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Independent Playak Book Review: African Veins

Intro

The book arrived via the mail and when I opened it at home I thought that I would glance over it and get a feel for it. Didn't work out that way: 90 pages later I took a break.

Content

African Veins is a series of short stories, mainly by South African paddlers, as they paddle around Africa and the globe.

I took a couple of weeks to get through the book as I kept going back to check on things and just for the fun of it. I found the book to be a great, easy read that has something for every level of paddler and plenty for those that travel and stay dry. Most of the paddling takes place in Africa but there is a great story of Africans out of their depth on the slightly colder waterways of Alaska. Having spend my life very close to the Arctc Circle and north of it I could really feel for them and found it all quite funny. That compares to me meeting my first hippo or crocodile...

Some pictures would have been a great asset but considering the stories came from such a large number of sources it would have been very difficult.

I was also pleased to find some stories in the book with people I have met via the web and so it was like visiting friends.

Conclusion

This book is a great and easy going read that has something for everyone and some great stories from the beginning days of kayaking in south Africa.

I'm sure that Volume 2 will be just as great and can hardly wait to have a crack at it.

This book would be at home on any paddler's shelf or in their drybag on those longe trips.

Where to buy

The book is not available in any online shops yet, but you can contact Celliers (Mr Fluid) through the Fluid website to order a copy. It will also be available through selected Fluid dealers and distributors.

For Playak,
Greg