Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay, but I’ve been pretty
ill—I came down with walking pneumonia—so please forgive me! I hope you enjoy
my latest (belated) post!
I’ve been waiting to do this book review for quite some
time…like from the second I bought the book! I picked up 2013’s edition of “The
Best American Travel Writing” at a library sale for 50 cents. I was overjoyed
when I found it, especially since it was edited by Elizabeth Gilbert of “Eat,
Pray, Love” fame.
This book is like a whirlwind RTW tour, introducing you to
no end of fascinating people with equally fascinating stories. There’s a trip
to visit in-laws in Cuba, there’s a delightfully refreshing and determined run
with the bulls in Pamplona, there’s a nonchalant dentist appointment in France.
Then there’s a fun foodie adventure in Vietnam, on the hunt for a mystery recipe
to the perfect cao lau noodle.
What I loved most about this book was the fact that it
introduced me to places and cultures I had never thought of visiting before.
Before I read The Bull Passes Through,
I’d never wanted to run with the bulls, but author Kevin Chroust gave me that
little itch. I’d never had cao lau, but after reading Vietnam’s Bowl of Secrets, I wanted to.
My favorite piece of all had to be Blot Out, a highly moving piece by Colleen Kinder. I found this
piece extremely thought provoking. Kinder’s story centers around her experience
as a woman in the Islamic, male-dominated city of Cairo, and her desire to, as
she puts it “pass invisibly” without being harassed as a Western woman in an
Eastern world. Thus begins her quest to venture out into the market of
Cairo—dressed in the traditional (and highly controversial) niqab. The niqab, which was most recently banned in France, is that
all-covering black sheath that Americans were so violently introduced to after
9/11. With only a small screen for seeing, the woman inside the niqab is completely covered, and
completely hidden. Together with a friend, Kinder ventures outside to one of
Cairo’s more famous everything-including-the-kitchen-sink markets, disguised in
niqab. Instead of being stared at and
cat-called for being a Westerner exposed, Kinder and her friend move through the
crowds with relative invisibility, blending into the everyday scene of Cairo. Without
walking around completely exposed, the two are able to move through the market,
observing and shopping like local women.
The scheme goes well enough for a time. However, even with
the cover of niqab, Kinder proves
that even local women are not free of harassment. Towards the end of her
experiment in the market, Kinder is “ass-grabbed” proving that women in any
dress can be harassed on the streets of the city.
What I liked most about Kinder’s story was the ability to
blend into another culture, totally unseen, without that invisible billboard
that shouts “Westerner,” or, even worse, “American!” to the rest of the world.
What would it be like to walk down the streets of any city, not just Cairo’s,
and be able to totally blend into the scene? It reminded me of the time I tried
to make my way through the crowds in a pub in Ireland using my best Irish
accent. Unbeknownst to me, the crowd was a group of American tourists. “Oh isn’t
she cute?!” crowed an American lady, thinking a very polite Irish girl had just
tried to not knock her pint out of her hand. I felt a similar thrill when
reading Kinder’s piece. The thrill of blending in, or, in Kinder’s words,
“blotting out.”
There’s so many different experiences and places chronicled
in this book. Like I said before, it was like a mini-RTW trip, exposing the
reader to a potpourri of sights, sounds, smells and tastes from the comfort of
the couch (or a booth at Panera, where I read Bombing Sarajevo and The Mad
Dogs of Istanbul). Unlike a lengthy travel memoir (which, don’t get me
wrong, I love!) this collection offers up enough of a tease that makes me want
to go off and do my own exploration and fill in the next chapter of the
adventure.
I’m now on the hunt for all the “Best of American Travel
Writing” installments, because this volume made me want more and more stories
to devour, because that is what you’ll be doing when you read this book,
devouring each and every adventure that comes along, and become even more eager
to make your own.
Post Script:
Interesting note, my copy of this book appears to have been spirited from the
library of a Viking River Cruise ship. I must not have been the only reader who
could not part with their copy after they read it!
Thanks for reading everyone! And I'll do my best to have a new #TBT on Thursday!!!
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