On our travels we have brought some audiobooks of various types to listen to. We were thinking of writng mini reviews when we finish listening to them. Here is the first one:
Ghost Train to the Eastern Star is a travelogue by the legendary travel writer Paul Theroux. This particular novel is a record of his journey retracing the trip that made him famous 33 years before (The Great Railway Bazaar). His itinerary is taking the train from London to via the Middle East and Asia Tokyo and back via Siberia. We orignally got it because he travels to some of the same places that we will be traveling (Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore). Unfortunately, except for Singapore he does not spend much time in those places, but the book was still entertaining, insightful and somewhat depressing (as he likes to dwell on some of the terrible things that happened in the places that he visits).
We learned a lot about many places (and about riding trains), but what we have really taken from the book is a desire to be more outgoing and to ask more (penetrating) questions. We have found ourselves asking each other, "What would Paul Theroux ask/say/do?" We have been trying to follow his example, though so far we have not had to make much of an effort talk to people, since they are so friendly here.
Favorite parts:
Kevin: The craziness that was Turmenistan in 2006 (when Paul Theroux did this trip). The Trans-Siberian Rail. Also his chats with Sir Arthur C Clark in Columbo, Sri Lanka (not long before his death) and Haruki Murikami in Tokyo, Japan.
Nancy: The way he sees things from the train. Northern Japan (train and stay).
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