#because we bought it from a roadside stall

[sanhatis-abyss]

Could this be it? Rock n' Roll?

Does anyone know what rose this is?

[domesticandlovingmonsters]

Guard Captain Aram (M) x F!Reader (wip)

Because I feel bad with how long this is taking to come out, and I am currently stuck on how to proceed, I'm posting this as is.

I intend to complete it annd post it as a whole, but since I'm stuck, you got this. Consider this as a type of two-parter until I can work out how to write someone having a date and how conversations work. I swear I'm a good writer, guys!!! I know how sentences and dialogue works.

Words: 9.9k

Theme/Plot:  (Fantasy/Medieval)  You're a merchant, new to the city looking to start a business from the ground up. Having purchased a cheap, run-down building as your starting point, you work hard to make something of the little things you have. But after a string of robberies, you find yourself as the centre of the Guard Captain's attention.

The rain came down in pouring sheets. Deafening you inside your own dwelling as a year's worth of rain pummeled the tiled roof.

Thunder clapped overhead so close to the city roofs that the window panels shook in their frames.

It was a gloomy day. One that made the hours in the shop drag by at a snail's pace. Not a soul was out today. For good reason, or else they’d risk being washed away by the water flowing down the street drains. Thankfully, there was alot of old stock you needed to organize and catalog to keep you busy.

The storm was a blessing in disguise. Despite the chilly weather.

With the lack of customers to keep an eye on and take commissions for, it allowed you to tune up the shop within your actual work hours. And not drip over into the late afternoon like you dreaded.

And with the ample amount of downtime came the close inspection of how your little, ancient store held up in such a harsh rainstorm.

The last of your money had gone into buying this place. It was a cheap sale and the reasons for it were obvious. A small shop with a small dwelling connected to the back of it for residential purposes.

The paint on the front was peeling and much of the wooden beams needed some love and care. The windows had needed to be removed and replaced; they had been so grimey and cracked that it made the store look sickly from the outside. And dark and gloomy within.

Not to mention the rot within the wood in some places. Which had soaked up that lingering few coins you had after the sale. But it was better than leaving the place smelling like decaying wood and having openings for rats.

The roof seemed fine, the tiles were covered in moss and some were cracked, but you didn’t see any damage other than age.

It has been months since you bought it and this had been the first real change in sunny weather, so you were walking around the place constantly looking for leaks.

So far, nothing splashed against the wooden floor. Your little shack was holding up nicely under the rain, even if the walls groaned rather worryingly whenever the wind rushed through the city streets.

The shop was nothing spectacular, you knew that. But it was yours. And it was a much nicer place than the roadside stall you used to man while you traveled.

You glanced out the window as a flash of white light illuminated the dreary street outside. And winced at the image of you and your old horse and wagon in such weather.

Many times you had been caught out in storms like this. Losing stock to the water or your wagon’s wheels getting sucked into the muddy roads.

Looking back into your warm, dry shop; a new type of appreciation came to you with your decision to settle down. And you took a deep breath of dusty, humid air and smiled.

Your shop.

It still felt weird to say. But it was still just as exciting.

Over the thunder and tumbling rain, your shop-door’s bell chimed. Alerting you to two customers that all but barrelled into the dry space.

They were soaking. But smiled cheerfully as you greeted them. One had an umbrella that looked like the wind had torn it asunder and both their hoods were raised low over their faces. Leaving only their wide smiles for you to see.

“We are so sorry for dragging water in here.” One said, a woman. Rubbing her arms to retain some heat beneath the thick cloak. “But we’re in need of some alchemy ingredients, if you have any. You’re the closest store to ours and we’re low on some things to make cold remedies.”

The other customer, with the torn umbrella, looked around your small store with a grin. “You’ve really spruced this place up. It’s so much nicer here than what I last remember. The last owner did not care for this building at all.”

You smiled as their hoods were lowered. You recognized them as the potions store owners down the street. You spoke briefly once. They were nice people. But very busy. And their names eluded you, unfortunately.

“Welcome! And don’t worry about the water, it’s unavoidable at the moment. I think I tracked in half the realm’s mud this morning. Please, come in. What did you need exactly? I have a few stocks that might be what you need.”

The woman huffed with visible relief and hurried forward to your counter. Where you withdrew some small boxes of bottled ingredients and jars of various substances.

You didn’t sell anything but the basic materials. Your shop was more a general store than a particular theme. You still weren’t sure what you wanted to be in the city.

You’ve only ever known what you could carry. On the road, certain ingredients didn’t travel well. And jewelry or fine goods made you a target for bandits.

Here, within the safety of the city, you could be any type of trader you wanted. You just still weren’t sure what niche you wanted to be.

But your general goods were exactly what these two were looking for. And your eyes widened in surprise when they asked to buy your entire stock of your basic ingredients.

“I know it’ll put you out, but we’ll pay you an extra sum on top of the sale. Our next shipment of this isn’t for another week, and we have so many commissions coming in for cold remedies.” The man said. Already pulling out a large coin purse from his belt. “And you’ll be doing us a huge favor. If you need anything-”

“It’s a deal.” You said, waving away the man’s pleading stare. “We’ve got to look after each other after all. I was going to offer a discount since you’re buying such a large amount.”

The bell over your door chimed and you shifted behind your counter so you could see around the couple. A young woman shuffled into the store. Her eyes looked around the shelves with interest and a thin cloak was wrapped around her shoulders.

“I’ll be with you in a moment!” You called out to the woman. Seeming to startle her. But she smiled, it felt a little forced, and moved deeper into your store. Her eyes darted around and then back to you.

You were about to say something else when the potion’s woman handed you a sum of coins. “I insist. I know how frustrating it can be to be out of stock. Particularly ingredients like this. Please, take the extra sum. You’re doing us a huge favor with-”

The woman’s partner glanced over his shoulder as the woman at the back moved quickly towards the door. Her shoulders were hunched as she braced for the cold water to hit her as she opened the door.

“Hey! You, wait!” He shouted but the woman was already sprinting out the door. Almost slipping on the wet pavement outside. The potion’s man swore and handed his partner the purse. “That girl is the one who stole from us last week. Get the guards!”

Before you could react, the man was barreling out of your store and charging out into the rain. His partner seemed just as surprised as you but quickly pocketed the purse and looked at you.

“Do you have a way to summon the guards directly here?” You shook your head. Your heart was pounding in your chest. “I have one in my store. I’ll go call them. See if you can find out if that woman stole anything from you. I’ll be right back.”

The woman left her crate of goods behind as she hurried out of your shop. You were quick to follow, but went to where you last saw the woman browsing.

Your eyes flew from object to object. Taking note of any spots that seemed to have shifted or had missing stock.

Everything seemed fine. Until you noticed your small display of wands had been touched. These weren’t like the wands that witches and warlocks used. But temporary magical items that did various things depending on their make.

You had ordered these as a step into selling magical merchandise. To see how well they sold here. Kids adored the ones that created bubbles of light. And a few people purchased the design that acted as a quill that would write for you without you touching it.

You had recently restocked the display with other types. And there were two that were missing.

One was a water-make. Which either made water or removed it. Not enough to drain a lake or a pool, but a few buckets could be filled or emptied if needed.

And the second was a fire starter. Which spat sparks that would harmlessly bounce off of skin or clothes, but would light a small fire on even the most water-bogged logs or extinguish it.

You sighed. Already understanding why these particular items were stolen.

You’ve dealt with enough desperate people to know when it was necessity and not greed that pushed a person to steal.

You bit your lip. These wands weren’t expensive and were cheap stock to order.

Maybe if I’m quick I can stop the potions woman from calling the guards. You thought. But then you reminded yourself that the woman who stole from you, had also stolen from them. And over the first few months of owning and stocking this store, you’ve had more than your fair share of robberies and stolen items. If word got out that you let a person steal from you, this could spiral into something worse.

The best you could do for them was not press charges if the person is found.

You sighed again. Heavier than the last and moved through your store to get your cloak.

But on your way to the back, past a small lock-box display of jewelry, you noticed the glass lid had been pried open. The magical seal had been expertly dispelled and one of your silver rings, one that created a bubble of small protection, was missing.

You swore under your breath. Disappointment flooding through you.

Now you had to continue with the guards and hope they found the person.

That ring was an expensive item. The enchantment was a common one, but the ring amplified the bubble to be the size of a house. Something that was incredibly hard to do and would have taken alot of material to make such an enchantment safe and usable.

Hence why it was in a lock-box, under magical protection, and worth a decent sum of coins. Another one of your stretches into unknown territory with sales and items.

It was nothing so expensive that it would put a target on your store. But it was one of your pricier items, one that a customer had been eyeing off last time they passed through.

“They just had to steal that.” You grumbled. Slapping the lid back down on the lock-box. The seal buzzed as the box was closed again, letting you know the magic was once again activated. You gave it an experimental tug on the lid and when it didn’t open, without your key, you were happy enough to leave it.

You retrieved your cloak from the back of the shop and exited your store. Making sure the door was locked and hurried down the street to the potions store.

You were near drenched when you slipped into the two story building. But the moment your foot stepped over the threshold, you were flooded with warmth and your clothes tickled with magic that left you dry and comfortable.

You definitely needed that enchantment on your front door.

From behind the many shelves, the potions woman appeared, looking flustered as she hurried towards you. “The guards are on their way. Did that wretched thing take anything?”

“Some low magic wands and an enchanted ring.” You grimaced. “I don’t care for the wands, so much. But that ring is expensive. As long as I get that back, I’ll let it slide.”

The woman scoffed and gestured for you to follow her, leading you to the back of the store where a pot of tea and some small biscuits were waiting. “That woman stole two potions of healing and an iron-bark elixir from us. I know times are tough. And the potions were only small portions, not worth alot. But the iron-bark elixir is a very slow and ingredient heavy process. We can only make so many a month and they're in high demand with the guards and travelers. If she only stole the potions, we wouldn’t have pushed so hard to find her. But the elixir alone can fix us up for an entire month.”

Your eyes widened. “Those elixirs are that expensive?”

“Ours are, yes.” The woman said, a little proudly, as she poured you a cup of tea. “Ours doesn’t just give you thick skin and more strength, we’ve perfected a way that the aftereffect of the elixir doesn’t put you in a bed for a day. It’ll affect you for a few hours at best after you use the elixir but unlike our competitors iron-bark, you can get up and get ready for the day after a good night’s sleep.”

You whistled in appreciation for such craftsmanship. “That’s incredible. I can understand why she would try to take it then. Sell it off for some quick coin.”

The woman nodded. Sipping her tea after putting some honey in it and stirring. “I grew up very poor. I used to steal bread and clothes to get by. But stealing potions like ours? You put yourself at such risk for it. Even your ring! The wands can be overlooked. But something like that is just…silly.”

You stirred some honey into your own cup and allowed the conversation to fall away as you sipped. Thankfully, the potions man appeared in the doorway. Looking winded and red faced. “I couldn’t find her. The damn woman gave me the slip.”

“Better you don’t approach her, love.” The woman said, with a soft smile. “Let the guards deal with her. They’re on their way.”

The man nodded. Taking a deep breath that his body obviously needed. He looked at you and offered a smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t catch her. Did she steal anything?”

You explained the stolen stock and the man tsked. Muttering about the lack of respect for shopkeepers; “Especially one such as yourself. You’re just starting out! I recall my first few years as a storekeeper, my Gods, the ledger was never full enough. And every piece of missing stock was precious.”

You nodded, chuckling along with the man as he shook his head. “Well, at least our sale will help me out until I can get a replacement or the ring is found. I’ll bring the stock over once we’ve spoken with the guards. I didn’t think to bring it over just now.”

The two waved you off. Saying they trust you enough to not skip their deal because of a distraction like this.

The three of you chatted idly while you waited for the guards to arrive.

And when they did, you immediately recognized three amongst them.

One was a tall elf woman by the name of Yesrie. Dark hair with sharp eyes but a warm smile.

The second was a human man named Smith. You never got his first name because everyone called him by his second. He had been in his first year in the Guard when you arrived; eager to help and prove himself, he had taken your reports on missing items like a personal attack. And hunted them down like he was the one who owned them.

Then the third, the Guard Captain’s right hand, Briar. A green lizardman built like a stone barn. They were a stoic type of individual. Had a sharp tongue when it came to humbling their guards but professional when it came to their work.

They all greeted you a little more warmly than they did with the pair beside you.

Your first few months here allowed you to become quite friendly with the Guard. Not by any intent of your own, but your new store in town got more attention than you bargained for. And not in a good way. Stolen merchandise meant the Guard got involved. And it happened so often within a few weeks that the Guard Captain had stepped in.

And with that sort of attention watching your store, the thieves dissipated quickly.

