Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful, entertaining, informative book, highly recommended, June 9, 2007
Whatever the genre, I enjoy books that intrigue my mind and engage my emotions in unexpected ways. This ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Finalist managed to intrigue and engage in the first page and didn't let up until the last word. Darrin DuFord shares a charming account of his Panamanian travels, through vivid descriptions of the country's topography, humorous details of his attempts to accept each new experience, and respectful acceptance of the cultural differences. As indicated by the title, this is NOT a dry how-to, where-to travelogue.
DuFord deliberately set out to travel Panama as the natives do. By land, he hikes, bribes and barters his way from place to place in colorfully painted buses, dilapidated taxis and pick ups. By river and sea he crams his American frame into dugouts made for natives half his size, forced to bail water from leaky boats. Other times, he experiences the unique flora and fauna on foot with native guides who take delight in pointing out poisonous snakes and spiders and rats as big as cats. DuFord meets all the biting wildlife you can imagine close up. For nourishment, he bravely eats and drinks whatever the natives offer, delicacies not found in the North American diet.
Except for the Canal Zone, most of Panama is a land without Western amenities. Potable running water is a luxury. Public transportation is a raucous adventure. Areas of clear cut rainforest deplete native food sources at an alarming rate. Still, Panama's people are hopeful and adaptable, cheerful, warm and welcoming. From native kings to sly guides to scientists, the stars of DuFord's travels are the people he meets along the way.
This author's writing style is personable, his book delightful. Readers will learn a lot about Panama and its people, and enjoy themselves immensely in the process.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DuFord's words transport us to another world, May 30, 2007
"Is There a Hole in the Boat" is an excellent travel narrative about traveling in Panama like the Panamanians do, without a car. It is not a book detailing the best hotels, best places to get a cold beer, or even the best shops to buy embroidered "molas." Instead, Darin DuFord paints a portrait of Panama, her people, her national pastimes, and even her iguanas.
Through his loose collection of stories compiled in book form, DuFord explores Panama beyond her famous canal. He takes us on this journey in a series of different vehicles, including of course a leaky boat. He shows it to be a place of leaky boats and sandals stuck in the thick mud. But more than that, he shows it to be a place rich in human culture. In one chapter, he takes us to visit a tribal king. In another chapter, he takes us to a man named Polo who lives alone on an island. He calls himself, "the Roughest Man on the Beach," but he cooks dinner for anyone who visits his home. He also provides an inexpensive place to sleep, making his beach popular with backpackers who venture there by boat.
DuFord shows himself to be a clearly talented writer. He does what few nonfiction writers can do. His words transport us to another world. "Is There a Hole in the Boat" is a real treat. Now, I want to visit Panama!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
take a trip to Panama, February 14, 2007
I'm not sure exactly what it is I was expecting when I started reading this book, but whatever it was, it wasn't what I got. I'm not saying I hated the book, because there were parts of it that I did enjoy. Other parts of it though, I found to be..well..boring.
The book is about the author's travel through Panama, and is filled with tales of politics, food, and day to day life in a tropical no man's land. Parts of the book made me laugh out loud, and there were times when the world around me seemed to disappear and I was there in Panama with the author, up to my knees in mud. Other times I found my mind wandering, completely uninterested in the story before me.
If you enjoy travel narratives, or are just interested in Panama, you should definitely check out this book. True, parts of it may have bored me, but just because it doesn't fall within my realm of interests doesn't mean you won't enjoy it. This book is full of information and description; those of you interested in Panama will LOVE it. The author also includes a pretty extensive bibliography at the end, for further reading pleasure.
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