river

On moving + being

IMG_9821 IMG_9958 IMG_9966Today’s my last day in Bangkok (*for a while at least).

Tonight, I catch a train (12 hrs) and then a ferry south (anywhere from 2 hrs to 8 hrs) –> to the island of Koh Tao! I arrived in Thailand like I do most places, with no plan, and decided to go south to the ocean instead of north towards Chiang Mai. From there, the plan involves Burma, my camera, and a lot of food.

These days have been filled with everything I love, including –> long walks, trying new foods (*all good until this), motorbikes (*trying to ride sideways and struggling), sweat, and even sweatier yoga classes. I feel incredibly grateful to be here and want to throw myself and my all into my time here.

All of these photos are from the boat ride along the canal over to the Grand Palace.

Until next time Bangkok!

On getting lost

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I get lost a lot when I go new places.

I never have a map or any sense of where I need to be, but in a way, it’s the best way to travel (*that is, it is the best way to travel when you have the time).

When I went to Rishikesh, I packed only my small day-pack, a book, a journal, a change of clothes, and my camera. It allowed me so much freedom. Freedom to wander. I had nowhere to be, no idea what was what, and I loved it.

When the bus dropped me off on the outskirts of town, I ended up walking several kilometers to the northernmost point at Laxman Jhula. During my long walk, I wound up getting pretty lost, and in the process, met some amazingly friendly, funny people.

Traveling like this without plans or a place to be is easy for me. . . I know that the rest of this summer will involve a good deal more planning and it’ll be a good challenge for me.

In Kathmandu today, making plans and finding new connections. I officially have a telephone number here and have a lot of appointments and dinner//coffee dates in the next few days.

Enjoying the moments I feel all alone, but equally enjoying feeling that I have a family and close friends in this bright city.

“Trying to remember, I have learned, is like trying to clutch a handful of fog. Trying to forget, like trying to hold back the monsoon.” – Patricia McCormick

The monsoon came early this year and it is constantly full of surprises. It’s refreshing and welcomed. The rains are necessary, urgent, and often brief. They quickly become a part of daily life and routine here. When it rains, streets empty, puddles form, and all you can hear is rain hitting all types of strange, hard surfaces.

[Photos: Getting lost near the great Ganges. Rishikesh//Grace Farson]

Rishikesh. An overview

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I feel that I could stay in Rishikesh for a lifetime.

Rishikesh is the kind of India you want India to be a lot of the time. It’s a holy city filled with life, and it’s an easy, good life. It seems to sparkle and move, but move at a much slower pace than a lot of India.

I spend a lot of my time here in quiet. In solitude. Practicing yoga. Sweating. And feeling free.

+ Enjoy this lovely song, sent by a truly lovely person this morning:

“Are you real or something from wanderlust
Who can you can we trust my dear, sweet, flower
Who can you trust
From cradle to grave
From ashes to ashes, from dust to dust” – Fink, “Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us“

Today will be filled with waiting//showering (*I fear that I smell of hot curry and sweat more than ever before)//more yoga//itching a new collection of bug bites// packing up my life again.

[Photos: Day one, around the great Ganges river in Rishikesh//Grace Farson]