Böcker av Mary Jane Walker

A brief pocketbook account of my visit to the Independent State of Sāmoa, with tips for other travellers. Despite living in New Zealand all her life and travelling to a hundred different countries, I had never been to Sāmoa, even though it is only a few hours from New Zealand by jet. Finally, in 2023, I caught up with these beautiful islands and wondered why I didn't do so earlier!

In this book, which follows on from 2019's The Scottish Isles: Part 1, Mary Jane Walker explores the romantic Isle of Skye and the vast archipelago of the Outer Hebrides where turquoise waters lap over white beaches reminiscent of the tropics. It's not the sort of thing you expected at 58 degrees north, and there are plenty of extra surprises in this exotic western realm.

I didn't know much about Lebanon before I went there. And am I glad I did! It's a little country with a big history, from the biblical cedar groves to bustling Beirut. Layers upon layers of history, from Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to Crusaders, Saracens, Turks and French, have built up this country, which is also the world's second most densely populated outside Bangladesh (small city-states like Singapore excepted). Yet it also has plenty of wild nature. From a hostel next to the historic Spanish Steps of Beirut, a city styled as the Paris of the Middle East, I explore the countryside, the ancient ruins, the birthplace of the poet Kahlil Gibran, and speak to representatives of Hezbollah, the militant group that controls parts of the country's interior. Lebanon is a fragile country, still getting over a 1975-1990 civil war and with its southern border the scene of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. But don't let that put you off visiting the country. And if it does, you can still read my book!

This short book, with photographs and links to blogs with more pictures, describes my adventures in Greenland, the great frozen but melting island east of Canada. Not all of Greenland is frozen, though, and some of it is green. I travel from the southern tip of the island, where conditions are fairly mild and where there used to be a Viking colony, to the frozen Ilulissat Icefjord north of the Arctic Circle, where I go dog-sledding before it melts. As recently as 1850 the icefjord held a permanent glacier, the Jakobshavn Glacier, which has now almost disappeared. By the author of The Neglected North Island: New Zealand's other half, IPPY Awards bronze medallist in travel 2021, and two other books that have come in as award finalists in travel writing competitions: A Maverick New Zealand Way and Iran: Make Love Not War.

A Nomad in Nepal and the Lands Next Door updates Mary Jane's earlier book, A Maverick Himalayan Way. With links to blog posts containing colour photographs and videos, A Nomad in Nepal and the Lands Next Door describes Mary Jane's three trips, so far, to Nepal and the Himalayan region. A little over a decade ago, Mary Jane knew almost nothing about the region. Since then, she has learned a lot. Delving deeply into Himalayan history, A Nomad in Nepal is also a mine of useful firsthand experience about guiding and trekking pitfalls and the politics of the region, all while describing epic treks in Nepal and visits to Sikkim, Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), Sringagar (Kashmir) and the exotic Chitral region of Pakistan as well, hard-up against Afghanistan, where the local Kalash tribe is menaced by the Taliban. A Nomad in Nepal describes three mountain treks in detail: the trek to Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna/Manaslu Circuit, and the Three Passes route. Mary Jane also describes her experiences climbing in the Hindu Kush mountains of Chitral. She stayed on a houseboat on the city lake of Srinagar, and was shown around the region by the family of a guide who calls himself Raj on the plans of India and Yaqoob in the mountains. In Chitral, she stayed with an erudite professor and his family, all the better to discuss the local situation. For a change of scenery, Mary Jane also visited the Chitwan National Park, in the steaming lowlands of Nepal, where tigers and the little-known Indian Rhinoceros abound, along with other curious creatures such as the sloth bear, which resembles a giant badger and carries its babies on its back.

In this book, Mary Jane explores Egypt, a cradle of civilisation described by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus as the 'gift of the Nile'. Mary Jane put off going to Egypt for years before she finally went. She's glad she did: there's so much more to Egypt than the pyramids! In her own words: "This is my twelfth travel memoir, Eternal Egypt: My Encounter with an Ancient Land, published in January 2020. I had travelled around the amazing and historic land of Egypt in 2018, and decided to write about my experiences."There are three main parts of Egypt that travellers and tourists visit: The Nile Valley down to the Mediterranean past Cairo; the Western Desert; and the Sinai Peninsula, with its Red Sea diving resorts. "In this book, I write about my personal encounters with the Nile Valley and the Sinai, with a big focus on Egypt's history: I'll be visiting the Western Desert later."The pyramids loom large in every sense, but there's more to Egypt than the pyramids!"Eternal Egypt also includes a great many photos and maps!"Amazon Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars, by Rebecca B. 'Worth a quick read!'Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2020"I liked this little book...its very short and like having an informal chat with the author. I was recently in Egypt for 3 weeks in January (2020!). I miss the country very much! I would never have traveled there alone, however. Some of the troubles the author ran into, would have never happened, and she herself said she should have planned ahead at the time. But, I think she got a much more personal and intimate view of the country than I did. If you're thinking about going to Egypt, GO! But book with a travel agency and not on the fly."By the author of A Maverick New Zealand Way, finalist in Travel at the International Book Awards, 2018.

