A book review by Mike Forrester
Editor and Scribbler motorcycle.co.uk
This is the second of a Trilogy by Sam Manicom.
'
Into Africa' covered his trip down Africa. 'Under Asian Skies' takes up where that left off. He had
got to South Africa and didn't want to go back home yet, so he just shipped his bike and himself to Australia. It made sense in Sam-world.
And he rode around Oz, went to New Zealand, then rode back to Germany via various bits of Asia. Still on the BMW GS. Living cheaply where possible, and taking his time.
He gets more contemplative in this book. Now that he has come to terms with the bike, with travelling, he has more time to sit back and consider what happens around him. As a result, this book is more thoughtful, more analytical, about the travelling process.
- Into Africa was a journey with a destination and purpose.
- Under Asian Skies is a journey with a sense of just putting yourself in interesting places and letting stuff happen.
He explores different approaches: sometimes leaving the bike and hitching, sometimes travelling by car, sometimes with others, sometimes alone. Sometimes just hanging out for a few months and picking up casual work. Thus it becomes more travelogue than bike-ride. I liked that about this book, seeing the differences that different modes of travel make to the experience.
Its also interesting to see how he deals with having no home, with home being where one lays one's panniers. I know where my home is, I live in it near Edinburgh. But when you have left all that behind, and are sitting in the world somewhere - where is where you are from? If there is only 'I am here just now', is there any place that has the relevance of what the rest of us would call 'home'?
Under Asian Skies is that kind of book, it makes you think about stuff like that.