Once again, with charm, respect and genuine curiosity Palin travels into lands filled with mystery and legend, at least to this Canadian reader.
I personally did not engage with this adventure as I had his other travels. There was a more religion, spirituality and superstition in the groups of people he met than I had interest in. That says more about me than it does about the people or the narrative. Spiritualism is just not for me.
That said, there was plenty to be learned at the border crossings and the history of previous occupations, wars and political influence.
My favourite passage of the book summed up the entire experience and perhaps all of his explorations.
"The enjoyment of the world is immeasurably enhanced not just by meeting people who think, look, talk and dress differently from yourself, but by having to depend on them. The trio of Bangladeshi fishermen who learnt the arcane art of television filming in a little less than half an hour are only the last of a long list of those who had every reason to think that we were completely mad, but who decided, against all the odds, to be our friends instead."
Michael Palin's website - https://www.themichaelpalin.com/
Michael Palin's travel website - https://www.palinstravels.co.uk/
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