De Engelse Lois Pryce (1973) deed waar veel mensen van dromen: ze zegt haar kantoorbaan op en gaat op reis. Slechts gewapend met de Spaanse woorden voor 'voorzichtig' en 'kaas' reist ze in haar eentje op haar motor van de meest noordelijke punt van Alaska naar de meest zuidelijke plek van Zuid-Amerika.
Lois onderweg is het fascinerende verslag van een verbazingwekkend avontuur, waarbij Lois beren tegenkomt, smeergeld moet betalen om een grens te mogen oversteken, overnacht in een Mexicaans bordeel en een motorongeluk krijgt in de wildernis van Patagonië.
Lois Pryce maakt een slechte weg tot een vrolijke onderneming. Ze weet hoe ze een goed verhaal moet vertellen, en haar lichtvoetige verslag verhult bijna het lef, het doorzettingsvermogen en de moedige onafhankelijkheid die ten grondslag liggen aan haar keuzes. Geweldigl' - Ted Simon, auteur van Jupiters reizen
Meng bijtende Engelse humor met één Japanse Yamaha-motorfiets en je krijgt dit verhaal vol avontuur over een onverschrokken vrouw’ - Wendy Dale, auteur van Avoiding Prison And Other Noble Vacation Coals

Lois Pryce is a bit of a motorcycle nut. Stuck in a bit of a dead end job at the BBC she dreams of climbing on her bike and riding off into the sunset. But where to go? A chat with a friend called Austin, and the beginnings of a plan are hatched; he advises having a solid route to follow, so after some deliberation she decides on the not insignificant route of Anchorage in Alaska all the way down the Pan American Highway to Ushuaia in Argentina.

A 250cc Yamaha bike is acquired and she starts the logistical details that needs to get her from the UK to Alaska as well as the packing and numerous other details. But it isn’t long before she is ready and stepping onto the plane for an adventure of a lifetime. There was only one minor detail that she never quite got to in her preparation, the Spanish language… Her route would be cover all terrains from snow to desserts, vast plains to the high Andes, suburbia to wild jungles as well as passing significant landmarks like the Golden Gate bridge and the Panama Canal. And there would be bears too. Mostly travelling alone, Lois was joined for some of the route but a French girl called Rachel, which was handy as she could speak Spanish and in South America by an obnoxious girl called Amalia. She either camped, or stayed with friends or people who had offered accommodation or mechanical support for the bike as it ground out the miles.

It is an enjoyable read overall. Pryce writes in a chatty style, and is not afraid to say what she is thinking of a place or person. It is amusing at times too, they check into a hotel in Mexico, only to find later that it is a brothel, and whilst it it is not funny at the time, it does make for entertaining reading when you consider the farcical border control that some of these countries have. It isn’t the best motorcycle travel book I have read, but was still worth reading nonetheless. ( )

Fun and gritty True story of a women's love affair wilth both traveling and motorbiking. Lois is sick of her 9-5 job and decides to combine her love of motorbiking, with travel, planning a long ride from the top if the United states to the bottom. The book is exiting, with romance , tragedy and action, with the thrills and spills of travelling as a lone woman (occasionally with companions) , through some remote areas of the Americas. ( )

Riding from Alaska to the bottom of South America this is an epic trip across cultures, language and the best parts of travel. Meeting unique people and seeing stunning parts of the world this is what travel is all about.

It's refreshing to have a woman on the road as well who is level headed and passionate about what she's doing. This makes me want to jump on a motorbike and disappear off to the horizon! ( )

Fun read for armchair travelers. ( )