Dancing with Death: An Inspiring Real-Life Story of Epic Travel Adventure (Thirst for Life - Epic inspirational adventure memoirs)

I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 only because of the lack of maps which would be very helpful in locating the places discussed.I served with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Civil Affairs Group in Panamá during 1967-1969, where I had the opportunity to spend many days working with the Kuna on some of the San Blas Islands. One of my most rewarding experiences was to design and then help construct a water supply system for their Island of Ailigandi. At Ailigandi, I also had the opportunity to learn about Kuna society and culture. The Kuna live on the offshore islands of the San Blas Archipelago to be away from the malaria mosquitoes which are prevalent on the mainland. The women spent many hours each day, travelling by cayuco from Ailigandi to a mainland river, where they would collect fresh water in gourds. With some apprehension about the effect it might have on their culture by changing the women’s routine, I designed a system to pipe water from the mainland river to an elevated water tank which I arranged to have purchased with funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development. With another Army officer, I tested the river water and decided on the intake position. I arranged to have the assembled tank delivered to Ailigandi and set up by a large military cargo helicopter with tandem rotors. We oversaw the construction of the pipeline from the mainland to the island.I wanted to meet with village leaders about certain sanitary issues, and was invited to accompany missionary Dr. Gruver into one of the men’s council meetings. Dr. Gruver explained that I would be only the second white person to attend a council meeting on Ailigandi – quite an honor. Dr. Gruver explained that not too many years earlier, any white man who attempted to sleep on a San Blas island would be slain. The first thing I noticed was the largest American flag I ever saw mounted upside down on the back wall of the thatch Congress House, which was the largest structure on the island. Dr. Gruver explained that Panamanians had tried to invade the San Blas islands around 1925 to steal gold, etc., and the U.S. government provided assistance [including the destroyer mentioned in Chapter 7.] which, together with the Kuna uprising mentioned in Chapter 7, ended the incursions. The Kuna mounted the flag as a show of gratitude, but mounted it upside down as a way of saying they were independent of the U.S.The Kuna women make beautiful molas, which are artistic sewn panels made by appliqué and reverse appliqué. The molas are used to make the blouses worn by Kuna women, and are also a major export product. I asked Dr. Gruver one day how I could purchase some molas while on Ailigandi. Dr. Gruver took me to the center of the village, yelled “Mola, mola, mola,” then ran away leaving me alone. A mob of women quickly converged on me, jostling and shoving me and saying “Buy mine”. I purchased some truly beautiful ones for only $3.50 each (the asked price), each of which represented many hours of work. My wife and I had some mounted on special frames by a carpenter in Panamá City, and she made others into pillows. We treasure them to this day.We often contemplated what was represented by one of our molas, which appears to depict people-like creatures in a spaceship, wearing beanies with propellers on them. We recently learned that according to legends passed down through the generations the Kuna came down to Earth from a spaceship! [Chapter 7 discusses the Kuna mythology about their celestial origins.]Much later, in 2004, my wife and I went on a tour of Costa Rica and Panamá which terminated, after passage through the Panama Canal, in Colón on the Caribbean side of Panamá. As we were having dinner on the ship, we saw Kuna Indian women on the dock setting up their wares and trying to get our attention through the ship windows. We went out after dinner, and I surprised a Kuna woman by asking her name in the Kuna language. We switched to Spanish, and when she told me she was from Ailigandi I told her that I was the engineer who designed the water system for Ailigandi. She gave me a big hug and thanked me profusely. My concerns about cultural changes were allayed, when she explained that the women had been freed from their time-consuming trips to the mainland and were now able to devote much more time to making molas and other crafts for export, which has greatly helped their economy.