“(Y/N), why am I not surprised your shop was involved?” Briar asked, crossing their arms over their armor plated chest. Their iron gauntlets clinked against the metal. “I had hoped that the call meant a different store.”

You shrugged, sighing dramatically. “It wouldn’t be a Thursday without something of mine going missing.”

Smith and Yesrie laughed. Briar’s reptilian face rarely showed much emotion other than a hard stare. But you glimpsed their scaly lips twitch in amusement.

“Indeed. You know the drill, then. What happened? Every little detail, as you know, helps us out.”

You explained the events that transpired within your store. Explaining why the potion-store owners were involved, which gave them a chance to explain how they recognized the person who stole from you.

Briar nodded along, taking in everything you said. Yesrie commented they were the guard that took the potion store’s report and that this thief was targeting many stores in the district, not just a few.

Smith was writing down notes in a small notebook that was the size of his palm. Asking the usual questions like the woman’s hair color or description. Which you had to let the potion shop owners answer, because you didn’t really take notice of the woman.

Then when you got to the descriptions of the stolen items, Briar’s tail twitched in irritation. Nothing directed at you, you found out. “Well, that complicates things. Stolen magical items of significant power require a formal report issued by the owner. Meaning, (y/n), you’re gonna have to go to the Guard House and fill one out.”

You groaned in annoyance. You had to fill out a report once before. It took forever. And you really didn’t feel like going across the district to the Guard House in this weather.

But if you want that ring back, or at least be compensated for its loss, you’ll need to go.

“I’m guessing I’ll need the paperwork I received for purchasing the item to sell?” You asked and Briar nodded.

“Proof of purchase or the license which came with the item. Anything that has the item’s description and magic detailed alongside your ownership. And it’s something you need to do at the House, too. We can’t issue you one, since you need a scribe to sign off on it and witness you filling it out.”

“All that for a magical item?” The potions woman scoffed. “Damn, I’m happy we never got into that side of the business.”

You wish you could agree with her. But you were definitely going to make an adjustment to your stock and protection so you didn’t have to go through this again.

“Alright. Thank you for your time. Sorry you had to march through this weather for my store again.” You said. And Yesrie shrugged, glancing out the window as another flash of lightning lit up the dim street outside.

“The weather makes you appreciate the sunny days more. We’ll see you at the House, (y/n).” Yesrie replied. And the guards took their leave.

You soon followed suit. Promising the potion owners you would bring their merchandise around soon. But they waved you off. Telling you to deal with the reports and the guards first before worrying about them.

You were beginning to really appreciate them. And made sure to lower the price on anything the two needed in any later deals.

Back inside your shop you made quick work of finding the needed documents that involved any transaction or information of the ring.

Which you then wrapped up in a leather satchel that was worn and aged from many years on the road. An old trusty item you’ve carried with you everywhere before placing it in the drawer of your new work desk.

It would protect the documents from the rain and keep them nice and flat while you trekked the stormy streets.

You wrapped yourself up in as much water-proof clothing as you could. Your cloak was your best chance at keeping yourself dry but watching the sky still bucket down torrents of water, you doubted you’d stay warm for long.

As long as the documents were safe, you could endure the rain.

And walking through the streets was just about as miserable as you expected. You stuck to any type of cover you could as you walked. Storefront canopies or trees that were planted along the paths. The thunder felt like it was roaring directly in your ear as you braced against the chilling wind.

You wrapped your cloak tightly around you and pulled your hood down so low over your face you could only see the pavement in front of you.

Every glance up at where you were going was a risk of cold water trickling down your neck and into your warm clothes.

You zigged and zagged through the district until you came upon the large stone steps of the Guard House. The House itself was huge! Meant to house many of the district's officers and their cadets. This one also doubled as a school for fresh-faced persons looking to become a guard.

As you climbed the steps to the door, you could hear someone yelling at said cadets beyond the stone wall that secluded the training yards from the streets.

You grimaced at the thought of training in such weather.

As you stepped through the doors, the same magic from the potion shop passed over your clothes. However, this enchantment felt like it was spluttering. Parts of you were left dry while other sections were left merely damp.

You were warmer than before you stepped inside but your fingers still felt icy as you approached the receptionist at the desk.

You greeted them warmly and explained what you needed to fill out. And the receptionist motioned for you to walk down a hallway and then turn right, which would lead you to the scribes that would help you out.

You thanked her and headed in your pointed direction.

The House was bustling with activity. You passed many guards through the halls, swathed in armor and weapons. A few scribes hurried by and you even made room for a woman with a mean looking hound to pass you in the hall.

She thanked you as she kept the beast on a short leash. The hound didn’t pay you any mind so you knew it was more for your sense of space than the dog’s.

But you found the scribe room easily enough and the man behind the desk went through the process of the report.

It was a long document too. With a handful of pages that you needed to fill out and agree too. The scribe looked equally annoyed with the prospect, apparently he needed to go over it and sign off as you went. It would take time out of both of your afternoon’s. But he took you to the side to a desk so you could sit comfortably and fill it out.

Excusing himself and asking you to call him over when you got to a particular section before moving on through the document.

You hoped the scribe didn’t think your agitation was directed at him as you sighed and sat down. But you got to work, reading over the lengthy questions and paragraphs with a quill in your hand.

A few minutes later, Briar entered the room and went to the scribe desk, speaking softly. When the scribe nodded and disappeared through a door, their eyes passed over you once before snapping back as they spotted you. They came over to greet you. Their tail dripped a little with rainwater. “Ah, it’s good to see someone with initiative. You got here quickly.” Briar said, leaning against another desk to your left.

“Better to get it out of the way now than later.” You shrugged. “You wouldn’t have happened to stumble across my thief with my ring by chance? So I don’t have to do this?” You asked, hopefully. But Briar shook their head.

That twitch pulled at their scaly lips again as a hissing chuckle whistled through their sharp teeth.

“If only we were that lucky. I have to do my own paperwork about it, as well. I envy you. I’d rather do your documents than my own.” Like the scribe was summoned, he appeared and placed a thick folder of paper on the front desk. Briar thanked him gruffly and went over to scoop it up. Grumbling as he showed you the thickness of the folder. “See. No complaining from you about lengthy reports. I will probably beat you on every account.”

You laughed and nodded. “I do feel a little better about my report now. Thanks.”

“Here to help. Enjoy.” Briar said with a curt nod before leaving the room.

You refocused your attention on the documents in front of you. Calling over the scribe when he didn’t look too busy once you got up to the section he requested.

And while he looked over what you wrote and ensured everything was in order, you let your gaze wander. The scribe hall looked like a bustling library. Desks and chairs were scattered about the room. And behind the front desk were many, many towering shelves of books and scrolls.

Scribes appeared and disappeared behind each corridor of paper. Some carried in armfuls of paper or were discussing something with a guard.

It was all very busy here. But the chatter was rather quiet. You wondered if there was some sort of magic that kept the sound of the hustle and bustle at a low range.

“Scribe Harry, I was told that- Oh, (y/n), what are you doing here?” Your attention snapped to the door of the hall as your name was voiced.

Guard Captain Aram strolled over to where you were sitting. Making your heart skip a beat when he leaned over the back of your chair to inspect the report.

Aram was an orc with a heavy green complexion that contrasted the pale patches of skin on his body caused by vitiligo. His blonde hair was tied back in uniform to the neat standards of the Guard.

His tusks curved out from his lower lip, decorated by silver caps on the blunt tips. His thick arms were wrapped in thick leather that slid under a heavy metal chest piece with the Guard’s symbol carved into the steel. The patches on his shoulders displayed his rank, if the better armor and air of authority didn’t already display it.

“I was robbed again.” You sighed. Pushing down the sudden rush of nervousness as you turned your attention to the captain. “A magical item this time. Briar came and sorted it out and told me to come here.”

Aram’s brows knitted together and you could have sworn you saw a spark of amusement light in those beautiful emerald eyes. Before the stoic expression of a guard captain fell back into place. “Ah, yes, the grand paperwork involved with magic. I thought you said you wanted to keep simple stock for a time.”

You nodded. Having to pause your answer to thank the scribe as he pushed the report back to you to continue writing. “Yes. But a friend of mine had some stock they couldn’t move in the settlement nearby. So, I took it off their hands.”

“And then someone decided to take it from yours.” Aram said. He glanced over at the scribe as he moved some dropped off paperwork into the shelves behind him. “Hmm, this will go quicker if I take over for the scribes. The poor bastards have had their hands full recently.” Then Aram called out to the scribe nearby, Harry, who looked relieved when Aram explained he’d be taking over witnessing you finish the report.

“Do you mind if we do this in my office? The magic in here makes my ears ache.” Aram asked. And when you nodded, Aram escorted you through the building to his office. Which you had been in once before when Aram had taken over the investigation of why your store was being targeted so frequently.

He closed the door behind you and you took the offered seat in front of his desk. Which he then slid your seat closer to the desk and made space on the surface for you to start the next section of the report.

He moved your chair so effortlessly with you in it that it made your stomach flip a little giddily. But you hid your smile as you busied yourself with reading over the next section.

“I was recently thinking about you. And, uh, the reports you had to make on your store.” Aram said rather quickly, fiddling with some papers on his desk. “It’s been a while since your last break in. I thought my trick did the job, to be honest.”

“For a while it did.” You agreed. Pausing to write down the description of the ring. “The extra patrols you had around the place seemed to scare them off. And gave me enough time to better the security of my shop. I still spot Smith on occasion in the area. But he always seems busy. I hope you’re not working him too hard.”

Aram chuckled. Picking up a quill of his own and scribbling over some papers on his desk. “The boy is fine. He’s eager for the work. But, uh…” You tore your eyes off the paperwork long enough to see why Aram didn’t finish his sentence.

His eyes were narrowed and his lips were pursed in a poor attempt at looking angry, looking over your head to the windows behind you.

You turned your head. And you caught a glimpse of something quickly darting out of view of the office. The room was enclosed but anyone in the hallways had a clear view of you sitting at Aram’s desk. The Guard Captain grumbled and stood, clearing his throat as he flicked a small switch and curtains fell down over the windows leading to the corridor outside.

“Nosy bastards.” You heard Aram mutter. But you pretended not to hear him as he returned to his seat and continued working on whatever was in front of him. “I was going to say he wanted to be set in that district. Apparently, his aunt lives around there.”

“Aww, that’s sweet of him. I’ll be sure to annoy him any chance I get when I see him.” You said, refocusing on the paper in front of you. You reached the next spot the scribe had told you to call for him and offered the papers to Aram.

Who went over the report swiftly and then handed it back to you after he signed off on the part he needed too.

“A ring of protection, huh? That didn’t move at your friend's establishment?” Aram asked, surprised. And you shook your head, writing as you responded.

“Their town was going through a drought. Which is probably being washed downriver right now with this rain. But no one had the money to purchase a ring like that. I offered to buy it off them and then give them a percentage if I manage to sell it. We used to travel together before they bought their store. They helped me get my place. Since I had no idea how to purchase property.”

Aram made a thoughtful noise, watching you as you worked. “Why didn’t you buy a place outside the city? Probably would have been cheaper. And also get you a better place than that splinter shack.”

“Hey, that’s my splinter shack you’re insulting.” You playfully snapped. Which made the Guard Captain laugh. “But I wanted to try the city. I’ve never stayed in one for long. And I thought a change of lifestyle would be refreshing.”

“And is it refreshing?” Aram asked.

You paused to look up at him, smiling. “Well, the people are much more interesting.” You let the sentence hang in the air for a touch longer before continuing. “And there’s always something happening here. And the food! Oh my Lords, I’ve never had such a wide variety of food always available. Every morning I get a fresh coffee with a freshly baked bun. A much better change than living off of dried meats and stale bread with cheese.”

Aram grinned at that. His eyes seemed to sparkle in the candlelight. “So, you think you’ll stay here for good then. This string of robberies hasn’t scared you off?”

You scoffed lightly and shook your head. “I’ve fought off armed bandits and kobolds from my goods before. A few hooded figures isn’t going to scare me off. I’ve gotten too comfortable sleeping in an actual bed now to give it up.”

Your words seemed to widen Aram’s smile. “Well, good to hear. The city always needs more good people like you in it. It would be a shame to see you go.”

Something in the way Aram spoke made your pulse quicken. Or maybe how his fingers brushed over your hand as you handed him the documents again for him to look over.

Either way, you were suddenly very aware of how little room there was between the two of you. Even if the desk was large enough to sit such a big man behind it, it felt like Aram was close enough to touch.

And as you took back the paperwork, you thought it was silly of you to think that he was putting his hand directly so that your fingers brushed over his.

