"Reading about Nooraini preparingfor the roads, or tracks, was as engrossingas going with her into the bends and the twists of travel. I love the self-effacing asides ana the grasshopper from Aesop struck a chord. But a real traveller should not be emburdened by the weiglit of riches. The wealth of discoveryis ample reward. Wan A. Hulaimi aka Awang Goneng Author of bestselling memoirs: Growing upin Trengganu and A Map of Trengganu "Buy your ticket, take your seat and get comfortable, for this book is filled with interesting characters, places and colourful photos. Perfect for the armchair traveller and wimps like me who can only wish for, but never embarkon, such adventures. And what an adventurethis truly is! Tunku Halim Author of the So Fat Lah cookbook and A Malaysian Restaurant in London In this beautifully illustrated book, Nooraini Mydin grabs you by the hand and takes you with her on a madcap rail adventure through 10 countries. She sleeps alongside 53 passengers in the open carriage of the Trans-Siberian train, traversing Siberia to take in the stunning views of Lake Baikal. She gets held up in a fake teashop in Beijing, climbs the Great Wall of China with a prosthetic knee, finds herself in a Shanghai brothel and samples the orgasmic food of Penang. Aini s Railway Odyssey, part autobiography, part travel writing, is the informative, entertaining, often hilarious account of a 50-year old down-at-heel wimp who decided to confront her demons and take a solo trip halfway round the world. This book will leave you trawling the internet for tickets to Timbuktu and beyond.