The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World... via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats Trains and Planes

The Lunatic Express is an account of travel writer Carl Hoffman's rather bizarre quest to circumnavigate the globe using those modes of transportation most likely to get him killed -- or at least make him as uncomfortable as possible while trying. He does not die, but is often uncomfortable.

Plagued with wander lust and a some dissatisfaction on the domestic front, he sets off by bus to Toronto and from there to Bogota via Cuba on an airline chosen for its frequent crashes. From Bogota Hoffman travels south by bus (at night when it is more dangerous) on routes infamous for the frequency with which buses careen off them. He proceeds east across the Amazon basin by bus and boat -- neither convenient nor comfortable -- and then by freighter to Africa.

Long rides on overloaded Indonesian ferries keen to capsize, a bus ride through war-tor Afghanistan, a drive across Mongolia (40 degrees below zero) in a truck transporting propane -- he does it all and lives to tell about it. On the way he meets some very interesting and generous people in some of the world's poorest countries.

Lunatic Express is a pretty eye-opening look at how people live and travel in parts of the world not frequented by western tourists. It is worth a look if you like adventure travel writing.

I give the book demerits for spending too much time on the author's personal problems (sorry, don't care). Fortunately, they come in blocks, so you can skip right over them.

-Paul