Sarah and I got our hands on an English copy of “Around the World in 10 Years- The Book of Independence” at the WA Overland Rally, and then had a cross-country drive to MD to accomplish over the next week or so. Sarah read Pablo and Anna’s poetic tales from the road aloud, as I piloted the Sportsmobile across this vast country. Below you will find some thoughts on the book from both Sarah and I. If you want to skip to the point: BUY THIS BOOK! (MSRP: $20.00)
By: Bryon Dorr
I love the spirit and fortitude required to see the world through the windshield of a van. No one has more experience with this view than Pablo & Anna, of Viajeros4x4x4, as they’ve seen the world from behind the wheel of the “Cockroach,” a Mitsubishi L300 4×4 Delica van, for over 13yrs now. I’ve now crossed paths with Pablo & Anna 4 times in my travels, and each time I’ve left the encounter even more inspired from their spirit and stories of adventure. Our paths crossed recently at the WA Overland Rally and I was able to finally grab a copy of their new book, “Around the World in 10 Years,” in English. Their previous books in Spanish are probably great; I’m just REALLY bad at foreign languages. “Around the World” paints vivid pictures of far away places and dives deep into the human spirit, inspiring you to experience the “human circus” for yourself.
Pablo doesn’t believe in traveling like a hermit. He suggests sitting by the window of a café and opening your eyes. He says: “I don’t believe in the silent contemplation of scenery and historical monuments when the greatest spectacle in the world is the human circus.” While most Americans can go to their local café and get a healthy dose of this circus, the real circus begins when you go to foreign lands and find yourself to be the sideshow attraction. Only when you’re completely out of your element can you truly appreciate the diversity, and similarities, in this world.
The book is a relatively quick read that is hard to put down. Pablo’s writing somehow manages to intimately connect the reader to these far away unfamiliar places with their diverse landscapes and cultures. If you love adventure, travel and delving into the human spirit found in far away cultures “Around the World” is a must read.
When I pick up a book, I hope that the pages that are about to reach my eyes are ones of treasure, ones of inspiration. I want to be transported into the world of the writer as they share their story through their mesmerizing words, those of wisdom, strife, and adventure. Reading a title such as this already takes you to the front step, and Pablo Rey’s enchanting tale does the rest. You hear of so many stories about the race to travel and it leaves you wondering… What happens when you stop running and just be? To take a whole adventure, and make it your whole life? The definition of ‘exploring’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Pablo takes you through a whole new transformation into a world that the English language barely has words to define. I can only imagine what it would be like to be a fly in Pablo’s brain as, even translated into English from Spanish, his words are so artistically magical, that it is impossible not to whisk you away into this alternate universe.
His story is not just one of a journey, but of the culture that La Cockroach and its drivers immersed themselves in. When you truly ‘go’ to a place without a guide, and with a map that leaves your improvisational skills in tip-top shape, you are left open to exposure. So much of western culture is meant to eliminate this terrifying experience from happening. Its whole goal is to leave you in control and in the driver seat at all times. Then what happens when you need to refill your propane tank, or petrol, on a Sunday and it’s the only town for miles around, and guess what? Nothing is open. The West would lead you to believe that you have failed, that you might as well pull out your SAT phones and get that first helicopter ride out of there. But, for Pablo and Anna that doesn’t even begin to be an option, as the people of these towns (surprise), are far more ‘human’ than survival guides have led us to believe. That underlying fear that I had of traveling to a foreign land, and submersing myself into a foreign culture with a foreign language, lost itself amongst Pablo’s story as he retells the “what if’s”, and “oh no’s” that put most adventure far enough out of reach for so many. If anything, this book is one of motivation, encouragement, and hopefully a catalyst to change your life. Not convinced? Well, I’ll let “Around The World In 10 Years” do the rest.
-Buy this Book on Amazon.com through this LINK and you are helping keep the Exploring Elements and Viajeros 4x4x4 adventures rolling down the road.-