It didn’t stop you from feeling how warm his hand was. Nor notice how much larger his hand was compared to yours.

You felt your cheeks flush with heat and you tried very hard to concentrate on the papers in front of you.

It still took an hour to go over everything, but you managed to finish the documents required. Aram took it upon himself to file it away as soon as possible. And asked you a few more questions about the robbery before opening the door of his office for you.

“I’ll be in touch in a few days.” Aram said, leaning against the doorframe. “If we find anything, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Thank you for your time, Captain Aram.” You said and then added jokingly. “And I’ll be sure to let you know if something else goes missing from my store.”

Aram laughed. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.” Then he glanced to one of the nearby windows as a crash of thunder sounded overhead “Have you got a way of getting back to your store? It’s still pouring outside.”

You grimaced and a shiver ran over you at the thought of the walk back. It was later in the afternoon now. The sun wouldn’t be set yet, but with the dark clouds overhead and closing to sunset, it was already pretty dark outside.

“No. It’s not that far of a walk, though. I’ll be fine.” You lied. And knew Aram would know this was your attempt at being polite and not complaining.

Aram’s warm smile dimmed and he shook his head. “I’m not having you walk home in this. I’ll get someone to drive you back.”

Your eyes widened and you tried to make an excuse that would justify not needing a driver. But Aram caught sight of Smith walking past and called him over.

“Yes, Captain?” Smith said as he approached. Looking between you and Aram worriedly.

“Get a carriage and drive (y/n) back to her store. And no side stops on your way back, got it.” Aram said, his voice harsh with authority as Smith’s confusion turned into something close to amused glee. He nodded and then looked at you.

“Your chariot is this way, ma’am.” He said with a little more bravado than needed. And you looked at Aram with a joking glare.

“You’re really going to subject me to this?” You asked. And Aram’s stern facade broke with a smile.

“I’d rather not hear that you got washed away by a river on your way home. Get her home safe, Smith.” Aram said before closing the door and leaving you to a beaming Smith as you followed him through the House.

“So, what did you and the Captain talk about in there?” Smith asked. Wiggling his shoulders in a teasing manner as he led you out into an enclosed barn connected to the Guard House. Where a carriage was currently being connected to two brown horses.

“He was overseeing the report I needed to fill out about the ring.” You explained. Ignoring the tiny flush of embarrassment that crawled up your neck. “The scribes were busy and he had time.”

Smith blew a harsh breath out of his lips. “Puh-lease, the Captain never has time.” And then so quietly you almost missed it. “But that seems to change for you.”

You chose to ignore him and wait by the House doors while Smith spoke with the person hooking the animals up. He then waved you over and opened the carriage door for you.

“My Lady.” He bowed his head and you tsked playfully at him.

“Stop that. It’s embarrassing enough as it is. Being escorted back home by a guard.” You mumbled as you climbed inside. Which got you a laugh from Smith.

“Come on, enjoy it! How many times have you been safely escorted home like the rich folk? Beat on the roof if you need me to stop for anything, alright?”

Smith closed the door once you were comfortably seated and you heard him clamber onto the front of the carriage.

The carriage itself wasn’t anything extravagant. The seats were plush enough to stop you from sitting on hard wood and there was enough space to fit four people.

It still felt a bit excessive for only you to be in here. But at least you weren’t going to be walking in the rain.

Your body lurched a little as Smith urged the horses into moving. And soon enough the carriage was filled with the deafening roar of rain pelting the roof above you.

You felt bad for Smith sitting up front. You had glimpsed a small canopy over the driver's seat. But that would be very little protection against the storm as it whipped around him outside.

You sighed. Relaxing against the seat as you glanced through the fogged window to the passing streets.

They were mostly empty. Apart from a few store fronts preparing to close for the afternoon. And some carriages that trotted past.

You haven’t gotten to experience a carriage ride in the city yet. You’ve been so busy with the store that any luxuries you usually would have gotten with your money were forgotten. Or spent on the store itself.

It was kind of peaceful watching the city pass you by.

You would definitely be sending another bakery basket to Aram for this. He had enjoyed the first one you sent after he helped keep your store safe last time.

I’m not having you walk home in this.

His words bounced around in your head like an endless echo. And you found yourself smiling.

And the way he had put his hand in the path of yours? It made your heart skip just thinking about it.

You shook your head. Trying to scatter the thoughts that were attempting to wriggle into your mind.

“Oh, stop it.” You sighed to yourself. “He’s just making sure you’re safe. That’s his job after all.”

You knew you wanted it to be a lie the moment you said it.

But you refused to think of any other reason that Aram would be doing this. You didn’t need something like that in your life just yet. You were busy as it was.

But…A small voice whispered. You definitely need something like him. Even only for a night or two.

Your cheeks burned as the thoughts spiraled and you shook your head again. Refusing to let those thoughts get any more traction than they already have.

It…has been a long time. But you were a business woman now. You had more important things at this moment than scratching that itch. Once the store was a little more organized and things calmed down, then maybe, maybe, you’d think about it.

You sat in your hurricane of a mind as Smith drove through your district and finally came to a stop just outside your store.

You went to open the door but Smith was already there. Drenched from head to toe but all smiles, bowing his head dramatically.

“My Lady! A pleasant ride, I hope.”

“Oh my Gods, you poor thing. Get back as quickly as you can before you catch a cold.” You gasped as you slipped out of the carriage. Hurrying to the safety of your store front.

“I’m fine. Get inside! I’ll let the Captain know you’re safely at your castle.” Smith called over the rain. And you didn’t even bother retorting, merely stuck out your tongue at him as you waved him off.

You heard him laugh and watched through your store windows as the carriage pulled away and disappeared into the heavy sheets of rain.

~*~

A few days later, the bell over your door chimed as someone entered. You called out to the customer that you’d be with them shortly and finished what you were doing in the back before greeting them behind your counter.

“Aram!” You beamed as the Guard Captain approached you. “What a surprise! Good news? Or bad news?”

Aram made a face like he was deciding, jokingly clicking his tongue as he leaned his arms on your counter. Crossing them over each other and coming down to your eye height.

“Which do you want first?” He asked.

You pursed your lips, hopelessly ignoring how Aram’s gaze flicked to your mouth before returning to your eyes as you said, “Good news first.”

“We found the woman who stole your items. Your ring is being processed and looked over to ensure it hasn’t been tampered with. It’ll take a few days to get back to you.”

You sighed with relief. “That’s good. But…the bad news?”

Aram’s grin made his eyes crinkle adorably as he shuffled his weight on his feet. He cleared his throat and it felt like he was forcing his gaze to stay on you. “The bad news is that I lost a bet involving the case. And you unfortunately will be put on the spot as I ask you out to dinner.” He cleared his throat again and stood at attention in front of you. Your heart pounded in your chest as he swallowed hard and said. “Would you like to go out to dinner with me?”

It was almost adorable at how worried Aram looked as you stared up at him. And it was even more so when relief washed over his expression as you nodded.

Before you realized you were even replying, you had said yes. You laughed sheepishly, shaking your head. “You lost a bet and you were forced to ask me out to dinner?”

“I wouldn’t say forced. That makes it sound like I didn't want to.” Aram replied. Scratching the back of his neck, under the thick braid of blonde hair. “I want to take you to dinner. I have for a bit now. I just…things got in the way and I wasn’t sure if you would be interested in me and…I’m sorry. I’m rambling.” He cleared his throat again. “This is me asking you to dinner, sincerely.”

“What would have happened if you didn’t?” You asked.

“Probably be called a coward by my men.” Aram replied. “Or someone would have done it for me, I’m sure. Or somehow talked you into asking me out. I don’t know. They’re very nosy. Very much like a bunch of highschoolers.”

“But they gave you an opening to ask me out to dinner. So, I would forgive them.” You said with a chuckle. And Aram visibly relaxed with the sound. “When would you like to set this dinner? I’m free most afternoons. I’m sure it’s your schedule we have to work around.” You said teasingly. And Aram nodded.

“I’ll free up my night next Friday, if that’s ok with you? I know it’s a while away but this week is choked up with work already.” When you nodded, Aram’s smile broadened and your body became heated under his sparkling gaze. You both discussed a place to eat, but since you rarely went out other than cafes and small take-away establishments, Aram promised he’d surprise you with a brilliant place to dine. “I’ll pick you up around seven? If the rain hasn’t stopped by then, I’ll bring a carriage around for us to use.”

You sarcastically rolled your eyes, “Please do not make Smith drive us. That was torture last time.”

Aram laughed but shook his head. “No, no. I won’t be letting those vultures anywhere near our dinner. I promise.”

Once you confirmed again the time and date, Aram excused himself, having to continue his patrol around the district. And the moment he left, your heart soared with excitement at the thought of dinner with Aram.

~*~

Friday couldn’t come any quicker.

The rest of the week fell into a snail like pace, dragging day and night until the morning of your dinner date with Aram.

The rain didn’t subside. Most of the city was now flooded or close to it.

You had braced your store for the worst. Purchasing new tables with waterproofing and protective surfaces, so if the water started to rise and your store was flooded, at least some of your merchandise would be saved.

Coincidentally, as you were unloading the transport carriage that had said furniture, three city guards came over to help unload them.

You didn’t know any of them, but you thought it was sweet that some passing guards saw you and the transport man struggling to move a table, and decided to help.

But that seemed to become a pattern over the course of the week leading to Friday.

You saw more guards than usual in the district and some greeted you as if you knew them. Smith came over to you whenever you were out. Conversing until he needed to leave for his patrol and you needed to return to the shop.

Briar dropped by and returned the ring to you. They was a lot more friendly than the prior meetings you had with them. They actually cracked a few jokes with you.

You finally caved when Yesrie just happened to be in the area on Friday morning. Popping by with a coffee for you. “Are all of you around here because I’m going out with Aram?” You asked. And Yesrie was terrible at feigning ignorance, even if she was joking the entire time she replied.

“You’re going out with my captain? That’s amazing! I didn’t know at all.”

You rolled your eyes and shooed her out of your store. Thanking her for the coffee and company before you needed to get to work.

But finally, the time came to close the store and begin getting ready for your date.

You chose something simple to wear but something to also make you look downright gorgeous. Being in the city had its perks and the ample amount of shops around allowed you to browse and pick something amazing for yourself.

You had half the thought it could be a touch overdressed, but you weren’t sure where Aram was taking you. And you did look good in it! So you wrestled down the nerves and waited for Aram to arrive.

You kept your hands busy with small things in your shop before a heavy knock sounded on your front door.

You quickly opened the door for Aram and he stepped inside wrapped in a thick cloak and hood sprinkled by the rain.

“Damn, look at you, (y/n).” Aram beamed. His eyes didn’t seem to know where to look. They definitely lingered along your chest and hips, but respectfully flicked up to hold your gaze very quickly when he caught himself staring. “I feel a little underdressed now.”

You glimpsed his attire beneath the cloak. Dark dress pants with a deep brown shirt that hugged his large frame snugly. He had decorative leather bracers along his wrists and his hair was neatly bundled up in a collection of braids. Each had small trinkets adorning the strands.

“Nonsense,” You said a little breathlessly. Have you ever seen this man out of uniform? “You look very dashing.”

Your words made his smile crinkle his eyes and he opened his cloak up to you. Nodding to the carriage waiting outside. “I forgot to bring you an umbrella.”

“Ah, yes. I also don’t own one.” You said, hoping the way you moved up beside him didn’t seem too eager.

And you absolutely had an umbrella. But you were not going to miss an opportunity to snugly press yourself against Aram.

Once you were standing against his side, Aram lowered his arm enough that the cloak surrounded you almost entirely. A sweet scent wafted off of him to you and you shivered as your arm brushed against his side.

He was so warm!

Together you exited the store, halting long enough to lock the front and then quickly dash to the carriage. Where a driver was waiting in the rain to open the door for the two of you.

You felt utterly terrible for the man. But as you clambered into the carriage, you caught a glimpse of your driver.

An automaton. A being made of metal and mechanical parts bowed their head as you greeted them. Their clothes were drenched but they didn’t seem to mind as Aram joined you in the carriage, taking the seat next to you, and the automaton closed the door behind him.

“Did you hire a driver for tonight?” You asked. Baffled by the beautiful interior of the carriage. It was much fancier than the one Smith drove you in. And the rain didn’t thunder the roof in this one. You could barely hear it as Aram responded.

“No. This is my carriage. Anthony out there works for me.” Aram said this as if it was a normal occurrence for someone to have an automaton driver. Or their own fancy carriage.

You tried not to balk at his words. Instead made room for him to remove the damp cloak and fold it on the seat across from the both of you.

