The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers

by Eric Hansen

Eric Hansen survives a cyclone on a boat off the Australian coast, cradles a dying man in Calcutta, and drinks mind-altering kava in Vanuatu. He helps a widower search for his wife's wedding ring amid plane-crash wreckage in Borneo and accompanies topless dancers on a bird-watching expedition in California. From the Maldives to Sacramento, from Cannes to Washington Heights, Eric Hansen has a way of getting himself into the most sacred ceremonies and the most candid conversations.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Essays, Adventure, Humor, The World

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Eric Hansen is a travel writer, most famous for his book Stranger in the Forest: On Foot Across Borneo, about a 4,000 km trek through the heartland of Borneo. He lives in San Francisco. For 25 years he has traveled throughout Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Nepal, and Southeast Asia.

Reviews

[Jamie Marfurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were better than others, but overall a very interesting and well written collection of stories. My main issue was that it felt somewhat dated (bordering on mildly creepy/offensive — at least to me, as a female reader) in how the author described women and/or sexual experiences. I’m not a prude by any means, and don’t mind hearing about sexuality encounters —- there was just something about how he talked sex and/or women as sexual objects in literally *every* story. It took away from the actual stories, in my opinion. I would say the title story was probably the least interesting (his preconceived notions of strippers being dumb and slutty was annoying to say the least), but the one about him volunteering at Mother Teresa’s in India, as well as the one about him helping a man find his dead wife’s lost wedding ring after a plane crash, were both engaging. Even just the first chapter, which was the shortest of the collection, was well written.

[Milan/zzz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book. I didn’t even know it is collection of travel-vignettes. Therefore my expectations were nonexistent. I just picked up the book and let myself to be carried away. And oh far shores I’ve visited, strange people I saw and some great lessons I’ve learned :)

Now I know that my expectations no matter how high they would might be, they would be more than fulfilled. This book is beautiful. Hansen writes honestly and directly about wide spectrum of human nature, generosity, customs, emotions, ... what I like the most is the fact that indeed as in other travelogs you’re “looking” at those far landscapes but more than that, here you’re looking into the souls of people that lives among those landscapes. I wouldn’t make big (if at all) mistake if I say this book is more anthropological study than an armchair travelog. And that’s why I liked it so much.

Vignettes are really so different in every aspect but yet they are making one homogenic ... image ... emotion.
* I was so surprised to read about “Night Fishing” custom in Maldives, a Muslim country (think I’d like that ;) ) and how society is looking on that (especially fathers who have daughters!);
* the story of ex ballerina and her breathtaking generosity in spite reactions of her friends, neighbors and society in general is something that should be talked about so maybe part of it could pass on someone else;
* lessons from the ship that is barely floating in the race against the ones with hi tech equipment and the atmosphere on the deck is hilarious and yet so profound;
* episode about good spirits who inhabit high peeks of Borneo mountains could easily be called magical realism and it really leaves you wonder “what if really ...?”;
* and there’s of course the story about Bird Man and lap dancers which is really so full of contradictory. I mean I really didn’t expect that so many of those girls have such an educational background. It’s a great story!
* But the one that stayed with me very long and has had the strongest impact is the story from Calcutta. The whole bureaucracy mess produced an almost sense of lacking the air to breath. I believed I’d be able to kill someone in his situation but then ... total contrast when my anger became so trivial so pointless. That contrast and what he has done there really left me speechless. I remember I’ve read that story during the night (it was some 2-3 am) and then I just start to stare in one spot on the wall... I was so moved but I did have smile on my face. Beautiful, beautiful story.

[Marina56 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would describe this as a series of vignettes of some uniquely interesting individuals, rather than as a travel book. There is something strangely uplifting about these stories and their glimpses into human hearts. One of my favorite books ever.

[Karen Deyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a hopeless travel junkie, but find most travel essays are hashed over "look what I ate, drank & saw" in Tuscany/Provence/Ireland. Not here. Hansen writes of encounters with strange and unusual people in seldom written about locales.

Most compelling:
A Russian socialite & caterer who lives elegantly and safely in an apartment overun by drug activities and violence.

