Gringo Trail: Amazon.ca: Mark Mann: Books

Product Description

With little more than backpacks and desire for adventure, Mark Mann and two friends set out on an expedition through Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia, submerging themselves in Latin culture. Through dense forests, daunting mountains, and pristine beaches, the trio makes its way - in a drug-induced haze. Soon the drugs become an all-consuming addiction that changes the lives of Mann and his friends forever. This is an engaging travelogue and frank memoir evokes the magical realism of South American literature. "Darkly comic, ultimately shocking, and packed with astute observations." - Geographical

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
Mark took his last seventy mushrooms on the plane from London to Quito. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars 'ey gringo, is no' so bad man!!!!, Jun 16 2004

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Martial Arts Fan "Ving Tsun Newbie" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gringo Trail (Paperback)

For those of you who like your travel experiences to be wild and exciting, 'The Gringo Trail' has to be worth a read. Mark Mann cleverly strings together his experiences of travelling in Latin America, with astute cultural observations and hair raising experiences. From hold ups on public transport, to drug fuelled mayhem and Shamanism, Mann gorges himself on all the diversity that South america has to offer. An enjoyable read, sure to be exchanged on the travelling circuit for many years to come!!!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Obviously divides opinion - but I loved it!, July 10 2003

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stpedrotraveller (Colombia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gringo Trail (Paperback)

Judging by the other reviews, this is a book you either love or hate. Well, I loved it! For me, this book captured the feeling of backpacking better than any I've read (far better than The Beach, for sure), and the evocative descriptions of the places on the Andean 'gringo trail' are spot on. It's also funny, and the story of the three main characters is far more than just 'a diary' of their trip, as it moves subtly towards the book's climactic episode. In short, backpackers and would-be backpackers should definitely read this book - especially if you've been to, or have any interest in visiting, South America.

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2.0 out of 5 stars The Gringo trail just didn't hit the mark, man, May 12 2003

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Matt (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gringo Trail (Paperback)

I must admit I had to read this in one sitting. Not for the fact that I liked it, but unfortunetly I have a habit of once starting a book, no matter how bad, I have to finish it. And I needed to finish this one pretty quickly. I did like Marks love of the continent, but that wasn't enough to keep the story together. It was almost like reading my sisters diary when a child, but without the secrets, gossip and intrigue. And that's all this was - a diary, speckled with historical snip bits. The trouble with diaries that are published as stories is they lack the beginning, middle and end needed to satisfy the reader. To be fair, I could have forgiven him for missing the first two out. The Gringo Trail is a collection of experiences that fail to deliver on their promises of excitement and discovery, and makes you end up wishing Mark had made it up instead. Which I'm sure he is very capable of doing. Some true stories are well worth telling, and this is one of them... but more in the pub than published sense.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars ...or, "what I did on my summer vacation"
This author writes "By 1492, after trying for 800 years, Ferdinand and Isabella had finally expelled the Moors from Spain." Wow. Read more

Published on Feb 3 2003 by daddyfatsaccksssss

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gringo Trail
DJ Wheeler needs to get a life (see review below), girlfriend or both.
The Gringo Trail is one of the most interesting books I've read in ages. Read more

Published on Oct 2 2002 by robert sultan