Are you experienced?

For Dave, however, the spiritual side of India is hidden by the daily frustrations of travel itself. A fourteen-hour bumpy bus ride, food-poisoning (and the ever-constant threat of malaria), child beggars, and a bossy and uninterested Liz can turn even the greatest of Asian adventures into the Vacation from Hell. Despite "(the) general belief that a long and unpleasant holiday was of crucial importance to one's development as a human being, " Dave wants to go back home to England. How he finally gets there is what makes Are You Experienced? so much fun.