[A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction]

Considering that travel or journey narratives are not my cup of tea, I found myself surprisingly engaged with Thor Heyerdahl's recount of his adventures on the sea. At times, it was even difficult to believe that it is not fiction, it really happened. From the conception of the idea to cross the Pacific in a raft till reaching one of the islands in Polynesia, it's an amazing story of man's persistence and endurance in the face of difficulties. In the beginning, the story basically read along the lines 'if something can go wrong, it will'. As the six men set out to cross the ocean on a single raft, the author spoils the reader not only with the recount of everyday life on the sea but also insights into the history and culture of different nations and places. It's well written with a healthy dose of humor and suspense to make you want to read on. All my fears of not being able to finish the book because I'll find it too boring were totally unfounded and dismissed. Finally, I could not help but compare my own experience at sea this summer with some of the situations our main heroes were having on board of Kon-Tiki. It was in no way comparable, but it did bring back nice memories.