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Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana are among the least-known places in South America: nine hundred miles of muddy coastline giving way to a forest so dense that even today there are virtually no roads through it; a string of rickety coastal towns situated between the mouths of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers, where living is so difficult that as many Guianese live abroad as in their homelands; an interior of watery, green anarchy where border disputes are often based on ancient Elizabethan maps, where flora and fauna are still being discovered, where thousands of rivers remain mostly impassable. And under the lens of John Gimlette—brilliantly offbeat, irreverent, and canny—these three sma...
Dolman Travel Book of the Year 2012 Between the Orinoco and the Amazon lies a fabulous forested land, barely explored. Much of Guiana seldom sees sunlight, and new species are often tumbling out of the dark trees. Shunned by the conquistadors, it was left to others to carve into colonies. Guyana, Suriname and Guyane Française are what remain of their contest, and the 400 years of struggle that followed. Now, award-winning author John Gimlette sets off along this coast, gathering up its astonishing story. His journey takes him deep into the jungle, from the hideouts of runaway slaves to penal colonies, outlandish forts, remote Amerindian villages, a 'Little Paris' and a space port. He meets rebels, outlaws and sorcerers; follows the trail of a vicious Georgian revolt, and ponders a love-affair that changed the face of slavery. Here too is Jonestown, where, in 1978, over 900 Americans, members of Reverend Jones's cult, committed suicide. The last traces are almost gone now, as the forest closes in. Beautiful, bizarre and occasionally brutal, this is one of the great forgotten corners of the Earth: the Wild Coast.
The Eastern corridor of the United States may be notorious for overdevelopment, but Curtis J. Badger offers a challenge in his The Wild Coast: Exploring the Natural Attractions of the Mid-Atlantic: get off the highway and go see what the mid-Atlantic states have to offer. A companion to both Virginia's Wild Side and A Naturalist's Guide to the Virginia Coast, this new volume takes the reader on more than two dozen frequently surprising excursions through five mid-Atlantic states, offering detailed adventures for travelers wishing to explore the undeveloped territory of the East Coast. With excursions ranging from sea kayaking at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, to a visit to the hawk observatory at Cape May, New Jersey, Badger's guide promises not only factual information on birds, butterflies, holly forests, and native plants but also an entertaining narrative that captures the excitement of exploring new territory. This guidebook to both wildlife and botany will appeal to anyone journeying along the eastern seaboard, particularly those interested in trading in their offices and armchairs for a taste of the unexpected and the wild.
The books in the Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series demonstrate the University Press of Florida’s long history of publishing Latin American and Caribbean studies titles that connect in and through Florida, highlighting the connections between the Sunshine State and its neighboring islands. Books in this series show how early explorers found and settled Florida and the Caribbean. They tell the tales of early pioneers, both foreign and domestic. They examine topics critical to the area such as travel, migration, economic opportunity, and tourism. They look at the growth of Florida and the Caribbean and the attendant pressures on the environment, culture, urban development, and the m...
A well-illustrated guide to BC's South Coast and the east coast of Vancouver Island, including history and geography. 10 distinct areas are identified with attractions, ecology, amenities, place names, landing and camp sites.
South Africa is a country on the move, with more and more travelers making their way to this fascinating land. This Rough Guide covers all the major sights in South Africa, from Table Mountain to the wildlife of Kruger National Park, plus a few surprises in between. 16-page color wildlife guide. 60 maps & plans.
An unforgettable story of resilience and resistance set during WWII and present-day France on a secluded island off the coast of Brittany Natalie Morgen made a name for herself with a memoir about overcoming her harsh childhood after finding a new life in Paris. After falling in love with a classically trained chef, they moved together to his ancestral home, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Brittany. But then Francois-Xavier breaks things off with her without warning, leaving her flat broke and in the middle of renovating the guesthouse they planned to open for business. Natalie's already struggling when her sister, Alex, shows up unannounced. The sisters form an unlikely partnership ...
[This book] is the first eye-witness account of Henry Miller's sojourn on the California coast - the years of The Rosy Crucifixion - and of his marriage with his third wife, Marta Lepska. In episodes sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, [the book] also show[s] a post-bohemian, pre-hippie community practicing an ethic of freedom - much of it centered around Murphy's Hot Springs, now the heart of Esalen Institute, of which [the author] was briefly the caretaker.... [The book contains] a previously unpublished ten-page letter from Henry, advising the [author] in his first attempt at a novel.-- p. [4] of cover.
In this coming-of-age novel, a young boy learns firsthand about the contradictions that bedevil the people of Guyana, including the legacy of slavery, the clash of cultural traditions, and the inhospitable terrain. Hector Bradshaw, a sickly child living in Georgetown, finds his life turned upside down when his family decides he would be better off living in the country and sends him away to the remote village of Tarlogie. Once settled there with his kind but old-fashioned guardian, Sister Smart, Hector struggles to make sense of his new community. As time goes by, he is given a dry colonial education, is puzzled by his guardian's fondness for moral precepts, and is fascinated by the harsh African vision of the old hunter Doorne. Above all, the boy struggles to feel at home in a world where nature--so beautiful and so tremendously dangerous--dominates the people's lives.
This book highlights classification patterns and underlying ecological drivers structuring the vegetation of selected indigenous subtropical forests in South Africa. It uses original field sampling and advanced numerical data analysis to examine three major types of forest – Albany Coastal Forests, Pondoland Coastal Scarp and Eastern Scarp – all of which are of high conservation value. Offering a unique and systematic assessment of South African ecology in unprecedented detail, the book could serve as a model for future vegetation surveys of forests not only in Africa, but also around the globe.