Taivo Lints Blog

A fake travel guide, from 2003.

I picked it up in a bookstore in Stansted airport, London, in 2005. It was 5 a.m., and I had been up since the previous morning, but this book still managed to make me laugh, so there wasn't much hesitation left about whether to buy it or not.

"...Despite being one of the smallest countries in Europe, the Republic of Molvania has much to offer the discerning tourist. Panoramic scenery, magnificent neoclassical architecture and centuries of devotion to fine culture are, admittedly, all in short supply. But the intrepid traveler will still find plenty to enjoy within this unique, landlocked nation state -- from the capital Lutenblag, with its delightful gas-powered tram network, to the heavily forested Postenwalj Mountains in the south, where visitors can share a glass of locally brewed zeerstum (garlic brandy)..."

"...Dzrebo was first discovered in AD 6 by the Roman centurion Callus who, while leading an expedition through the region, became bogged on the flat, swampy plains. After several fruitless weeks attempting to extricate himself from the mosquito-plagued, leech-infested, stagnant wetlands, Callus is said to have declared 'this would make an ideal place for a village'. Whilst historians have subsequently conjectured that he may have been speaking sarcastically, his comments were soon acted upon and a small town sprang up..."

"...After the war Molvania found itself under Soviet control and endured many years of hardship and authoritarian rule. The turning point came in 1982 when the famous Lutenblag Wall collapsed, not due so much to democratic reform, but just shoddy construction..."

If you appreciate irony, creative humor and a good laugh, then this travel guide is highly recommended. For the rest of the crowd it is not recommended, as they might be offended (see those 1 star comments in Amazon).

More info at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1843542323/