Don’t catch a leopard by the tail, but if you do, don’t let it go – Ethiopian Proverb
Author Sam McManus has collated 15-years’ worth of adventure travel writing in Ethiopia, Japan, Bolivia, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Mongolia, Lebanon, Oman & Costa Rica in this collection of travel stories, which revolve around a central solo journey exploring the mountains of Ethiopia over a three-month period in 2015. “The most prized form of Ethiopian Amharic prose and poetry, loosely translated as ‘wax and gold’ ሰምና ወርቅ [sam-enna warq], is meticulously comprised with a focus on the duality of its meanings. The surface meaning, the wax, must be stripped away to reveal the hidden core of gold underneath. Ethiopia as a country also encourages you to look deeper within yourself, to fully understand and appreciate a deeply rich spiritual significance, that often resonates beneath simple or plain exteriors”.
His exploration of Ethiopia led to the founding of sustainable adventure travel company YellowWood Adventures.
Sam briefed the Ethiopian Ambassador in London about his travel company and writing his book. McManus grew up in the countryside of Kent in the UK until he walked out one midsummer morning into a lifetime of travel and adventure. He has always favoured the road less travelled. Be it the highest plateau in Africa, ice-climbing in the Tian Shan Mountains or exploring the lost assassins’ castles in the Alborz Mountains of Iran; a veritable mountain of banana sandwiches, history books, novels, travel writings and biographies always accompany these adventures, and wherever possible a horse or two.
In partnership with www.yellowwoodadventures.com
The book is also available on Amazon
