This is a good time of year for me to make short escapes into books. I recently read Theroux's "The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling The Pacific" .
For those who dream of exploring remote Pacific Islands, I highly recommend this book. He not only immerses himself with adventure but in the culture, too.
BTW, he travels with a folding kayak. I had one which I took with me when I explored South America with a Maule, bush plane. It was called a Folbot. I believe it was Swiss made. I highly recommend that, too.
lol- nope- Folbot's are made in the US. Pretty old company. Started in 1933. There is another foreign made folding kayak like a Folbot, but they are way expensive. Called the Klepper.
Here's the link to the Folbot website-
http://www.folbot.com/
I had a Folbot super folder some 20 years ago and still have a 10 footer under the house that my son built when he was 12 or 13. Back then with the original company founder doing much of the writing, the catalogs were a hoot.
my first sailboat (!) was a folbot. don't know if they still make it, but 25 years ago they sold a kit fourteen footer. you got a few key pieces of the frame (including a centerboard box and center board) and instructions. they sold the mast and sails separately. i built it in a neighbor's garage and ultimately gave it to the boy scouts. i can't say if it was a well designed boat or not as i knew so little about sailing at the time, but i imagine their kayaks are more efficient vessels. 'twas the start of my sailing life. vj
and about paul theroux.....you can't go wrong with him. imo, one of america's great living writers. best known for travel books, but has also written autobiographical, strange fiction, science fiction. this guy can do it all. my favorites...."my secret history," "the old patagonia express," "milroy the magician," and "chicago loop." i tried to retrace his journey in "the old patagonia" express and nearly lost an eye on a train ride in guatemala. ended up having a little surgery in a village ($7 US, including post-op antibiotics). still don't need glasses except for reading ::). vj
Agree on the books and the author. I've not run a folding kayak, but I like the concept; especially on a small boat.
TrT
Coincidently, I ordered a copy off Amazon. It arrives today! And it is, indeed, a very good book.