Just like little black dresses, travel styles can be high fashion or low budget. You've probably figured out that yours truly is partial to luxury hotels with plush mattresses and well-stocked mini bars. And, then there are travelers like Jamie Maslin. Even cheap hotels aren't on his itinerary - he is part of a worldwide community of adventurous travelers that prefer CouchSurfing. These trusting souls connect online and then stay gratis at the home of a virtual stranger. Maslin chronicles his CouchSurfing highs and lows in his new book Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens: A Couchsurfer's Memoir of Venezuela. (SkyHorse Publishing, $24.95.)
When I was asked to review Socialist Dreams and Beauty Queens, I jumped at the opportunity. I am an avid reader of travelogues and I've never read any travel memoirs about Venezuela. I really wanted to learn more about this South American country of turbulent politics, plentiful oil, cultural riches, and surgically-enhanced buxom beauty queens - Maslin explores all of these topics. And, maybe, the book would give me some insight into my Venezuelan-American ex-boyfriend.
Maslin is no stranger to extreme travel: his previous book, Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn chronicled his adventures hitchhiking from England to Iran. (He has been banned from re-entering the Islamic Republic of Iran.)
I am halfway through Socialist Dreams and I often find myself yelling at Jamie as if he were my knuckle-headed little brother. Really, Jamie you decided to leave your home in London and CouchSurf through Venezuela but it did not occur to you to learn some basic Spanish, something simple yet important like, where is the telephone? And Jamie, you really did not think to consult a dictionary to make sure that you would receive the correct medication at the hospital instead of an unneeded vaccine? Oh Jamie.
Even a brief but scary stint behind bars, after an unpleasant encounter with some corrupt cops, doesn't stop Jamie and this tenacity leads him to discover Venezuela's breathtaking natural beauty, including waterfalls, jungle plateaus, and the famous lightning that appears suddenly in the sky with no rain or thunder. Most importantly, Jamie's experience CouchSurfing is a reminder that the magic in travel comes when we connect with other people and that as humans we have tremendous capacity for generosity and kindness. With that said, I still have no intentions of CouchSurfing - I prefer talking to strangers while sightseeing and then returning to my room at the Ritz - call me crazy!
And, in case you are wondering, I did learn something about my ex-boyfriend: apparently, he is the only Venezuelan man that can't dance.