“I didn’t know being a Guard Captain paid so well.” You teased. Watching Aram as he adjusted his shirt and ensured his bracers were still correctly placed on his wrists. There was a slight scruff along his cheeks and he had replaced the silver caps on his tusks with gold ones.

Damn, he dressed up nice.

Aram smiled and your heart shuddered when he winked at you. “It also pays to have been a successful adventurer beforehand.”

Your eyes widened and Aram laughed as you said, “Wait, you haven’t been a stuck up captain all your life?” Though your words were sarcastic, you couldn’t help but be impressed. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have guessed that was your past. Maybe a soldier of some kind? But not an adventurer.”

“You’d be amazed at how many guards of mine are retired adventurers or travelers looking to settle down. I knew the old captain before he retired. It sped up my promotions, I’ll admit, but I proved myself just like everyone else.” Aram admitted. Relaxing against the plush back seat of the carriage. “Chasing down burglars and walking the streets at night is a much better alternative to dungeon crawling.”

You hummed in agreement. “I do not miss the cold nights or falling asleep hungry. But there was definitely a charm to traveling that the city doesn’t have.”

It was Aram’s turn to agree with a grunt. “I do occasionally miss having the time and freedom to do whatever I want. But I wouldn’t give up my position for anything. Least of all, leave my Guards behind just to go treasure hunting.”

You caught a light twinkling in Aram’s eyes as he spoke. And his smile curled warmly at the corners. It was no secret that Aram was as loyal as any to the Guard, but there was definitely a type of kinship between them all as well.

“That does remind me,” You said, tilting your head teasingly at Aram. “Did you order more guards to patrol my district? I keep tripping over them everytime I leave the shop.”

Aram didn’t look surprised, but he didn’t look pleased about what you said either. “Ah, I was wondering why some of them took longer to return after their patrols.” You waited for Aram to say something else. And when he didn’t, you set a pointed stare on him, urging him to continue whatever thought was bouncing around in his head. Aram chuckled with a half roll of his eyes. “Alright, alright. This is a little embarrassing, but I believe they’re keeping an eye on you for me. On their own accord. I haven’t ordered anymore than the usual patrols in your district. But since…well, they’re a loyal lot and they want to make sure you’re safe.”

You laughed. It made sense why you saw Smith and Yesrie more than anyone else on your streets. “All because you asked me out to dinner?”

“Well…not just because of dinner. But that’s a conversation for later.” Aram said sheepishly. And he expertly changed the subject to your store and how it was faring in the weather. You let the conversation be swept into other topics, but you definitely would hold onto that little kernel of a question for later.

The ride through the city took a little longer than you expected. But soon, the streets outside transformed into a string of establishments on the docks. And the carriage was taken through a route that ran along the rough, crashing oceanside.

The beach looked absolutely ruined from the harsh tides. And the dark gloomy horizon was nothing more than a black screen of storm clouds.

Despite the rain, the street itself was bustling with activity. Lights illuminated the roads brilliantly in warm orange. And all along the sidewalk were canopies and large overhanging roofs to give shelter to the patrons that walked by.

Your carriage was taken to a restaurant that had a grand glass ceiling and a large balcony with many tables seated beneath it. Your table was directly next to the balcony edge, where a shield of magic protected you and Aram from the torrent of rain slashing down from above.

And you found yourself pleasantly warm as Aram pushed in your chair as you took your seat. The business must have heating enchantments placed around to keep their patrons comfortable.

“This place is lovely.” You said as your waiter passed you both a menu. Excusing themselves to give you time to look over their drink choice.

“It’s one of my favorite spots in the city. The ocean view usually is better, but I can at least trust the food will be good.” Aram explained, glancing over the railing to the harsh waves and dark waters. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.” You quickly reassured him. “I’m just happy to have an excuse to go out. I’ve been putting off going out for dinner for a while. I don’t know alot of people here yet. I wouldn’t know where to start.``

“Well, I hope my choice becomes one of your favorites.” Aram smiled.

The conversation fell into a simple one of work. Aram asked more questions about your store while you prodded about his life in the Guard.

“Things have gotten better over the past few months.” Aram admitted, drawing idle circles on the condensation of his cup of mead. “But I’m sure…activities will pick up closer to the holiday season. I dread to think about that time of year. But it is at least never lacking on slow days.”

“I used to avoid cities during their festival seasons. As backwards as that is for a traveling merchant.” You said in return. “It always caused me more grief than coins. But I guess it’s unavoidable now that I have a permanent spot here.”

                ~~~~To Be Continued Because my brain is stuck~~~~~~

As always, feedback or suggestions are welcome!! 

[jupsthegreat]

All Aboard Bicol Express

I was never fond of Filipino foods. I may have been dubbed as part of the “upper-class”, but I never chanced upon tasting foods in carinderias, which are small food stalls typically located across roadsides. Smoke emitted all over the road stained my impression on these food stalls as it spelled dirt and dust sprinkling over their foods. However, it wasn’t until I came to spend lunch out with my friends in my university, where everyday saving was meant as a living statement for frugal students. We happened to come across a carinderia called, Kawayanan, where students, teachers, and passersby alike were feasting on meals offered by the food stall. There came a boiling pot of menudo, a steamy soup of tinolang manok, and, my personal favorite, bicol express. 

My love for bicol express felt unreal, to say the least. I only happened to taste it as I was curious as to why my classmate kept reordering this, turning it into her staple lunch meal. It took much courage to taste beyond the oddly looking cream surrounding the food, partially covering the meat at its core, and the bizarre name it’s associated with. I could remember everything so well in the back of my mind– as to when I bought it, who I was with, and the spiciness that made Bicol Express stand out among all the spicy foods I’ve ever tasted. 

Bicol Express is a regional pride of a stew made with pork, gata, fermented shrimp paste, and local chili. The dish is famously known for its origin in Bicol, where the cuisine was popularized by a woman named Cely Kalaw, who suitably named the dish based on the PNR train route from Manila to Legazpi. 

The dish wasn’t just a “spicy flavor”, it was all so confounding. It would make you guess as to how much spiciness it would have, because unlike other days, I would taste it with more meat and less chili, or even spicier but less creamier. This culinary specialty surely elicits wild guesses on how creamier or spicier the creamy dish is, while satisfying the craving of a mouthwatering spicy dish. 

I happen to be a person whose love for food stems from unusual impressions. I remember in my childhood days of not having to eat pizza because it looked unusual enough for a piece of bread to be sprinkled with various toppings. However, if not without my friend’s/ family’s advice, I wouldn’t have given in to the savory tastes of these foods. Such foods including Bicol Express was a testament to how foods mixed with various ingredients would come kicking in with a heaven sent meal, without having to distinguish all of the different flavors infused in one blend. 

I’ve only tasted my first and last Bicol Express in Kawayanan, and I am still yet to further taste other dishes in other carinderias. The thought of not having to eat this outside carinderias weakens the tough love I have for this dish. To this end, I’d get to anticipate and relish lunch soon as classes would begin to gear up my tastebuds for an exciting thrill of a meal again. 

I wasn’t really eating Bicol Express (as shown by me on the left pic, right part) but this was me in my carinderia infancy stage.

[my-happy-little-bean]

The Road Trip - Chapter 3

pairings: logicality (platonic or romantic, depending on how you view it) words: 2602  chapter warnings: swearing, crying chapter summary: obligatory side quest unlocked: explore a carnival (also have an unfortunate call with your mother).

note: the song featured in this chapter is from the movie "the half of it", sung by leah lewis :)

< previous chapter << first chapter

[read on ao3]

[masterlist]

*credit to art in this chapter goes to @lemonyellowlogic​​​ ✨*

---

A few songs and a lot of murmured arguments about dancing in the parking lot later, roadside assistance eventually came around to tow Logan’s car and drop the two off at their centre. They were told that it would take a few hours, confirming the fact that they were not going to make it to the Grand Canyon today. 

“Well this is just grand !” Patton chirped as they walked out of the centre, Logan sighing alongside him. Without a ride, they were stuck with a day to explore whatever town they had ended up in. 

“I don’t know if ‘grand’ is the adjective I would use…”

“It is grand, though!” Patton skipped in front of Logan, then turned on his heel to face him, halting Logan in his path. “We get a whole day to go on an adventure!”

“This in of itself is quite the adventure, wouldn’t you think?”

“And now we get more! ” 

Patton grabbed Logan’s hand and twirled him around before dragging him along. He saw a hint of a smile as Logan sighed.

“I see that I do not have a say in this,” he mumbled, “so I concede.” And more dully, he added, “Adventure awaits.”

“Wonderful! Because ...” 

Patton grinned as he stopped abruptly in his tracks, letting Logan catch up to him with a slight jolt. 

He then pointed at a field across the road; and at a ferris wheel unfolding high up near the blue sky.

And then, with a glimmer in his eye, Patton grinned at Logan. 

“I just found our adventure.”

 ---

It’s a yearly thing, one of the locals had explained to them. It would happen at the beginning of each summer, with residents from all over town coming to put a pause on work and put a start on something new for the coming season.

And it’s a chance encounter, Patton realized soon after, that this start had found them now.

“We gotta do everything!” Patton exclaimed, practically getting whiplash trying to take a look at everything. Logan chuckled. 

“It is highly improbable that we will be able to, given that the car should be ready within the next two hours and this is a very large field housing many attractions–”

“Then we have to go everywhere we can!” 

Without much warning, Patton grabbed Logan’s hand to drag him to the nearest attraction; feeling as if he was laughing– truly laughing – for the first time in forever.

And so began their afternoon at the carnival. The whole time, Patton was desperately pulling each moment he experienced close to his chest; worried that if he let go for just a split second, they’d disappear before he knew it. 

They went from booth to booth, marvelling at the colourful stalls in the market section of the carnival that were selling various trinkets and souvenirs. The scene was laid out under small, vibrant flags strung above them, intersecting one another over the aisle of stalls.

Patton insisted that they would at least go in the small fun house that was set up with many mirrors, giving their reflection a wide variety of distorted shapes. Logan, at one point, got lost in the house. It took the help of a group of kids for him to return back to the entrance where Patton greeted him in hysterics. 

And of course, no carnival experience would be complete without–

“Two words,” Patton said as he (with the hand not holding two sticks of cotton candy) dragged Logan to his side; “Carnival. Games. Booyakasha. ”

“That is three words, though I am not convinced of the last one…”

“Who cares!” Patton beamed. He outstretched his hand and slowly panned it across his and Logan’s vision, motioning at the aisle of booths in front of them. “The goal? Win a penguin. ”

Logan fought back a smile as he nodded.

They go to the first game they can spot; one with milk bottles stacked on top of each other. The person running the game, ever so eccentric and distracting, got to Patton on his first try.

“Oooh, this is a tricky one,” Patton murmured when all his shots missed. The man running the game tipped his bowler hat almost mockingly at him, to which Patton responded with a bright, oblivious smile. Logan sighed. 

“It is a matter of observation,” he said, exchanging a five dollar bill for three balls. The man blinked at Logan, who didn’t notice as he stood in front of the tower of milk bottles. He pulled Patton beside him and pointed at them. 

“See, there are small sandbags on the barrels on which the bottles are stacked upon,” Logan explained, leading Patton’s gaze with his finger. “That implies that the bottles are weighted. This conclusion is also reached when considering your second attempt at toppling the tower. You hit the rim of the top milk bottle and it barely moved, despite the force at which you threw it.”

“I am pretty strong...” Patton hummed. Logan rolled his eyes. 

“The seemingly logical approach is to aim for the middle of the bottles, no? That way, all of the bottles topple at once, thus allowing you to achieve the goal of obtaining a penguin.”

“Perfect!” Patton grabbed a ball. “Let’s not milk our victory any further–”

“ But –” Logan snatched the ball back before he could throw it– “given the aforementioned fact about the weights, throwing it at the intersection of the bottles would, in reality, be an ineffective strategy– possibly the weakest point.”

Patton deflated. “Oh.” 

Logan shook his head, staring at the tower of milk bottles. He took a step backwards, reeling his arm back as well.

“Hence,” he said, “the most effective strategy would be to take the tower out through its foundation; as without a foundation…”

Logan threw the ball and, with one swift thunk! , all the bottles fell. 

“...the tower will fall.”

The man running the stand didn’t seem as smug as Logan did. In fact, he continued to stare at him, his eyes narrowing in his direction before they were hidden by the shadows casted by the rim of his hat.

Patton, however, squealed, wrapping Logan in a tight hug that made him drop the rest of the balls. 

And Patton took pleasure in seeing Logan smile back; which he decided was a better prize than the bright blue penguin he got to take home.

---

“Mmm, I think it’s time for another bite of the funnel cake!” Patton exclaimed as he reached over to the paper plate of funnel cake in Logan’s hand. Logan, with a smirk, pulled his hand back, careful not to hit anyone else in line. 

