Lone Traveller: One Woman, Two Wheels and the World

by Anne Mustoe

'You don't have to be twenty, male and an ace mechanic to set out on a great journey. I've cycled round the world twice now. I'm not young, I'm not sporty, I never train and I still can't tell a sprocket from a chainring or mend a puncture.'

So speaks Anne Mustoe in the opening to this fascinating record of her second epic journey cycling around the globe from East to West.

Using historical routes as her inspiration, Anne followed the ancient Roman roads to Lisbon, travelled across South America with the Conquistadors, pursued Captain Cook over the Pacific to Australia and Indonesia and followed the caravans along the fabled Silk Road from Xi'an to Rome.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Cycling, Australia, China, Brazil

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 1998

About the author

Anne Mustoe was an English schoolteacher, a touring cyclist, author of travel books and former headmistress of Saint Felix School, Southwold, Suffolk.

Reviews

[Daren · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this book, the author decided not to provide a linear travel narrative, but to provide some themed chapters mixed with four day-to-day accounts of the most challenging parts of the journey - the Australian Outback, the Gobi Desert and Karakorums, and the journey up the Amazon by cargo boats. he themed chapters concentrate on logistics, company, joys and problems - quite a lot of guide book style advice.

After her first around-the-world cycling trip and the publication of her first book, she again had itchy feet, and prepared for a second cycle trip - this time from east to west. Not game to undertake another long trip, Mustoe decided to break this one into 3. First from Rome to Lisbon (the Roman Road), then across the Atlantic to Salvador in Brazil to head north then navigate up the Amazon to Peru and Chile and out to Easter Island and Tahiti to Australia. In Australia she cycles from Sydney to Darwin, then through Indonesia (following Cook's route, albeit not at sea). The third leg commenced in Xi'an and crosses China and Pakistan, flies over Iran to turkey, then back to Rome (the Silk Road).

Not to be hindered on her journey, Mustoe works around the Shining Path in Peru, the PPK in Eastern Turkey and ethnic conflict in Xinjiang; as well as more standard hassles from police, border guards and bureaucratic officials. On top of this she tackled some of the most challenging terrain - the mountains of the Andes, Pamirs and Karakorams and the deserts - Atacama, Gobi and Taklimakan. Not half a wonder she wanted a break between the three legs!

While this format was broken up, there was just enough travel narrative and enough anecdotes of interest to keep me interested.

3 stars

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is pretty boring, although occasional description and information given about the places author travels through do make up for it. It's rare for a travel writer to sound judgmental about places they go or people they meet, but the author manages to do it in an underhanded kind of way. Quite a few inconsistencies and weird conclusions in the book (i.e. she goes on about how she hates camping, but she will sleep in rooms full of cockroaches and mice...). Overall the author seems a bit high on herself and her ability to cycle at 60 years of age (which is impressive, but becomes less so as she continues to beat you over the head with it). I had big hopes for the book, but couldn't wait to finish reading it.

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

see ei ole meil Anne'iga esimene rodeo - ühe ümbermaailmareisi jalgrattal on ta juba teinud ja sellest raamatu kirjutanud ja mina olen seda raamatut lugenud ja heaks kiitnud. nii et mulle sobib hästi seekordne formaat, mis ei ole mitte kronoloogiline reisikiri, vaid pigem kokkuvõtvad mõtisklused erinevatel sedasorti reisimisega seotud teemadel - head ja halvad päevad, üksindus ja seltskond, kokkupuuted politseiga, raskestiläbitav maastik, turvalisus (formuleeringus "mehed ja teised loomad") jne.

ja jutustaja/peategelasena istub see proua mulle ülihästi - tegu on (st oli selle raamatu kirjutamise ajal, praeguseks on ta surnud) 60ndates eluaastates briti proua, endise tütarlastekooli direktrissiga, kes ühel hetkel lihtsalt otsustas pensionile minna ja jalgrattaga ümber maailma sõita, ja kui ta seda juba korra teinud oli, siis tegi teise korra veel ja nii edasi. mingi eriline sportlane ta ei ole, kuigi eks pikapeale selline asi ajab ikkagi üpris heasse vormi. jalgratast parandada ta ei oska ja ei plaani õppida ka. lisaks jälestab ta telkimist ja veel enam matkatoidu valmistamist, ja mõnevõrra paradoksaalselt armastab linnu oluliselt rohkem kui maakohti. nii et tema reiside formaat on: vara hommikul üles, rattaga sadakond kilomeetrit kuni järgmise linna või muu suurema asulani, korralik (aga mitte lääne turistile suunatud, vaid eelistatavalt kohalike rikkamate inimeste) hotell, restoraniõhtusöök. kui võimalik. kui ei ole võimalik, siis magab piiripunkti kordonis diivanil ja elab kuivast saiast, kuni kord jälle linna jõuab.

