Travelling Sam
Registered user
What do Southern Africa, South and Central America have in common? Non-stop adventure, great riding, stunning landscapes, dramatic disasters and more than a few near misses!
Between all of these in my third book ‘Distant Suns’, I’ve tried to weave in tales culture, customs, the funny and the sad. They all go towards making a full on adventure.
My new girlfriend Birgit (at the time : ) and I arrive in Africa with very few miles ridden together. In fact Birgit has just a few hundred miles under her wheels, and to make life even more interesting, she’s riding a very elderly BMW road bike – a ’71 R60/5. Over the next year, Africa throws plenty at us, but then we manage to find one of the most unique ways to cross the Southern Atlantic to Buenos Aires. From there, the adventure through South America becomes even more surprising, with more than a few tales of the unexpected thrown into the mix. As ever, I’m a magnet for disaster…But what an amazing land to ride. Stunning! I’d go back like a shot.
So what do the reviewers say? Trail Bike Magazine says this: '...a truly involving and enthralling read. Distant Suns doesn't just document the journey, Sam also describes cultural differences, traditions and lifestyles of the various countries they cross, whilst painting a vivid picture of the terrain they cross... A really great read that'll doubtless give you itchy feet...'
‘Distant Suns’ is available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format. You can also find this book from Aerostich, Waterstones, Stanfords Bookshops and if you purchase directly from my website www.sam-manicom.com I’d be delighted to send you out signed and dedicated copies.
‘This is a great story which reads with the ease of a novel. Distant Suns has it all: love, good guys, bad guys, beauty, danger, history, geography and last but not least-bikes! Distant Suns is a fast, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read...' WebBikeWorld.com
And here’s an excerpt to give you a taste – you are in Mombassa on the Kenyan coast:
'The air is so full of scents that it's worth taking the time to just sit and breathe it in. Spices, roasting goat meat, maize cobs cooking on braziers, baking bread, the sea, fresh fish, roasting red-skinned peanuts, and coconut oil all mingle with the heavy scents of petrol and diesel engines in an atmosphere that's also filled with full-on African city noises.
Trucks, buses and taxis battle their way through frequently potholed streets that are lined with stalls or crowded with the pushing rush of humanity - which pushes and rushes at a particularly African speed. The language of the coast is Swahili - an audible sign of the city's history. It's made up of snippets of each of those former controlling cultures. 'Hakuna matata', means 'No worries' and that describes the pace at which those on foot move through the streets. In spite of the sea breeze that does manage to sneak through the old city into the new, it's too hot for anything to move at any great speed. Above the roar of ancient buses and trucks, the sounds of horns bounce off the walls to briefly dominate before being lost in the mash of life on the street.'
I hope you enjoy.
Between all of these in my third book ‘Distant Suns’, I’ve tried to weave in tales culture, customs, the funny and the sad. They all go towards making a full on adventure.
My new girlfriend Birgit (at the time : ) and I arrive in Africa with very few miles ridden together. In fact Birgit has just a few hundred miles under her wheels, and to make life even more interesting, she’s riding a very elderly BMW road bike – a ’71 R60/5. Over the next year, Africa throws plenty at us, but then we manage to find one of the most unique ways to cross the Southern Atlantic to Buenos Aires. From there, the adventure through South America becomes even more surprising, with more than a few tales of the unexpected thrown into the mix. As ever, I’m a magnet for disaster…But what an amazing land to ride. Stunning! I’d go back like a shot.
So what do the reviewers say? Trail Bike Magazine says this: '...a truly involving and enthralling read. Distant Suns doesn't just document the journey, Sam also describes cultural differences, traditions and lifestyles of the various countries they cross, whilst painting a vivid picture of the terrain they cross... A really great read that'll doubtless give you itchy feet...'
‘Distant Suns’ is available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format. You can also find this book from Aerostich, Waterstones, Stanfords Bookshops and if you purchase directly from my website www.sam-manicom.com I’d be delighted to send you out signed and dedicated copies.
‘This is a great story which reads with the ease of a novel. Distant Suns has it all: love, good guys, bad guys, beauty, danger, history, geography and last but not least-bikes! Distant Suns is a fast, easy and thoroughly enjoyable read...' WebBikeWorld.com
And here’s an excerpt to give you a taste – you are in Mombassa on the Kenyan coast:
'The air is so full of scents that it's worth taking the time to just sit and breathe it in. Spices, roasting goat meat, maize cobs cooking on braziers, baking bread, the sea, fresh fish, roasting red-skinned peanuts, and coconut oil all mingle with the heavy scents of petrol and diesel engines in an atmosphere that's also filled with full-on African city noises.
Trucks, buses and taxis battle their way through frequently potholed streets that are lined with stalls or crowded with the pushing rush of humanity - which pushes and rushes at a particularly African speed. The language of the coast is Swahili - an audible sign of the city's history. It's made up of snippets of each of those former controlling cultures. 'Hakuna matata', means 'No worries' and that describes the pace at which those on foot move through the streets. In spite of the sea breeze that does manage to sneak through the old city into the new, it's too hot for anything to move at any great speed. Above the roar of ancient buses and trucks, the sounds of horns bounce off the walls to briefly dominate before being lost in the mash of life on the street.'
I hope you enjoy.
Mind you, there are comments floating around about rare unsigned copies! Hmmm, at least if I sign AND dedicate a copy that'll make it unique... depending on what you ask me to write of course 
