Cape Earth

by David Fletcher

Published 1 August 2013
Cape Earth is yet another day-by-day account of an expedition made by Brian (of Brahmaputra fame), together with his wife, Sandra, this time to the ten-island archipelago of Cape Verde. It follows the same format as the preceding books in the series in that it weaves together an informative, factual account of this mid-Atlantic nation with Brian’s irreverent provocative commentary on its culture, its history and its place in the world.
However, Cape Verde is like no other country on the planet, and this book consequently is like no other in the series.
The book describes the couple’s travels to the main island of the archipelago, Santiago, their visit to the ‘desert island’ of Boa Vista, and then their visit to the ‘holiday island’ of Sal. It therefore provides an insight into the pressures posed by the population and ‘development’ in three very different situations, to say nothing of further insights into such matters as the impact of an incessant wind, the behaviour of husbands when their ambitious driving plans lead them and their wives into perilous situations, and the difficulties endured by these husbands when they are unable to synchronise the arrival of hotel food with a bottle of wine.
It is the fouth book in David’s seven-part series that details Brian and Sandra’s travels to Assam, Syria, Borneo, Cape Verde, Namibia/Botswana and Morocco – and in due course, Zambia. 

Sabah-taged

by David Fletcher

Published 1 August 2013
Sabah-taged is a further day-by-day account of an expedition made by Brian (of Brahmaputra fame), together with his wife Sandra – this time to the Sabah province of Borneo. It inevitably has similarities to the preceding books in the series (A Syria Situation and Brian on the Brahmaputra) in that it details not only the factual aspects of their excursion, but also Brian’s irreverent thoughts on all he observes.
However, because Sabah has a unique mix of tropical flora and fauna, a unique situation in terms of its ‘development’ and a unique mix of peoples, it is actually a very different book indeed.
The book describes Sabah’s wonderful natural environments and how these are under threat – or how they have already disappeared thanks to the ‘palm-oil’ rush. It paints a picture of its new holiday destinations, both on the mainland and on its offshore islands. It also provides a provocative insight into its local culture and its local cast of characters – whether of the endemic variety or otherwise. Sabah-taged therefore encapsulates such diverse topics as the joys of montane forests, the behaviour of orang-utans, the etiquette of sunbathing, the limited fashion potential of leech socks and the Darwinistic view of the development of Muslims and non-Muslims in a faith-focused world.
It is the third book in David’s seven-part series that details Brian and Sandra’s travels to Assam, Syria, Borneo, Cape Verde, Namibia/Botswana and Morocco – and in due course, Zambia.