As you my already know, I’m a big fan of road trips. Some of you have even joined me on some of escapades. And if so, you probably heard me say some to the tune of “It’s never about the destination; it’s the adventure.” (And I do not take credit for that statement. I am sure it’s a famous quote that I picked up somewhere. Probably Mark Twain – I seem to inadvertently rip him off all the time.) Such is the case with Simon Mayle’s “The Burial Brothers: from New York to Rio in a ’73 Cadillac Hearse.”
This book was a super enjoyable, fast read about a dude who does just what the book’s title suggests. He buys an old hearse with the intent of driving it from New York down to Rio in time for Carnaval. Furthermore, it’s the mid-1990s when much of Central America is not yet tourist-friendly. Mayle convinces two other cohorts to travel with him and help out with the costs of a 15,000 mile, 13 country road trip. There’s no morale subtext or life-lessons to be learned. The Burial Brothers is a just a great adventure of three guys traveling and having the proverbial hilarity ensue.