“No no no,” he hummed as Patton pouted. “I believe you have consumed more sugar than what is deemed healthy.”

“ Logannn.”

“Patton, please.”

Patton narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re totally just doing this so you can have more.”

“...Falsehood.” 

“Logannn!” Patton whined, chasing the plate in Logan’s hand as he cut himself a bit of funnel cake. “You’re taking the side with the most sugar! What– what about what is deemed? ”

“Earlier, you had a sugar monstrosity in a cup,” Logan replied curtly, smiling a bit as he steadily spun around to avoid Patton’s grasp. “Not to mention the countless amounts of cotton candy…”

“I only had two!”

Logan gave him a look. Patton meekly smiled. 

“The ones I bought while you were in the bathroom don’t count.”

“Why not?”

“...Because you weren’t supposed to know.”

Eventually, Patton gave up on chasing Logan and the funnel cake in circles; but he couldn’t help but smile as he watched Logan’s eyes light up upon eating it. 

“Additional point,” Logan continued after a while, “we wouldn’t want you to get sick on the ferris wheel.”

“Who’s to say you won’t get sick?”

“Who’s to say,” Logan echoed, taking another bite as Patton grabbed at it again. This time, Logan conceded with a chuckle. Patton practically melted at the taste. 

“It’s like summer in a cake,” Patton murmured. Logan smiled.

“I’ll be honest,” he said, still laughing as Patton ended up taking the plate of funnel cake into his own hands, “I did not expect this to be as...amusing as it was.”

“Told you!” Patton said, his voice slightly muffled by his chewing. “Funnel cake makes everything better.”

Logan chuckled. “Not what I was talking about but…I suppose you did.” 

Patton watched as Logan looked up at the ferris wheel, the two inching closer to it as the line moved along.

“You know,” Logan finally said, “the car has been ready for a while.”

Patton deflated. “Noooo, we can’t leave yet! We haven’t gotten on the ferris wheel! And the fireworks haven’t started either!”

“We cannot do both, Patton.”

“ Pleeeease? ” Patton cried. “The car can wait– who knows when we’ll be able to do this again!”

A pause. For a split second, it looked as though Logan stopped breathing.

“I...I know.”

“Logan, it was a hypothetical question–”

“No.” Logan said again, “I know. ”

Patton rested his fork on the plate to look at Logan. “You know?”

Logan nodded. 

“I know that we are supposed to leave eventually,” he said. “I know that I have been treating our destination as a priority, and I know that the employees at the emergency-auto-repair centre have notified me that the car was ready an hour ago.” 

“...Ah.” Patton hesitantly took another bite of funnel cake. “So does this mean we have to go?”

Logan shook his head with a soft smile. “No. I don’t think we do.”

- 

The cool wind hit Logan’s face as they were lifted to the highest peak of the ferris wheel; so high up that Logan could have sworn that the sparks from the fireworks were brushing against his cheeks, warm and sharp.

“Do you think you can have both?” 

“Both of what?”

“A satisfying life,” Patton whispered, “and a satisfying end?”

Even as a whisper in the midst of such a thunderous sky, Patton’s voice continued to be all Logan heard.

He looked at Patton. The reflection of the light and sound exploding in the sky glazed over Patton’s irses. 

Then, Logan looked back up, holding the cold metal of their seats.

“I think you can have both,” he murmured. 

Patton smiled. 

“Good.” He leaned on Logan’s shoulder. “Both is good.” 

 ---

The phone rang three times before–

“Hi, mum.”

Logan jolted up, his head nearly hitting the wheel and his glasses lopsided in his hair. He blinked, looking to his right and noticed that Patton was no longer in the passenger seat. 

But he was outside, his voice drifting through the window Logan had cracked slightly open for their stay in the parking lot of a rest stop. 

He was pacing back and forth in front of the passenger side of the car, his phone to his ear. Logan stared straight ahead immediately, but did not close his eyes.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he heard Patton say. “I’m just out of town for the weekend. Though, it’s looking like it’s going to take a little longer than a weekend.”

A laugh. “ Mum. I’m totally the kind of person who goes on spontaneous trips. I– yes, that time I went to the grocery store on my own totally counts! ...Well I would’ve given you the heads up had I known you needed a babysitter…”

Logan snuck a glance at Patton, who had suddenly stopped walking. It was quiet for a bit before–

“...Yeah, I went.” 

Oh. 

“It wasn’t too bad!” He watched as Patton laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt as if he was watching a car crash. “It...well, it was exactly how everyone said it’d be!”

Logan sighed as Patton’s hand began to tremble. 

“...I didn’t want to tell you like this.”

A hand quickly went to cover his mouth and Logan swore he saw tears run down his cheeks. 

“...O-Of course I’m coming home.” It came out as a hushed whisper; to the point that Logan could barely hear him. Patton lowered his hand and opted to wrap himself in a tight embrace. 

“I-It’s not your fault, mum.” It wasn’t an embrace, actually. It was more like he was holding himself together. “I– no, mum, it’s– it’s my fault, isn’t it? It’s– gosh, don’t kid yourself.”

More pacing. Logan’s eyes stayed fixed on Patton’s face. 

“...do you really think it’s a good idea to make an Appeal?” 

Logan’s blood ran cold. An Appeal, if passed, could ruin a Doctor’s life. If a Doctor were to get their diagnosis wrong…

“I– no, I can’t do it, mum,” he heard Patton whimper helplessly. “I– you need a reason to make one and even still, it’d be unfair. It’s the time I got – I can’t change it.” 

A pause; then, more harshly, “Well, it’s their job to be unfair, isn’t it?”

Logan squeezed his fists tightly.

And then,

“I– I’m sorry .”

No more. Logan forced his head away from the broken sight, this time closing his eyes to try and tune Patton out. 

Eventually, he heard the door open beside him and the thump! of Patton sitting down. Logan kept his eyes closed willing himself to go to sleep; but gave up on that as soon as he heard Patton begin to cry. 

“ Fuck ,” he heard Patton hiss as he cried even harder. 

“Patton?” Logan finally whispered, his eyes still closed.

“Sh– Logan!” It hurt more to hear him suck up his sobs and laugh. “S-Sorry, I didn’t know you were awake!”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” Patton said, though his voice was softer. Logan winced; not the intended reaction. 

His mind reeled thinking of a solution, and it took a painful few minutes of listening to Patton hold back his tears before it clicked.

“Would it be possible if you could perhaps...sing me a song?” Logan cleared his throat. “It could serve as a...a lullaby. So to speak.”

At this point, opening his eyes would be more stressful than keeping them close and imagining what Patton looked like.

Instead, he felt Patton brush against his arm as he reached over to grab his ukulele in the backseat before climbing back to the front.  

And there was a moment of silence before, (slow, deep; ready...)

“Here we are,” Patton began, “took so long, came so far. ” His voice cracked a bit. “I slept half the way on your shou-lder…”

The melody was simple enough, nothing more than a few plucks on each string, then repeat. Logan took a deep breath, and exhaled upon hearing Patton do the same.

“Safe and sound, as the night tore and spun around…”

Before closing his eyes for good that night, Logan took one more glance at Patton. 

He was playing his ukulele cross-legged on his seat. Despite it being so small in size, nothing could look as small as Patton did; his tears rolling down his cheeks and fogging up his glasses. 

Logan felt his heart skip a beat. 

And for a split second, he wondered if Patton even knew how special he was; how different he was from anyone he had ever met. He was different from everything he believed; entirely separate from the dark world Logan was so familiar with. 

Logan wondered if Patton could even die when he was filled with so much life.  

(But perhaps he could learn to love not knowing.) 

Because despite all this– dark clouds hanging over their heads like a cruel prophecy– Patton smiled .

“And we had to get lost to be found...”

---

next chapter >

[the-silver-sea]

I have been dying to get out and go bushwalking properly in my favourite little country town. I took Monster because it was forecast to rain, and he's the easiest to carry. He looked so cute amongst the leaves! 🍂 We bought two 1kg buckets of the best honey ever from a roadside stall I've been visiting since I was a small child. #nendoroid #customnendoroid #bjdsathome #theadventuresofmonster https://www.instagram.com/p/CBI1VgDpv1p/?igshid=ymcnfisye552

[scandinaviacroatiaengbergs]

Saturday Evening and Sunday: Saying Goodbye to Zadar, and Hello to Plitvice Lakes, Badovinci, and Zagreb

On Saturday evening, we spent an extra hour at the seashore chatting with the Austrians before heading home to the apartment for our last dinner there and what we hoped would be an earlier bedtime; it wasn’t.  I did mention a few posts ago the guy who takes the money at the gate to the beach (it wasn’t very expensive to go in) everyday; I think I noted that Rowan befriended him.  Well, this guy’s name is Ivan Vladimir and he’s actually an MMA fighter -- and that is such a crazy sport!  He told us to look him up online, and we did, and we saw some of his fight results and clips.  He was so nice to our kids and they took a picture with him, and we’ll share that to him via Facebook.  He was from Dubrovnik and, after having been in a car accident earlier this year, was about to get back in the MMA ring for some new fights.  It is so interesting the people you meet while traveling. We met an American friend of his too, a veteran of our U.S. Army who fought in Afghanistan but was discharged due to injury after four years, and this guy is also an MMA guy who trains in Las Vegas, but in Croatia, he trains with Ivan and wants to move to Croatia full time. Anyway, I really need to get to what we did today, Sunday!  We had the craziest, longest day.  I am writing this, finally, at 10 p.m. from the Airbnb we’ll be in for two nights in central Zagreb. 

So, we started off from Zadar this morning, leaving there just before 10 a.m.  We had some snacks packed, but nothing substantial, which was kind of Error Number One.  It didn’t end up going too badly, but that was really poor planning on our part.  We drove a few hours to Plitvice Lakes National Park, which my friend Kristin actually visited just a few weeks ago, so we’d seen her photos online, after we’d already decided we really wanted to go there on this trip. It’s Unesco World Heritage site and it is so obvious why.  It was amazing.  After our drive, on which we saw some beautiful farms and lots of roadside stands (seriously, like 20 of them) selling honey and cheese, we parked and bought our tickets into the park.  It wasn’t cheap; I wasn’t sure how much it would be, but it actually ended up being about $100 for our family of four.  There were tons of tourists there, lots from Europe and so many from China.  So, once you park and walk across a bridge (over the highway), you follow whatever trail your time will allow you to do. We followed trail “E” because we had about three hours.  Trail “E” was going to allow us to see about 12 lakes.  

After the little path after crossing the bridge, you get on a boat of about 4-minute’s length and then you start hiking.  The beautiful, stunning turquoise water starts immediately, with waterfalls over mossy boulders everywhere, and then larger waterfalls further on.  In all, we hiked 2.5 miles, with Cece doing some shoulder-riding after a while. There were many hazards for children, ranging from slats too far apart on the boardwalk through all of the lakes to just the general fact that many of the boardwalks had no railings on the sides, and there were so many people that jostling was happening all the time, and a kid could’ve easily plunked in the water.  

For the second half of our hike, when the crowds had thinned a bit, it turned out that we were right before a two-dad couple with their two sons (one was a 9-month-old baby in a hiking, child-carrying backpack).  The second son, Ansel, was about 11 months younger than Rowan, and that family was from California, and they were so cool.  Our kids were like a team with Ansel for the second half of the hike.  It was great chatting with them.  Both of that dads were in software (one in data analysis, like Eric).  We also saw some goon—a young teen who was maybe a YouTuber because he had someone following him with a really nice camera, filming—strip down to swim trunks and dive into one of the pools, then hop quickly back out.  It was totally stealth and super fast, because I am nearly 100% sure that is not allowed in the National Park.  It was probably some stunt for online distribution. Anyway, I will just have to post pictures here of the lakes. I can’t even do them justice with a description.  They were amazing.  The only part that was not amazing was the ladies bathroom, which had like holes in the ground with a stainless steel plate, with treads where you were to put your feet.  I might sound like a total delicate flower to say this, but I did not like that set-up.  It turns out that the men’s bathroom was like a regular bathroom!  With urinals and standard toilets in stalls! I can’t figure out why the women got holes in the ground.   After Plitvice Lakes, we decided to tack on our 1.5-hour drive north to Badovinci, the town my Great-Grandmother Mary Badovinac left to come to the United States, as a very young bride.  She actually came to the U.S. with her husband, had maybe one or two babies, and then took the babies and went back to Croatia, where she stayed for several years, and then her mom (Mara) was like, “You have to go back to your husband in the U.S.” and so she did.  And, after she returned to the U.S., she had my Grandma Marion. Now, getting to Badovinci was 1) ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, and 2) an adventure because we nearly ended up in Slovenia ;)  OK, so, driving from Plitvice Lakes, as I said, we drove North, and about halfway there, the landscape changed a bit, and it really got hilly, there were amazing farms as well as people’s home gardens just bountifully producing.  It was a lovely, sunny afternoon, too, with big, fluffy clouds that were doing some periodic sprinkling. Anyway, our journey to Badovinci, which has a population of maybe 20 people right now, was super curvy.  The hills (or maybe I should call them mountains) and the valley were winding around, creating some amazing panoramas, but also lots of switchbacks.  We got to a point where we only had about 10K to go before e got there, and on a one-lane road (most roads were, though people used them as two-lane roads) we encountered two boys who gestured to us that we couldn’t go further.  There were a bunch of men working to clear the road of maybe some fallen tree, which they were doing some serious work with, with heavy machinery, and we had to rely on Google Translate to get through that encounter.  We learned that if we waited 20 minutes, we could get through.  

