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Theyearwas1967,SanFrancisco,duringtheVietnamwarwhentheRaneys,Bill,JoAnne,babyZerky,andtheirminiatureDachshund,Tarzan,embarkedonaoneyeartripacrossEurasia.BillRaneyhaswrittenanextraordinarytravelogueinmemoryofhissonZerkyandhiswifeJoAnne,whobothdiedafewyearsafterreturningtotheUnitedStates.Thirty-sixyearslater,BillwouldcompileLetterstoZerky,AFather'sLegacytoaLostSonandaRoadTripAroundtheWorld,includingthediarieswrittenbyJoAnne.Fascinatingphotosandmapsareinterspersedthroughoutthebook,eachtellingtheirownstory.TheRaneyfamilyjourneybeganinMunich,GermanywheretheyboughtanewVolkswagenVanthatwouldbetheirhomeforthenextyear.Theywouldtravelover23,000miles,about1,000milesshortofaroundtheworld.Aheart-warmingadventuremostpeoplewouldnotexperienceinalifetime.Travelinginthoseyearswasrelativelysafeandthedollarwasstrong.Intheirtravels,theyfacedcoldweather,hotweather,rain,snow,andevengotsick.Attimes,havingasmallchildandadogintowwasnoteasy.Medicalcareandveterinarianswerelimited.Onehugeproblemwasflattiresduetoruggedroadconditions,whichfrequentlyhoundedthem.Mechanicswerescarceandtiretubeswerehardtofind.

BillconsideredPrague,Czechoslovakiatobedarkandmedieval-looking,butposs

iblymorebeautifulthanParis.However,visitingthecatacombsoftheSpielbergCastle,famousfordungeons,tunnelsandtorturechamberswasastarkreminderoftheNaziregime.Thecastleisnowamuseum.

Athens,GreeceprovedtobeboringexceptforthebeachesandtheirvisittoOlympia,wheretheGreeksheldtheoriginalOlympicGames.Theamphitheaterwasingoodcondition.After25centuries,theseatsinthecoliseumhadheldupwellastheyweremadeofmarble.Zerkyhadfunclimbingblocksofstone.

InIran,afirstsearchwasmadeoftheirvan.Authoritieslookingfordrugsthoughtdogfoodwashashish.Inaddition,theirdog,Tarzan,perplexedthem!Theywonderedwhatpurposeheserved.Billsaidhebelongstoourbaby,heprotectsthefamilyfromharm,andhisbarkscarespeopleaway!Aftercheckingthevehic

lethoroughly,theywereabletoleave.

Andorra,Spainwasscenicwithlushgreenmeadows,mountainstreamsandRoman-stylearchitecture.Thenearly12,000nativesspokeCatalan,SpanishandFrench.Therearenotaxes;phoneservicewasvirtuallyfreewhichmadeitappealingtoBillandJoAnnethatthismightbeagreatplacetoretire.Unfortunately,asmostdiscoveredplaces,peoplebegantoflockthere.

TheyflewtoNepalintheHimalayas,asroadswereimpassiblefortheirVW.NewYearsEve,1967wasatCampHotelwheretheymadeplanstotakea150-miletrekthroughwind,rain,andsnowatveryhighattitudes.ZerkyandTarzankeptwarmasaguidewithalargewickerbasketcarriedthem.AfterspendingamonthinNepal,theyleftforwarmerweather.

AttheIndia-Pakistanborder,theyfoundthistobeadangerouscrossing.Gunswereeverywhere!Nophotosallowed!Itwasbecominghotandcrowdedwithpeople.Thesmellofcurrywaseverywhere.JoAnnewaspleasedtoseecolorfulSarisandfacesofthewomanexposed.Animalswereroamingallover,astheyareavitalpartofIndianreligion.Inaddition,werethesacredcows!ThousandsofthemliveinNewDelhisharingspacewith8millionpeople.CowshavetherightofwayinIndiaanditisacrimeifyoustrikeone.

InBenares,theholiestcityinIndia,theRaneyswatchedinamazementcremation

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ceremonies.PeoplesasheswerethrownintheGangestotherivergoddess,daughterofHimalaya,themountaingod.Dailyfestiveritualscelebratecremations.

Finally,theywenttoCalcuttainFebruary1968,wherethefamilyspentthreeweekstouringwhilewaitingforaboattoPanama.TheyspentaholidayhonoringLordKrishnacelebratingfertilityandspring.OntoBangkok,HongKong,andthentheywouldcatchaboattoSanFrancisco.TheyreturnedhomeinApril1968.

BillRaneyremarriedtwoyearsafterJoAnnedied.YearshadpassedbeforehededicatedasmallgrassyareaneartheHighSchoolwhereZerkyhadbeenkilledbyatruck.Afterwritinghisstories,BillwroteZerkysWaltz,aCDthatcomeswiththisbook.BillstillrideshisVWdubbedTheZerkyMobile.

LetterstoZerkyisawealthofinformationaboutthisamazingadventuretakenalongtimeago,andastorythatdeservestelling.Thisisafivestarbook!