Walk In The Shadow Of Disaster

Sun Herald

Sunday April 13, 2008

Rosemarie Milsom

Slow Journey South: Walking To Africa, A Year In Footsteps

Paula Constant (Bantam, $27.95)

THIS debut title could almost be categorised as an anti-travel book, given the author, Paula Constant, and her husband, Gary, don't actually depart on their epic walk until almost halfway through her account.

There are months of ad hoc planning, tension and loss of motivation before the two set off from London's Trafalgar Square. I have never read of a more far-fetched trip conceived of by two such inexperienced, unfocused players.

But Constant's honest narration is enthralling; near-disaster is so much more interesting than the superficial "my amazing journey" stories that fill bookshop shelves.

In the beginning, the couple share the dream of turning their backs on the monotony of everyday life and heading off for one last trip.

This notion is something we can all relate to but in this instance the take their musings one step further; they relocate from Broome to London, where Constant can earn more money as a relief teacher and British-born Gary can begin mapping out their trip - that's the plan, anyway.

What follows is a train wreck. Employed at a rough North London school and living in a South London hostel, Constant, who would rather head to the pub than the gym, begins to drink out of frustration. Their income is spent on over-priced accommodation, the lengthy daily commute and wine.

"Despite our endless discussions we are both worried that we are not doing enough to make it happen," Constant writes. "We have been in London three months now, and not only are we still broke, we also have no idea how to start planning.

"It is no more than a vague, faintly mad, dream, and I live in terror that it will come to nothing, and that all of this will turn out to simply be one big, expensive mistake."

The next few months include arguments, loss of direction, rising debt, family dramas, a bizarre reconnaissance trip to Morocco in search of a camel guide and the near-collapse of their great dream.

Somehow though, a plan comes together and 2 1/2years after leaving Broome they are off, which in itself is an enormous feat given their limited experience, wavering confidence and lack of funds.

The Constants divide the trip into three stages: a 5000-kilometre walk from London to M'Hamid in Morocco through France, Spain and Portugal, stage two is the Sahara crossing from west to east, and stage three will be through central and eastern Africa to the south. All on foot.

Even as they set off, Constant documents her fear and ambivalence.

"Today is supposed to be easy - just over 13kilometres to a hotel in Greenwich ... but we have walked less than three, and I am already in agony. My pack is too heavy. It cuts into my shoulders and rubs my chest ... I want to find a rhythm, fall into a steady pattern of movement, but I feel rigid and stiff and uncomfortable, my feet heavy and hot.

"I stumble ... past a pub I used to drink at on the river. I eye it longingly, thinking how nice it would be to just drop the pack and go in for an afternoon of boozy laziness and forget this whole stupid idea."

Constant documents only the first leg here (she is working on her account of the second stage) and it is a colourful, unpredictable and at times irritating read because of her naivety and the chaos that abounds.

As inexperienced at writing as she is at long-haul walking, the author nevertheless tackles both with dogged determination and achieves the unexpected. By the end I was hungry for more.

The Complete Valley Of The Kings

Nicholas Reeves/Richard H. Wilkinson (Thames & Hudson, $45)

A TREASURE trove of more than 500 illustrations helps to make this guide to the tombs of Egypt's greatest pharaohs a must-read and must-pack for anyone travelling to the Valley of the Kings.

Every aspect of this sacred site is explored by the authors - both respected academics - including the history of the pharaoh's workers who hailed from the village of Deir el-Medina. There is detailed chronology along with maps, photos, drawings and plans of the burial chambers.

A black and white photo of Howard Carter - who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb - swinging back the door of a shrine to the boy-pharaoh is one of many examples of how the tombs have captivated centuries of travellers, scholars and, unfortunately, thieves.

The gallery of portraits of various pharaohs, including Ramesses II, is a haunting yet intriguing feature.

The what-to-see and when-to-see it section gives valuable tips.

Me, Myself & Prague: An Unreliable Guide To Bohemia

Rachael Weiss (Allen & Unwin, $24.95)

TRAVEL books rarely touch on the loneliness that can enshroud a journey. Sydneysider Rachael Weiss does well to capture the isolation and self-doubt that accompanies her decision to take up residence for a year in beautiful Prague.

At 39 and with the help of her Czech father, Zdenek, who offers her his Communist-era holiday apartment rent-free, the author packs up and relocates with the romantic aim of uncovering her roots.

She feels like an alien and her efforts at conversation are snubbed by the folk at the supermarket. She spends her days walking around on her own and watching CNN. "I wandered the city, buoyed indeed by its glory but feeling increasingly helpless and hapless."

In time she befriends a colourful group of expats and explores the countryside. And while her unwillingness to spend much time with relatives smacks of being a spoilt brat, Weiss avoids sugar-coating the expat experience.

At My French Table

Jane Webster (Viking, $59.95)

IT'S hard not to be taken in by the stunning design of this hardcover title, even the inclusion of red, white and blue ribbon page markers adds to the effect.

Part cookbook, part account of restoring a five-storey Normandy chateau and establishing a cooking school, and part observation of French village life, At My French Table fails to serve up substance as well as style.

Self-taught chef and former Melbourne cafe-owner Jane Webster is joined by husband Pete, as well as the couple's four children, on this adventure to fulfil a long-held dream.

Webster writes of the challenges the family confronts but I found myself focusing on Nikole Ramsay's photography rather than the lacklustre narrative.

The flow of material is a design flaw; images and recipes break up the narrative.

This is one for the coffee table or kitchen shelf where the recipes and imagery will be appreciated.

The Outbackers: Travelling The Outback With The Uteman

Allan M. Nixon (ABC Books, $29.95)

THE Uteman has attracted a following with his popular Beaut Utes series as well as his books, The Bushies and Bush Aussies. Nixon is laconic, passionate and knowledgeable in his exploration of the outback. Images of the Northern Territory tend to represent this aspect of Australia but "one only has to drive to the outer reaches of NSW and Victoria to get a taste of a magical place," he writes.

Travelling to dots on the map such as Packsaddle and Gidgiegalambo, Nixon writes as I imagine he speaks: "It would be good to see the pub revived and made into the icon of the plains it once was." His colourful narrative is at times cliched but his appreciation and respect for the outback is admirable.

We're introduced to shearers, Aboriginal elders, camel herders, pub owners, a retired saddle maker and artists, all with interesting tales to tell. Nixon relishes a good yarn and isn't afraid to venture off the beaten track to pin one down.