So, the kids and Eric got out and checked out the work, and then, soon enough, we were on our way.  Not too long after that, because I thing we took a wrong turn, we were at the Slovenian border!  The guard, who spoke English perfectly, told us that we couldn’t use that checkpoint, as it was only for locals and they didn’t stamp passports there, so we’d have to go to a different checkpoint.  Badovinci is so close to the Slovenian border that you *could* get through by driving through Slovenia, but eventually, by backtracking and then following some random police officer who was driving by (mind you, this area is very sparsely populated), we got on the correct road.

So, it is a good thing I do not get car sick because these road were so narrow and there were so many twists and turns, that it wouldn’t be easy on a queasy person’s stomach. Finally, we got to the church at Badovinci and we went into the church yard and saw all of the family gravestones.  Almost half of them were Badovinacs.  We walked about a quarter mile to the village itself, and on the way, a car passed us twice, and on the second time, they stopped (which I would totally do, too, if some random family of four foreigners was ambling through my neighborhood on a Sunday evening) to ask if we were going  to the village.  We said we were and the driver introduced himself and his son (both Badovinacs) and they pointed the way; we were almost there.  In the village, which I use loosely because it is only about four family houses and then some dilapidated old buildings (barns? Old homes overgrown now with shrubbery?), we saw a woman weed-whacking her farming plot and then the two people we saw in the car, and a lazy dog sleeping in front of another car at the end of the road.  I took a few pictures and then we walked back to our car and took dozens of windy roads for another 1.5-hour drive, this time to Zagreb.

I can’t tell you how beautiful the region is where Badovinci is.  From so many of the village streets, of all of the various villages there, all with their own Catholic church and many with roadside altars, you can see vast vistas and they are grape vines tidily spread out across the steep hillsides and just the lushest green panoramas you can imagine.  The late afternoon light was incredible, too, and the photos surely won’t be able to convey that. We did not have a proper lunch or dinner, and this is where our lack of snack-packing became a particular problem.  At one point en route to Zagreb, we stopped at a gas station and I bought  a packet of crackers and some chocolate cookies and that is what my children had for dinner.  They were such troopers the whole day.  When we got to the Airbnb in Zagreb, I got them bathed and in bed in like twenty minutes.  They were wild, exhausted creatures in those twenty minutes, but once we miraculously got their teeth brushed and got the lights out, they were probably asleep almost instantly. Tomorrow we have a full day to explore Zagreb!  I am really excited to see what we will see.

[sandjsbeachbumbonanza]

Day 93 – Mazike lodge

We woke up and had breakfast. S had cereal and J had watermelon. Weirdly, when they brought the milk for the cereal, it was hot. We learned that people in Uganda tend to have hot milk in the mornings and they don’t generally have cereal (this is a western thing that they do for the guests). After climbing down from the (tree)house, we headed to the next lodge, Mazike, which borders Queen Elizabeth national park, the oldest park in Uganda.

On the way, we learned a lot about Ugandan culture and history from Dona and he asked us lots of questions about English / US culture. At one point, Dona stopped at a roadside stall and took J to see all the fresh fruit that was laid out. J got to taste a fresh passionfruit. Aapparently you can open them without a knife by simply squeezing them. Dona explained this to J after she spent 5 minutes trying to pick open the fruit. Dona also picked up some massive avocadoes so J could eat them in a few days, once they are ripe.

Driving to the lodge, we occasionally saw animals, but saw our first antelope, a Ugandan kob. We arrived just after mid-day at Mazike. This lodge has fixed tents and is decorated with stone, natural wood and thatching. The view is over a massive valley and there are multiple seating areas in the common space. There is even a swimming pool. Like all the other lodges we’ve stayed at, it is quite lovely. Apparently the place was built and managed by a Spanish family that fled back to Spain soon after COVID started. We are the only guests here and it does not appear that there have been guests here for months, if not a year. There are also only three staff members (Edwin, Caleb and Florence), who are handling everything. There are normally around 20 staff here. Edwin, the chef, has now become the interim manager.

Lunch was delicious. We ordered a bottle of the house white, and they came out with a magnum bottle of ‘Four Cousins’ from South Africa. That is the smallest bottle they had. S had a vegetable soup and dessert. J had an avocado salad and watermelon. We passed our mains (buttered tilapia) on to Dona. Given that there are only three of us staying at the lodge, we have invited Dona to eat all meals with us. He previously explained to us that he could not eat with us without being invited. We told him we would have expected him to just pull up a chair, so we’ve now invited him. Confusingly, he also explained that if we invite him, he cannot say no. We hope that the good food is compensation for him having to eat every meal with us.

After lunch, we headed off to see a unique salt lake, which is used to produce natural salt for Uganda. Water from the salt lake is pumped into 10 metre squared, individually owned evaporation ponds. They go through three cycles of evaporation. Depending on when you take the salt out, it can be used for different purposes. The second and third cycles are used for animal and human consumption, respectively. Some of the salt comes out with a dirty black colour while other salt comes out a bit whiter. Our salt lake guide showed us what the salt for human consumption looks like and rattled off a bunch of health benefits. She said it was good for high blood pressure and diabetes. This is strange as in the US and the UK, you are told to limit your salt consumption if you have high blood pressure. She said that is because salt from ‘S’ country’ is processed and contains lots of harmful chemicals, whereas this salt is natural. Dona bought a big bag for his wife.

We then headed out. On the way, we saw a lake full of hundreds of flamingos. To get closer to the flamingos, we stopped by the side of the road and walked toward the water. We walked through a group of young boys (probably between the ages of 5 and 10) playing football, with goals that were only a metre wide. They asked us to play and we just laughed. Dona explained it’s been ages since these children will have seen a tourist / foreigner. When we got back into the car, we noticed that the air conditioner fan belt had burned out.

On the way back, we saw a herd of elephants and Dona said he spotted two female lions, but it was dusk, so neither of us could see them.

We got back to the lodge and headed straight to dinner. Dinner was a lovely black pepper steak for J and Dona, and a vegetable and rice stir fry for S. We took our magnum bottle of house wine and sat by the fireplace. We chatted with Dona for a bit and then went to bed.

[chanoyu-to-wa]

Nampō Roku, Book 5 (34):  the Suppressed Display¹ of the Shukō Chawan [珠光茶碗] on the Nagabon.

34) Shukō-chawan・nagabon・kaku no gotoki kumi-awase kaburi-kazari nari [珠光茶碗・長盆・如此組合被飾也]².

[The writing reads:  (above the daisu, from right to left) sasa-mimi (サヽ耳), Shukō-chawan (珠光茶碗); (between the ten-ita and ji-ita) jo-jō (如常)³; (below the drawing of the kae-chawan) hakobite (ハコヒテ)⁴.]

    The kaki-ire [書入]⁵:

〇 This arrangement may also be done with the naka-bon.  This is a sketch of [the way the daisu is arranged when] the nagabon [is used]⁶.

    In the case of this arrangement, a ko-bon [小盆]⁷ should be brought out.  If the sasa-mimi will be placed on [the small tray], while the sasa-mimi is still on the jōdan, it is temporarily placed [directly] on the jōdan.  Then the chawan is moved to the exact center of the nagabon, and then the sasa-mimi is lowered [to the ko-bon]⁸.

    If there is no ko-bon, the [sasa-mimi] must remain on the nagabon until the end [of the temae]⁹.

    First the kae-chawan is carried out, and [then] the koboshi is lowered to the place [on the left side of the utensil mat] below the kae-chawan. The spot [on the ji-ita] just vacated [by the koboshi] should be purified¹⁰.  Then, turning [his attention to the ten-ita]¹¹, and doing things as described above¹², the sasa-mimi is lowered and placed in the spot that was vacated by the koboshi.  After that the nagabon, with the chawan temporarily resting [in the very center of the tray] should be taken up in the arms and lowered [to the mat]¹³.

    In the case of the taikai, and other [chaire] of that sort, [these] may also be lowered while [resting on] the tray¹⁴.  As the sasa-mimi should be treasured carefully, because of its height, [lowering it on the tray] is dangerous¹⁵.

    The fukuro should not be left on the jōdan [after the sasa-mimi has been lowered], so it is said¹⁶.

_________________________

¹Kaburi-kazari [被飾]:  kaburi [被り] means “hidden,” “covered;” and so, “suppressed*.”  This arrangement was originally a way to do honor to the Shukō-chawan, but by whom it was created is unclear.  Shibayama Fugen speculates that it may have represented the way that Shukō himself used this chawan, though that seems unlikely for two reasons:

- it appears that Shukō used this bowl as his kae-chawan, meaning that even if he did eventually use it for serving koicha to his guests, it is not likely that he would have honored it by displaying it on a nagabon tied in its shifuku†; and,

- the sasa-mimi was not originally used as a tea container‡, and only pressed into service as the number of practitioners began to expand dramatically (after several decades of contraction, owing to the deaths of the expatriate chajin who had come over from Korea at the time of the Ming military incursions on the Korean peninsula, and their aftermath), resulting in a paucity of utensils that the existing pieces could never hope to fill**.

    Thus, the most likely source of this temae was the machi-shū chajin of the early sixteenth century (and, indeed, its inclusion at this point in the collection, among the other temae that were the products of the machi-shū style of chanoyu, suggests that this was Jōō’s opinion as well).

    This temae was suppressed, however -- and by Jōō himself†† -- once the Shukō-chawan developed a crack.  Even though Jōō had the crack repaired in such a way that it was not apparent‡‡, the fact that it was damaged meant that it should never again be used on the daisu***.

    Because the sasa-mimi is shown resting on its shifuku, this temae was intended to be performed at the end of the gathering, when it was time to serve usucha.  This would allow the guests to inspect the Shukō chawan carefully, without its decorated interior being obscured by a layer of koicha. ___________ *That is, even though this temae was included in this collection, it should not be performed during a gathering.

†Indeed, the arrangement seems to be the sort of thing that would have been created after Shukō posthumously began to assume a demigod-like status among the Sakai machi-shū, as the creator (or at least champion) of “their” idea of wabi-no-chanoyu.  (While Shukō certainly was a proponent of this kind of practice, and was surely one of the people responsible for transmitting this approach to chanoyu to Japan, wabi-no-chanoyu must trace its origins back to the continent, where it seems to have evolved during the second half of the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, as chanoyu began to spread among the commoners.)

‡On account of the fact that these containers were made as a gift-bottles for a perfumed, oily hair pomade, which would be very difficult to clean out of the container -- especially as these old pots were usually not glazed on the inside (meaning that the oil would permeate the clay, so even soaking the vessel in water would not remove every trace of the pomade).

**There was the option of having things like chaire made by the local potters, but part of the mystique associated with the daisu demanded the use of continental objects, whenever possible.  Thus, these hair-oil bottles, as well as various small containers that had been made as condiment containers that were placed on the dinner table, and even imported water droppers (if their mouths were large enough to permit the tea to be pulled out with the chashaku) were pressed into service at this time.

††Another theory holds that the temae was not suppressed until later -- after this chawan was destroyed in the fire at the Honnō-ji, in the summer of 1582,

‡‡In that period, repairs were done by painting over the crack with several layers of lacquer that had been made to match the color of the vessel.  This both strengthened the repair, and made it invisible.  Yet its presence would always be known -- if only to the host.

***Broken objects were considered inauspicious, thus their use when serving tea could be construed as ill-omened -- offering bad luck to the guests, along with the tea.  And this prohibition extended not only to pieces that had been broken and repaired, but also to chawan that had become stained by the tea (making the crackles in the glaze stand out clearly):  such bowls were originally discarded as soon as the stains became too intense to ignore.

