La Balsa;: The longest raft voyage in history,

This is the extraordinary account of a fascinating adventure. Four guys made a platform using balsa wood tree trunks, put a very rudimentary cabin atop the trunks, and crossed the Pacific Ocean departing from South America. They had a radio on board, plus some basic supplies, and for 4 months or so were happy sailors. I read this book as a kid, in its original Spanish (Vital Alsar is from Spain), and was fascinated by the story. Once i finished the book, i started reading it again. The photos were great! I vividly remember a photo of their "toilet" (they converted a wooden barrel, and stuck it on the side of the raft). Now that I am an adult, I would love to re-read it, because as a kid I don't think I realized the enormous guts and ingenuity that it took for them to do this. In summary, if you find this book somewhere, grab it!

If you enjoyed reading Kon TiKi as a kid, you will love La Balsa by Vital Alsar. Alsar's account of his 1970 trans-Pacific voyage of 8,565 miles and 6 months on a 7 balsa log raft is refreshing in the candid modesty and understated courage of this captain and his raftmates. His insight into the human and animal condition under the extraordinary conditions of floating and living less than two feet above the often violent deep blue make trip to the library or used book store well worthwhile.Enrique Hank Lopez's translation is superb.Is there more to read by this man?