This is a short book based on my visit to Cyprus, the island that copper's named after. A former British possession in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is divided into Greek-dominated and Turkish-dominated regions with United Nations troops in between. A surprisingly large amount of the island remains under the Union Jack as well. Cyprus is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and also famous since ancient times for its mines. Today the island thrives on tourism and a developed industrial economy. It suffers, however, from a strategic location in the Mediterranean, which has long made it a pawn for outside powers. Few countries combine so much scenery with so much history, all in one compact place!

A travelogue including Iranian history and its influence in the region.

Una Viajera Disidente es una introducción a una serie de historias de viajes no convencionales por la autora de Nueva Zelanda Mary Jane Walker. La historia comienza con un relato de un viaje épico en un velero Chino, seguido por la vida temprana de Mary Jane en Nueva Zelanda y sus aventuras posteriores en todo el mundo. Mary Jane tiene cinco libros publicados y más están disponibles. Mary Jane primero experimentó el viaje del mundo de una manera inusual, como parte del equipo en un velero Chino nombrada la Dame de Canton, el primer que se construirá en la vieja manera en décadas. La dama zarpó de Cantón, ahora Guangzhou, a París en los años 80 tempranos. Al igual que en los viejos tiempos de la exploración por la vela, el viaje tardó un par de años en completarse, con muchas paradas en el camino para el agua dulce y suministros, y, sí, para las reparaciones también. Mary Jane se unió a la expedición de velero porque ella se enamoró del capitán, Niels, y luego se encontró navegando bajo un estado de emergencia en la base americana en Diego García. Se habían quedado sin comida, comían arroz y bebían agua salada durante diez días. Las velas estaban rasgadas. Mary Jane viaja sin planes reales y decide dónde ir y ver a continuación cuando llegue allí. A ella le gusta explorar la cultura y la historia de los lugares que están fuera de los caminos trillados, así como lugares que son bien conocidos, y hablar con la gente local. En el momento en que se sentó a escribir sus libros, Mary Jane había viajado por el mundo, desde el círculo polar ártico para trabajar como guardabosques en una isla deshabitada administrada por el Departamento de conservación de Nueva Zelanda. Ella había atravesado dos años (sobre todo desnudo) en la Dame de Canton; té alucinógeno ebrio en la selva amazónica; y se perdió tanto que terminó en el escondite del mítico bandido Robin Hood. Entre otras aventuras, Mary Jane también ha caminado al campamento base del Monte Everest y ha visto el trabajo y la vida de los sherpas; observó respetuosamente la vida de muchas iglesias, templos y mezquitas; atravesó varias partes de los caminos de peregrinación del camino de Europa; explorado los impresionantes paisajes de Nueva Zelanda; visitó partes remotas del Ártico mientras estaba tirado por un equipo de perros; viajó por Cuba de la manera difícil; examinó la caída y la renovación de la ciudad del interior de Estados Unidos, y entrevistó a los manifestantes en pie de roca. Todo el tiempo, se ha reunido gente increíble a lo largo del camino. Su primer libro, Una Viajera Disidente, es el más autobiográfico de Mary Jane. Un viajero inconformista también introduce muchos de los viajes que Mary Jane describe en sus libros más últimos. Ya sea comiendo perro involuntariamente en Indonesia, conociendo al rapero 50 Cent antes de ser famoso en un Back-Packers, o pateando un submarino nuclear de Estados Unidos en Nueva Zelanda, un viajero inconformista está lleno de las historias y experiencias únicas de Mary Jane Walker. Mary Jane ha viajado a todos los rincones del mundo: a grandes ciudades, pueblos rurales y pequeñas islas desconocidas frente a la costa de los continentes.Una Viajera Disidente es el primero de los títulos de Mary Jane que se publicará en español. Para obtener más información, consulte: a-maverick.com

First published in February 2021, The Sensational South Island is the companion volume to The Neglected North Island: New Zealand's other half, judged 'Best Antipodean Cultural Travel Book 2021' by Lux Life magazine, lux-review.com. Both books expand on and update A Maverick New Zealand Way, which was a finalist in Travel at the International Book Awards, 2018. Mary Jane was born in New Zealand and constantly finds more to explore in her native land!

Kiwi adventurer Mary Jane Walker explored America by Amtrak Train, travelling one and a half times around the lower 48 states and stopping off in Hawai'i as well.The most memorable part of her trip was when she took the train to the Glacier, Grand Teton, Yosemite and Rocky Mountains National Parks before the snow hit. She nearly met a Grizzly Bear and now knows why Americans do not have to travel much worldwide, as they really do have it all in the USA.She went to to the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. She was impressed with Washington DC and Chicago. Charlotte, SC, on the other hand, seemed to be dedicated to car racing. In New York, she loved to stay in Red Hook, and went back there again.Another highlight was when she got invited to the pipeline protest at Standing Rock.This book is an update of Mary Jane's A Maverick USA Way, of which Amazon Top 100 and Hall of Fame Reviewer Grady Harp wrote that "This is one of the most satisfying travel books available today - sophisticated in content yet warmly personal, making the reader feel as though an accompanying companion on each journey. Highly Recommended."A Kiwi on the Amtrak Tracks is the latest book by the author of the IPPY award-winning Neglected North Island: New Zealand's other half and award finalists A Maverick New Zealand Way and Iran: Make Love Not War.