Reading Online News - Review - Sarah Walsh -
Oct 2008
On first picking up this book I read the blurb - which began
like any fictional mystery novel. When I realised that it was in
fact a non-fiction about, in effect a holiday - I was perplexed.
Why, I thought, when I have no plans to travel to Indonesia
should I read about someone else’s experiences? I realised
that as an English Literature student my exposure to different
kinds of texts is both varied and paradoxically so ridiculously
limited. In half-protest to the institution of education I
decided to put down Charles Dickens and began Nick Langston-Able’s
memoir, yes, partly in an attempt to be more diverse in the
literature I expose myself to, but also to learn something about
travelling in case I decide to put off work for a few more years
after university (please don’t tell my mother!)
Stylistically, the book is fairly consistent, with a few
adaptations to the traditional prose method, which work quite
well. I also think it’s important to point out the (perhaps
deliberate) mistake in his ‘Kit List’ - he seems to have
forgotten his underwear - which could be a bit of a problem!
Otherwise this manageable-sized book is both witty and
endearing. There is a distinct and unique voice, which one
presumes is genuinely Nick; with a sarcastic and dry English
humour; “I asked the information desk and when it didn’t
answer, I asked the small man behind it”. As a reader I
found it impossible not to laugh out loud at comments like this
(and watch out for Mike’s ‘Sean Connery story’), the only
downside being, when reading the book on a packed train on the
way home from work with the commuters’ banal insistence on
keeping themselves to themselves, my hysterics made me look
slightly strange. There were times when the humour seemed a
little forced, but overall it made a very informative book very
enjoyable – a rare commodity and furthermore added a
personable quality to Nick’s narration. Informative, Langston-Able’s
book certainly is. Clearly a lot of research has gone into both
the history of Indonesia and the political and economic
struggles that are going on to date. Nick makes his less than
high opinions of the political powers at the time in which he
was travelling very clear and he also makes valid judgements
about the difficulties in travelling in such instability. For
example, he criticises Westerners who pay extortionate prices
(in relation to the Indonesian economy) for untrained tour
guides just because they can afford to. He encourages tourists
to understand and adjust their ideas of the value of money
according to the society in which they are integrated, so that a
tour guide does not earn twice as much as a qualified teacher in
a week, which only encourages a society dependent on tourism for
financial stability.
As well as covering Indonesia’s power structure, Nick
paints vivid pictures of the beauty of the places he visits, for
example Borobudar – a destination for pilgrims, Buddhists and
tourists alike; one that was buried under volcanic ash for
hundreds of years. Personally I was moved by the astonishing
beauty described on the trek up Rinjani, the infamous volcano
standing at a whopping 3,726metres. There is a mystical air to
both the description of the view from the top and the
accompanying photographs - photographs are placed throughout the
book and serve to help visualise the written descriptions.
Indeed, with the vivid colours and smoke all around, this scene
could be straight out of a gothic thriller. Langston-Able also
explores the psychological effects of the trips that he takes.
Struggling up the Rinjani on tired legs there is an intimate
insight into Nick’s own inner strength which he only seems to
realise exists whilst in this desperate state. Nick’s voice
maintains integrity throughout the book and as a result this is
one of the most honest memoirs I have read.
There is a great deal of exploration into Nick’s
experiences interacting with the people he meets, both fellow
travellers and locals. A travelling ‘community’ seems to
emerge, with the clichéd phrase ‘it’s a small world’
being strangely accurate in this seemingly alternate world of
travelling. In terms of the local community the stick-fighting
in the street is an example of the vast differences between the
Indonesian and Western cultures. Nick makes a couple of witty
remarks about utter lack of health and safety regulations in
Indonesia, yet he notes cultural differences such as these, not
with judgement, but with genuine wonder and interest in their
way of life. Surprisingly, the general hustle of the towns is
given a lot of exploration whereas one might expect the focus to
be on the ‘tourist spots’ and the natural beauties, and this
serves the purpose of making the book a realistic insight into
Indonesia, which is ideal for perspective travellers who will
inevitably experience both aspects.
Arguably the most important message that Nick tries to put
across is that the experience of travelling must be your own. He
promotes backpacking rather than staying in fancy hotels, and
says that you should take “the road less travelled by”. In
telling his tale, Nick sparks intrigue and a desire to discover
the charms of Indonesia in a personal way, going backstage to
get a better view rather than settling in the ‘best’ seats
at the theatre.
|