A chapter of my book "Vagabonding in the Axis of Evil - By thumb in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan" ends with the following thought:
“… will I ever findwill I ever find a wandering princess? Or will I continue my world tour of spontaneous, dead lane romances? Only distance, centauric breed of will and sentence, caresses the wounded feet of the traveller.
When I wrote those lines I wasn`t aware that thousands of people would read it. I had never published a book before. Words rather unfold as in a cascade of therapeutical honesty towards myself. But I was unknowingly throwing a bottle into the Ocean.
“… will I ever findwill I ever find a wandering princess? Or will I continue my world tour of spontaneous, dead lane romances? Only distance, centauric breed of will and sentence, caresses the wounded feet of the traveller.
When I wrote those lines I wasn`t aware that thousands of people would read it. I had never published a book before. Words rather unfold as in a cascade of therapeutical honesty towards myself. But I was unknowingly throwing a bottle into the Ocean.
.
And on the other shore Laura took the bottle, opened itand read it. She bought the book at a buenos Aires bookshop and couldn't avoid thinking in the similarities with his own life. Laura had her own experience in travelling around the world, leaving her footprints in Bolivia, Peru, Central America and India. Always eith her backpack, but never hitch-hiking, Laura would always come back from her trips feeling it hadn't been enough and feeling less than comfortable with going back to her 9 to 5 office job as a travel agent.
.
In the beginning, she was not to write to me, but then she had that dream, in which both of us where hitch-hiking to Alaska... Then she sent me an e-mail, and we started chatting for over 2 months before deciding to meet up in Salta, Northern Argentina. I was travelling south from Bolivia to participate in Buenos Aires International Book Fair.
The first ride Laura and me got together, in a Renault 4 that took us out of Salta towards the Lerma Valley.
Local men working in the tobacco industry, selecting the best leaves.
Hitch-hiking together to Alemania town, where the spell was casted...
This is the old railway station of Alemania, a town inhabited by 8 families. In this desolate but colourful place I had decided to start hith-hiking around the world, back in 2002. Now, the tiny town was to host another spectacular event: Laura and I decided to join our dreams and bring forth a future together. A future together in the road side. And so we decided to travel from Argentina to Alaska together....
1 comment:
Wow, thats just wonderful dude! Wish the both of you the best of luck in your travels :)
love checking your blog every now and then, just wish I knew some spanish too
Post a Comment