A Delightful Change of Scenery

11 Nov 2002 

I'd had my fill of the desert, but was keen for more mountains, so I hightailed it south. There wasn't much to see on the way so I took one bus all the way to Santiago, 1600km and 20 hours down the Panamericana. After the horror of my last long bus trip into the Amazon, I splurged on a premium class ticket. This was a revelation - who knew buses could be so plush?! There were only 24 seats, three to a row, each as wide a business class airline seat. They even brought meals around! The seats didn't quite lie flat, but came close, and I managed a rough approximation of sleep. The scenery was monotonous - flat, featureless desert, although it perked up a bit on the outskirts of Santiago, where there is a thriving horticulture industry.

A huge portion of Chilenos live in Santiago, a bustling, dirty city of 5 million. Sticking with the theme, the buses in Santiago were a terror: big, boxy, diesel belching monsters that would roar down the city blocks, racing each other to get to the next stop. I wasn't inclined to spend very long there, but on my planned day of departure I felt like death warmed over - the dreaded gastro was back with a vengeance. The hostel manager looked me over and gently suggested that perhaps I might like to see a doctor. Having been sick on and off for some weeks, I took his advice and coughed up for an English speaking doctor at an expensive private hospital. He gave me some antibiotics and said not to go climbing any mountains ...

[As an aside, public transport is a sensitive subject for Chilenos. During my second visit in 2007 I witnessed the Transantiago fiasco: the left-wing government made a hash of nationalising the public transport system. Routes were much longer, wait times were inordinate, and the clean new buses were too big to fit around the tight corners downtown. (There is a fascinating podcast on it here - trigger warning for Hayekian libertarian views!) More recently, a protest over increased fares snowballed into widespread discontent, resulting in a re-write of the Pinochet-era constitution and a radical left-wing president.]

The antibiotics worked their magic and I was soon another 750km south in the Pucon, the tourist mecca of the Lakes District, a land of snow-capped volcanoes, verdant beech forests and gushing rivers. In other words: Wanaka. I had hoped to do some decent treks, but El Nino had dumped unseasonably late snow that blocked the high trails. Despite that, there was plenty to do, and with high rivers rafting looked like a good option.

I discovered that it was much easier to make friends with the locals in Chile and Argentina. I presume it's because there was much less distance between us in terms of wealth, culture and privilege - and they can afford to be tourists in their own right! I shared my dormitory with two Chilenos: Jorge, a importer-exporter who split his time between working in Indonesia and snowboarding down volcanoes in Chile; and Carlos, a recent tourism graduate who was looking for a job. Carlos was keen to improve his English and I spent a memorable/exasperating evening helping him to pronounce ship, sheep, cheap and chip. There is no 'sh' sound in Spanish, and each vowel has only one pronunciation, as opposed to the English 'e' which has at least a dozen!

Jorge was more keen on drinking and describing his exploits in the outdoors, and with women. He got me thoroughly drunk, the downside of which was the early morning wake up call informing me that, despite initial doubts, my rafting trip was going ahead after all. But it wasn't just rafting - it was hydrospeeding. Hydrospeeding is slightly mad. You put on not one but two wetsuits, with extra padding on the lower legs, hook your arms into a modified boogie board, then jump in the river and hold on for dear life. The guide said in no uncertain terms that I was to follow him exactly, else risk getting swept into class 5 rapids and never come out again. For someone who was seriously hungover (and maybe even still a little drunk), this did not sound like a terribly good idea. But the guides were pumped because it was the first run for the season, and I was the only punter so didn't feel like I could bail. The river did a good job of waking me up, but my stomach, still recovered from gastro, did not appreciate the turmoil of being swept through rapids, waves coming from every direction. Even if I had been in top form, it would have been terrifying. I stuck it out for a fair while, but eventually collapsed in a thankful heap in the safety raft.

Holding on for dear life

Three keen guides, and one hungover punter

Jorge wanted to snowboard down the nearby Volcan Villarrica and, even though he had plenty of experience, park regulations required he go with a climbing guide. He asked me along and, carefully forgetting the admonitions of the doctor in Santiago, I jumped at the opportunity. Starting from the ski resort at 1500m altitude we eschewed the chairlift and slogged our way up the heavily blanketed slopes. It was very straightforward except just below the summit where we donned our crampons and used our ice tools to clamber over a small shelf. Tame, but exciting for newbies. The summit, at 2847m, gave expansive views over the lakes and forests far below, pierced by any number of other volcanoes. The really cool thing, though, was the fact that Villarrica is active, with a plume of sulphurous steam pouring out of the crater. We had a painful chemistry lesson when the sulphur reacted with the moisture in our eyes and nostrils and formed sulphuric acid. Yowee! Jorge strapped on his snowboard and was soon making fresh tracks. The rest of us learned to glissade, but quickly discovered that we could just sit back on our bums, hold our legs up, and sliiiiide!!! Our Swiss mountain guide disapproved of such juvenile behaviour, but we had an absolute blast tobogganing back to the snowline.

