Readers of Motorcycle Mojo will be familiar with the name Paddy Tyson. He is an Irish adventure rider who makes regular contributions to the monthly magazine about his trips near and far. His book, The Hunt for Puerto Del Faglioli, takes him through Canada, the US, Mexico and further south on his testy Italian motorcycle he has nicknamed Peggy. 
Paddy’s observations about Canada are fascinating. There are so many things we take for granted because we’ve always lived here! He finds amusement in the unusual and writes with wit and gentle sarcasm. The book is peppered with enough historical references and fun facts to make it interesting even to a non-rider.
He compares every land mass to the size of Wales and doesn’t shrink at the onslaught of hairy spiders (Costa Rica) or unfamiliar food (almost everywhere). Through it all Tyson comes across as just a normal guy who loves to see new places, gets frustrated by wasted time and has a sense of humour about most of it. Peggy the bike is definitely a character here so it’s really the two of them on the road (or the path, or the field) and the people they meet and ride with along the way. It gave me a taste of what my brother went through on his solo trip 2 years ago although Kevin rode further south than Paddy does – all the way to the end of the world.
If you’re interested in the way people really live in these places – not the overwrought infomercial version or disaster/crisis footage we’re always shown – and what it’s like for a pasty Irishman to put himself in their midst, you’ll enjoy this book. The trip is one I’ve never personally wanted to make but it was fun to live it vicariously through Tyson’s eyes.