The Sunday Times in its review had said that this book is “best avoided by patriots with high blood pressure.” Travel writer Paul Theroux’s tongue in cheek perspective of the British and their sensibilities, mannerisms, quirks and eccentricities justifies the above statement. The Kingdom by the Sea is an American’s account of the United Kingdom and is more about people than places with dollops of humour thrown in.

It is the summer of 1982 and the hot topic of the moment is the Falkland War .The author living in London as a foreigner decides to travel clockwise around the coast across England, Wales, Scotland and ireland . He walks – an average of 15-20 miles a day , stops by ports and fishing villages, travels in trains and buses ,lives in country inns and hotels which offer bed and breakfast and narrates his encounters with people he meets .The stiff upper lip slowly thaws revealing its unique traits.

The proverbial English weather is discussed along with politics and royalty in the same vein. Theroux slowly turns into a bit of a literary tourist , stopping by at a Dickensian town or showcasing Shakespearre Cliff or the place where Keats edited Endymion. While the war is raging in the backdrop and urbanisation becomes a key theme, the context however is more about the British way of life and their take on everything. As he travels, the American point of view becomes more pronounced as he reflects on the mannerisms of the English with the classic dry humour. Sample this for instance .
“The whole enterprise of bed and breakfast was carried on by the woman but done with a will, because she was actually getting paid for doing her normal household chores….Usually I was treated with a mixture of shyness and suspicion but that was traditional English hospitality – wary curiosity and frugal kindness. “

Or their take on the Queen –
“I saw the Queen ,” he said , and he winced , remembering.
“How did she look ?”
He winced again. His name was Dougie. He wore gumboots.He said.” She were deep in thought.”
Dougie had seen something that no one else had.
“ She were preoccupied.Her face was gray. She werent happy.”
I said,” I thought shewas happy about her new grandson.”
Dougie disagreed . “I think she were worried about something .They do worry, you know. Aye,its a terrible job. “
He began to walk slowly, as if in sympathy for the hard pressed Queen.
I said,” Being Queen of England has its compensations.”
“Some compensations and some disadvantages,” Dougie said.”I say its half a dream world and half a nightmare.Its a gold fish bowl.No privacy ! She cant pick her nose without someone seeing her.”
Dougie said this in an anguished way , and I thought it was curious, though I did not say so,that he was pained because the monarch could not pick her nose without being observed .”

As the reader travels with the author, Theroux’s genius as a travel writer comes through , best summed in the lines – “ All travellers are optimists, I thought. Travel itself is a sort of optimism in action. I always went along thinking : I’ll be alright, I’ll be interested, I’ll discover something, I wont break a leg or get robbed, and at the end of day, I will find a nice old place to sleep.”

Before the days of motor ways crisscrossing the mountainous landscapes of Himalaya, people relied on their strong feet and travelled long distances by walking. Pilgrims made journeys lasting many months to visit the holy places where the mighty river Ganga originated. Things are much different today, as people buzz from place to place in buses and jeeps.

In his book ‘Sacred Waters’, Stephen Alters tries to get closer to land and nature, taking the Himalayas by feet, travelling to the four holy origins of the Ganga – the char dham.

Alter leaves behind his watch at home deliberately as he sets on the journey and allows the route to unfold at its own pace. He finds his way with the help of villagers as he moves, trying to avoid noisy motor roads and searching for the old abandoned pilgrim trails. With his progress, he describes people, landscapes and culture that unfolds in front of him, always staying close to nature and observing changes created by the modern world.

His description often brings forth the sanctity of nature as he describes the unpeopled forests of Garhwal region, its flora and fauna, hilly landscapes, rivers and lakes. The naturalist in Alter unfolds as he takes the reader along describing his walks along the forests of Moru Oak trees or sightings of verditer flycatchers and barking deers.

Author’s quest in the book is as much spiritual as it is about the contemporary life in Garhwal. Besides writing about his spiritual experiences and moments of blissful feelings in the journey, Alter ensures that he talks about every aspect of the region in the book. Along with Garhwal’s nature and environment, he digs on the history and mythology of each temple he visits, sees cultural and social changes that are brought about by motor roads and attitude of people to change. His description of destruction of the mountains in Tehri for construction of the mighty Tehri dam is touching and depressing, and his talks with activist Sundarlal Bahuguna in Tehri town, informative.

‘Sacred Waters’ is an excellent introduction to the Garhwal region of Indian Himalayas, and his narration is intense and comes from the heart. The book is a good read for audience interested in any aspect of the region, be it culture, journeys, history or environment.