"If you are a tourist you are here to sightsee, but if you are a traveler, you are here to absorb, change, and grow."
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Along the Way:
Journey with Chamba Lane by Chamba Lane Carl Mautz Publishing
book review by C.D.
The phrase "life is a journey" clearly comes to mind when defining the bohemian essence of Chamba Lane. Lane, or perhaps more fittingly referenced as Chamba, a name bestowed upon him by a Tibetan lama, was a consummate traveler, storyteller, and spiritual seeker. Above all, he seemed a quintessential student of life. Chamba's Along the Way is a fascinating autobiographical work. Reminiscent of a travel journal, with picture postcard character and charm, the author offers up an inspiring collection of stories that detail his all encompassing adventures across the globe. Through engaging recollections, readers witness his passionate immersion into new cultures, and a sharing of soul-searching life experiences. Whether describing a rare audience with a sacred Native American medicine man, or the intricacies of communal living on a Hawaiian farm, a nomadic rough ride across the Persian desert, or the dreamscape fantasies experienced in a Chinese opium den, Chamba's revelations are both candid and enlightening. While the quest for spiritual knowledge seemed a constant motivator for the author as he traveled the world, India in particular provided a key backdrop for his extensive yoga practices. In considering various schools of religious thought, he often pondered those with an Eastern sensibility.
This creative memoir is divided into numerous chapters, and each serves as a mini-travelogue of sorts, in highlight of a venture to a new destination. Many are artfully introduced with a black and white photo of Chamba. These images give a face to the spirit of wanderlust, and lend texture to the overall chronicle of Chamba's life throughout the decades. It seems ironic that an individual filled with such a lust for life would be diagnosed with terminal cancer, and within a month of receiving the news, succumbed to the disease. With the posthumous publication of his travel tales, it was Chamba's hope to inspire others to take chances, venture into the world, and "seek whatever the universe has waiting." A Journey with Chamba Lane seems a great place to start. Even for armchair travelers, it is a book to be savored, shared, and enjoyed.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review