Walking the Himalayas

Travel advice from the Dalai Lama, wading across rivers with crocodiles swimming nearby, and surviving a horrifying car accident are all part of explorer Wood's (Walking the Nile) account of walking the Himalayas. His trek across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, India, Nepal, and the mysterious kingdom of Bhutan is less about the adventure and more about the people and cultures he encounters along the way. Nearly landing on a cobra, running from a landslide, and tracking a tiger provide excitement, but it's the ceremonies with mystics and shamans, meetings with religious leaders, chancing upon regional celebrations, and sipping tea with locals that make this voyage riveting. The author travels through parts of the world harshly misunderstood by the West and provides an insightful look into what many view as alien societies.