“Wood…focuses on the people and places he and Alberto encounter, which makes for great reading. Finally, Wood attempts to cross one of the world's most impenetrable borders: the Darién Gap route from Panama into South America, a notorious smuggling passage and the wildest jungle he has ever navigated. While contending with the region's natural obstacles like quicksand, flashfloods, and dangerous wildlife, he also witnesses the surreal beauty of local landscapes, from cascading waterfalls and sunny beaches to the spectacular ridgelines of the Honduran highlands. The relationships he forges along the way are at the heart of his travels-and the personal histories, cultures, and popular legends he discovers paint a riveting history of Mexico and Central America. Wood encounters indigenous tribes in Mexico, revolutionaries in a Nicaraguan refugee camp, fellow explorers, and migrants heading toward the United States. Barnaby Edwards narrates, bringing Wood's passion for travel to life and adding flashes of humor to the story with his portrayal of the good-natured Alberto.Levison Wood's famous walking expeditions have taken him from the length of the Nile River to the peaks of the Himalayas, and in Walking the Americas, Wood chronicles his latest exhilarating adventure: a 1,800-mile trek across the spine of the Americas, through eight countries, from Mexico to Colombia.īeginning in the Yucatán, Wood's journey takes him from sleepy barrios to glamorous cities to ancient Mayan ruins lying unexcavated in the wilderness. He weaves into his work brief history lessons of the areas he visits so listeners can better understand the present-day conditions, affording listeners unique insight into the Central America that tourists rarely get to see. Wood spends most of the time describing the culture, people, and natural wonders that he experienced. While they certainly faced struggles along the way, including snakes, torrential rain, and drug smugglers, the potential dangers they feared they might encounter during their journey were mostly avoided, even in the dreaded Darien Gap, which they passed through relatively unscathed. He is the author of two previous books, Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas, which won the 2016 Edward Stanford Adventure Travel Book of the Year Award. British explorer and photographer Wood chronicles his trip with traveling companion and guide Alberto as they attempt to walk through Central America. Levison Wood is a writer, photographer, and explorer.

The focus here isn't really on how the author accomplished such an incredible feat but, rather, how he enjoyed and appreciated each step of his journey and the remarkable landscape that surrounded him.

Walking the americas by levison wood