Serendipity

Into Thick Air:  Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents

By Jim Malusa

I took a short trip recently and decided that travel literature was my airplane reading pleasure.  Into Thick Air had recently popped up on my TBR radar so into the bag it went.  As it turned out it suited my journey admirably, though I read most of it once I got home.

In this book, Malusa, has told the tales of bicycle trips to the lowest points of each continent except Antarctica, excluded for actual geological reasons—it doesn’t have any land below sea level.  The first four journeys are funded as travel writing expeditions, but he completes his final two journeys without sponsors, riding just for the pleasure of purpose and exploration in Djibouti and here in the USA.

The tales each follow the pattern that is expected in most travel writing.  Interesting locals are encountered, weather causes issues, there is discovery, unnecessary fears become vitally important, and, of course, the joy of travel is expressed.  What was different to me, however, was the willingness of Malusa to abandon his bicycling trip and hop onto the nearest transport when things got difficult.  So many of the quirky journey books out there feature a devotion to purity.  They can only wear the same socks, they can’t take a plane, they can’t do something or another or else it will ruin their quirky journey.  In an odd sort of way, I think Malusa had more purity of purpose.  He was devoted to the travel experience.  Bending to fit the environment, living in the moment, taking advantage of good fortune and kind people, going off plan to discover something even greater.  He still completes his journey, but has the richer experience.  That to me is what travel is about.

As for how it suited my journey?  The second trip taken was from Cairo into Jordan to visit the Dead Sea.  My friend had just taken much the same trip and we’d spent time talking about it.  As I awaited the boarding call for my departure, I opened up the book and read this very section.  It was a reminder to me of how small the world really is, and how important it is to listen and watch the world around you for cues to your direction, essentially reinforcing the message of the book for me.  It would seem I was meant to read this book, and I was glad it accompanied me on my weekend journey.