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Bus Journey Across Mexico
A 38 day bus journey through the colonial heart of Mexico, with vivid descriptions, and pictures of the experience, written in an entertaining and educational style. All costs, hotels, meals, transportation and entrance fees included.
- GenresNonfiction
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2010
About the author
Dick Davis
82 books33 followersDick Davis is an English-American poet, university professor, and translator of verse, who is affiliated with the literary movement known as New Formalism in American poetry.
Born into a working class family in Portsmouth shortly before the end of World War II, Davis grew up in the Yorkshire fishing village of Withernsea during the 1950s, where an experimental school made it possible for Davis to become the first member of his family to attend university.
Shortly before graduating from Cambridge University, Davis was left heartbroken by the suicide of his schizophrenic brother and decided to begin living and teaching abroad.
After teaching in Greece and Italy, in 1970 Davis fell in love with an Iranian woman, Afkham Darbandi, and decided to live permanently in Tehran during the reign of the last Shah. As a result, he taught English at the University of Tehran, and married Afkham Darbandi, about whom he has since written and published many love poems, in 1974.
After the Islamic Revolution turned Dick and Afkham Davis into refugees, first in the United Kingdom and then in the United States, Davis decided to begin translating many of the greatest masterpieces of both ancient and modern Persian poetry into English. Davis is a vocal opponent of the ruling Shia clergy of Iran and has used his talents as a scholar and literary translator to give a voice to critics and foes of Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia Law from throughout the history of Iranian literature. Despite expressing a fondness for Christian music, Davis has said that his experiences during the Iranian Revolution have made him into an Atheist and that he believes that religion does more harm than good.
Davis is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has been called, by The Times Literary Supplement, "our finest translator from Persian." Davis' original poetry has been just as highly praised.
Born into a working class family in Portsmouth shortly before the end of World War II, Davis grew up in the Yorkshire fishing village of Withernsea during the 1950s, where an experimental school made it possible for Davis to become the first member of his family to attend university.
Shortly before graduating from Cambridge University, Davis was left heartbroken by the suicide of his schizophrenic brother and decided to begin living and teaching abroad.
After teaching in Greece and Italy, in 1970 Davis fell in love with an Iranian woman, Afkham Darbandi, and decided to live permanently in Tehran during the reign of the last Shah. As a result, he taught English at the University of Tehran, and married Afkham Darbandi, about whom he has since written and published many love poems, in 1974.
After the Islamic Revolution turned Dick and Afkham Davis into refugees, first in the United Kingdom and then in the United States, Davis decided to begin translating many of the greatest masterpieces of both ancient and modern Persian poetry into English. Davis is a vocal opponent of the ruling Shia clergy of Iran and has used his talents as a scholar and literary translator to give a voice to critics and foes of Islamic fundamentalism and Sharia Law from throughout the history of Iranian literature. Despite expressing a fondness for Christian music, Davis has said that his experiences during the Iranian Revolution have made him into an Atheist and that he believes that religion does more harm than good.
Davis is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has been called, by The Times Literary Supplement, "our finest translator from Persian." Davis' original poetry has been just as highly praised.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 11, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. Having traveled by bus in Mexico on many occasions and on many levels (first class, second class, third class, microbuses), I found myself reminiscing some of the many wonderful adventures and some of the places I had traveled. I enjoyed the text along with the photos. I only wish the author had included a lot more photos than he did as I loved seeing the places, people, art, and museums described! Mexico is truly a land of wonders and colors; the cultures represented are incredible; the friendliness and kindness of Mexicans are noteworthy qualities.
I lament that since the writing of this book, the reality of narco-trafficantes and violence is more insidious, and the resulting State Department warnings against travel there are far stronger (at least in many states). I long for the days in the 90s when it was not unthinkable to take a bus anywhere in Mexico--whether in Mexico, D.F. (Mexico City), Juarez to Oaxaca, even into Sinaloa and Sonora--or else driving our own vehicle through Chihuahua into Copper Canyon or from Piedras Negras to Nuevo Leon. Those times seem so far away, and I am not so sure I would feel safe to do so now.
Nonetheless, I loved the book and was so happy to read about so many of the places that I have traveled to and to remember the many amazing times and places that touched my soul so deeply.
I lament that since the writing of this book, the reality of narco-trafficantes and violence is more insidious, and the resulting State Department warnings against travel there are far stronger (at least in many states). I long for the days in the 90s when it was not unthinkable to take a bus anywhere in Mexico--whether in Mexico, D.F. (Mexico City), Juarez to Oaxaca, even into Sinaloa and Sonora--or else driving our own vehicle through Chihuahua into Copper Canyon or from Piedras Negras to Nuevo Leon. Those times seem so far away, and I am not so sure I would feel safe to do so now.
Nonetheless, I loved the book and was so happy to read about so many of the places that I have traveled to and to remember the many amazing times and places that touched my soul so deeply.
Displaying 1 of 1 review