Dreaming of Jupiter

Several years ago I read Jupiter’s Travels and had considered it to be a well-written and engaging account of Ted Simon’s 1974 journey around the world atop his Triumph motorcycle. Fast forward to 2001, Ted retraces the same route from nearly 30 years prior. This time he is 67 years old. He is wiser, older, with a bigger, more reliable motorcycle. But where Jupiter’s Travels was brilliant in painting scenes of the world and of humanity through the lens of a fresh-eyed, optimistic soul, who was able to eagerly accept what challengers and wonders lay ahead of him, Dreaming of Jupiter gets old quickly. The exuberance felt in the original book is replaced with sobering accounts of the current state of the world in 2001. The positive tone of the original is replaced with the constant humorless critiques of downtrodden locales. His insightful firsthand accounts of the splendors (and trials) of each visited country, town, and village, have all been replaced with disappointments. It becomes clear early into the book that Ted wasn’t genuinely trying to see the world anew on that same route but rather, deep down inside he probably wished to travel back in time to experience it as he had before.

If you're still reading Dream of Jupiter, you may want to stop reading this review now. I may have introduced too many spoilers.I enjoyed much of it, especially seeing a 70+-year-old get back on the bike and keep going. However, the writing was nothing special, and I think he struggled to make sense of it all. The initial thought of repeating a trip from 30 years before plus the commentary on the change he observed made sense, but he just couldn't get past his nostalgia for the past and sadness over the change. He claims to be an optimist and to love meeting people along the way, but he often seems frustrated with people and as the book progresses, he just wants to be done with it. Perhaps the saddest part is an old guy falling in love and then not getting past his own issues. Still, I find parts of it valuable, especially his openness about his fears, his often dropping of the bike, his problems along the way. It makes riding in the U.S. seem pretty simple. So I appreciate what he did and wrote. I'm just sad that he couldn't pull it all together in a way that didn't seem like he was struggling to relive something from his past and failing, to find meaning as he ages. Perhaps I identify with him too much----I'm reaching the point of retirement, and the only bright spot I see is my daughter. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, and I don't want to be a burden on her to provide meaning to my life. Ted Simon ends in a similar place. I hope he finds some peace and contentment.

I am age 72 and have been riding motorcycles about 55 years. I read a lot and have read many, many round the world and adventure tour books. I read Jupiter’s Travels when first published. I was not particularly fond of it and that is how I feel about this one too. More motorcycling, less save the world and less politics please.

The author wrote this book as if one had already read his notes/journal/website and just needed an outline to remember what the reader already knew — much seems skimmed over or broadly outlined. That said, the observations and anecdotes add up sufficiently to tell a good story, one worth reading without further knowledge to go on. Although RTW motorcycle trips are fairly common these days, few in their 70s are probably completing them. May we all have the impetus and good health to complete such trips at the author’s age.

I purchased in 2020 and added it to my reading pile. It has made it to the top of the pile and I just opened to start reading. The qualityIs vey poor. So far I can’t read the prologue or chapter 1 due to text missing. The first page was folded and therefore not cut properly. How does this make it through production unnoticed. I enjoyed the first book Jupiter’s Travels so I hope the writing is of higher quality than the printing of this book.

I bought the audio version and enjoyed hours of listening pleasure in my car. The writing is wonderful, engaging and adept. The narration is also spot on, without the cringe-worthy moments I experience with audio books these days, especially when the narrator attempts foreign accents.Overall, just terrific on every level.

If you like motorcycles and adventure touring - or you're an arm-chair adventurer like myself, you should enjoy this book. A follow-up to Simon's original 'Jupiter's Travels', it follows some of the same routes and uses a similar format as the original book. What's missing is the naivete, and unassuming character that Ted represented in his first book. This time out, we have a more worldly and experienced Ted who is continually comparing this trip with the conditions he experienced on that initial trip. Also, to be honest, this is less about motorcycles than it is about a personal journey with the motorcycle just representing a simple mode of transportation that occasionally represents some logistical problems. More intriguing is the different cultures and people that Ted meets along the way. All-in-all a good read and a worthy successor to the first book.

This book expands on the tale of Ted Simon's journey that he begins in Jupiter's Travels. Mr. Simon's ability to capture sights, sounds, and even smells, in very few words makes you feel like you are right there with him. He is not afraid to share his own frailties, which humanizes the tale well beyond what a typical travel journal would detail. More importantly, Mr. Simon expounds on how he overcomes the numerous adversities he encounters to create an adventure of a lifetime. His ability to endure hardship is remarkable, and provides a lesson for the rest of us on ways that we can truly grow as human beings. A wonderful read!

In this volume, Mr Simon reprises his round-the-world motor cycle ride of the seventies, which was the inspiration for Ewan MacGregor and Charley Boorman's own circumnavigation. This time his motor cycle of choice is a loaned BMW, and this is a warts-and-all account of his attempts to find some of the people who became friends the first time round. Not an easy ride, with many misadventures, that doesn't gloss over the difficulties. If you're thinking of a similar venture this is the book to read. It's a real, witty, sometimes edgy account of a round-the-world ride.

A great follow up from Teds first motorcycle adventure Jupiters Travels. An epic feat of older man and newer machine. Ted Simon seems to be indestructible and re-visits the past at a time when most of us would be choosing a headstone. His writing style changes a little and if anything is better, making it an obsorbing easy to read book. Re-tracing our past can be a mixed roller coaster of emotions and indeed this fact is revealed here. Things are rarely what they used to be but mostly the changes appear for the better.Once again Ted gives only snippets of his life outside the trip keeping our curiosity raw.a truly original thinker and writer with strong humanitarian values. Can we have an auto- biography Ted? Other books are in my previous reviews and I thoroughly recommend the following.  The Old GloryThe Riddle of the SandsThe Old GloryThe Riddle of the Sands

This book is a return to Ted Simons journey around the world adventure on a motorcycle this time a BMW R80 that was converted by CW Motorcycles, his route closely mirrors his original route of 1973 and the descriptive story telling makes you realise just how much the world has changed in a very short period. If you are into adventure travelling this is a must.

If you have read Ted Simon's original book, Jupiters Travels, and enjoyed it, you must read this. His experiences of travelling his old path are eye opening, particularly as the events of 9/11 happen while he is on the road. It is amazing that despite his age and the time that has passed since his first trip, he still meets up with many of the characters that he lists in Jupiters Travels. Motorcyclists will be surprised by the difference to his journey that the change to the BMW has made for this second journey. A 'must read' for motorcycle adventurers whether real or armchair.

After enjoying Jupiter's travels I thought I would enjoy this too. To be fair I enjoyed bits of it but I think Ted has turned into a bitter and old fashioned misogynist. If he didn't lose his temper so much he would have enjoyed more. It was a struggle to reach the end for him and for me.