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Where's Wallis?
In the spirit of Stanley and Livingstone, Brian Thacker is striking out for destinations unknown. Under-equipped and totally unprepared, Brian leaves the guide books behind and gets off the beaten track, out of his comfort zone and into trouble in some of the oddest countries you've never heard of.
Paul Theroux, Eric Newby, Bruce Chatwin, Bill Bryson, Michael Palin all have ventured forth to provide their readers with vivid and compelling accounts of strange peoples and exotic lands. But none has ever been daring (or perhaps stupid) enough to arrive in a country not knowing a single thing about the place. Until now.
In the spirit of Stanley and Livingstone, Brian Thacker set out for far-flung lands armed with nothing more than an air ticket and an armful of immunisation shots. He didn't know the local language, the currency, the customs or even the climate of the places he was heading for; not to mention the political, religious or cultural situations of the countries he might end up in. He didn't take a guidebook; he didn't even do a quick web search. And so it was that Brian found himself on an incredible journey that would see him set up home inside the Gabon airport terminal; dodge civil unrest in Togo; receive a history lesson from a Ghanaian prostitute; share a small dark room in Benin with 500 snakes; anger the Vodou gods of Cotonou; be abandoned on a deserted island off Wallis; gatecrash the King of Futuna's party; become lost in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan; and narrowly avoid being shot in the backstreets of Bishkek.
Paul Theroux, Eric Newby, Bruce Chatwin, Bill Bryson, Michael Palin all have ventured forth to provide their readers with vivid and compelling accounts of strange peoples and exotic lands. But none has ever been daring (or perhaps stupid) enough to arrive in a country not knowing a single thing about the place. Until now.
In the spirit of Stanley and Livingstone, Brian Thacker set out for far-flung lands armed with nothing more than an air ticket and an armful of immunisation shots. He didn't know the local language, the currency, the customs or even the climate of the places he was heading for; not to mention the political, religious or cultural situations of the countries he might end up in. He didn't take a guidebook; he didn't even do a quick web search. And so it was that Brian found himself on an incredible journey that would see him set up home inside the Gabon airport terminal; dodge civil unrest in Togo; receive a history lesson from a Ghanaian prostitute; share a small dark room in Benin with 500 snakes; anger the Vodou gods of Cotonou; be abandoned on a deserted island off Wallis; gatecrash the King of Futuna's party; become lost in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan; and narrowly avoid being shot in the backstreets of Bishkek.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Brian Thacker
10 books37 followersTravel Author Brian Thacker was born in England, but he didn't like the weather so he immigrated to Melbourne, Australia when he was six. After many years working as an art director in advertising Brian worked as a tour leader escorting bus loads of drunk Aussies around Europe. That 'experience' became Brian's first book Rule No. 5: No Sex on the Bus (2001). Since then Brian has written six other books including Planes, Trains and Elephants (2002), The Naked Man Festival (2004), I'm Not Eating Any of That Foreign Muck (2005), Where's Wallis? (2006), '2009 Travel Book of the Year' for Sleeping Around and Tell Them to Get Lost: Travels with the Lonely Planet guidebook that started it all (2011). Brian's books have been translated into German, Thai, Mandarin and Slovenian. So far he has visited 81 countries (82 if you count Tasmania).
Brian recently moved from Melbourne to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Brian recently moved from Melbourne to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 3, 2017
After hearing the name of Sao Tome and Principe on TV at the 2004 Summer Olympics, Thacker vows he'll travel to and then around the tiny African island nation without obtaining any prior knowledge of the country. Ridding himself of all guidebooks and eschewing the internet as much as possible, Thacker casually throws Togo, Benin (as a late replacement), Wallis and Kyrgyzstan into the mix of countries that he will set out to discover as a modern day "true explorer".
Published in 2006, Where's Wallis (Travels without a guidebook) is an unpretentious and funny retelling of Thacker's experiences through this disparate group of countries. Each country runs to between 40 to 90 pages each, providing ample opportunity for Thacker to get himself lost and marooned, meet fascinating locals, ex-pats and royalty, get up close and personal with the wildlife and dodge the odd bit of civil unrest.
Fans of Thacker, who has written a further six travel books, will be familiar with the lighted-hearted approach he takes to writing and should not be surprised that Where's Wallis delivers some genuinely hilarious moments. As Thacker states "There's no danger of me asking deep and meaningful questions. I just want to know important things like where to buy beer and where the best beach is". Of course, there is (slightly) more depth to Where's Wallis, than that, with a modicum of historical information provided on the countries he travels through, as well as some dispensing of general worldly facts and knowledge.
