Old Men Can't Wait: A Septuagenarian Odyssey Through the Americas

by Simon Gandolfi

This epic exploration of thirteen countries takes Gandolfi across desert and over mountains, through the Amazon forest and the length of the Appalachians. Guide books may warn of thieves, bandits, corrupt police and border officials; Gandolfi writes of the remarkable kindness and generosity he encounters. Courtesy, patience and good humour are his passports while hurry is his anathema. Whether in village or city, his joy is in leisurely conversation. Gauchos, oil workers, peasant farmers, officials, owners of vast haciendas, Venezuelan revolutionaries, students at Texas A&M - all excite his curiosity and he faithfully records their opinions while submitting his own thoughts, beliefs and fears to an often merciless inspection. Above all this is a jubilant chronicle of hope and understanding, of new friendships, glorious country, sublime architecture, good food, and ultimately, an old man's determination to surmount his years. Outrageously irresponsible and undeniably liberating, Gandolfi's travels will fire the imaginations of every traveller.

Genres: Motorcycle

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Michael A. Simmons, Sr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings

A good book on an older Englishmans travel thru South, Central and North America. I would have enjoyed it much more had the author omitted his political bias and hatred for the US. He was treated with kindness and generosity during the US segment of his journey but could do nothing but find fault with his host country. He seemed obsessed with racism in the US but did not find any evidence of same.

[Anton Neidenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

The distance traveled by small bike

A good book for those who want to travel far and want to know something about were they think they might travel. Just don’t believe too much in the left wing rant.

[Michael Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent portrayal of life on the road

If one is ever considering a motorcycle adventure, this book reveals the good and the not so good aspects of 2 wheel travel. Also a reminder that there is no bad weather, only bad gear!

[Bryan Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling reading

This not so much a motorcycle book as much as a delightful well written humourous travel story.
A delightful read which I thoroughly enjoyed

[Elva Sudworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

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[Locke Nuttall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I really enjoy Simon's writing. He writes with truthful feelings and does not try to dazzle with fancy words. Thank you

[Paul Devall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the ride

From my armchair. From my office chair. From the train seat on my daily commute. I enjoyed the ride. Enjoyed the description of the journey. The places. The people.

[C.M. Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, little slow in places, definately a grumpy old man book. A couple of the sentences were convoluted / disjointed which made them very hard to follow.
This didnt affect the star rating, but if Gandolfi is reading this, you may wish to fire your proofreader, as one particularly disjointed paragraph also has a spelling error, one minute you are talking about a missing diary, the next a lost dairy, had to re-read that section to try and figure out what happened.
Worth a read particularly if you like bikes / South America, some interesting descriptions but some tedious ones as well.

[Jay Bhayani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that took time. I met the author at a show a few years ago, and was inspired enough to buy the book. As mentioned by other reviewers, the book is slow in places ,but it picks up halfway through. overall its a good book and we get to see some of his political views which is a bonus. Simon has obviously lived a full life and had more adventures then most of us but we see very little of it in this book . I might check out some of his other work.

[Phil Harrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Simon continues his ride from Old man on a bike this time North from Tierra del Fuego to New York. His reporting style commentary and political opinions won't be to everybody's taste but if you enjoyed the first book you'll enjoy this one too!