Volcan Villarrica

Our climbing group on the summit

My first mountaineering triumph

Jorge before snowboarding away

View across the Lakes District

To round off my time in Pucon I opted for something a little more tranquilo, going for a day walk in the nearby Parque Nacional Huerquehue. This was a fine introduction to the stunning beauty of the Gondwanan landscape - if you've walked in South Island New Zealand you'll know the vibe. Perhaps I'd been a bit rash in going hard while recovering from my lengthy bout of gastro, but I'd gotten away with it and was having a ball. I felt like I'd found my sweet spot: outdooring adventuring in southern Chile was working out very nicely indeed.

Lago Tinquilco, PN Hurquehue

Cascada Nido de Aguila

Big hairy spider!

Laguna el Toro

Lago Tinquilco

Book reviews 2021

Another year, another 62 book reviews. But this year I added facial expressions!

That's actually less books than the usual 70-80 that I've averaged over the past few years. I blame ME/CFS, which was suckier this year and led to more napping and more TV. I also read a few books that chewed up a lot of time, either because they were dense non-fiction, or agonizing drawn out classics (I'm look at you Dr Zhivago!).

I made up for quantity with quality, however, averaging 3.6 stars, which I haven't done since 2013.

I had a slight uptick in the number of male authors. This is probably because I made a concerted effort to work my way through some books that were on the shelf at home and that I inherited from my parents, so I wasn't explicitly selecting female authors from the library. This year I had to add a new 'non-binary' category to my gender column! I rated male authors more highly (3.7 stars) than female (3.5 stars) this year, though they are the same over the long term.

Reading from diverse (i.e non-white/straight/cis) authors hit an all-time high of 39%. I rated diverse authors (3.8 stars) much more highly than non-diverse (3.4 stars) which is an amplification of the long term pattern.

Special mentions go to:

• Least Deserving 'Classic': Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
• Most Generous Rating: Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis (probably more like 4.5 stars)
• Most Awkward Mix of Genres: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Book I Had To Put Down Because It Was Too Traumatic: Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
  

5 stars (3 books, 5%)
Mornings in Jenin,Susan Abulhawa,"The experience of a Palestinian family through war, dispossession & repression. Harrowing, unjust, intense but brimming with love for land & kin."
We Were Eight Years In Power,Ta-Nehisi Coates,Argues powerfully that America's problems stem from widespread & deep-rooted racism. Valuable new perspective for me. Case for reparations is particularly striking.
The Queen's Gambit,Walter Tevis,"A masterful representation of chess thinking & obsession, with a compelling protagonist and perfectly pitched tension. Game details were beyond me, but it didn't matter - I was hooked."

4.5 stars (6 books, 10%)
The Nickel Boys,Colson Whitehead,"Based on the history of a brutal boys home under Jim Crow. Nuanced critique of Rev King's call to love thy oppressor. Devastating, but with some small consolations."
The Goldfinch,Donna Tartt,"Life blown apart, a boy hurtles through chaos toward adulthood, tethered by a few curious friends. Detailed but riveting, with brilliant characters. Thoroughly enjoyable despite apparent pointlessness, for which ending over-compensates."
Shuggie Bain,Douglas Stuart,"Alcoholism & poverty: the weeping sores of Thatcher-era Glasgow. Desperate, raw & hopeless. Love was a rarity, and didn't stand a chance."
Less Is More,Jason Hickel,"Decoupling economic growth from resource use is a fantasy. Degrowth is essential, but need not reduce human well-being. A clear & decisive reminder, but only briefly addresses how to actually get there."
Hillbilly Elegy,JD Vance,"Inside view of hillbilly culture from someone who escaped the quagmire of violence, dysfunction, ignorance & hopelessness. Told with love & empathy.  No easy solutions."
Long Walk to Freedom,Nelson Mandela,"Commitment, drive, vision & humility in the long fight against apartheid. The cost to his personal life, and family, is staggering. Strange how he went into prison as a normal man, but came out as a mythic figurehead."

