★★★☆☆

By Sam Manicom, Sam-Manicom.com

Published by Sam Manicom

ISBN-10: 0955657334

ISBN-13: 978-0955657337

Paperback: $22.62 ($7.49 Kindle version)

What can one say about Sam? He’s amongst our favorite writers of the genre because he just keeps on living the dream. He’s also one of our most prolific writers, with From Tortillas to Totems being the forth written documentary in which he shares his most recent experiences from Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada.

Being North American, I didn’t think I’d be all that interested because, you know... been there... done that, kind of thing. But a few pages in and I was ready for more. Perhaps it’s a point-of-view that many of us who live here share – the tendency to take our fair continent for granted. Sometimes it’s only through a “foreigner’s” eyes that can we review this silly notion and are forced to refocus our attentions. From Tortillias to Totems (T2T) is a good reminder of what at least some of us may be missing.

Sam wrote, “I also worried about the negative pictures of the USA as painted by the more unscrupulous elements of the media. I was wrong to be concerned, but I didn’t anticipate just how different things were going to be. We thought we spoke the languages and knew what to expect, but we didn’t know the half if it. I hadn’t realized how much Birgit and I had changed over the years in third and second world countries. Nor had we grasped what a time of great global change this was.”

Sam’s writing style has been evolving, too. Although every author has his own approach, it seems to me that most tend to be rather introspective. Nothing wrong with that. Sam is far less this way in that he prefers to speak directly to the reader. He is profoundly more interested removing the myriad reasons why one may want to adventure travel, but somehow can’t seem to make their escape. You could say that Sam writes “self help” books (and articles) for those who need a little push to get out there.

Sam (and Birgit) have been chronicling their meandering motorcycle travels around the world for the past 6–7 years. This latest book does double-duty for both arm-chair adventurers as well as providing somewhat of a roadmap for those who are considering similar trips. Both types of readers get to experience the good with the bad of their chosen mode of transport.

What I enjoy most about Sam’s method, is his casual way of describing the moment. You feel it, smell it... you freeze, you sweat, and you see what’s before him like you’re along for the ride. You are very much there. It’s a rather intimate, honest style that easily carries you from chapter-to-chapter.

By necessity our adventurers travel on the cheap – which is usually divided between free camping and the kindness of others. Likewise their trip is “financed as they go” for the most part. And that means the occasional itinerant job, or resourceful purchasing in one area to sell at higher prices in another to cover a few more days of petrol, food and repairs. A good education for those who may wonder “how they do it.”

The book also introduces you to the many personalities and characters they meet on the road. Many of us feel that it is the people, not so much the scenery, that make it all worthwhile. And certainly travel of this type is very much dependent upon these new and old friendships.

Motorcycle adventure riding remains a new and fresh topic, and it is the trail-blazers like Sam and Birgit that are drawing others to follow. If you like a good, educational and straightforward read by these veteran travelers, I highly recommend that you add Sam’s books to your reading list. Sam-Manicom.com