Reservations by Steve Burgess

In Reservations: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel, Steve Burgess shares experiences, while asking tough questions about the impact of travel on the planet and the places and people we visit. Burgess explores the effect cruise ships and long-distance air travel have on the environment, and asks whether it’s possible to travel in a sustainable manner. He weaves in travel-related statistics, like the number of guns seized at air travel checkpoints, or the number of fatalities on Mount Everest. Reservations also considers topics like eco-tourism, voluntourism, space tourism, and the impact of Covid-19 on the travel industry, among others.

Though he shares his own reservations about travel and its impacts, Burgess also confesses his love for visiting places both new and familiar, and discusses why, as humans, we’re wired to want to do so. Through his descriptions, Burgess whisks us off to venues and events he has visited: the Palio horse race in Siena, a small hotel in Rome, various sites in Japan, a burial ceremony in Tana Toraja, and, closer to home, a whale-watching tour off the coast of British Columbia. Burgess also visits famous cemeteries and muses on the impact of tourism on isolated cultures.

Someday I will be unable to travel due to the lack of a pulse and an inability to fog up a mirror. Part of my desire to return to familiar spots, I have come to understand, is to deny the prospect of death.

Though the chapters are arranged thematically, the story of a romantic relationship with a Japanese woman named Kyoko serves as a thread that ties the book together. Burgess describes some of the places he and Kyoko visited together, and floats the possibility of a reunion, leaving us in suspense about the outcome until the end of the book.

The book is suffused with humorous insights and comments, such as Burgess’ wry observation about location apps: “My phone is so old, any navigational apps would likely direct me to the nearest zeppelin terminal.” Another observation: “Someday I will be unable to travel due to the lack of a pulse and an inability to fog up a mirror. Part of my desire to return to familiar spots, I have come to understand, is to deny the prospect of death.”

One of chapters I found the most entertaining was titled “The Ghostly Goddess of Ashibetsu.” In this chapter, Burgess discusses tourist attractions that have succeeded and failed. His description of his experiences at a temple in Nara, Japan had me laughing; for example, his depiction of the deer on the temple grounds:

Over centuries of interacting with temple monks, the deer apparently picked up on their bowing motion and began emulating it to earn handouts. Now vendors sell deer-friendly crackers … to tourists who wish to reward the gracious ungulates.

The chapter goes on to relate Burgess’ own experiences with feeding the deer, which had, let’s just say, mixed results.

As someone who once traveled a fair bit for business reasons and wondered about the impact, I found Burgess’ book intriguing. The balance between memoir, philosophical musings, and research kept things fresh. Throughout the book, Burgess demonstrated a deep curiosity and a willingness to question his own actions. A recommended read for anyone who has had their own misgivings about travel — or who simply wants to explore some new places with an interesting and entertaining guide.

Throughout the book, Burgess demonstrated a deep curiosity and a willingness to question his own actions.

Steve Burgess is a writer and broadcaster whose honours include two Canadian National Magazine awards. Burgess is a contributing editor of The Tyee and an award-winning documentary director. He is the author of Who Killed Mom? (Greystone, 2011) and his stories have been featured in publications including Reader’s Digest, Maclean’s and The Globe and Mail. He lives in Vancouver, BC.

Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre (April 27, 2024)
Paperback 6″ x 9″ | 312 pages
ISBN: 9781771624015

Lisa Timpf

Website

Lisa Timpf is a retired HR and communications professional who lives in Simcoe, Ontario. Her writing has appeared in New Myths, Star*Line, The Future Fire, Triangulation: Habitats, and other venues. Lisa’s speculative haibun collection, In Days to Come, is available from Hiraeth Publishing. You can find out more about Lisa’s writing at http://lisatimpf.blogspot.com/.