Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South American Motorcycle Odyssey

Rating:
Summary: A tale of raw adventure
Review: Glen Heggstad is certainly an interesting and complicated character. While not dwelling on his background, he gives us glimpses of a rough and tumble past that molded his persona. This persona is centered on his martial arts experience but is spiced with activities both noble and possibly shady. Taken as a whole, it provides him with a code of ethics that he follows even if it's a bit off center.

For instance, he describes the soulless poverty in South American countries with a sense of moral outrage coming from a man who has the back of the oppressed. He pontificates on the evils of capitalistic excess and seems to feel America is responsible for their condition - or perhaps more fairly, their inability to improve their condition. He says he loves his country but fears his government. Agree with him or not, on the surface Glen seems to be a man that comes to the defense of the used and abused. But this isn't the whole picture. He lists several friends who dropped everything in an attempt to secure his release from the ELN. One who is described as a soul mate of sorts is the owner of an infamous brothel in Nevada. It may be a legal business but aren't women exploited for sex dealing with the same economic realities as the peasants south of the border? Surprisingly, he doesn't let this affect his friendship. Complicated indeed!

Because of the delay caused by the ELN, Glen finds himself rushed to complete the trip before the onset of the rainy season and freezing weather further south. The reader feels his haste as he races through the balance of the trip without writing much about the details. We are left wanting to know more about the people he met along the way.

What saves the book for me are the vivid descriptions Glen has of his surroundings and experiences during the trip. His description of riding through the Altiplano in Bolivia is poetic. He gives the reader a real sense of what it's like to make this trip. Overall, it's an easy read with a heavy dose of excitement adventure. Contrary to another reviewer's claim, this tale will probably scare many people away from making this epic journey instead of inspiring them!

Note: A lot of conversational profanity is used. If you find this offensive, this isn't a book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Great motorcycle adventure book!
Review: I won't bother outlining the story, the editorial review does a good job of that. I just want to say how much I enjoyed this book and how much I admire Glen Heggstad after reading it. I've done a few solo cycle trips - nothing on this scale, of course - and his writing captured perfectly the atmosphere of the journey. His tale of capture and release is chilling and suspenseful, but his story of the rest of the trip is just as good. The beautiful scenery, the huge variations in weather, the characters (good and bad) he meets on the road, and the solo tourer's feeling of isolation and necessary resourcefulness when faced with adversity all combine for a great adventure story. And of course, no great story is complete without insights into the character of the writer, and how his journey has changed him. That's here, too. If you read and enjoyed "One Man Caravan" or "Jupiter's Travels", buy this book; but be forewarned: after reading it, your next purchases may be a Kawasaki KLR650 and a World Atlas.