The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran

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Riotously Funny Race

Still in the traveling mood this summer?  Check out this book about an over-the-top, whirlwind, world tour.

The Ridiculous Race by Steve Hely and Vali Chandrasekaran is a funny memoir about two men racing each other around the world. It’s a bet to see who can circle the globe the fastest—without the use of airplanes. The prize:  A bottle of the best Scotch (Kinclaith, 1969). The competitors: Two television comedy writers.  The year: 2007.  The outcome: Hilarious! The starting point is Los Angles and Steve heads west while Vali heads east. This book is their outrageous travelogue noting their separate adventures in Mexico, China, Brazil, England, France, Ulaanbaatar, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Egypt, Italy, and more. They try new things: Segway tour through Paris, ride a horse in Mongolia, ride on the Trans-Siberian railroad, four-wheel in Dubai. And of course, they try new food. Steve tried duck in China. Maybe he should have skipped that one. One memorable moment in the book (and there were many) was when Steve got sick attending an opera in Peking.  Imagine, such a once-in-a-lifetime experience and here he is in the bathroom “in a frenzied head-shaking hurricane of violent vomiting.” I smiled and laughed my way around the world with these two jokers.  So did my husband.  We both gave it a thumbs-up for a ridiculously fun read. 

I got to do a whirlwind tour myself this summer. No, it wasn’t anywhere in Europe, South America, or Asia.  My tour didn’t require a passport.  I had no mishaps or jetlag. Instead of going to visit different countries, I was lucky enough to be invited on a garden tour. (Thanks, Cindy!!) What a wonderful day it was to be able to see the beautiful gardens people have created.  Unfortunately, Jonathan and Drew were not able to go with us, but I was able to share the pictures with them just as I will today.

Happy reading, happy travels, happy gardening!

Annette


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