Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific (Paperback)

Besides, If he was happy all the time it would be boring...

Unfortunately such fleeting encounters as Theroux describes, are no substitute for being a part of the region from birth. Had Theroux taken time to study the South Pacific in a space-time field that has its origins in the region, he would get to a better understanding of the local peoples, and would have done justice to the local people and provided a better return on the reader's investment.

The book reads like fiction due its abundance of inaccuracies: "...Indians who never drank kava... Fijian men did little else but squat around a bowl and guzzle it". These statements are blatantly wrong! Also, "[Fijians] ... tended to prefer porky Chinese food over Indian curries."- Ch. 12. I would ask Theroux how many Fijian homes he had visited and dined within?

Unfortunately, Theroux misses a fundamental truism of the South Pacific peoples - be they indigenous or a descendent of colonial implants - they are extremely reserved people. Their friendliness and amiability may be apparent at the first encounter, but to really get know their thoughts, one needs to spend extended periods of time within relatively small communities.

There's almost a hint of jealousy that folks in the South Pacific can prosper and are socially, technically and academically progressive, despite the 'seemingly carefree' attitude that they exhibit. This results in expositions that are frequently punctuated by arrogance and racism on the part of the author.

It does make for entertaining reading, hence the two stars. However, it is not objective, as travel journals need to be, and is far from the truth that one would encounter. Visit the South Pacific and find out for yourself !

It took me all those 2 years living fully immersed within Fijian culture and among an interesting( and it must be said oddly racist, even amongst themselves) bunch of humans as one is ever likely to meet - to start to make sense out of their very complicated ways and mores. Paulie T. got to the crux pretty much immediately.

Personally, I got to hate running into locals who had recently encountered tourists - as it always made interactions more complicated for me. Thus American, Aussie and Japanese toursists were a big headache for me. They would over pay for everything and scamper about scantily clad - tweaking at the Fijian moral compass, developed, ironically, directly from the teachings of those good ol' late 1800's Christian missionaries - who, at least had a hand ;-) in helping Fijians stop eating each other.

He nailed the Fijian culture - and I am assuming he does the same to the others described. Who said traveling was pretty? Sure, it can be if one takes great care to insulate oneself from the local actualities - but where's the fun in that?!

I travel to see how the rest of the world lives. Although, one time I went to the b.v.i. to lay about on the beach completely cut off from reality - and you know what? THAT ain't half bad either!