Sharing Travel Experiences

A Vagabond Story

by Andy Hayes

When Grant Lingel got in touch and asked if I’d read his new book, Imagine: A Vagabond Story, I said sure – why not – by title alone it sounded great, and it was his tales of exploring Central America, an area of the world I don’t know all that well.  If you’re active in the travel sphere, you’ll no doubt know that Grant’s book has gotten rather mediocre reviews.  And I agree with most of them.  So, you might ask, am I logging it here in the STE recommended reading section?  Well, let’s dive deeper, shall we?

The Vagabond Journey

Grants tale starts from the day he decided to leave everything behind in his comfy confines of America and start anew down south – south as in Mexico!  With a one-way plane ticket, he hits the road and doesn’t look back.  His trials and tribulations take him through some of Central America’s most amazing stops.  I note some of his favourites:

Playa de Carmen, Mexico

Ruins in Tikal, Guatemala

Tulum, Mexico

Rio Frio Cave, Belize

Judging by the photos, it isn’t hard to figure out why Grant fell in love with the place, the people, and the lifestyle of volunteering and, well, vagabonding across Central America.

What’s Not to Like

On the back cover of the book, it says:

‘Imagine’  is a memoir of sex, drugs and Salsa dancing, but even more so it’s a tale of rare camaraderie and of life-changing adventures that can only happen with an open mind and a spontaneous spirit.

That sounds like travel more to me, doesn’t it?  The problem is, the text is poorly edited, and Grant has a love for travel clichés.  Far too many – they’re rampant throughout the text.  I found myself having to re-read certain passages as the events were obscured by some obtuse wording.

The Important Part

I still enjoyed reading this book.  In fact, some parts I found down right good – like when the car Grant was riding in slid off the road and over a cliff (resulting in a subsequent fear of the road that remains throughout the text).  Other parts, such as the rampant sexcapades and overindulgence, weren’t my cup of tea really.

But this was probably the only travelogue I’ve read in a very long time that was unfiltered. A Vagabond Story is the gritty truths of backpacking — and having backpacked myself, I know they’re true.   Sure, a good editor would have made this into a beautiful story, but would it have lost some of its shine  in the process?  Probably, but we’ll never know.  Grant puts himself out on the line — and no doubt makes himself look like an amateur to some — but you have to respect him for saying this is my story, like it or leave it.

Get Your Copy

As I say, Imagine: A Vagabond Story isn’t for everyone.  But if you like what you’ve heard and can appreciate a unfiltered story with some tips on things to do in Central America, then don’t hesitate to check it out.  You can use those handy Amazon icons below to get your copy today – dollars on the left, pounds on the right.

Book cover courtesy of the publisher.  Other photos by Esparta, gregw66, kwalboat, rharrison

Disclosure:  We were provided with a review copy of this book but in no way does this reflect on our editorial opinion.

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