    As a result, only impoverished chajin would use such things.  This has to be kept in mind when we reflect that, after buying Rikyū’s collection of tea things, Jōō gave the Shukō-chawan to the young Rikyū, as a sort of consolation prize (Rikyū had already received a smaller honey-colored Seto chawan from Dōchin, when Dōchin ended his lessons).  But the meaning (of both these gifts) was that, henceforth, Rikyū should give up any sort of pretentions of indulging in the elegant chanoyu of the shoin, and focus his ambitions on the pursuit of wabi.

²Shukō-chawan・nagabon・kaku no gotoki kumi-awase kaburi-kazari nari [珠光茶碗・長盆・如此組合被飾也].

    “The Shukō-chawan・nagabon they were assembled together in the manner shown in this suppressed arrangement.”

    The Shukō-chawan [珠光茶碗] was one of ten (or even twenty) similar bowls that were used (as kae-chawan) by the machi-shū chajin of the fifteenth century.

    These bowls were mass produced (for the curbside dining market) in South China from the Song to the Ming dynasties.  The bowls were formed on a mold*, with the details added later by hand (and these details are the only way to differentiate between the different bowls -- the number of impressions of the hera [篦] (a bundle of reed stems used to press the clay to the mold) on the outside of the bowls, and the incised decoration on the inside, were unique to each†.  The Shukō-chawan measured 5-sun 2-bu in diameter‡, and, according to the Yamanoue Sōji Ki [山上宗二記] it had 27 hera-me [篦目] on the outside.

    The Shukō-chawan is said, by some, to have passed from Shukō to his disciple Insetsu [引拙; his dates of birth and death are not known], and (after several additional changes of ownership) to Jōō.  It was already during Shukō’s lifetime that this bowl is said to have developed a small crack, which had worsened, while it was in Jōō‘s keeping, to the point where it became necessary for Jōō to take steps to have the bowl repaired.  For this reason, Jōō declared that it was no longer appropriate for this chawan to be used on the daisu (which is why this temae was “suppressed” thereafter).

    After Rikyū’s family declared bankruptcy, Rikyū sold his collection of tea utensils to Jōō, and Jōō gave him the Shukō-chawan as a sort of consolation prize.  According to the surviving records of his gatherings (after 1554), Rikyū used this bowl as his principal chawan until a point in the 1570s, when he sold the bowl to Miyoshi Jikkyū [三好實休; 1527? ~ 1562] for one thousand kanmon [一千貫文] of silver.  The bowl was later presented to Nobunaga, who regarded this chawan as one of his personal treasures**; and he was using it to serve tea in the shoin of the Honnō-ji when Akechi Mitsuhide attacked that temple on second day of the Sixth Month of Tehshō 10 [天正十年] (July 1, 1582 in the proleptic Gregorian date).  The Shukō-chawan was destroyed in the fire that consumed the Honnō-ji following his seppuku.

    These bowls were originally made for serving noodles at roadside food stalls in southern China, and were apparently sold in stacks of 10 (it seems that a traveling monk bought one or two stacks of these bowls, which he brought back to Korea as souvenirs to pass around -- or sell -- to his acquaintances, and the people who had donated money to subsidize his trip to China:  this would account for the relatively large number of virtually identical chawan that were brought to Japan by the Korean refugees during the second half of the fifteenth century). ___________ *That is, a slab of clay was pressed against a wooden mold that shaped the inside of the bowl, by striking it lightly around the circumference with a bundle of reeds, which pressed the clay to the mold.  Afterward the rim was trimmed, and the foot added, and an arabesque-like decoration was incised on the inside of each with a tool (that resembled a pastry wheel).  The bowls were covered with a low-quality celadon-type glaze.  Ming dynasty examples were fired at a much higher temperature than previously, causing the clay to resemble porcelain (this seems to have made the bowls more durable); these latter pieces are usually more yellow in color.

†According to the Yamanoue Soji Ki [山上宗二記] each of the bowls was named after the chajin who owned it.  Since the Edo period, bowls of this type (but which were not owned by Shukō -- the chawan that had formerly belonged to him was destroyed in 1582) are usually referred to as Shukō-seiji chawan [珠光青磁茶碗].

‡The Ming dynasty bowls tend to be a little smaller, due to shrinkage during the high-temperature firing.  The earlier examples, however, are of fairly uniform size -- as would be desirable for restaurant utensils.

**Nobunaga used the Shukō-chawan when serving tea with the naga-ita.  It seems he considered its being damaged appropriate to use in this setting.  The naga-ita had been created by Yoshimasa for use during his second retirement (in the months prior to his death in early 1490), at which time he used the utensils that had been salvaged from his burned-out storehouse, together with the iron furo and kaigu from his o-chanoyu-dana.

³Jo-jō [如常].

    “As usual.”

    The kaigu are arranged on the ji-ita in the usual manner.

⁴Hakobite [ハコヒテ].

    “[This is] carried [out].”

    The kae-chawan, containing the chakin, chasen, and chashaku, is brought out from the katte at the beginning of the temae.

⁵While only one kaki-ire is marked as such, the text is divided into two parts, though without any apparent reason for doing so.

   The full Japanese text of the kaki-ire is:

〇 Kono kazari naka-bon ni mo ari, kore ha nagabon no zu nari, kono kazari ni te ko-bon hakobite, sasa-mimi wo nose-sōrō ha ba, sasa-mimi wo jōdan ni te, kari ni jōdan ni oki, chawan wo nagabon no mannaka ni yose, sasa-mimi ko-bon [h]e orosu nari, ko-bon nashi ni, nagabon no uchi ni te shimawashi toki mo, hajime ni kae-chawan hakobite, koboshi wo kae-chawan no shimo [h]e oroshi, sono ato wo kiyome, tachi-agari, sasa-mimi migi no gotoku shite oroshi, koboshi no ato [h]e oki, sono ato nagabon ni chawan ha kari nosete kakae orosu beshi

taikai nado ha bon nagara mo orosu, sasa-mimi ha shōgan-koto ni sei-takaka shite ayauki-yue nari, fukuro jōdan ni nokosu-koto oyobazu [to] iu

[此カサリ中盆ニモアリ、コレハ長盆ノ圖也、此カサリニテ小盆ハコヒテ、サヽ耳ヲノセ候ハヽ、サヽ耳ヲ上段ニテ、カリニ上段ニヲキ、茶碗ヲ長盆ノ眞中ニヨセ、サヽ耳小盆ヘヲロス也、小盆ナシニ、長盆ノ内ニテ仕廻時モ、初ニカへ茶碗ハコヒテ、コホシヲカヘ茶碗ノシモヘヲロシ、其アトヲキヨメ、立アカリ、サヽ耳右ノコトクシテヲロシ、コホシノアトヘ置、其後長盆ニ茶碗ハカリノセテカヽヘヲロスヘシ、

大海ナトハ盆ナカラモヲロス、サヽ耳ハ賞玩コトニセイ高クシテ危キ故也、袋上段ニ殘スコト不及云、].

⁶Kono kazari naka-bon ni mo ari, kore ha nagabon no zu nari [此カサリ中盆ニモアリ、コレハ長盆ノ圖也].

    “[With respect to] this kazari, there is also the [possibility of using a] naka-bon.  This is the nagabon sketch."

    The name naka-bon [中盆] usually refers to the naka maru-bon [中丸盆] when it is used in the Nampō Roku, and that is the case here.

    It would be difficult to perform this temae with a tray that was any smaller than the naka maru-bon (such as the naka hō-bon) because the sasa-mimi must rest on its shifuku.

    At least in theory, either of these trays could be used for this temae.  However, since the performance of this temae required that the host have access to the original Shukō-chawan, this temae was probably not seen very often, even in Jōō’s time.

⁷Ko-bon [小盆] means a chaire-bon -- showing that this version of the temae is based on Jōō's modifications.

    As has been mentioned before, Jōō's chaire-bon was 3-sun larger than the chaire on all four sides, meaning that the tray appropriate to the sasa-mimi* would be 8-sun 2-bu square. __________ *The karamono sasa-mimi were usually 2-sun 2-bu in diameter.

⁸Kono kazari ni te ko-bon hakobite, sasa-mimi wo nose-sōrō ha ba, sasa-mimi wo jōdan ni te, kari ni jōdan ni oki, chawan wo nagabon no mannaka ni yose, sasa-mimi ko-bon [h]e orosu nari [此カサリニテ小盆ハコヒテ、サヽ耳ヲノセ候ハヽ、サヽ耳ヲ上段ニテ、カリニ上段ニヲキ、茶碗ヲ長盆ノ眞中ニヨセ、サヽ耳小盆ヘヲロス也].

    “In this kazari, a ko-bon is carried [out from the katte].  If the sasa-mimi will be rested on [the ko-bon], while the sasa-mimi is on the jōdan, [it is] temporarily placed on the jōdan.  The chawan is moved to the very center of the nagabon.  [Then] the sasa-mimi is lowered to the ko-bon.”

    When the sasa-mimi has been moved to the ten-ita, its shifuku is removed as well.  Some say that the sasa-mimi should be picked up together with its shifuku, and so moved onto the ten-ita, to the right of the tray*.  Once the sasa-mimi has been lowered from the ten-ita, however, the shifuku should be put into the host’s right sleeve. ___________ *The shifuku protects the ten-ita from being scratched by the foot of the chaire, just as it protected the tray.  However, some people say that this is not necessary.

⁹Ko-bon nashi ni, nagabon no uchi ni te shimawashi toki mo [小盆ナシニ、長盆ノ内ニテ仕廻時モ].

    “If there is no ko-bon, [the sasa-mimi] must remain on the nagabon until the end [of the temae].”

    Shimawashi [仕廻] is usually written shimawashi [仕舞わし] today.  The expression means "to come to an end," "to be finished."

¹⁰Hajime ni kae-chawan hakobite, koboshi wo kae-chawan no shimo [h]e oroshi, sono ato wo kiyome [初ニカへ茶碗ハコヒテ、コホシヲカヘ茶碗ノシモヘヲロシ、其アトヲキヨメ].

    “At the beginning, the kae-chawan is carried [out].  The koboshi is lowered to [the place] below* the kae-chawan.  Its vacated-place is purified.”

    Sono ato wo kiyome [其の跡を清め]:  ato [跡] literally means footprint.  Here it refers to a site previously occupied by something (that is now no longer present), thus “vacated-place” in the above literal translation.

    As in the previous temae, the host cleans the ji-ita with a towel that he produces from his futokoro. __________ *In other words, the kae-chawan is placed on the left side of the utensil mat near the heri, just forward of the host’s knee line.  The koboshi is lowered from the ji-ita and placed below the koboshi -- that is, to the left of the host’s thigh (which is the usual place it occupies during the temae).

¹¹Tachi-agari [立アカリ].

    “Rising up....”

    Tachi-agari [立ち上り] means the host straightens his body from the waist -- as he turns his attention to the ten-ita.

¹²Sasa-mimi migi no gotoku shite oroshi, koboshi no ato [h]e oki [サヽ耳右ノコトクシテヲロシ、コホシノアトヘ置].

    “The sasa-mimi is lowered, in the same way as was done at the right, and placed in the spot vacated by the koboshi.”

    In other words, the sasa-mimi is lowered to the ji-ita following the same series of actions* as when it was lowered to the ko-bon in the earlier version of this narrative.

    Because the text is written in vertical lines, from right to left, “at the right” means earlier in the narrative. ___________ *This is simply a device for abbreviating the narrative.  What has been left out is that, after the sasa-mimi has been moved to the ten-ita, the chawan is moved to the exact center of the tray, and then (in this case, following the cleaning of the koboshi-no-ato on the ji-ita) the sasa-mimi is temporarily lowered to the ji-ita.

¹³Sono ato nagabon ni chawan ha kari nosete kakae orosu beshi [其後長盆ニ茶碗ハカリノセテカヽヘヲロスヘシ].

    “After that, the nagabon, on which the chawan is temporarily resting [in the middle of the tray], should be embraced, and lowered [to the mat].”

    Kakae orosu beshi [抱え下ろすべし]:  kakae [抱え] means “to embrace (something) in ones arms;” orosu [下ろす] means “to lower;” and -beshi [べし] means “should do so.”

    As was mentioned in the previous post, this shows that this kaki-ire (and, possibly, the entire entry mentioning this arrangement) was added by someone other than the usual compiler/commentators -- who generally use the expression ryō-te ni tori-oroshi [兩手に取り下ろし], “lowered using both hands.”

¹⁴Taikai nado ha bon nagara mo orosu [大海ナトハ盆ナカラモヲロス].

    “With respect to taikai and the like, notwithstanding [that they are resting on] the tray, they may also be lowered [together with the tray].”

    While it might not be wrong to move them down to the ji-ita, like the sasa-mimi, other chaire* may be lowered while they remain resting on the tray. ___________ *Or at least thost that, like the taikai, are shorter than they are wide.

