Away from My Desk: A Round-The-World Detour from the Rat Rade, the Tech Wreck, and the Trafficjam of Life in America - Hardcover

Haffar, Rif K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0971545103 ISBN 13: 9780971545106

Publisher: Ameera Pub, 2002

Synopsis

Traveling mainly by motorcycle, the author traverses 45 countries on six continents in this memoir, experiencing both fascinating and harrowing travails during a one-year journey. With a healthy mix of contemporary and historical perspectives, new insights are provided on typical tourist destinations such as the Taj Mahal and the Trevi Fountain. Additionally, encounters with a law enforcement official in the Czech Republic and a panty-wielding pickpocket in Istanbul (among other things) supply plenty of humor along the way. These vivid and engaging accounts showcase the destinations not just as tourists see them, but as residents experience them as well, realistically portraying floods, earthquakes, and civil unrest.

About this title

About the Author

Rif K. Haffar is a telecom executive who speaks four languages and has traveled to nearly 100 countries on six continents. He has twice circumnavigated the globe and crossed three continents entirely by motorcycle. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

From the Inside Flap

Ever dream of taking a year off and traveling the world? Well, until you have cleared your schedule for such an escape, here’s the next best thing.

In this fascinating, often hilarious book, Rif Haffar captures the life-altering thrill of breaking with routine and doing something radically out of the ordinary. His answer to the 24/7 demands of corporate life is to pack up and hit the road on a round-the-world tour. And just to make things that much more interesting, he and his photographer girlfriend, Tracy, decide to travel as much as possible by motorbike. He takes us along on this exciting trip of a lifetime.

Combining contemporary and historical perspectives, Rif provides a sparkling view of our world, warts and all. The novice traveler will find this account enormously informative. The seasoned traveler will relive cherished experiences. All readers will enjoy frequent and resounding belly laughs.

Every stop along the way is a new adventure, and it unfolds for us as it did for the author. We go from country to country, city to city, and the world takes shape as we travel along with him. Haffar describes in unforgettable detail just what it's like "over there." We share through vivid and engaging accounts both the anticipated and unanticipated events that help shape and sometimes redirect his travels. With eloquence and skill, Rif transforms dire, even harrowing situations, into an immensely enjoyable read. The book also contains maps and more than 100 photographs that put us right where the action is.

Reviews

Former telecommunications executive Haffar treats readers to a whirlwind tour of 45 countries spanning six continents in this sometimes funny, often sarcastic account of an unusual trip around the world. Haffar's yearlong excursion by air, motorcycle, camel, and elephant bears little resemblance to the usual package deal offered to tourists with money to burn. Dusty cafes often substitute for four-star restaurants, and back-alley lodgings are as commonplace to this traveler as Hilton Hotels. Despite a grueling schedule, the author finds a way to pack more sightseeing into his journey than any tour guide could possibly offer. From the crowded streets of Florence to the Batu Caves of Kuala Lumpur, Haffar explores not only the well-known landmarks of each city but also the less obvious but often more pleasing haunts of the local gentry. His comments on these sites and the people who guard them are at times biting and provocative and at other times almost wistful. This book is an adventure guide as much as a travelog, and as such, it succeeds quite well in entertaining while informing. A good addition to libraries with travel collections. Mary V. Welk, Chicago
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ameera Pub
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0971545103
• ISBN 13: 9780971545106
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336