Talk about jumping off the deep end!!I’ve been on what I thought were bold adventures but this trip, “CASKE2000”, is insanely beyond my wildest dreams!The subtitle “An Inspiring Real-Life Story of Epic Travel Adventure” perfectly defines the book: Two men, three years, seven countries, 3000 miles…The Central American Sea Kayak Expedition 2000 is an inspiring journey of exploration, endurance, and self-discovery that takes Jean-Philippe Soulé and his travelling partner Luke Shullenberger from Baja California all the way to Panama”! This magnificently written book and is so action-packed and brimming with authenticity that it gives the reader a unique opportunity to vicariously travel right along with them!All the way to Costa Rica, Dancing With Death took me back to the days when I travelled throughout Baja and Central America by VW bus and/or dune buggy (three roundtrips from the US). The book intimately took me back to areas and even specific villages & beaches I had visited during the 1970’s in search of surf! I could feel the goosebumps as he relayed their frightening encounters with sharks, crocodiles and bandits, but nothing caught my attention more than their experiences with the dreaded and vicious no-see-ums! His description of these insidious nearly invisible, except for their swarm, blood-thirsty, flying insects, brought back vivid memories and actually startled me one night in my sleep to wake up scratching my arms and legs! What a nightmare… relived!Jean-Philippe’s passion to protect and preserve the environment and the indigenous cultures he touches along the way is clearly evident throughout his book. His vivid depictions were so precise that I could actually remember the smell of the salty sea breeze, the hot steamy air of the rainforests, not to mention the odoriferous stench of free-roaming farm animals in the villages.And on that note, I can’t wait for the movie LOL!Eric W.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have found that self-published books are quite often badly written and badly edited (if edited at all). (I am not prejudiced against self-published authors - I'm one myself.) This book is very well written, with some prose that is creatively poetic. Also, most adventure memoirs tend to devolve into "I did this, then I did that," with little reflection on the larger meaning (if any) of the accomplishments. Jean-Philippe does not fall prey to this: the book is replete with descriptions of his (and his partner, Luke) hopes, inner struggles and disappointments, fears, and motivations. Another thing I liked: Jean-Philippe and Luke were not trying to be the first at anything, trying to get from A to B in record time. I find these quests to be "the first" quite tiresome. And often absurd. How long will it be before we see this headline: Infant becomes youngest person to climb Mt. Everest.

If ever a book is crying out to be made into an action adventure film it is Jean-Philippe Soule’s memoir of kayaking through Central America. There are death-defying waves, man-eating sharks, dangerous bandits, malaria, and there is Jean-Philippe himself – ex-French special forces, champion free-diver, pilot, and crazy kayaker.Kayaking 3000 miles and seven countries in three years along the length of Central America; from Baja California on the Pacific coast, through Nicaragua on the Atlantic, into the swamp like interior in Honduras, as far as Panama City, is certainly crazy by normal standards. But there is a serious and important message in these adventures which goes way beyond the ‘because it’s there’ scenario.The expedition, which Jean-Philippe and his friend and companion Luke Shullenberger undertake, began as a mission to highlight the plight of Central America’s Indigenous peoples. It is clear that Soule is as passionate about this project as about his kayaking. The book is narrated by both men in turns, giving a varied and interesting perspective from two quite different characters.My only regret was that there were no maps showing the exact route the intrepid pair took as my old atlas is not sufficiently detailed to follow their travels. The accompanying photos bring the journey almost to life, though not quite as much as a film would.

This is an account of an extremely arduos kayaking adventure undertaken by two pretty normal people rather than headline grabbing adventurers and as such it is very interesting to learn of the dynamics and relative motivations between the two people. Jean-Phillipe is the relentless driven individual whereas as Luke is more layed back which doesn't always make for harmony.Driven people tend to be a bit pushy and as you might expect Jean-Phillipe has his big ideas about how he can help indigenous peoples and he's "going to get it done". As a reader I felt myself that at times I was also just "getting it done" reading the book and took a break.However, overall I found it an enjoyable and interesting read.

A thrilling book of real-life adventure. Being charged by a bull shark, kayaking a narrow canal guarded by crocodiles, living in fear of bandits, nearly drowning and suffering from malaria and dysentery didn't deter the author and his companion from completing their expedition. They kayak down the coast of Central America to Panama to document the life of the indigenous people to raise awareness of their cultures and the need to preserve them.I really enjoyed reading about what they found in a part of the world I know little about, but have to say I was glad it wasn't me doing it! Their stoicism and refusal to give up in the face of numerous setbacks is inspiring.I also liked the way the account alternates between the two friends giving you different perspectives.A must read if you enjoy the genre.

This is an account of a kayak trip first along the west coast of Mexico, and later the east coast of Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It took them three years to complete the trip, and it felt to me almost the same length to complete the book. Really it's way too long and repetitive with too much description of the same type of jungle, Mangrove swamp and sea. There are interesting historical and ethnic and racial facts but they are well hidden and it takes a lot of patience to ferret them out.

I am pleased that there are still people ready to explore less visited parts of the world and share their story. The story is told from two perspectives; Jean Philippe and his Luke, and both of them share the highs and lows of their ordeal/adventure.A gripping read which shared plenty fascinating cultural information overlaid onto a fascinating story.