Over six years, Jim Malusa engaged in a long bicycle journey using money that Discovery Channel gave him for his travels.
His resulting book, “Into Thick Air: Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents,” tells of his adventures.
On Wednesday, Oct. 8, the Tucsonan will appear at the MountainView Clubhouse in SaddleBrooke, 38759 S. MountainView Blvd., to present a slideshow and talk about the journey. The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and will include appetizers and a cash bar. Tickets are $15.
Malusa’s travels took him to Lake Eyre in the arid heart of Australia, along Moses’ route to the Dead Sea, from Moscow to the Caspian Sea, across the Andes to Patagonia, around tiny Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and from Tucson to Death Valley. His book offers an ecological tour of engaging plants, insects and nighttime constellations, and it also shows the more human aspects of his travels: being overfed by grandmothers, courted by ladies of the night, invited into a mosque by Africa’s most feared tribe and pursued by sandstorms and hurricanes.
Malusa said his bicycle trip would be a gimmick if not for his fondness of camping and solitude.
Proceeds from the event will support SaddleBrooke libraries. Tickets must be bought in advance. Copies of Malusa’s book will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, call 818-3527 or 818-1000.