4 stars (14 books, 23%)
Dominicana,Angie Cruz,"Teen bride carries family's hopes to New York, which are barely held together by strength of will in the face of harsh reality. Immigrant women were made of stern stuff."
Future Girl,Asphyxia,Deaf teenager finds herself as society tumbles down a dystopian energy descent. Highlights dangers of dependence on corporate lab-grown food. Strong sense of what it's like to be Deaf. RetroSuburbia fictionalised.
The Best Australian Science Writing 2019,Bianca Nogrady (ed),"Enthusiasm, awe & solastalgia for the many wonders of the natural world. Particularly good on female sexuality, plastic in seabirds and krill."
Arcanum Unbounded,Brandon Sanderson,"Short(er) fiction from the Cosmere universe, showcasing a range of fascinating worlds and distinctive magic systems. Provides some much needed background to the novels."
How to Bee,Bren MacDibble,An endearingly incorrigible girl fights for love & life in a post bee-pocalyptic dystopia. Heart-warming but a bit brutal for a kids book.
Growing Up Disabled In Australia,Carly Findlay (ed),"A range of voices, some stop-in-your-tracks powerful, with similar stories: discouragement, prejudice, community & identity. But how well does #MECFS fit into the social model of disability? Well-timed - I now have a wheelchair."
In The Dream House,Carmen Maria Machado,"Powerful & empathetic memoir of being sucked into, but finally escaping, the awful quagmire of emotional abuse. Surprised at old presumption that abuse wouldn't occur in queer relationships."
Debt,David Graeber,"Anthropological exploration of the origin, development & philosophy of credit, markets, money & capitalism. Debt has had profound cultural influence. Fascinating but a lot to absorb - will require revisiting."
Factfulness,Hans Rosling,"Data-based tools to bridge the vast gap between our assumptions & the actual state of the world. Some things are bad, but many are getting better. Touching & well-chosen anecdotes from a clear-sighted, hopeful & caring man."
The Winds of War,Herman Wouk,"The star of this book is World War 2 and the strategies and motivations of the great powers. The actual characters are merely a narrative convenience. Underwhelming romance, fascinating but disturbing history."
Such A Fun Age,Kiley Reid,A black nanny negotiates the well-intentioned but racist opinions & actions of her employer and her boyfriend - coz white knows best. Great job showing the subtleties of prejudice. Very American.
Kindred,Octavia Butler,Unsolicited time travel immerses woman in her ancestors' slave past. Highlights the discomforting intimacy & dependence between master & slave. Visceral & clever.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century,Yuval Noah Harari,"A broad survey around our greatest challenges: algorithmic AI, biotech & environmental collapse. Fairly light treatment and nothing particularly new, but brings a refreshing clarity and deeply considered perspective."
All About Yves,Yves Rees,"Being, and becoming, trans. An open & accessible primer on the feelings, complications & trauma for us clueless privileged cis-types. Thought-provoking on feminism."

3.5 stars (21 books, 34%)
The Keys of the Kingdom,AJ Cronin,"Simple story of a missionary priest who defies convention and lives by the example of Jesus, rather than institutional ego."
Blood of Elves,Andrzej Sapkowski,"Novel form makes context clearer, but little development of protagonists. Lots of explanatory discussions from empty characters. Holds promise for the series."
Starsight,Brandon Sanderson,"Good banter, quirky aliens and a galaxy to save. Questionable recklessness in baddies. Doomslug!"
Cathy Goes To Canberra,Cathy McGowan,"Reframing politics as grassroots community engagement based on strong shared values. A model that could transform politics and unleash our potential. Staid telling, but hopeful & inspiring."
Lord of the Silver Bow,David Gemmell,"The Greek myth of Troy brought to life in rich detail. Heroes & villains, honour & deceit, passion & bloodlust. Simple but satisfying."
Where The Crawdads Sing,Delia Owens,"A far-fetched but appealing premise, gorgeous nature writing, but underwhelming murder plot. Could have been incredible if put to another purpose."
Factory 19,Denis Glover,"Walshie rejects the modern digital world by recreating a microcosm of 1948 industrial life. Fascinating, thought-provoking concept that deserves a deeper and more nuanced exploration. Trails off in farce."
Smart Ovens For Lonely People,Elizabeth Tan,"Undoubtedly original short stories, obtuse criticisms of contemporary life, often end suddenly"
Dune,Frank Herbert,"Huge potential: feudal machinations, galactic empire, mystical prophecy, ecological transformation, GIANT WORMS. Solid start but gets vague and hurtles to conclusion, missing all the fun on the way."
English Pastoral,James Rebanks,"Repudiates intensive industrial farming. Poetically, and nostalgically, celebrates the holistic wisdom of tradition. An impassioned introduction to the tensions in modern agriculture, but lacks deeply considered solutions."
The Empathic Civilization,Jeremy Rifkin,"As civilization becomes more complex, our capacity to empathise expands, but so does our energy footprint. Did my head in trying to comprehend past ways of thinking. Far too long."
Crazy Rich Asians,Kevin Kwan,Unsuspecting girlfriend catapulted into the stratosphere of Singaporean elites. Cat fights ensue. Unfathomable & disturbing levels of wealth. Otherwise a fairly standard family melodrama.
Walking With Camels,Leni Shilton,"The story of Bertha Strehlow, who married a driven anthropologist and journeyed through the lands of the Arrente people. In poem form, and very readable!"
470,Linda Woodrow,"Sudden climate breakdown: lives upended, norms and dreams swept away. A homestead becomes a sanctuary, from a new rhythm dawns hope, but over an ocean of grief. Unlikely scenario (I hope!), but human experiences & responses feel realistic."
The Master & Margarita,Mikhail Bulgakov,"Satan and his cronies cause havoc on a mad romp through Soviet Moscow. Possibly genius, but just out of my grasp, or at least lacking in context."
Seraphina,Rachel Hartman,A novel way to incorporate dragons (they take human form) and explore inter-species relations and neurodiversity.
The Education of an Idealist,Samantha Power,"As Obama's ambassador to the UN, honestly describes the extent & limits of US power, including how they worked themselves into a corner of inaction over Syria. Very readable, but overly detailed in parts."
Babel-17,Samuel Delaney,"A mysterious language at the centre of interstellar conflict.  A brilliant idea, but fast pace left me scrambling."
The House in the Cerulean Sea,TJ Klune,"Prejudice against diversity grows into acceptance. A well-worn trope given new life by fun, colourful & loving magical creatures, contrasting the Python-esque drudgery of 'normality'."
The Princess Bride,William Goldman,As charming & distinctive as the movie but drowned out by excessive & incessant editorialising. Inconceivable!
Homegoing,Yaa Gyasi,"Follows two family lines: one in Africa, the other enslaved to the Americas. Effectively captures the breadth of experience and weight of trauma across deep time. Individual characters are light on (unsurprising) and the ending doesn't quite braid together."

