Customer Reviews

Sacred Monkey River: A Canoe Trip with the Gods

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Just read this wonderful book. Shaw, in a CANOE, not kayak, unlike what the editorial says, runs the Usumacinta and Jatate rivers in Chiapas and brings back a wonderful tale of adventure, in the framework of a profound and insightful understanding of the place and its cultural and geographical contours. His theories on the connection between canoe travel and the Maya spiritual world are enlightening and raise plenty of their own questions. The descriptions of the rivers and ruins are vivid and inviting. The author's connection between river travel and Maya spiritual travel makes me want to run a river as soon as possible. His knowledge of rivers and their intricacies, as a former whitewater guide, together with the interesting characters he meets along the way, all come together to form a fascinating take on a mysterious and awe-inspiring world. What a great read.

This book has been a genuine page turner for me, and as I approached the end I tried not to read too much at each sitting so I could prolong its pleasures.

It is for anyone interested in Mesoamerica, Mayan culture, canoeing as adventure, or boats as the movers of trade and ideas. Also for anyone who is lusting for an otherworld experience, metaphorically or actually, though trave, boating, psychogenic drugs, or all of the above. It is full of honest hard-nosed obserevation of nature and the specific nature of this area, and at the same time streches for and is able to peek at the"final" trip, perhaps as many civilizatins saw it, goin on a craft down a river or out to sea/see. shaw effortlessly intertwines some Spanish into his evocative--dare I use the word--poetic English, always aiming for and touching precision and clarity without sacrificing mystery. On, I believe, its deepest level, the language as well as the story drew me into the unknow, into the future, and of course the past as well.

This is the real thing folks. No more cute travel stories that romanticize without substance, that Disneyize and exaggerate. This book is the story of the author's courageous and thoughtful trip through an amazingly historical place that is also presently complicated and important. However, the author comes at it from a personal angle: the cosmology of canoes. We learn the importance of canoe travel not only to the Maya but to the author and people in general. That connects to the Maya cosmology and culture, the sense of place that is inherent in living in a watershed and having your existence contingent to flowing water (whether you live in the Lacandon forest or Westchester County), the importance of the geography of the region to the people who live there, and then finally to how all this connects to the Zapatista movement and the modern, and not so modern (this thing is full of scholarly but apt historical asides) plight of the indigenous Maya. All along the way you get to like the author, in his sometimes goofy gringo ways but his omnipresent awareness of his own place within the experience. Sprinkle in healthy doses of heart-thumping whitewater in canoes with inexperienced bow-men, death defying swims, life-threatening bandits, and tight, musical prose, and you've got one heck of a book. I tell you what, Shaw's got it right, the same way Matthiesson did. I recommend this book extremely highly. I wish it were getting more publicity. Read it. Its important.

(From Planeta Journal) - Ready to explore one of the world's most intriguing regions? Take your trip with Christopher Shaw who introduces readers to the Usumacinta River and its magnificent watershed that stretches across the Mexico-Guatemala border in his new book, Sacred Monkey River (New York: W.W. Norton, 2000).

Subtitled "A Canoe Trip with the Gods," this notable book traces the author's canoe trips running the great river. Unlike many adventure travel narratives in which the author plunges into an unknown terrain, Shaw aims for comprehension rather than searching for misadventure. The result is an account which combines the best of travel literature and environmental reporting.

Few travelers opt for the watery path, particularly with the threat of hijackings and shootings in such a remote area. But Shaw, an accomplished river guide and an enthusiast of the Maya culture, will not be deterred.

"In classical art, two gods pictured as canoeists, accompanied travelers on both actual and metaphysical journeys," Shaw explains. "Both gods paddle the souls of the dead to the Otherworld and the cosmic canoe -- the Milky Way -- across the sky."

Shaw also connects with the environmentalists in the region, including Fernando Ochoa and Ronald Nigh -- two pioneers in developing sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

The book is a veritable "Who's Who" in the region. Meet Scott Davis of Ceiba Adventures, Maya scholars Linda Schele and David Freidel, Moises Morales, the owner of El Pachan and Victor Perera, author of The Last Lords of Palenque.

The book is divided into 12 chapters and boasts the 1953 Franz Blom map of the Selva Lacandona on the inside book cover. What would be useful additions would be a map of the author's expeditions and an index of places and names.

Sacred Monkey River deserves a long shelf-life and it will no doubt be consulted for many years by travelers and environmentalists alike.

