Simon Gandolfi

If you spend enough time hanging round in a certain independent bookstore in Herefordshire (Ledbury Books and Maps, Ledbury) you will likely encounter a few literary figures, including Simon Gandolfi; he's garrulous and hilarious and his anecdotes about India easily persuaded me to try his book about a road trip through central and south America on a Honda 125cc pizza-delivery motorcycle. He signed it, "It's never too late" as he does for everybody.

The book turned out to be not nearly as much fun as the man in person, but not a bad read. A few things came across clearly; Gandolfi is nuts (or brave, depending on viewpoint); hardly anybody living in central or south America likes the USA or the Bush/Blair foreign policy decisions we are still living through the consequences of. Honda make robust bikes.… (meer)