Backpacking With A Bunion is a travelogue of discovery and adventure across the countries of S E Asia. The journey begins in Bangkok, where else; and ends up on the island of Flores in Indonesia. My story as a mature gapper is outlined in the Introduction, as well as some of the highlights from my trip. The reader if so inclined could follow my journey on a map, it works quite well as a jigsaw, though I have certainly left plenty of room for flexibility and spontaneity. Travel, like life is not always straightforward, but that’s the joy in it.
Each chapter is given a descriptive heading toprovide a unique flavor to the areas visited. They are roughly in chronological order to give a sense of continuity to my travelling over a period of eighteen months, but could stand alone as set pieces. I have tried to make the book as varied as possible with various quotations, travellers' tales and humour and more serious religious, cultural, political and environmental observations.
I have included some facts and figures (where appropriate) on history, geography, transport arrangements, places of interest and personal experiences, thus painting a picture in words of sights, sounds and happenings.
The book concludes with S E Asia in a nutshell, a summary of what the traveller might expect and emphasising that travelling changes the traveller. And, hopefully reading this book will change the readers perspective too.
