Books are my constant companions. And authentic travel books have always inspired me to take the less traveled paths in life. Although I have been reading travel writings since a long time, and used to hear them from my mother, who was as avid reader, for me the inspiration began with reading the personal accounts and the journeys in the book Facing the Congo by Jeffrey Tayler.
I used to wonder for years how could somebody with a great career, a beautiful fiance and an optimistic future in journalism leave everything at the drop of a hat, and take to a life that is unpredictable, that certainly does not promise any level of comfort and obviously not as elegant compared to one in a big city.
But then it occured to me! I have a better understanding how of these hermits who lead the life of an eternal pilgrim. I have some clarity in why they do it and how they manage to thwart off the clustered resistance from society to pursue their paths.
The 5 inspirational travel books
1. The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer.
A very revealing set of paragraphs by Pico, about something that we all wish we could do, but because of the nature of the Consciousness, we look everywhere outside of us to find the solution to this madness which we claim to be our life and our experiences.
2. Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer.
It is a personal experience of Heinrich & Peter escaping from a war camp in British India & travel through Tibet, absorbing the life, food, challenges & lifestyles of Tibetians. This experience, although looks harsh from an European’s point of view, seems to be working very well for Tibetians. They remain happy, humble and dedicated to Nature. The book continuously reminded me of how simplicity leads to happiness.
3. Facing the Congo by Jeff Tayler.
This is the book that inspired me to look outside of the rigmarole of our daily lives and question the validity of such a lifestyle. It made me think of the overall futility of our drive to acquire name, money and social status and losing out on things that would have a much deeper impact on our own human elements.
Jeff’s reminds of another spiritual stalwart Jiddu Krishnamurti. He was to lead a charitable trust, but deep within he knew in his heart of hearts that he could not engage in any financial institution no matter how charitably it is positioned in society.
So the day he was to lead the board meeting, he went in & dissolved the foundation. When asked by a friend how he could take such a drastic stance so peacefully, he simply opened his shoes outside his home and showed it to his friend with his remark “Just like that!”.
4. Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence.
It is a personal account of nomadic lives in deserts of Arabia that inspired the book & the movie Lawrence of Arabia. Smithsonian published an interesting article titled the True Story of Lawrence of Arabia on the experiences of Lawrence in the Bedu inhabited Arab countries.
The simplicity of the lifestyles induced by the harshness of of the land is often inconceivable by someone who has been born & brought up in cities. But the merits of a minimalistic lifestyle are undeniable. The accounts of Lawrence are a true evidence of both the perils of isolation as well as the happiness of simplicity.
5. Annapurna by Maurice Herzog.
Although the printed edition looks like a cleaned up sanitized version, it still is a great recount of personal strength, determination and man’s desire for conquering nature. In 1950, Maurice reached the summit with Louis Lachenal. Annapurna is the story told on his way down.
Dramatized to a certain extent it is still a very honest & heartfelt description. The climb down was no easy task either. He was isolated & injured & fearful of his life in the accident on his way down. He felt “the deep significance of existence” in the first ever climb of one of the world’s highest peaks, 3 years before the conquest of the Everest!
There are a lot many books of personal experiences to cover. But these 5 travel books will always remain my best companions, if not the pages, then at least the experiences.