"A mochilero changes beds almost every night, but every place he rolls his sleeping bag open is home."

I live in an area in Central America where a lot of Israeli backpackers (AKA "mochileros") come, so I was interested to read the story of one (Yossi Ghinsberg) whose journey turned into a nightmare. 

The beginning of the story enlightened me a bit about the Israelis' strong motivation to backpack after their mandatory military service and the incredible support system that awaits them throughout the world (particularly South America...and definitely in my community).  

While bound for Machu Picchu in Peru, Yossi got sidetracked by a hunger for adventure and gold. The result was a 20 day fight for his life in the Bolivian jungle. 

There were four main characters in the story — Yossi, an American backpacker named Kevin, a Swiss backpacker named Marcus, and a suspicious older Austrian named Karl. Not one of them was likable. The former three were all 20-somethings with an abundance of unrealistic optimism and a serious lack of wisdom...the latter was, at the very least, a sociopath and very likely a psychopath. It kinda detracts from a book when you're constantly wanting to (figuratively) smack the characters upside the head!

In the first half of the story, not a whole lot happens so it drags a bit. But, once you hit the halfway point, it pulls you in. Living inside of a house in a tropical area has been mildly harrowing for my partner and I, so I had a fairly good idea of Yossi's painful experiences.

This is a quick and interesting read that will fill you with gratitude for your dry bed and kitchen full of  food.