3 stars (13 books, 21%)
The Importance of Being Seven,Alexander McCall Smith,Starting to lose its spark. Crises felt manufactured.
The Last Wish,Andrzej Sapkowski,"The adventures of a monster-slayer: sardonic & dour, but professional & honourable. May have seemed better if I hadn't seen The Witcher."
Rebecca,Daphne du Maurier,"A weak-willed young woman desperately strives to find her identity in subservience to her new husband, against the reputation of his seemingly perfect ex-wife. Brooding and over-wrought, but strong feminist commentary."
Accordion Crimes,E Annie Proulx,"A tour of (mostly immigrant) America following an old green accordion. A parade of character studies in excessive but eloquent detail, some engaging, others inconsequential, but mostly tragic, slightly mad, caricatures."
Mantel Pieces,Hilary Mantel,"Writings on a variety of topics, mostly concerning English royalty and French Revolutionaries. Superbly crafted, but only of tangential interest."
Second Foundation,Isaac Asimov,"A bit too pleased with its own cleverness, and far too much back-and-forward exposition."
Foundation and Empire,Isaac Asimov,"A black swan throws a wrench in the psycho-historic predictions, but luckily there is some redundancy. Good to see some concepts beyond the simplistically mechanistic."
These Happy Golden Years,Laura Ingalls Wilder,"Teaching and becoming a young lady on the pioneer prairie. Courting process seems a mite odd (not much talking!), but at least she refused to obey him in their marriage vows. Tornado tales seem unlikely."
The Storyteller and His Three Daughters,Lian Hearn,"Aging man in Meiji Japan spins tall tales about his neighbours, only to stumble upon a cabal of ex-samurai plotting to regain power & glory. Gently told, a pleasant read."
A Wind in the Door,Madeleine L'Engle,"Some cool ideas around mitochondria & cosmic scale, but crisis resolved through laboured & unconvincing dialogue."
Exit Strategy,Martha Wells,"Less outrageous action than usual, but a hint of emotional perturbability in the increasingly human Murderbot."
Insidious Intent,Val McDermid,Solid detective/serial killer mystery. Came in at end of series so can't fairly judge the shock conclusion.
Multispecies Cities,var eds (inc Deb Cleland!),"Solarpunk of variable quality by diverse authors. Less utopian than expected. Some very cool ideas: recording & revival of animal culture, animal mind-melds, cybernetic mangroves, comms-enabled interspecies teamwork."

2.5 stars (1 book, 2%)
Anne of the Island,LM Montgomery,"The Anne books aren't subtle, but this one's as blunt as a blue whale, and not nearly as charming or magical."

2 stars (4 books, 6%)
Harbour Street,Ann Cleeves,"Fairly rote, with characters and a mystery that aren't very engaging."
Doctor Zhivago,Boris Pasternak,"Life disintegrates after the Russian Revolution. Slow, confusing start with a mess of indistinguishable characters. Shapeless dialogue, boring monologues. Interminable."
Throat,Ellen van Neerven,"Didn't do it for me, but most poetry doesn't."
The Living Sea of Waking Dreams,Richard Flanagan,"Contrasts our careless disregard of planetary death with our misguided & cruel desperation to deny bodily death. Clumsy, jumbled, unappealing & prolonged."