Travelling Sam
Registered user
Why on earth should you bother buying my latest book, ‘From Tortillas to Totems’?
Well, I can BS with the best of ‘em but why don’t I just show you see what the reviewers think. Before I do though, what’s it all about? T2T takes you riding through Mexico, The USA and Canada.
There are canyons, cowboys, idyllic beaches, bears, mountains, Californian vineyards, gun-toting policemen with grudges, glaciers, exploding volcanoes, dodgy border crossings and I take you along some of the most stunning open roads that a traveller could ever wish to see. An ordinary ride? Well, for those of you who know my track record… Even so, I think you’ll be surprised and the reviewers think you’ll like this book.
Adventure Bike Rider: 'Globe-trotting biker Manicom's a natural storyteller. Although this trip may sound like a standard ride through familiar country, be assured, it isn't.'
Adventure Motorcycle says this: 'Being North American, I didn't think I'd be all that interested in this book because, you know... been there... done that, kind of thing. But a few pages in and I was ready for more…What I enjoy most about Sam's method, is his way of describing the moment. You feel it, smell it... you freeze, you sweat, and you see what's before him like you're along for the ride…’
WebBikeWorld comment: Now, just because an adventurer travels through interesting places doesn't necessarily mean the story will be compelling. I've read too many authors that can make a trip to the moon seem boring. But Tortillas to Totems is compelling, with a combination of diary, narrative and commentary that really makes the reader feel like you're right there in front of the campfire with Sam, listening to the tall tales as the coyotes howl in the background…’
Motorcycle Sport and Leisure: 'This book is a brilliant account of touring on a motorcycle and the journey taken, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too.’
‘Tortillas to Totems’ 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'll be delighted to send you out signed and dedicated copies.
What do Aerostich think about it? After all they chose to stock it. ‘It is all quirky fun that engages reader and author alike in unforeseen opportunities for adventure, education and self-discovery. This is the fourth motorcycle journal by Sam, who with his partner, Birgit, shares a unique outlook on riding, adventure and squeezing every last drop out of the peaks, valleys and open roads that are life. His best story yet.'
This is an excerpt from Tortillas to Totems. Birgit and I are in Mexico, heading towards Baja California from Mexico City.
‘That night we found a gem of a camping spot. It was one of those places that you dream about. Tucked away down a long gravel road, the tiny campsite nestled on the shores of a small blue lake. The owner rushed out to greet us. I liked him straight away. He was a small, brown, round and cheerful man with thinning hair. He was shaking our hands even before we could get our gloves off. He showed us to a prime spot right by the shore, and then where the showers were.
He was very proud of the fact that they had hot water. He'd rigged up a series of oil drums, suspended over a long fire pit. He told us that at 6pm each day he'd light the fire under the barrels and the water took about half an hour to heat to, "A very good temperature."
He was right too. It was blissful and there was something rather fine about showering in a wilderness under water that had been heated in this way. The wooden stalls were only as high as my shoulders and that night we showered to the sight of the sun going down. It fell as a perfectly round orange-red ball until it disappeared behind the forested hills. As a sort of final dash of defiance, the sky suddenly turned a flaming orange which turned the hills into a stark black silhouette. The only sounds came from the rushing shower water and the call of a bird down by the shore. The contrast to the city couldn't have been more profound, and that night we were treated to a sky so full of stars that it looked as if someone had tipped over a pirate's treasure chest...’
Quite magical, but that’s the road most of the time isn’t it…
Well, I can BS with the best of ‘em but why don’t I just show you see what the reviewers think. Before I do though, what’s it all about? T2T takes you riding through Mexico, The USA and Canada.
There are canyons, cowboys, idyllic beaches, bears, mountains, Californian vineyards, gun-toting policemen with grudges, glaciers, exploding volcanoes, dodgy border crossings and I take you along some of the most stunning open roads that a traveller could ever wish to see. An ordinary ride? Well, for those of you who know my track record… Even so, I think you’ll be surprised and the reviewers think you’ll like this book.
Adventure Bike Rider: 'Globe-trotting biker Manicom's a natural storyteller. Although this trip may sound like a standard ride through familiar country, be assured, it isn't.'
Adventure Motorcycle says this: 'Being North American, I didn't think I'd be all that interested in this book because, you know... been there... done that, kind of thing. But a few pages in and I was ready for more…What I enjoy most about Sam's method, is his way of describing the moment. You feel it, smell it... you freeze, you sweat, and you see what's before him like you're along for the ride…’
WebBikeWorld comment: Now, just because an adventurer travels through interesting places doesn't necessarily mean the story will be compelling. I've read too many authors that can make a trip to the moon seem boring. But Tortillas to Totems is compelling, with a combination of diary, narrative and commentary that really makes the reader feel like you're right there in front of the campfire with Sam, listening to the tall tales as the coyotes howl in the background…’
Motorcycle Sport and Leisure: 'This book is a brilliant account of touring on a motorcycle and the journey taken, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too.’
‘Tortillas to Totems’ 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'll be delighted to send you out signed and dedicated copies.
What do Aerostich think about it? After all they chose to stock it. ‘It is all quirky fun that engages reader and author alike in unforeseen opportunities for adventure, education and self-discovery. This is the fourth motorcycle journal by Sam, who with his partner, Birgit, shares a unique outlook on riding, adventure and squeezing every last drop out of the peaks, valleys and open roads that are life. His best story yet.'
This is an excerpt from Tortillas to Totems. Birgit and I are in Mexico, heading towards Baja California from Mexico City.
‘That night we found a gem of a camping spot. It was one of those places that you dream about. Tucked away down a long gravel road, the tiny campsite nestled on the shores of a small blue lake. The owner rushed out to greet us. I liked him straight away. He was a small, brown, round and cheerful man with thinning hair. He was shaking our hands even before we could get our gloves off. He showed us to a prime spot right by the shore, and then where the showers were.
He was very proud of the fact that they had hot water. He'd rigged up a series of oil drums, suspended over a long fire pit. He told us that at 6pm each day he'd light the fire under the barrels and the water took about half an hour to heat to, "A very good temperature."
He was right too. It was blissful and there was something rather fine about showering in a wilderness under water that had been heated in this way. The wooden stalls were only as high as my shoulders and that night we showered to the sight of the sun going down. It fell as a perfectly round orange-red ball until it disappeared behind the forested hills. As a sort of final dash of defiance, the sky suddenly turned a flaming orange which turned the hills into a stark black silhouette. The only sounds came from the rushing shower water and the call of a bird down by the shore. The contrast to the city couldn't have been more profound, and that night we were treated to a sky so full of stars that it looked as if someone had tipped over a pirate's treasure chest...’
Quite magical, but that’s the road most of the time isn’t it…
