The Wayfarer: Stories from a traveler looking to experience real life in other countries

— —

Michael Gamerl

The Wayfarer

Stories from a traveler looking to experience real life in other countries

Michael Gamerl

$58.95 $49.74

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Mahalo Press
21 February 2025

Humour; Travel & holiday; Adventure holidays

Our travel philosophy is to try to experience a place the way a native would with the understanding that we are not locals. Everywhere we have gone, the residents have been part of our joy as we embrace the customs, food and idiosyncrasies of a particular place and see their excitement in our shared experiences - some good and some, shall we say, we hope not to repeat. Most often these wonderful encounters involve food and drink. I've said numerous times that nothing is more tied to a culture than its food and drink, so to see a country through our stomachs is really experiencing a country properly. Whether it's rotted shark in Iceland, fermented mare's milk in Mongolia or ambuyat in Brunei, the sheer delight in the faces of the locals while we push our way through some, ur, interesting fare is undeniably part of the fun.

Of course it's not just the food and drink, and we've shared in life-changing adventures that define who we are and how we want to live. It's these escapades that help us choose the next destination and drive us to do whatever is necessary to actually make it happen. How many people do you know who said ""I want to go to New Zealand"" after they saw Lord of the Rings and actually go?! How many Star Wars fans actually go to Tunisia to see Tatooine? As much as we can, we try to put words to action.

The Top 10 lists were inspired by my desire for brevity when it comes to writing. Sure, I can be longwinded while storytelling, but when I write, I try to just jot down a pithy phrase which I think is due to my short attention span when I'm reading myself. It's like I don't want to subject the audience to more words than necessary the same way I don't want to spend more time reading if I can avoid it. Whether I've accomplished that goal or not is another matter, but the attempt is to capture a moment, an experience or a subtle insight that this outsider gleans while trying to appreciate what a local does on a daily basis.

It is important to note that these are my experiences, memories and perceptions. I try not to embellish too much and I also rely on the input from our guides (official or otherwise), fellow travelers and friendly residents without worrying too much about fact checking their stories or confirming their assertions. In the end, these are my reflections and if there are inaccuracies it's not because of any devious intent or fraudulent scheme.

By: Michael Gamerl
Imprint: Mahalo Press
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 526g
ISBN: 9798218620387
Pages: 282
Publication Date: 21 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

About Michael GamerlMichael's first flight was to America. He was born in Okinawa, Japan, and came to the US when he was three and it is perhaps that early start to travel that became part of his DNA.He studied economics and had an opportunity to participate in a graduate program at the London School of Economics which he jumped at. This would mark the first and only time he lived abroad. Work and pleasure travel has taken him to many countries and those stints could be anywhere from a few days to one month, Michael is sure to get back to his home base in Laguna Beach between adventures.There wasn't a plan to check boxes like hit all of the continents or achieve some other goal except to say that as destinations were explored, new ones kept pushing the limit. Always a sucker for an opportunity (read: deal), trips would often fall into place without a worry that the immediate vacation would impact some other adventure. It is never taken for granted that travel is a privilege, but it is also a motivator to work hard and save up money for the next quest, and delaying a trip was simply not an option. Ever the economist, Michael would quickly notice how regular visits to Starbucks would equal a weekend trip to Baja Mexico. The priority to travel is always top of mind and trade-offs are easy to make when the larger goal is in view.This year marks the occasion of his 100th country visited and it is only fitting that this first collection of Top 10s be published now.