A Boat in Our Baggage: Around the World with a Kayak

A friend who has traveled widely as a nurse lent me her copy of this book, and after having read Bill Bryson's books, Getting Stoned with Savages by Troost, and tons of other travel books, I was feeling a little burnt on the topic and didn't really think that this humble-looking book would stand up next to the rest. Boy was I wrong. From the first pages, the author and her partner Dag captured my interest with their humor and excitement about the journey, and as soon as they got started I was hooked. They went through Fiji and tried the famous Kava, they kayaked down the Ganges in India and on each stop startled and pleased the villagers and local holy men with their visit, and dodged hippos and militias on Lake Malawi. On each stop they seemed to find people who were fascinated by westerners and wanted to show their hospitality with the local foods, sometimes tasty and sometimes disgusting (like the flycakes on Lake Malawi) or by showing them around. So not only did we get an idea of what it would be like to kayak in those areas, but also an idea of what the local people might be like and how they live. The thing that I liked best was their keen eye for the small details which make up the differences in the world's many cultures and regions. Coffey was good at creating very clear descriptions in just a few lines, so the book is packed with interesting details and is hard to put down. I really felt like I was there. This may be out of print, but it is well worth purchasing. This book is definitely among the stars in the travel literature genre, and I don't know why it didn't get more attention in the US when it was published in '95 - it certainly deserves it.

I've never before read a 'travel' book and eventually picked this one up and couldn't put it down...even after I had finished reading it! Maria kept an honest and immaculate diary of their journey around the world in a collapsible, double kayak. Their courage is commendable as is their sense of adventure. Excellent recounting of a treasured journey.