Michael Palin: In Venezuela (Hutchinson Heinemann 2025)
Michael Palin is an English comedian, writer and actor, who, apart from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, is best known for his travel series, which had such a great impact on those who want to travel all over the world and drew attention to exotic destinations that the process was named the ‘Palin impact’. In addition to the tv series, the stories were also published in book form and have been published ever since.
Although he had previously participated in a BBC travel series, his first real big adventure was in 1988 in ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’, in which, 150 years after Phileas Fogg, he also circumnavigated the Earth using the route and means of transport dreamed up by Verne. From there, there was no stopping. He circumnavigated the Earth several times, first in a north-south direction, then around the Pacific Ocean, but he followed in Hemingway’s footsteps and visited iconic places such as the Sahara or the Himalaya. He has visited the former socialist countries of Europe, and recently dedicated his travels to introducing one country at a time. Brazil was followed by North Korea, Iraq, and now Venezuela.
Venezuela was the 100th country that Michael Palin visited. There are many wonderful things to see here, such as the world’s highest waterfall or the highest cable car. From rainforests to deserts, every habitat can be encountered by the brave tourist who ventures there. Although fifty years ago, Venezuela was the USA of South America, today the country is dominated by gangs, poverty, and dictatorship. Despite everything, people persevere, and for Michael Palin, the experience was unforgettable, tempting us, if not to travel to Venezuela, but to travel and have adventure.