kuna tegu on haritud inimese, klassikalise filoloogi ja suure ajaloohuvilisega, siis valib ta oma marsruute ka... ajaloolisi. mis selles raamatus vahel väga ei edene, sest inimesel võib ju olla suur soov sõita jalgrattaga läbi kogu Siiditee, aga kui ikkagi on aasta 1995 ja teele jäävad endised liiduvabariigid, kus viisamajandust ajab endiselt Inturist, siis... inimene ei saa neid viisasid. üldse on kogu ses loos tugevat 90ndate vaibi mitmes mõttes, sh proua enda suhtumiste ja kohati keelekasutuse juures. ütleme nii, et poliitkorrektsuse termin on juba välja mõeldud, aga sisuga veel suht täitmata, kui selle raamatu põhjal otsustada :D

ühesõnaga, ise mingil juhul sellist reisi ette ei võtaks, aga suurepärane raamat, suurepärane seiklus ja tore jutustaja, kellega seda kaasa teha. just sellised reisiraamatud meeldivad mulle kõige rohkem.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike her other travel books, Mustoe decided to present a very long trip in highlights by "theme": being alone, police encounters, etc. Well written, but might be a turnoff for someone expecting a linear, place-by-place narrative.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is an inspiration. Wish she were still out there biking around and writing about it.

[Gosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical travel book. Or mine, I guess ;-) It's not full of glorious stories, amazing events and adventures. Don't get me wrong, it's adventurous, but it's slow-paced, easy, like you're allowed to breathe reading about biking thought Karakorum Pass or being stopped by the officials of China. It's more of a journal and thought that accompanied the particular trips, and reflections on how they were. There is a bit of the dry British humor that I appreciated, so it's not all serious stuff! What I value in this book is actually the failures that Anne describes, I think we don't get these enough, so I appreciate a bit of the real world. On the other hand, I didn't like the scrambled timelines, cities and countries changing, different people Anne mentioned she did some of her travels. I understand why this was done, but it was harder to follow the actual timelines, and sometimes I had to just push thought reading something "unknown" (as opposed to following a bunch of characters that grow on you). Besides that, it was a very good read that I specially enjoyed on a longer tram journey.

[anarresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mustoe, an English school headmistress, decided in her later years to cycle the globe. That was a previous book. She repeated the feat here, but as a more practical travelogue with a focus on the Silk Road, the Australian outback and Brazil and Peru. It would be useful if it was still the 1990s, but some of experiences are timeless and in the right mood travel stories are all fun. I appreciated the frankness of her descriptions of the problems associated with global bike travel as well as the tips and tricks to packing, lodging and politics. I enjoyed her stories though I would not consider them high quality travel writing and certainly not the most exciting. A series of leisurely half-day rides on well-traveled roads followed by good dinners in exotic locations is my perfect vacation though, so I am unusually in sync with this author, particularly compared to hard-core and wild adventure writers.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s taken me ages to read this book despite it being about 230 pages long. Mustoe’s adventures are fascinating on one hand, but I find her tone and writing style quite difficult. Her attitude is full of contradictions - she is clearly interested in the world and people around her, but almost always comes across as snobby with sweeping generalisations about cultures and people.

I am not sure how to take her other than as a privileged and educated woman passing a judgemental eye on everyone she meets, but she has travelled to wonderful places by bike and has lots of useful and interesting tips on how to cycle tour. Except for travelling with a full silk suit and high heels (for formal occasions) obviously - that idea can get in the bin…

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Mustoe's occasional and casual ethnocentrism grated on me at times, especially considering that this book was published only two decades ago. But you can't help but be impressed by her courage, and despite drawing from trips undertaken at different times, Lone Traveller holds together better as a narrative than her piecemeal South Asia chronicle Two Wheels in the Dust. A highly engaging and inspiring read, especially for women of a certain age who happen to love cycling. :)

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written very matter-of-factly with the odd extremely insightful well-formulated reflection on the world as a whole. This book is the gentlest introduction to a person’s way of living, an inspiring travel book, and at the same time a big jumble of random 3 line anecdotes. The longer anecdotes are great though.
Very judgemental of other cultures after short amounts of exposure.

[Lisa Bywell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unfit, retired headmistress sets off to cycle the world on a normal bike wearing normal clothes. An inspiration and more to all cyclists, history lovers and travellers. The combination of ancient trade routes, literature, cycling and history was perfect for me.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly better than her first book.
Again, too much time on the negatives imho.
Still amazing what she achieved, although it annoys me how she wears her badge of not having basic bicycle maintenance with pride

[Demsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred this book about her second world tour rather than the first one, where I got lost into the historical details at times. This one tells her journey in a thematic way and my pragmatic mind devoured all of it.

[Piaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

An great antidote to "incompetence literature." Mustoe is competent, doesn't whine, and isn't traveling to escape from her past, bad boyfriends, or poor relationships with her parents. This is travel with a sense of wonder and a great attitude. I'm going to go read her other books.

[Ayesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

So inspiring! It makes me want to travel right now but inspires me to know that she did it over 60... I'm eager and yet I have time.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

somewhat disjointed but inspiring none the less. Enjoyable.

[Alicia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional book, of a woman who travels from east to west on her bike. I found her time in China to be the most interesting, but it was all excellent. Highly recommend as I couldn't put it down.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good adventure and advice. A lot of the logistical and history of her trips.

[Nicola Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't imagine getting on a bike and cycling huge distances in remote locations,so I am in awe of this lady. I like the historical detail in her books and just find them fascinating.

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed account of Anne Mustoe's trip around the world on two wheels, I conveniently found this book during a walking trip through the Great Glen Way in Scotland. Instead of a linear story, the chapters are split by topic ("Good days", "Bad days", "Men and other animals", "Lessons"). A very inspiring an easy read for all of us who love travelling, cultures and the insolite.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't try this at home :) Or anywhere.

Anne Mustoe, a widow in her 60's, has traveled around the world twice by bicycle.

She is a very practical and determined person who also has an amazing understanding of human nature, which, in my opinion, is how she survived so many different cultures with so many different attitudes toward women, especially traveling alone.

It is a story of too many close encounters with disaster, running low on supplies, water and food, packing too few clothes and becoming dangerously close to frostbite. In her situation, on lonely roads around the world, far from medical help, telephones, and sometimes even primitive accommodation, she often got into situations which could have caused death to a less determined person.

I am tough and I like adventure, but this to me was not adventure. It was just agony.

But what kept her going was her overwhelming love for social interaction, being able to relate to and love and be loved by so many people of so many different cultures. It seems paradoxical that she would travel solo on remote roads but have such a need for social interaction. But when she traveled alone, strangers became her friends. When she traveled with others, foreigners usually did not approach her.

I think much of her success was because she attempted to learn many languages so that she could communicate. Plus there is a worldwide respect for "old" women, especially grandmothers, and most men tended to want to protect her as they would their own mothers.

An amazing person, but no matter how well a person prepares for a trip like this, it can only work if you have a remarkable understanding of human nature and a remarkable amount of patience.

I don't. This is not a trip for me. :)

My only complaint about the book is that she assumes her readers are as educated as she is and does not include enough maps for the reader to realize where she is traveling. Of course, I could google it but I wasn't interested in typing in words that I cannot pronounce. :)

Another thing, this book is not chronological. Her first book is. This book is written more as a result of questions from readers about how she dealt with specific problems. Each chapter is topical rather than chronological. I think it is a valuable resource for someone who wants an adventure like this. It was published in 2000 so it is fairly current.

[Wayne Jordaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One cannot help but stand in awe of someone who navigate the globe under own steam, well mostly. To do it twice, from a standing start so to speak, is mind-boggling. the author was out-of-shape, in her fifties when she was inspired by the sight of a cyclist in India to set off on her globe-cycling adventures. What I like about this read is the structure of her book, where instead of narrating her travels from starting point A to destination B, she identified a number of themes under which she tells the the tales of her journeys. It actually works remarkably well, and comes across as a collective whole rather than disjointed episodes, as might be expected. A good read.

[Oanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully engaging thematic approach to the big adventure of cycling for a long time, with chapters such as Good Days, Bad Days, Men and Other Animals, and - my favourite - Terrible Terrain (I, II and III).

It was gratifying to find out that Australians travelling in the outback are very good to other travellers. Yay, Australians! (I'm so parochial, sometimes).

Great anecdotes to spur travel desires.

[Sally McRogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women of a certain age are accepted everywhere in the world. They pose no threat to anyone. Dammit there have to be some advantages to getting old and they aren't obvious from here. Women can communicate with the women and older women get to communicate with the men, particularly if they turn up on a bike. The curiosity factor if nowt else!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good bits: I liked the themed aspect, written in a somewhat engaging style.

Mediocre bits: there should be a map included in the book! Since it was ordered by theme and not linear time, it was a bit hard to follow where she was and even harder to envision it.

Bad bits: you can tell she's a bit chuffed about her achievements which although impressive was a bit much at times.

[Annalisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content: A
Storytelling/Writing style: C