Slow Journey South

This was a quick breezy read when I needed one.

The first half of the book explains where the idea and the intent for the journey came from - a three year journey split into three parts, the first of which is covered in this book: Walking from London to Morocco (more specifically to M'Hamid El Ghizlane, in Morocco. The second part - to walk through the Sahara desert, and the third part is to walk to Cape Town. The second part is covered in Paula's second book Sahara, which I read around 12 years ago, and enjoyed more than this one. Bit of a spoiler at the start of that review if you intend on reading this one, but not really a big surprise spoiler!

But it isn't as simple as that, because between the inception and the departure were literally years - from memory one and a half years in Broome (where Paula and Gary lived) then the shift to the UK where they ‘definitely weren't going to stay in London', and something like 4 years in London trying to save the money for the trip. This first half of the book was only mildly interesting, as all the relationship drama, work drama and lack of saving is shared with the reader. What it mostly established was that the money would have been saved in a fraction of the time if any form of sacrifice was made, but it didn't appear there was much - Paula in particular drinks wine at a rate of consumption I struggle to comprehend, but also trips here, moving house to pay more rent there etc etc, making it pretty painful reading.

At the midpoint of the book, they set out from Trafalgar Square carrying an almost in human amount of equipment, having done almost no physical preparation, and relying on more wine consumption as painkillers each evening. The expected trials of long distance walking take their toll - extensive feet issues. We hear a lot about this, but it is the thread common to all they do.

It is a strange combination of willpower - the quite incredible willpower to pull on the enormous pack and start walking each morning, the similar willpower to keep walking all day, and the lack of willpower in spending the money they raised by mortgaging their house in Melbourne! For a trip in which they planned to camp they spend an inordinate number of nights in accommodation. Realistically their budget was never going to get them through part one of their trip with hotels and wine in these proportions.

This only an ok read, and although I can't recall the details of the second book it may have shown more development in writing after this one, or it could have been the Sahara travel was more appealing to me.

2.5 stars, rounded up.