Probably my favorite travel narrative ever is Paul Theroux's Great Railway Bazaar. It captured my imagination and accompanied me on a coach potato journey from Europe to Asia and back. Thirty-three years later (YIKES!), Mr. Theroux undertook a similar journey from London to Singapore to Tokyo to Moscow to London, mostly via train once again. Paul is definitely more acerbic than he was 33 years ago, but perhaps less so than in some of his more recent tomes.
It took me a while to get into the book, but once I was on board the train through Georgia and Azerbaijan, I was once again hooked. Definitely a if-its-Tuesday-it must-be-Bangalore type of narrative, he includes enough encounters of fellow train cabin mates and locals in big and small towns alike to keep you wanting more. His political observations on the ruthlessness of national leaders such as the head of Turkmenistan and Singapore can be a bit ponderous (though right on the mark IMHO), but its what we've come to expect from Mr. Theroux. All in all, I heartily recommend the book and wish I had the guts (and time) to undertake a similar journey. And, since he's older than I, maybe I will!
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