Dreaming of Jupiter

Much better than the the documentary film. In this book Ted Simon is at his most self revealing. A sensitive look at his own reality at 70. He doesn't just live his life, he savors it. I've followed his journeys with great interest and have enjoyed the maturation of his writing and his own coming to grips with his age as he lays out yet another even more adventurous journey. It is not only the journal of his 2d RTW journey, it is a journal of his own continuous self-discovery at 70 that makes this book so enjoyable. As a biker, I appreciate the details of the adventure he shares. As a man of 65, I feel he faces the struggle of balancing his zest for life with the inevitability of aging, head-on. Ted is self effacing, quite humourous, and brutally honest.... I raise a glass to him.

Ted this time is naturally unable to find the same joy seen thirty years ago. yet he plods on finding himself too old to ignore the little issues of comfort and threat. he has a world he loves and knows now and wants to stay. so without abandon this time he confronts the trip and learns life goes on for humans, even if not more happily. the writing is still florid and amusing. His style has not changed and is worth the read for the same reason his journey was.

If you like motorcycles and adventure touring - or you're an arm-chair adventurer like myself, you should enjoy this book. A follow-up to Simon's original 'Jupiter's Travels', it follows some of the same routes and uses a similar format as the original book. What's missing is the naivete, and unassuming character that Ted represented in his first book. This time out, we have a more worldly and experienced Ted who is continually comparing this trip with the conditions he experienced on that initial trip. Also, to be honest, this is less about motorcycles than it is about a personal journey with the motorcycle just representing a simple mode of transportation that occasionally represents some logistical problems. More intriguing is the different cultures and people that Ted meets along the way. All-in-all a good read and a worthy successor to the first book.

Having read the predecessor book Jupiter’s Travels years ago, I was very pleased to come across this telling of the repeat 2 year journey the author began at the age of 70. Ted Simon is a gifted story teller and you will feel that you are experiencing the round the world journey along side him. His journeys have inspired multitudes and relate some of the very best and worst human behaviors. It ultimately serves as a cautionary tale of human “progress” observed between the three decades between his journeys.

This book expands on the tale of Ted Simon's journey that he begins in Jupiter's Travels. Mr. Simon's ability to capture sights, sounds, and even smells, in very few words makes you feel like you are right there with him. He is not afraid to share his own frailties, which humanizes the tale well beyond what a typical travel journal would detail. More importantly, Mr. Simon expounds on how he overcomes the numerous adversities he encounters to create an adventure of a lifetime. His ability to endure hardship is remarkable, and provides a lesson for the rest of us on ways that we can truly grow as human beings. A wonderful read!

I really enjoyed this book. I think I even liked it better than the first a little. It was very interesting seeing him revisit some of the same places many years later as well as some things from his first journey that were not in the first book. It was great reading them both back to back.

He spends more time meeting people, friends and friends of friends than traveling.

It was nice to see to contrast in the world between 1974 and 2000- 01 , and if that trip was to happen now imagine the change. There was also the aspect of a 70 y/o man completing what is with out a doubt an epic journey. I would love to see the video footage that was shot , even though it was staged I think it would be a great way to flesh out the book experience as there were no photos in this installment for reference. In closing this is a must read for any one who was transported by Jupiter travels

Sono stato stregato da Jupiter's Travels, che mi ha portato a leggere i libri di molti autori/viaggiatori inglesi in lingua originale. Dreaming of Jupiter è il racconto di un viaggiatore/pioniere che torna sui suoi passi, ripercorrendo in moto il percorso del suo primo epico viaggio, quando molti suoi coetanei generalmente ricevono un orologio dalla azienda per cui hanno lavorato 40 anni ed iniziano a pensare a come viziare i nipotini. Simon cerca di ritrovare e ritrovarsi in questo viaggio, con punte di amarezza e di gioia che trascinano il lettore in riflessioni molto simili, specialmente se chi legge ha passato gli '-anta'. Lo stile di Simon (in lingua rigorosamente originale) è asciutto, ma raffinato, segno di una crescita ed evoluzione come autore che non si è mai fermata. Io ho amato anche questo libro, e sono sicuro che lo amerete anche voi se, come sospetto, quel speciale connubio fra moto e viaggio vi fa vibrare qualcosa nel cuore!

Ergreifend

Dreaming of passions is done by everyone but living one's passion is something which mostly doesn't go beyond dreaming. Ted Simon dreamt and lived his passion with style, that too with an encore

After reading Jupiter Travels I have read many more books by different authors of their experiences when riding around the world. From what I have read most of the stories follow a very similar vein as Ted's first book. For me reading Dreaming of Jupiter was a book based on observations and I found it very interesting. We all know the world is changing dramatically, but to have the comparison from one person's experience is very refreshing and scary at the same time. Anyone who reads these books obviously has a pang for world travel, so don't just read about it. Get on your bike and give it a go even if it's only for a week or two. Enjoy your own journey. Safe travels.

Gracias, Ted, por ser tan inspirador y por contar las cosas tan bien y de manera tan sencilla y completa. Gracias por ser mis sentidos por el mundo. Cada relato es más interesante que el anterior. Solo echo de menos que cuentes más pijadillas técnicas.