Traveling with the husband of a woman killed in a plane crash, to the Borneo crash site in search of her wedding ring, and closure.

A Sailing race aboard a ragtag Indonesian boat joining a crew with a penchant for karaoke and dancing. It's a little like a Johnny Depp fever dream -- part pirates, part Priscilla Queen of the Desert, part Rat Race.

Quirky, fascinating, inspiring!

[Gaelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable to think it is a non-fiction book but real memoirs of a world traveler.Eric Hansen's adventures are gripping as they sound so true. I think he's currently the best travel writer,and here we are talking about real traveler experience: forget Rick Steves... Hansen will not help you put together a nice "touristy" trip somewhere...
It is hard core travel where there's no defined date of arrival or departure, where weird and unexpected situations generate heartbreaking or hilarious experiences.
Drinking Kava in Vanuata and helping at Mother Teresa's hospice in India are the 2 essays I remembered the most.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Articulate and captivating. Interesting stories, all very different, and thoroughly entertaining.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It turns out that this is the third book by Hansen I have read, and that I enjoy, though I tend to like the slightly more humorous variety of travel writer. The fact that I liked the first two may be the reason I tagged this one and had to send off for a copy. Some of the essays here didn't grab my attention, but several were very good. My favorite was his account of the sad and somewhat creepy excursion to a mountaintop in Borneo with a recent widow to find closure and possibly the ring of his wife, who died in a plane crash. I also liked the title story. His kava trip (of mind and body) was interesting, and I liked his trip to Thursday Island off of Australia. His work perhaps is a tad less descriptive of the places he visits, and more heavily weighted on his experiences with people (or illness and work), but I liked them nonetheless.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderfully adventurous life Mr Hansen has had and how beautifully he describes his experiences. Lovely.

[phil breidenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional! The book tells stories from the authors travels around the world. They are much more than your average "travel" writing. There is something upbeat, uplifting in many of them. I especially enjoyed the final story/chapter in the book. (You'll just have to read it yourself to see if you agree!)

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Hansen is a cut above the average travel essayist. Dubbed creative non-fiction, his stories are poignant, well-crafted and heart felt. His well-informed descriptive writing is crisp and engaging. His renderings of the people he has met over three decades of globe trotting are tender, but never saccharine. His professionalism shines through in this well-crafted collection of travel tales. Not the ordinary tourist he plunges headlong into adventures that are daunting to even the most adventurous. A few of these stories could be classified as remembrances rather than travel essays, but I loved all of them. The Bird Man who befriends a topless dancer is more an observation about strange bedfellows than it is a travel tale, but who cares. You will enjoy this superb collection of stories no matter what label you chose to give it.
www.lindaballouauthor.com
wwwLindaBallouauthor.blogspot.com

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I will pick up almost any travel book and at least "start" to read it, but this one struck me as different. It's not really a travel book in the strictest sense, but it does lead you along a remarkable journey where you meet some of the most memorable characters in the daily experience of human encounters. I laughed at some of the insane situations and baudy humor but also shed true tears in many places. And I was never bored, always a good recommendation in my book. Thanks Mr. Hansen, for taking me along with you on this journey.

[Nancy Kackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of the travel essays in this book. His writing is engaging and funny. Each story has a purpose or a life lesson to impart, but it isn't preachy. I think it is mostly about being open to new experiences as they come to you, accepting other people and cultures without making assumptions and judgments.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best travel memoir book I've ever read. And yes -- I have read more than one travel memoir.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Hansen's The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers is an excellent book of essays in which the author doesn't just travel to interesting places, but sticks around for a while. This is particularly true of his essay "Night Fishing with Nahima" set in the Maldives and "The Ghost Wind," in which the author volunteers to take part in a sailing ship race from San Francisco to Catalina aboard an Indonesian training ship with no lifeboats or life vests.

I particularly loved "Cooking with Madame Zoya," in which Hansen writes about an old Russian lady living in a bad part of Washington Heights in Manhattan. When Hansen asked her if she was afraid of living by herself at her advanced age, she replied:

I am not afraid because I know what it means to love life and survive. People with no belief and no faith and no hope are like empty box. They have nothing. Miracles happen every day. You think red tulip growing from black soil is not a miracle? I have my health and my memories and I thank God for my friends and for every day of my life.

Whew! That's worth remembering.

This book is a positive joy to read.

[Deirdre Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love travel literature and this book did not disappoint. Eric Hansen can write. Each chapter is its own world, full of people, sounds, smells, emotions -- Hansen brings his memories and the reader together with wonderfully compelling writing. One story, the second to last, is gruesome and scary, which isn't usually my thing, but as usual his excellent writing and evident love for people turned it from a horror story to a meditation on love and loss. I happily give this book 5 stars and will seek out his other books.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of nine essays that span continents and subjects. In one story, Eric Hansen tells the story of how he wanted to try a mind-altering drink called kava in Vanuatu and succeeds; a crazy explanation follows. Another tale covers his attempt to smuggle Maldive fish from the islands to Sri Lanka when he learns their cultural twist on courting and gets hepatitis. I wouldn't kick this book off my bed stand. It's an amusing read.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Hansen's book titled Orchid Fever and thought it was a really good read. I bought this book based on Hansen's ability to write and I was not wrong, he is a really good writer. In this book Hansen retells his encounters with individuals, mostly from the Indonesian area where he had spent time. You know how books are supposed to take you places, I felt like I traveled with Hansen. The tales were delightful, laughable, informative and relatable.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mostly beautiful collection of Hansen's essays about his travels. Surprisingly, the title essay - about an amateur ornithologist and his exotic dancer friend - was my least favorite. "Three Nights on the Mountain" provided me with feelings of disgust (hitting golf balls at the scene of a plane wreck?) and chills down my spine.
"The Ghost Wind", an underdog story about an Indonesian tall ship, was hands-down my favorite.

[West Coast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was throughly entertained by Hansen's book, his writing, the idiosyncratic situations he ran headlong into, and the evocative people and places he reveals in his woke. This is a "read again" and I'm planning to read Hansen's others. These short stories remind me somewhat of Paul Theroux's travel (nonfiction) books--he's one of my faves and I suspect Hansen will be alongside once I have more time to dig in.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have zero idea how or why I had this as TBR.

The author is a bit of a creep. Almost every story got weird and creepy. Even the story of a tragic plane crash had a weird aside that was fairly gross.

The couple stories that didn't involve creepiness factors to the 10th degree were fairly delightful, but that wasn't enough to redeem this selection of essays.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept of short stories/vignettes around this author's very full and interesting personal travelogue. It's less of a travel book than a glimpse into the minds and souls of people he encounters in the strangest of places. Some of the vignettes bored me; some intrigued me; and overall, it was an interesting but not engrossing read.

[Pat Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

After an NPR interview included Eric Hansen's spicy excerpt in a hot steamy pool hall, I immediately bought this book, Motoring with Mohammed (my favorite prelude of all), and five other titles of his. I love his writing! How many people have taken their traveling commitment to his level—and then written about it so well?

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an eclectic collection of odds and ends stories; they are often earthy and strive to present unusual characters with out of the ordinary viewpoints. It is easily read but the content didn't stay with me after quickly finishing it.

[Paul McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book for the title, stayed with it for the quality of writing.
9 stories of various lengths nothing ties them together but the author’s participation.
Solid quality writing of the human race in various locations in the world.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 4 1/2 stars. The last three stories were 5 star reads for sure! Such an interesting book about the author's truly incredible adventures all over the world. These stories made me drop my mouth open in wonder, cry, and finally laugh out loud at the final one!

[Edie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of travel books and this ranks as one of the best. Hansen is a true adventurers and his writing makes you feel as if you are right there with him. The chapters may be funny, profound, frightening, amazing or even absurd, but they are never dull. High recommendation.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a collection of autobiographical short stories makes you wonder about the person that is so open to the chaos of life to say yes to these varied experiences… it felt like an unearned treat to get these glimpses into far-away cultures and extremely personal moments…

[Kimberly Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Non-fiction. Stories from his world travels. Funny, quirky, poignant.

[Lisa Bricker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressively closely-observed life filled with extraordinary adventures and people.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are these stories real?