January 1, 2001

Travels With a Kayak by Whit Descher

Not a _technical_ book, but one to lift your spirits. The best way to describe this book would be "Dave Barry goes white water kayaking". Almost no mention of the on-water technical stuff, but full of silly banter on getting to put-ins around the world. An excerpt from the chapter on paddling in Pakistan:

Andy and I jeeped down past the river's carnivorous part then joined it and Slime [Slime was the trip leader], Marcus, and Mike once more. We paddled to the village of Balakot and here, above the final boulder garden, I asked Slime something I'd been wondering about for the last three weeks. I said, "Slime, you're the leader. What are you doing back here?"

"It's called hindsight."

"But hindsight is _after_ the fact."

"Sure, you watch where everyone disappears in this next drop and avoid that spot. Follow me and you won't get in trouble."

"Slime, I've been trying to follow you for weeks now but you always grab and hog the last possible microscopic eddy above each drop. Anyone behind you is committed to a thrashing."

"That's experience."