I Guess We Missed the Boat

Travel

By Barry Finlay

Publisher : General Store Publishing House

ABOUT Barry Finlay

Barry Finlay
Barry Finlay is a fiction and non-fiction author. In his previous life, he had an extensive career in financial management before retiring in 2004 after thirty two years with the Canadian federal government. Since retiring, he has divided his time between writing, working as a consultant o More...

Description

I Guess We Missed The Boat! opens with a meeting in a hotel room in Miami, Florida. When eight intrepid travelers, brought together by marriage and with retirement in common, sit reminiscing about their travel experiences, the memory banks open and humorous events start to spill out. Cowboy Ron, Ed the Negotiator, Joke-a Minute Jim and Practical Carol are part of the motley crew comprising the author's contingent of six in-laws. Each, at one time or another, has a role to play in the hilarious events that occur on their travels. Meanwhile, Short Brenda points the video camera everywhere but at the intended target and Nurse Linda washes down cigarette smoke with coffee after coffee. Skiing mishaps, overweight suitcases, malfunctioning airplanes and a near fistfight on a cruise ship on the azure seas of the Caribbean are all part of the fun. A poison dart frog in Costa Rica, causing a security scan machine failure at the pier in Egypt and trying to explain ice hockey to children in Tanzania all add to the excitement. And let's not forget the sexy giraffe! These are only a few examples of what happens when the members of this group travel. As Carol Burnett said, Comedy is equal to tragedy plus time. I Guess We Missed the Boat! proves this to be true as events that were no fun in the moment become more and more humorous as time marches on. Barry's philanthropic heart continues to beat strong throughout each journey as he reflects on the disparities of the poorer countries they visit and points out that each of us has a role to play in helping out. All the while, the reader gets to go along for the ride, enjoying the beauty and culture of the various countries while turning the page to find out what is going to happen next.

"Barry Finlay has made the transition from mountain climbing (Kilimanjaro and Beyond) to hilarity in this new book (I Guess We Missed the Boat). His descriptions of the trials of international travelling, though not funny at the time, are "laugh out loud" hilarious. The stories of his travels with his congenial in-laws and friends are told in a manner that makes you feel that you, too, were involved in the event. Not only are these people seeing the world,they are having fun doing it." - Elizabeth  - as reviewed on General Store Publishing House site.