Paul Grogan

Barbed Wire & Babushkas, A River Odyssey Across Siberia, by Paul Grogan (pp 267). This is an irreverent tale of the author and his friend Richard Boddington traveling by kayak from Outer Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean. They completed the first source to sea kayak float of the 4,400 km Amur River, starting in Mongolia, traveling 2,000 km along the Russian/Chinese border, and ending in a passage through Russia. It is a story of mind-grinding paperwork, exceptionally beautiful countrysides, numerous run-ins with AK47 wielding Russian border guards, amazingly gracious (most of the time) dealings with Russians citizens, a mind-boggling amount of drinking, brutally hot dry weather (much to their surprise), and living off what they could buy in small shops in rural villages and the occasional city. There are also numerous references to the author’s testicles, so be forewarned. The multi-month descent is told with a great deal of humor, including some rather harrowing experiences with Russian officialdom who appeared to still have a Cold War mindset. The humor belies a staggeringly audacious adventure by two seasoned adventurers. Highly recommend for kayak expedition and other travel enthusiasts.… (altro)