Thacker himself comes across as a very likeable guy and certainly someone who you would want to have a beer with. In fact, many of the people he met did exactly that - although in Kyrgyzstan it was usually substituted for vodka! Sometimes what you're looking for in a book is a comforting and funny read that isn't too taxing. Where's Wallis delivers exactly that and is great reading fodder for whichever beach you might find.
Published in 2006, Where's Wallis (Travels without a guidebook) is an unpretentious and funny retelling of Thacker's experiences through this disparate group of countries. Each country runs to between 40 to 90 pages each, providing ample opportunity for Thacker to get himself lost and marooned, meet fascinating locals, ex-pats and royalty, get up close and personal with the wildlife and dodge the odd bit of civil unrest.
Fans of Thacker, who has written a further six travel books, will be familiar with the lighted-hearted approach he takes to writing and should not be surprised that Where's Wallis delivers some genuinely hilarious moments. As Thacker states "There's no danger of me asking deep and meaningful questions. I just want to know important things like where to buy beer and where the best beach is". Of course, there is (slightly) more depth to Where's Wallis, than that, with a modicum of historical information provided on the countries he travels through, as well as some dispensing of general worldly facts and knowledge.
Thacker himself comes across as a very likeable guy and certainly someone who you would want to have a beer with. In fact, many of the people he met did exactly that - although in Kyrgyzstan it was usually substituted for vodka! Sometimes what you're looking for in a book is a comforting and funny read that isn't too taxing. Where's Wallis delivers exactly that and is great reading fodder for whichever beach you might find.
May 21, 2011
NOTE: I DIDN'T CHOOSE THIS BOOK, BUT RATHER GOT ASKED TO REVIEW IT BY MY EDITOR WHEN I WAS WRITING FOR MY UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO NOW.
Just like the great explorers of the past, Brian Thacker is setting out on an adventure. He knows where he’s headed and how to get there and – well, that’s really about it! In a day and age where guidebooks are readily available on almost every country in the world, and information can be accessed at the press of a button via the internet, Thacker has gone old school. He’s chosen five rather unusual (and remote) destinations; São Tomé and Príncipe; Togo; Benin; Wallis and Futuna; and Kyrgyzstan. Haven’t heard of them? Neither had Brian Thacker.
“Where’s Wallis?” follows Thacker’s adventures from the middle of French-speaking Africa, where he meets the King of Togoville and spends the night in a hotel perched on stilts in the middle of a lake. To two remote Pacific Islands somewhere between New Zealand and Hawaii, where he spends a night on a tiny island inhabited only by pigs (the former (human) residents where eaten by cannibals 100 or so years ago). And finally he follow him as he stays in a yurt and goes eagle hunting in Eastern Europe.
“Where’s Wallis?” is a light and entertaining read. I’m not big on comedy, but I have to admit I did find myself laughing aloud at some points, however overall I felt the book was fairly average on the humour stakes. The book is well written and provides a very real account of what I can only imagine travelling without a guidebook must be like. While it didn’t inspire me to grab my passport and head off overseas, it was definitely worth taking the time to read, and provided a pleasant, if not satisfying, escape from reality.
Just like the great explorers of the past, Brian Thacker is setting out on an adventure. He knows where he’s headed and how to get there and – well, that’s really about it! In a day and age where guidebooks are readily available on almost every country in the world, and information can be accessed at the press of a button via the internet, Thacker has gone old school. He’s chosen five rather unusual (and remote) destinations; São Tomé and Príncipe; Togo; Benin; Wallis and Futuna; and Kyrgyzstan. Haven’t heard of them? Neither had Brian Thacker.
“Where’s Wallis?” follows Thacker’s adventures from the middle of French-speaking Africa, where he meets the King of Togoville and spends the night in a hotel perched on stilts in the middle of a lake. To two remote Pacific Islands somewhere between New Zealand and Hawaii, where he spends a night on a tiny island inhabited only by pigs (the former (human) residents where eaten by cannibals 100 or so years ago). And finally he follow him as he stays in a yurt and goes eagle hunting in Eastern Europe.
“Where’s Wallis?” is a light and entertaining read. I’m not big on comedy, but I have to admit I did find myself laughing aloud at some points, however overall I felt the book was fairly average on the humour stakes. The book is well written and provides a very real account of what I can only imagine travelling without a guidebook must be like. While it didn’t inspire me to grab my passport and head off overseas, it was definitely worth taking the time to read, and provided a pleasant, if not satisfying, escape from reality.
September 26, 2015
How much fun does Thacker always have on the road! He is one of them few travel writers you know you want to travel with, and this meandering voyage to places barely known on the map does not disappoint.
November 10, 2007
A wild romp through lesser-known parts of the world with Aussie traveler and author Brian Thacker, who has so far managed to get himself lost in 72 countries. Great fun!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews