Lured by idyllic memories of ancient cities, spectacular mountains and, most of all, dreamy afternoons spent chewing the psychoactive leaves of the qat tree, kevin rushby set out to travel the old “qat road” from the highlands of ethiopia to yemen. It was to prove a fascinating and dangerous journey, peopled with an extraordinary array of characters— criminals, Islamic scholars, an exorcist and the mysterious Cedric, the travelling companion from hell. Eating the F lowers of Paradise combines classic travel writing with an explanation of the rich and varied culture of the drug qat.