures!

Book number 22

Book read: The Bolivian Diary by Ernesto Che Guevara

This book was compiled from the notes Che Guevara made during his final mission before he was captured and executed by the Bolivian army. It is a first hand account of the progress Che and his team of revolutionaries made through the Bolivian jungle as Che attempted to ‘find recruits’ i.e. enlist the help of peasants in an attempt to overthrow the Bolivian government.

Che provides an incredible insight into the tough daily life they led. From his own perspective Che notes the health issues including dealing with his own asthma and lack of medical supplies, the hunger and thirst and tactics to avoid capture.

The book ends abruptly on 7th October 1967 with Che’s final diary entry… it leaves a chill as you know this was the moment just before he was captured…

From a personal perspective I found this another inspiring and slightly life shaping book. Us westerners moan and complain about the slightest little discomfort: “It’s 11:30 and I’m starving… is it nearly lunchtime?” or “I got soaked to the skin” when walking in the rain back to their warm comfy home and hot bath; or “I could never sleep in a tent”… a small waterproof tent with a few beers and a sleeping bag for a weekend is a luxury compared with sleeping under trees in a jungle in the rain for months on end with little food; insects biting you; foreign armies trying to shoot you and having to spend the next day tired and exhausted as you continue your trek with soaking kit and damp clothes…