In this collection of sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, occasionally wacky and often way out stories of life 'off the beaten track', Lansell Taudevin shares some of his fascinating insights into a swathe of countries across Asia and the Pacific in which he has lived. From dealing with an axe murderer in Bougainville, dining with a Taliban warlord in Baluchistan, participating in a shugdrel in Bhutan to dealing with a CIA toymaker in East Timor, these stories will always delight, amaze and amuse.