The End of Elsewhere: Travels Among the Tourists - Softcover

Grescoe, Taras

3.61

99 ratings by Goodreads

9781852428679: The End of Elsewhere: Travels Among the Tourists

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1852428678 ISBN 13: 9781852428679

Publisher: Serpent's Tail, 2004

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?In the collective unconscious, the shore of dreams ? The Beach of Alex Garland?s backpacker utopia ? was uncommercialized, undiscovered by guidebook writers. And preferably, one suspects, uncontaminated by natives.? Hoping to discover what compels 700 million travellers to set out each year, Taras Grescoe embarks upon the well-worn tourist trail, armed with his trusty travel bibles ? the Michelin and Lonely Planet guides. He starts from the tip of Spain?s Land?s End, crossing the entire Eurasian landmass in 9 months, to reach China?s End of the Earth. Along the way he stumbles across English teenagers vomiting on the beaches of Corfu and beer-soaked Australians hollering from Contiki buses, smokes opium on hill-tribe treks in Thailand and visits the Window of the World theme park in Hong Kong. The End of Elsewhere combines a riotous on-the-road odyssey with a brilliant history of tourism, and is to be treasured by anyone who has been conned by ?authentic? travel.

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Review:

?The End of Elsewhere is the only kind of travel book possible today: at once enchanting and disenchanting. With rich and pungent prose, and a bite behind his smile, Taras Grescoe lays bare the highs and lows of wanderlust on our shrinking theme-park planet with an empathic scalpel.? Erik Davis, author of Techgnosis ?Grescoe weaves humour, anthropology and travelogue into an eclectic mix that makes The End of Elsewhere one of the most original travel books to come out in years. His perspective is fresh; his prose never dull or obvious? Globe and Mail ?The End of Elsewhere is a powerful indictment of contemporary tourism and, more fundamentally, it?s a cry against the West?s exploitation of the Third World in the era of globalization? Quill & Quire ?The greatest advantage of armchair travel is that you get to select your companions. Grescoe? could scarcely be a better guide? Vancouver Sun

About the Author:

Born in Toronto in 1966, Taras Grescoe has written articles on travel for The Times, Independent, Cond� Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times. His bestselling first book Sacr� Blues: An Unsentimental Journey Through Quebec won the Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-fiction and First Book Award, among numerous other awards. He lives in Montreal.

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