| Is There a Hole in the Boat?: Tales of Travel in Panama without a Car | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 862804
Category: Book
Author: Darrin Duford
Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc.
Studio: Booklocker.com, Inc.
Manufacturer: Booklocker.com, Inc.
Label: Booklocker.com, Inc.
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 196
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6
ISBN: 159113997X
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9781591139973
ASIN: 159113997X
Publication Date: June 16, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Darrin DuFord hikes, bribes, and barters his way across Panama, an overlooked filament of the tropics. Sampling barbecued jungle rodent and corn homebrew, DuFord encounters a land where the machete can slash through just about anything, —except the nation''s spirit.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Delightful, entertaining, informative book, highly recommended June 9, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Whatever the genre, I enjoy books that intrigue my mind and engage my emotions in unexpected ways. This ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Finalist managed to intrigue and engage in the first page and didn't let up until the last word. Darrin DuFord shares a charming account of his Panamanian travels, through vivid descriptions of the country's topography, humorous details of his attempts to accept each new experience, and respectful acceptance of the cultural differences. As indicated by the title, this is NOT a dry how-to, where-to travelogue.
DuFord deliberately set out to travel Panama as the natives do. By land, he hikes, bribes and barters his way from place to place in colorfully painted buses, dilapidated taxis and pick ups. By river and sea he crams his American frame into dugouts made for natives half his size, forced to bail water from leaky boats. Other times, he experiences the unique flora and fauna on foot with native guides who take delight in pointing out poisonous snakes and spiders and rats as big as cats. DuFord meets all the biting wildlife you can imagine close up. For nourishment, he bravely eats and drinks whatever the natives offer, delicacies not found in the North American diet.
Except for the Canal Zone, most of Panama is a land without Western amenities. Potable running water is a luxury. Public transportation is a raucous adventure. Areas of clear cut rainforest deplete native food sources at an alarming rate. Still, Panama's people are hopeful and adaptable, cheerful, warm and welcoming. From native kings to sly guides to scientists, the stars of DuFord's travels are the people he meets along the way.
This author's writing style is personable, his book delightful. Readers will learn a lot about Panama and its people, and enjoy themselves immensely in the process.
DuFord's words transport us to another world May 31, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Is There a Hole in the Boat" is an excellent travel narrative about traveling in Panama like the Panamanians do, without a car. It is not a book detailing the best hotels, best places to get a cold beer, or even the best shops to buy embroidered "molas." Instead, Darin DuFord paints a portrait of Panama, her people, her national pastimes, and even her iguanas.
Through his loose collection of stories compiled in book form, DuFord explores Panama beyond her famous canal. He takes us on this journey in a series of different vehicles, including of course a leaky boat. He shows it to be a place of leaky boats and sandals stuck in the thick mud. But more than that, he shows it to be a place rich in human culture. In one chapter, he takes us to visit a tribal king. In another chapter, he takes us to a man named Polo who lives alone on an island. He calls himself, "the Roughest Man on the Beach," but he cooks dinner for anyone who visits his home. He also provides an inexpensive place to sleep, making his beach popular with backpackers who venture there by boat.
DuFord shows himself to be a clearly talented writer. He does what few nonfiction writers can do. His words transport us to another world. "Is There a Hole in the Boat" is a real treat. Now, I want to visit Panama!
Not your typical travel book April 30, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Is There a Hole in the Boat? is the authors account of traveling through Panama using the same transportation methods that are used by the locals. Those methods of transportation include bus, by foot, riding in the back of trucks through paved and unpaved roads. The author introduces us to Panama's history, ecology and the indigenous people of the country as well.
This book is about his experiences and discoveries made while traveling Panama on three seperate occassions. DuFord mixes with the locals, samples everything, the food, drink and experiences their cultures, observes the peoples everyday lives and participates in their traditional celebrations.
Darrin DuFord writes his accounts with vivid descriptive detail, making this a engaging read. This is not to be confused with your normal travel guide of rating places to stay and eat. DuFord takes us on a journey into the lives and cultures of the Panama people and makes this both an enjoyable as well as an educational reading selection.
 Add to your reading list April 4, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Reviewed by Lisa Kisner for ReaderViews (3/07)
Darrin DuFord tells of traveling through Panama using the same transportation as the local people. He travels by foot, bus, and in the back of pick-up trucks across miles of paved and unpaved roads. In his travels he immerses himself, and the reader, in the multiple cultures to be found in Panama, some of which remain indigenous. Sampling the many foods and drinks of the cultures while observing everyday life and participating in some traditional celebrations, the author shows that there is much more to Panama than the Panama Canal. Along the way, the author also touches on some of the issues facing the Panamanian people, such as the destruction of the jungle and the declining iguana and lobster populations.
Mr. DuFord has a style of writing that brings the landscape to life and makes even the most questionable meal, such as bush rat, sound delicious. He makes you feel as if you are experiencing Panama along with him and gives you enough of a taste of a lesser-known Panama to make you want more. The reader will enjoy his descriptions of riding on the Panamanian public buses as much as when he meets the King of the Naso people or when he visits a hermit who lives alone on island. You will appreciate the ease of traveling in the United States, traffic, potholes and all, once you read the entertaining descriptions of the his trips across the country, yet, at the same time, you will find yourself wanting to take those same journeys in order to get to know the real Panama.
Mr. DuFord gives the reader a glimpse into Panama and the people who call it home. If you are interested in travel or other cultures, add "Is There a Hole in the Boat?" to your reading list. You will not be disappointed.
Panama Culture and Cuisine February 25, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Darrin DuFord's tales of wanderlust provide an invigorating read as he explores untamed lands and weaves in historical details to give context. Curiosity leads him to new discoveries in this travelogue filled with stories of hunting and fishing in a wild terrain. As he paints a vivid picture of life in Panama, his writing reveals an exotic tour of culinary feasts.
He drinks a lemongrass tea, quenches his thirst with sea grapes and samples exotic fruit shakes. The villagers' love of music gives him opportunity to exchange his band's CD for a boat ride and he learns how to barter and survive through creative means. The stories of fishing tilapia made me hungry as he describes everything from the boat ride to the final preparation and delicious feast.
Many of the most intriguing stories include details of the lives of the villagers and how they survive, even in places where they must find creative means to obtain water. A journey to find a fresh palm heart from a tree becomes as much an adventure as stories of medicine men, ancient curses, celebrations and trips to a famous hermit's beach hideout. Villagers must travel to the city to check their email and they seem to face their life challenges with a sense of humor and patience.
Darrin DuFord's powers of description glow with a precision that creates flashes of images in the mind's eye making this as visually stunning and creatively intoxicating. As an extremely talented travel writer, his articles have also appeared in The Panama News and Transitions Abroad. His latest recipes and articles can also be found on his website "Omnivorous Traveler." I can highly recommend this to you if you enjoy culinary adventures and vivid descriptions of exotic locales.
~The Rebecca Review
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