by Omar Adolfo Arango

This is the true story of Israel Valderrama who as a young man worked as a truck driver on the Atlantic Coast of Colombia. Always well liked, he left his home town to seek his fortune in Medellin during the early 1950s. It was there that he became involved with the Boys Scouts and it was there that he decided that he must follow his dream – to attend the World Jamboree of Scouts in Canada!

How to get there? An only child, with no resources or money, he decided that he would bicycle to Canada! The route would be straight up the west coast of Central America, through the United States and then, simply, take a right hand turn in Vancouver and across Canada. This is the extraordinary story of Israel’s saga through 25,000 kilometers, 10 countries, on many non-existent roads, through all climates. The nine month journey was fully recorded in a diary. And, now 50 years after his travels, Omar Adolfo Arango, an accomplished novelist from Colombia, has brought this epic story to life!

Israel Valderrama lives in Burlington, Ontario as does Omar Adolfo Arango.

Author: Omar Adolfo Arango
Category: Popular Culture
ISBN: 0889628653
Pages: 256