Home > Work > House of the Tiger King: The Quest for a Lost City
21 " The situation was different in the jungle. Every inch of ground had to be earned, and was done so through much exertion with the blade. "
― Tahir Shah , House of the Tiger King: The Quest for a Lost City
22 " Normally I would have been the first to go in search of cannibal monks, particularly as I had heard of a similar tradition at a nunnery in the Philippines. It's the sort of quest I can't resist. "
23 " Only a man who has his health, a full stomach and wears clean clothes would ever entertain the notion of tracking down the greatest lost city on Earth. "
24 " In some warped way, having an embalmed body with us made perfect sense. "
25 " Previous experience had taught me that any expedition marches on its stomach. "
26 " The porters could always be coaxed to continue a little further through driving rain by the mere suggestion of a Pot Noodle at the end. "
27 " Ours was not going to be a clone of the usual expeditions, oozing with sleekness. It was clear from the start that oddity was our advantage. "
28 " My journey to the land of the Shuar tribe had taught me the importance of practical gifts. "
29 " If hot food is they key to maintaining an expedition's stamina, then low grade gut-rot alcohol is the key to sustaining its sense of pleasure. "
30 " A man who embarks on a journey must know when to end it. "
31 " Previous journeys had taught me the danger of taking too much stuff. "
32 " The only thing they valued higher than ammunition were Man United footballs. "
33 " The taste for glory can make ordinary men behave in extraordinary ways. "
34 " The forest did not tolerate frailty of body or mind. Show your weakness, and it would consume you without hesitation. "
35 " As far as I was concerned, a little danger of head-shrinking is a small price to pay in return for a people who have remained true to an ancient code. "
36 " As I see the world, there's one element that's even more corrosive than missionaries: tourists. It's not that I feel above them in any way, but that the very places they patronize are destroyed by their affection. "
37 " As I saw it, a little threatening was a good thing. It kept the men on their toes. "