Author: Eric Newby
Publishers: Picador
Pages: 298
Eric Newby’s book, documenting his journey down the Ganges in a boat is much more than just a story of adventure. Newby had to work hard to find boats to take him short distances downstream, haggle with unfriendly boatmen, and even ensure that his relationship with his wife remained in good terms. The part of enjoying the boat ride on a beautiful river seemed to take backseat over more important things most of the time.
When Newby made his grand plans to travel on the Ganges in a boat, he probably assumed it is going to be a pleasurable and enjoyable journey, or even a romantic journey since he had got his wife along. It did not take a long for him to realize the realities, which was completely devoid of any of these anticipations. Their boat ran aground more than 30 times in the first four days, and they did not even manage to cover a good hundred kilometers in this time. Having failed to find some one who could take them all the way from Haridwar to Kolkata, they had to resort to making journey in bits and pieces. While a good time was spent on the river rowing different boats downstream, they also travelled by motor boats, train, buses and even bullock carts. The last leg of the journey was completed in nothing less – a large modern vessel.
While Newby’s book focuses on the journey down the Ganges, he has adequately mixed it with details on the cities they visit en-route, such as Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi. He has added stories of the history and described generously about the local buildings and monuments wherever he stopped. And such places include not only larger cities but also many nondescript places like the town of Monghyr and the island of Colganj. The journey is difficult, exciting and strenuous for him in the beginning and makes an excellent read, but things get better as he moves towards West Bengal, and the last few chapters feel like nothing more than just another travellers log.
The journey was performed in the 1960s and much would have changed on the banks of Ganges since Newby has passed by, but the river continues to remain holy, mystical and mysterious. A worthy and readable book for everyone in love with the Ganges.
Author: Alexander Frater
Publishers: Picador
Pages: 378
By ‘Torrid Zone’, Frater refers to the tropics. Alexander Frater, born in the French Polynesian island of Vanuatu, revisits the island to see many changes in the place where he grew up as a kid. The land where his father’s home stood was replaced by a plush resort occupied by rich Australians, but the mission hospital built by his father remained. People of Vanuatu lived better, had started living in a more modern way of life, converted to Christianity and yet, there were many things in their society that intrigued Frater. The story that starts as a mere visit to the place where he spent his childhood grows into gigantic travelogue of entire tropics, covering Polynesia, Asia, Africa and South America. He visits many islands, lagoons and atolls, and even volcanoes in the tiny islands of Polynesia. He extends this story to more amazing journeys, like cruising down the Irrawadi River in Burma for several days by a mass transit boat, or taking a luxury liner and sailing up the Amazon – some privileges entitled to a person who is travel writer by profession! There are much more, like taking a small plane to some unknown war torn region in Africa or visiting many islands north of Australia. He occasionally blends his story with history, inserting names Captain Cook who discovered Polynesia on his search fo Australia, or adds some learnings about how a perennial rivers get formed. The variety of information and stories in the book are vast and sometimes feels like a jumble. For aspiring travel writers, the book is even a realization that all is not as easy and thrilling as it looks. But Frater’s stories are as exciting as it could get, and is a must read.
The cover of the book probably features the backwaters of Kerala, but don’t assume any related stories in the book. India hardly figures anywhere in the book but Frater has written a separate book entirely on India – Chasing the monsoons.
Author: Alexander Frater
Publishers: Penguin Books
Pages: 273
‘Chasing the monsoon’ is a book on Alexander Fraters journey through India, along with the monsoon clouds. He starts right at the bottom – Trivendrum when the monsoon clouds arrive in June and travels all the way north to Delhi with the progress of monsoon. He is there in Kovalam beach when people dance and rejoice at the sight of first rains. He moves northwards via Cochin to Goa and sees people welcoming the monsoons all the way. On his way, he does some research by meeting people at the meteorological department, learns the science behind these seasonal clouds that brings rain into India, and all about predicting the monsoons. He learns how important monsoon is for the Indian farmer and also to all those people who are looking for relief from the rains.
Set in the seventies, his journeys and many other experiences of those days feel a little outdated, but the facts and narration on monsoon do not change with time. In those days when he travelled, he had to find someone’s influence even to get an air ticket on board of Indian Airlines. He had to spend several months and go from door to door begging all the bureaucrats just to get permits to visit Cherrapunjee – a place that is open for all to visit now.
Besides being a wonderful narration of monsoons and making a good learning of everything that monsoons is, this is a well written travel story that gives a glimpse of the way of things in India’s the seventies. Sometimes the scientific facts seem overwhelming though. It is a worthy book to read for any one interested in travelling in India, and a must read for the fans of monsoon.