A book review by Mike Forrester
Editor and Scribbler motorcycle.co.uk
This is the third of Sam Manicom's Trilogy.
'
Into Africa' covered his trip down Africa. '
Under Asian Skies' covered Australia, New Zealand, and back to Germany via various bits of Asia. In 'Distant Suns', he and his partner Birgit ride two BMWs through Southern Africa and up South America.
Sam is still on his BMW GS, Birgit on an older R60. They take their time, stopping for a few weeks where they feel like it, moving on when it seems right. I guess that's the luxury of not having to be back at work, when you have just decided that work and home and mortgages and career path and all that crap that ties the rest of us down is just not part of your life.
It is interesting to see how Sam's approach to travelling has changed. He is now a seasoned traveller, taking border hassles and bike hassles in his stride. In the earlier books, the bike was the dominant part of the whole experience, now it is a means to an end - still a critical part of the experience, but now absorbed into the larger tapestry of the journey.
He has reached that Zen place, where you can ride along day-dreaming, mind wandering over all sorts of stuff, while still acutely aware of your surroundings. Its a synthesis of man and machine flowing in harmony and heightened senses. Which sounds fairly pretentious, but you know it when you get there.
Not that this book reaches the Chautauqua-like wanderings of Pirsig's Zen and The Art, none of us would pretend to reach that level. It is more that Sam can discuss people and places and experiences in a calm and detached manner, focusing on the subject without one ear always listending to the tapping of the engine. Well, until some driveshaft or oil spewing issue dumps one back into reality, of course. Which is all just part of Travelling.
This is another good read from Sam. If you liked his others, you will like this one. If you have not read the others, read them first, and you will get more from this one.