Speaking this month we have:

1. Jon Tindale – Squashed Possums – New Zealand

   In an unexpected twist to the travel memoir, ‘Squashed Possums’ is narrated by a caravan in the wilderness. The book tells the story of the iconic Kiwi lone caravan and one young man’s misadventures in New Zealand’s most remote corner as he finds out what it’s like to live in a true wilderness, surviving in the most basic of conditions.

   Follow Jon through four seasons, including New Zealand’s coldest winter in decades. Discover how he finds himself hanging off of the edge of a cliff and meet the Maori chef who survived 9/11. Encounter hedgehogs that fly, possums that scream in the dead of the night and the Mystery of the Missing Moa. Find out how Jon is rescued in the nick of time from the cult of Caravanology by the affections of a good woman who opens a door to the local Maori world.

   Jon Tindale now lives in the suburbs of London with his wife Amy and son, William. He is eternally grateful for central heating and a house that can’t be blown apart by the big, bad wolf. He works in social media and in his spare time can often be found in National Trust houses where his friendly banter with the volunteers is often misconstrued as making untoward advances.

   ‘Squashed Possums’ is now available via Amazon on Kindle. and as an old school paperback

   :

2. Russell Maddicks – A Culinary Trip Round Ecuador in 5 Iconic Dishes (including guinea pig)

   Squeezed between Colombia in the north and Peru in the south, Ecuador is named for its location on the Equator and encompasses high Andean peaks, steamy Amazon jungles, and a long Pacific coast, as well as the world-renowned Galapagos Islands some 1,000 km off the coast.

   The landscape is so varied that Ecuador has been described as a microcosm of every microclimate found in South America.

   This diversity makes it a magnet for tourists, mountain trekkers, birders, volunteers, and increasing numbers of US retirees looking for a warm, culturally interesting, economical, and safe place to spend much of their time.

   What many people don’t appreciate is that the country is also a foodie’s paradise, with a cuisine as varied as the terrain.

   Signature dishes range from the sublime – such as Andean locro de papas (a creamy potato and cheese soup), coastal ceviche (fish or prawns marinated in lime), and hornado (whole roast hog) – to cuy (roasted guinea pig), a must-try Inca delicacy for all adventurous carnivores.

   In this presentation, I will give a visual tour of all the top travel spots and unique adventure opportunities on offer in Ecuador with a special focus on the tastiest treats available in each region of the country.

   Russell Maddicks is a BBC-trained writer, translator, and journalist. A graduate in Economic and Social History from the University of Hull, England, he has spent the last twenty years traveling, living, and working in South and Central America, most recently as Latin American Regional Specialist for BBC Monitoring.

   Find out more: website or on twitter

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

Admission costs, £3 for Members and £6.00 Non-members. You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting approximately 40 minutes.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September.

If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here.