Molly J. Baier

The problem with reading some travel stories is that they become outdated and if you aren't up on your geography or travel laws, the content becomes muddled. Example: are hotels in Eastern Europe still charging in 24-hour increments from the time you check in? Do trains still give provodnitsa-issued toilet paper to passengers? If you travel by bus in the Arctic, do you still pay by the kilometer and not the final destination? Is Finland still one of the most expensive countries? What about maple syrup? Do they know the breakfast condiment? Despite all these questions, Bier's three month solo trip in 1999 was a fun read. Her sense of humor peppers a no-nonsense travelogue. Some of my favorite moments were every time she challenged a ticket seller with Article 62 of the Russian Constitution, stating it was unlawful to sell a tourist an inflated priced ticket, whether it be for a museum or train ride. This happened a great deal. (Theroux mentions the same maddening system in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star.) A final comment. I was impressed with Baier's travel philosophy. Her itinerary was not planned out to the minute. She seemed to go from place to place by the seat of her pants, never knowing how she was going to go from place or where she would stay when she got there.… (meer)