No comments about Ulysses Travel Guide Puerto Vallarta: Travel Better, Enjoy More (Ulysses Travel Guides).

No comments about PLEASURE ISLAND: The Book of Jamaica.

1 comments about Living on an Arc: A Caribbean Memoir.

1. As an expat living in Nevis, I could not put Brent Wilson's book down. Every detail, description, and observation could not be more "on de money". This is such a great read for anyone with an interest in the Caribbean (or Nevisian) mindset. Its a must read for anyone intending to live here-and it makes Don't Stop the Carnival obsolete.

No comments about Rum & Reggae's Virgin Islands (Rum & Reggae series).

No comments about The Rough Guide to The Caribbean: More Than 50 Islands, Including the Bahamas.

5 comments about Following Mateo.

1. I really enjoyed this book. Without even noticing, I learned about the country of Belize and the Mayan culture as the author creatively wove historical details into a humorous, touching account of his own journey. I found myself both sympathizing and laughing with him as he tries to learn, and keep up, with the ins and outs of an unfamiliar culture. I became quickly invested in the main character and eager for him to come out on top!



2. Following Mateo is a personal memoir of Tom Molanphy's two year stint as a volunteer educator in Belize. Mateo is a Mayan Indian whom the author becomes very close to in the course of his internship. Following Mateo, the title, refers to the author's attempts to get Mateo to take him to the bush country of Belize. The author has successfully integrated history, anthropology, cross cultural studies and religion into this highly readable memoir.
   I am a college professor teaching English l02 - a writing course using argument from social science topics and also literature, particulary memoir. My students - all l05 of them - absolutely loved the book. They liked the author's descriptive writing style which made them feel they were right there in Belize.They liked the many lively characters that the author presents. They liked the way the author integrated his personal journey with the daily events. They liked reading about a young man on an adventure who had questions about life, about religion, about risktaking. They liked the crosscultural atmosphere of the book and the way the author showed these differences. They liked the light hearted and humorous aspects of the book. They liked the various insights the author gained during his journey, especially about friendship. In writing their essays they were able to center on diverse messages and were often able to interract with the memoir from their own experiences. One student said she liked the book because the author opened himself up and was not "preachy". I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the essays my students were able to write due to the many insights the author offered. It was indeed a journey of joy. I recommend this book to college professors of freshman writing and senior high school teachers as well as volunteer coordinators in various non-profit groups.



3. Following Mateo is definitely a down to earth book. My friend Tom definitely put it right about life in the southern villages of Toledo and also as a missionary. I've known Tom for the two years that he spent here in Belize. I loved the book and will definitely read it again.



4. Tom Molanphy has a good story to tell about a search for self in a country of different cultures, languages, races,etc. While reading "Following Mateo" I was transported back from the hazzles of everyday life and never-ending city activity to Southern Belize where, through Tom's creative descriptions, I found myself engulfed by nature. Peppered with humor Tom lets us experience father nature in a unique fashion. He tells of how it demands respect,of how we have to adjust to accommodate it and of how rough it can be and yet how soothing her gentle embrace. The book took me through trails under the towering canopies and over mountains that lead to discoveries of people living from the land. People who have learned to coexist and respect the land.
   The book was and excellent read. It thought me about the journey of life and the little journeys within. It also thought me to, every now and then, "stop and smell the flowers, but to be careful not to get stung by a bee that may have beat me to those flowers".



5. An odyssey: into the jungles and wetlands of Belize, into the hearts and lives of a few native Belizians, and into the process of self knowledge and maturity, best describes, for me, Tom Molanphy's well crafted adventure/pilgrimage book: Following Mateo! Tom writes with grace and great self deprecating humor and enthusiasm about his journey to Belize as a volunteer teacher, his evolving friendship with an older tribal wise man and leader, Mateo, and their adventures.

   Through an invitation to personally tutor Mateo's young daughter, Tom experiences the hospitality of Mateo's family and a growing knowledge of their way of life. Tom's desire to get Mateo to take him "into the bush," i.e., the deep jungle territory where (in his perception) ancient ritual hunting and gathering rites of the Ke'kechi take place. His subsequent hiking adventures to "prove" his capabilities to Mateo provide hilarious incidents of gradual self awareness for this young American "gringo," Tom.

   As a veteran Jr. High/High School humanities teacher, I feel that this is a book that would appeal to this age range of student. It is a very "good read" for the adult reader as well.

4 comments about The Cruise of the Blue Dolphin: A Family's Adventure at Sea.

1. Hilarious in parts-Murray's writing is beautiful! A great read!
   She throws down the gangway and the reader climbs on board the Blue Dolphin to join the free-thinking Chandlers and their colorful crew as they journey through southern waters, through the Panama Canal to the Galpagos and back.



2. This is a compelling and true account of an amazing adventure. In the middle of the great depression these parents took their kids out of school and exposed them to running a hurricane at sea, exploring the Galapagos Islands before they were settled, visiting a prison island at huge risk where the prisoners were known to shoot at visitors and throw them down wells. No-Holds-Barred home schooling on the open seas! I found it inspirational as a parent and just plain fun to read aloud around the fireplace. My 5 year old always begged for another chapter, I was sad to see it end.



3. beautifully written, this book tells a tale of exotic ports and strange people through the eyes of a teenager. compelling for adult and teen alike. highly recommended!



4. This is a book that could be a 13 yr old's fantasy. but it is a true and wondeful account of a family's sailing adventure.It should be read by the entire family, as an after dinner treat or a Saturday morning diversion. Good for discussion

No comments about Michelin Must Sees: The Caribbean.

No comments about Fodor's Caribbean 2009 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

No comments about Trinidad and Tobago: Terrific and Tranquil.