The Travel Gods Must Be Crazy: Wacky Encounters in Exotic Lands

Ever suffered the collective flatulence of eighty co-passengers while sailing on a serene Asian river? Or called out for rescue in true Bollywood style while locked up in a minaret in Persia? Or had to cross a pack of hyenas en route to the loo? Dreaming of glorious sunrises and architectural marvels in exotic places, Sudha often landed up in situations that were uproariously bizarre or downright dangerous. Tongue firmly in cheek, she recounts her journeys through the raw wildernesses of Borneo and the African savannah, into the deserts of Iran and Uzbekistan, and up the Annapurna and the Pamirs, revealing the quirky side of solo travel to side-splitting effect. Punctuating her droll stories with breathtaking descriptions and stunning photographs, Sudha invites readers on an unexpected and altogether memorable tour around the world! Sudha Mahalingam juggles a full-time career in energy with extensive travel, travel-writing and photography. As an energy economist, she researches, consults and advises on energy security, and lectures at India's premier institutions. Her work as full-time regulator of petroleum, energy member of the National Security Advisory Board, international trainer of regulators and visiting fellow in reputed international universities has taken her places and, sometimes, inveigled her off the map. Among other organizations, she has worked at the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, and has been senior fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. Sudha has published extensively on energy and travel in leading publications, including The Hindu, Indian Express, National Geographic Traveller, Economic Times, Tribune and Frontline. She speaks frequently on exotic destinations at the India International Centre, Delhi, and has held three photo exhibitions in the national capital. Sudha chronicles her travel impressions on her website at www.footlooseindian.com.