Bhutan, My Love

Maria Sileny — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 15:15:10 +0000

A small kingdom in the Himalayas, wedged between India and China: this is Bhutan, a country in which the happiness of the population has been declared a national goal. The prominent author heads there with a bicycle in her luggage. Her husband and six other cycling enthusiasts accompany her. Together they explore the untouched nature high in the mountains, encounter tantric Buddhism at every turn, also people who live in poverty, but seem to be happy. Tereza Boučková falls in love with Bhutan—the land of mountains and monasteries and of the holy penis, which is revered there as a symbol of fertility.
Immediately after her return she picks up the pen and writes a literary travelogue in which she not only describes the adventurous, physically demanding journey, but also her very personal experience. She is bold enough to reveal her own fears to the reader, which she consciously overcomes through this exotic journey: her fear of flying, of heights and, last but not least, her fear of getting old and dying. The result is a sincere and joyful diary of a unique experience.

Jungle, Tigers, Hoarfrost

Maria Sileny — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:21:40 +0000

Have you ever been to Malaysia? If this country in Southeast Asia appeals to you, let yourself be transported there by a famous Czech author: Iva Pekárková, a globetrotter, travels across Malaysia on her own—along the west coast from south to north and eastwards to Borneo. Her aim is to seek the genuine country hidden beneath the pleasing, artificial surface. Iva Pekarkova offers us the frank gaze of a clever observer, penetrating deep below the surface. It delights the reader with an authentic, profound and deeply human regional study, on top of which it’s a very amusing read.

Travelogue – Prague Literary Agency

Bhutan, My Love

Jungle, Tigers, Hoarfrost