I picked this book up because when I'd read the exploration stories last year in Johnson & Coates "Nabokov's Blues" I'd gotten fascinated by their short accounts of the early penetrations of the Amazon and Oronoco rivers by Spanish and Portuguese explorers; then I'd read another book, a journal of a hike and canoe trek along Africa's Niger River and, before that, John Wesley Powell (see below). This book, Sacred Monkey River I thought would give me a chance to taste this kind of adventure not only in modern times but at book length. Bingo! If you're fascinated by this kind of adventure, where the adventurer doesn't know what's next until the next turn, and want it in the context of learning about the legacy and culture of a nation and civilization you'll like Shaw's book immensely. It differs from the others in being directly aimed, in some detail, at "studied reflection" about the area being explored. As to the adventure itself, John Wesley Powell summed it up with the words "What lies ahead, we know not..." (The Exploration of the Colorado River...); Nabokov said "The boom of the water...was enough to stun a man" (Nabokov's Blues). More in the great traditional of true adventure tales! Good job.

This book is one of the best written about a river. Contrary to what many "adrenaline junkies" think about paddling, running rivers is not merely about the thrill of whitewater. It is about using the water as a means to tour, learning about a new region, and dealing with the difficulties that the water itself presents. Shaw describes both his aspirations to run the entire Jatate-Lacantun-Usumacinta as well as all aspects surrounding these rivers and the trips: the wildlife, rapids, Mayan ruins, Mayan culture, history, current political situation, assaults, and plans for damming. Shaw breathes life into the river journey and gives it so much more meaning. The vocabulary he uses in his descriptions is impressive. Having paddled pretty much every river in Mexico, including the entire Jatate-Lacantuan-Usumacinta recently, I can state with confidence that Shaw's research and eloquent descriptive prose about this particular journey made the trip one of the most fulfilling that I have ever done. Good job Shaw, and thank you.

Incidentally, on my recent journey, I realized that the bandits were routed over 10 years ago and since then, no assaults have occurred on the river - despite increasing tourist traffic. I am organizing a couple raft-support journeys down the Usumacinta this December-January if you're interested in experiencing the Maya world and this river first-hand. [see the SierraRios.org website for more information]

Rocky Contos
rocky@SierraRios.org

(From Planeta Journal) - Ready to explore one of the world's most intriguing regions? Take your trip with Christopher Shaw who introduces readers to the Usumacinta River and its magnificent watershed that stretches across the Mexico-Guatemala border in his new book, Sacred Monkey River (New York: W.W. Norton, 2000).

Subtitled "A Canoe Trip with the Gods," this notable book traces the author's canoe trips running the great river. Unlike many adventure travel narratives in which the author plunges into an unknown terrain, Shaw aims for comprehension rather than searching for misadventure. The result is an account which combines the best of travel literature and environmental reporting.

Few travelers opt for the watery path, particularly with the threat of hijackings and shootings in such a remote area. But Shaw, an accomplished river guide and an enthusiast of the Maya culture, will not be deterred.

"In classical art, two gods pictured as canoeists, accompanied travelers on both actual and metaphysical journeys," Shaw explains. "Both gods paddle the souls of the dead to the Otherworld and the cosmic canoe -- the Milky Way -- across the sky."

Shaw also connects with the environmentalists in the region, including Fernando Ochoa and Ronald Nigh -- two pioneers in developing sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

The book is a veritable "Who's Who" in the region. Meet Scott Davis of Ceiba Adventures, Maya scholars Linda Schele and David Freidel, Moises Morales, the owner of El Pachan and Victor Perera, author of The Last Lords of Palenque.

The book is divided into 12 chapters and boasts the 1953 Franz Blom map of the Selva Lacandona on the inside book cover. What would be useful additions would be a map of the author's expeditions and an index of places and names.

Sacred Monkey River deserves a long shelf-life and it will no doubt be consulted for many years by travelers and environmentalists alike.

This book has been a genuine page turner for me, and as I approached the end, I tried not to read to much at ech sitting so I could prolong its pleasures.

I'ts for anyone interested in Mesoamerica, Mayan culture, canoeing as adventure, or boats as movers of trade and ideas. Also for anyone who is lusting for and otherworld experience, metaphorically or actually, through travel, boating, psychogenic drugs, or all of the above. It is full of honest hard-nose observation of nature and the specific nature of this area, and at the same time strechs for and is able to peak at the "final" trip, perhaps as many past civilizations saw it, going on a craft down a river or out to sea/see.

Shaw effortlessly intertwines some Spanish into this evocative--dare I use the word poetic--English, always aiming for and touching precision and clarity without sacrificing mystery.

On, I believe , its deepest level, the language as well as the story drew me into the unknown, ito the future, and of course the past at the same time.

I was disappointed after getting to the end of the book to find out that the author only navegated half-way down the Usumacinta. It's like reading a book about someone who goes half-way up Everest! I understand his reasoning (security) and financial limitations, however the security situation dramatically improved shortly after he left and he could have easily finished the trip. Putting in the extra effort and completing the task would have definitely improved the book and the author's contribution to the world's body of knowledge. His insights on the Mayan's use of rivers for commerce and the east/west trade routes are excellent. His thorough research into the more recent history of the area was also excellent.