¹⁵Sasa-mimi ha shōgan-koto ni sei-takaka-shite ayauki-yue nari [サヽ耳ハ賞玩コトニセイ高クシテ危キ故也].

    “The sasa-mimi [is handled in the special way that was described previously] as a way to treasure it, since it is overly tall, because it is dangerous [to lower it while it is resting on the tray].”

    The original Chinese sasa-mimi were usually 2-sun 2-bu in diameter, and around 5-sun tall; moreover, they had an even smaller foot, making them easy to spill over -- particularly when being lowered on top of a very wide tray.  (We must remember that the sasa-mimi were originally made as hair-pomade bottles, and their narrowness would mean they would take up as little space as possible on the woman's dressing table, or in her cosmetics box.)

¹⁶Fukuro jōdan ni nokosu-koto oyobazu iu [袋上段ニ殘スコト不及云].

    “The fukuro should not be left on the jōdan, so it is said.”

    After the sasa-mimi has been lowered from the ten-ita, its shifuku should not be left on the ten-ita.

——————————————–———-—————————————————

◎  Analysis of the Arrangement.

    Two arrangements are suggested in the kaki-ire:  that were the Shukō-chawan and sasa-mimi are displayed together on the tsune-no-nagabon, and the alternative temae, where these utensils are arranged on the naka maru-bon.

    The first sketch (below) shows the arrangement of the daisu when the tsune-no-nagabon is used.

    And the second sketch shows the daisu when the naka maru-bon is used.

    As for the temae, this would follow the same basic format as the other machi-shū temae that we have been considering in this part of the Nampō Roku.  While a dai is not used*, the diameter of the Shukō-chawan was the same as the meibutsu temmoku-dai. ___________ *When the Shukō-chawan came into Rikyū’s possession, he placed it on top of a large, red-lacquered sakazuki, which he then handled like a dai.  But this temae was a product of Rikyū’s own saku-i [作意].  Previously, the Shukō-chawan had stood directly on the mat and been handled like any other large chawan.

[plussixtytwo]

The one with crocodile meat and deep-fried tarantula

I’ve always wanted to travel alone for my birthday and I decided to make that happen when I turned 25. I chose to visit Thailand and Cambodia since both are extremely exotic, diverse, and have some delicacies that I’m super excited to try. Besides, an exotic guy needs exotic destinations. *wink wink

 Chatuchak Night Market

The plan in Thailand is to explore nothing but food. I asked the hostel receptionist about their famous night markets and she directed me to go to Chatuchak weekend market. I had a yummy bowl of Tom Yum Goong, followed by mango salad, sea foods, bugs, and scorpion skewer (I’m not kidding). I didn’t normally eat that much to the point I was bloated, but you gotta do it when you’re in Bangkok, right?  

The next day, I went to the Train Night Market and made friends with a German girl who thought I was a local. We both then explored the market, bought some stuff, and tried some crocodile meat. It tasted like pork but just more chewy. We ended up eating sea foods - like the one in Chatuchak was not enough - and mango sticky rice while trying to understand Thai songs they played out loud on broken speakers.

Scorpions at Train Night Market

I managed to see some old friends in Bangkok and they took me to Ayutthaya, a historical city located north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya is such a bae and everything about it very much feeds my old soul. This archaeological gem features ruins from the Siamese kingdoms and its cultural value attracts travelers to do a day trip from Bangkok. We visited some temples and I personally was blown away with the beautiful ruins and the rich history behind them. The most popular attractions include Wat Phra Mahathat, a large stone Buddha head set in a colossal and deep-rooted tree. We finished the trip with another Thai food galore in a restaurant overlooking Ayutthaya river.

The stone Buddha head set in a deep-rooted tree in Ayutthaya  

Before flying to Cambodia, I managed to explore the city a bit more. I went to Wat Arun and The Grand Palace only to find that those places were swamped by tourists. You know that “A huge wave of zombies is approaching” phrase from Plants vs Zombies game? That’s exactly how I felt about the whole situation. I just didn’t feel like getting squeezed by the crowd so I decided to just walk around and ended up at a cute coffee shop. 

CAMBODIA

I landed in Siem Reap in the middle of the day and my friend, Syiqin, picked me up with our personal tuk tuk driver. We stayed at this up-and-coming hostel which was only 5 minutes walk from the lively Pub Street.

Pub street is where all the fun at. From cheap Cambodian snack stalls and fancy restaurants to clubs blasting reggaeton and local selling extraordinary Khmer delicacies. Few minutes walk from the street was this little restaurant called Bug Cafe where you could taste various cooked bugs, including tarantula - next level exotic. Though you can find these roadside on carts and at street food markets, for something this unappetizing, I opted to visit a proper restaurant to try it.  

Pub Street

I ordered their small platter which consisted of bugs salad, bugs skewers, fried tarantula, fried silkworms, and ant spring rolls. The spring rolls barely tasted like ants, the skewers were just alright and tasted like, well, bugs, as well as the salad. The silk worms were disgusting, but the tarantula indeed tasted slightly better than the others. It was probably the dough because the tarantula itself tasted rather bland. A few people had mentioned that it really looked and tasted remarkably like soft shell crab. When you tear off a leg you’ll notice a flaky whitish meat inside which is very similar to crab but the taste is nothing like it, at least for me.

I didn’t finish all of them but it was indeed a once in a lifetime experience. Did I regret spending 15 bucks for a small platter of bugs? Nope! I didn’t plan to do it again anyway, so it was totally worth it.

We explored Angkor Wat the next day and managed to catch the sunrise. We had to leave at 4 in the morning and queue for the ticket, at goddamn 4 in the morning! As if I didn’t stress that enough, they had to take our pictures for the ticket. 

Angkor Wat is massive and we’re told to spend 3 days to actually explore the whole area at a reasonable pace. Since we didn’t have much time, and were also on a budget, we squeezed the 3 days adventure to just a day, needless to say, we couldn’t really feel our legs after hours of walking and hiking under the intense heat and dry air of Cambodia.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

I’ve got a pleasant surprise when we’re just walking around the Bayon temple. I bumped into this guy that I met in Colombia back in 2016 when both of us were participants for a Spanish Course. We didn’t really talk to each other during the program but we just kinda knew each other. It took me a while to recognize him and he was as well giving me “man, I know you but who are you” kinda look. We both later greeted each other and talked for a moment. 

The last temple we visited was Ta Prohm, which was featured in Tomb Raider. I took a decent picture with the trees that overgrown and covered the temple. I didn’t stay long because it was packed with lots of tourists and I was just too tired with all the hikes. We went back to our hotel and took a well deserved nap and later went to Pub street for dinner and shopping. 

My heart was full when I left Cambodia. Though I live in a country that has Borobudur, I really don’t think that there is another country in the world with the ancient temples as amazing as Angkor Wat. Plus, I found the people here are extremely nice and genuine. It’s not as cheap as I thought probably because of the imposition of the dollar, but still affordable and I definitely recommend you to visit the beautiful country. I mean, Angelina Jolie comes here often and even Beyonce, so what else can I say?

[yanderemeganekko]

Cocktail Prince Event - Summer Festival Story Part 1

In which Caipiroska runs into dangerous strangers, Martini is afraid of ghost stories, Kiss In The Dark is a gentleman, and everyone has some fruit jelly. 

I plan on doing more of these later this week - I’m actually gonna write the transcript of the second part down today, so look forward to it being translated. I’ve also added translator’s notes at the end of this, so check them out if you feel like it. 

迫りくるデンジャラス Looming danger

カイピロスカ 兄さん、どこに行っちゃったんだろう？ こんなことになるから、ちゃんと手を繋いでおけばよかった ど��しよ。。。きっといまごろ兄さん--- Caipiroska Brother, where did you wander off to? If I knew it was gonna be like this, we should have held hands. What should I do... right now, brother must be- ドンッ (bump) わっ！ごめんあさい！ Wah! Sorry! 男性 どうしたんだい僕？ ひとりぼっち？お母さんかお父さんは？ Man What's wrong, kid? You're alone? Where's your mom and dad?

カイピロスカ 実は兄さんとはぐれてしまって。。。 Caipiroska To be honest, I got separated from my brother... 男性 それは大変だ！ それならおじさんが一緒にお兄さんを探してあげよう だからほら、こっちにおいで おじさん優しいからね。。。 Man That's terrible! In that case, I'll look for your brother with you. So, come with me. This old man here's real nice, so...

マティーニ あ～～～。。。あっち！ なんでこんなにクソあついんだよ。 誰に許可とってこんなに暑くなってやがる Martini Gah... so hot! Why is is so freaking hot! Who said it could be this hot!!

サルティ・ドッグ じゃあプール行かない？ 冷たい水でザバーンってしたら絶対気持ちいいよ！ Salty Dog Well, shouldn't we go to the pool then? Playing around in cold water's gotta feel great!*

カイピリーニャ へえ。。。たまにはいいこと言うじゃん Caipirinha Huh... you do say some good things sometimes.

Aoi 気持ちよさそうだけど、人がたくさんいそうだね。。。 It sounds good, but there's gonna be lots of people...

ジャック・ロース 朝、ニュースでも映ってたけど 人が多すぎて泳ぐどころじゃなさそうだったな。 満員電車みたいになってたから Jack Rose People are flocking to places where you can swim. They talked about it on the news this morning. It seems like the trains are all crowded, too. 

カイピロスカ 満員電車みたいなプールは嫌ですね。 みなさんの体温で水が温まってそうですし Caipiroska I don't like crowded pools. It feels like the water gets all warm because of people's body heat.

マティーニ 嫌なもん想像させるんじゃねえよ。 ガキはビニールプールにでも入ってろ Martini Isn't that just your imagination? Brats should just go play in the kiddy pool.

カイピロスカ ボクは子供じゃないですよ！ Caipiroska I'm not a child!

サルティ・ドッグ プールがダメでも、夏っぽいことはしたいよね～ スイカ割りとか。。。あ！ 怪談話とかどう？ すぐにできるし、夏っぽいし、涼しくなれるし！ Salty Dog Even if the pool's no good, I wanna do something summer-like～ Like watermelon splitting, or... ah! What about telling ghost stories? We can do it right now, it's summer-like, and it's sure to give you chills!

マティーニ はっ、はあ！？か、かかか怪談話なんてしねえよ！ だっだだ、誰がそんなガキみてえなこと！ Martini H-huh!? Telling g-g-ghost stories, who would want to do something like that! Th, that's such a childish idea!

サルティ・ドッグ え～。。。怪談話もダメ？ Salty Dog Aw～... So that's no good either?

コシコシ (step,step)

キスインザダーク お邪魔するよ なんだか面白そうな話をしているね。 夏の計画でも立てているのかい？ Kiss In The Dark Pardon me, I feel like I heard something interesting just now. I take it you are coming up with plans for the summer?

Aoi 暑いだけじゃ嫌だし せっかくだから夏っぽいことしたいよねって話してたんだ It's not just the heat. Since it's the season, we were thinking it would be nice to do something summer-like. 

サルティ・ドッグ くんくん。。。なんかいい匂いがする。 キスインザダーク、もしかして何か持って来てくれた？ Salty Dog Sniff, sniff... that's a nice smell. Kiss In The Dark, is it something you're holding?

キスインザダーク ああ、連日暑くて堪らないから気分だけでも涼しくと思っ フルーツゼリーをいくつか買って来たんだ Kiss In The Dark Yes, since it's so unbearably hot every day, I thought this would at least make it feel cool. So I went and bought some fruit jellies. 

カイピロスカ うわあ、みてください兄さん とってもキレイですよ！ Caipiroska Uwah, look at them, brother! How pretty!

カイピリーニャ ホントだ。キラキラしてて、果物もたくさん入ってる。 いろんな種類があるし迷うな。。。 Caipirinha You're right. They're sparkly, and there's so many flavours I don't know where to start...

サルティ・ドッグ オレ、オレンジがいい―！ でもマスカットもいいなあ。。。どうしよう！？ Salty Dog Oh, I want the orange one! But grape is good too... what should I do!?

キスインザダーク 急がなくても、たくさんあるからゆっくり選んで大丈夫だよ Kiss In The Dark No need to hurry. There's lots of them, so take your time and choose. 

ジャック・ロース ありがとう。 だけどこんなにたくさんいいのかな Jack Rose Thanks. But there's so much... I wonder if this is okay.

キスインザダーク もちろん。みんなで食べたくて買ってきたんだ。 だから遠慮しないで Kiss In The Dark Of course. I bought them for everyone to eat together. So, you don't have to hold back. 

マティーニ 悪くねえな。 俺様はマスクメロンをもらうぜ Martini Not bad. I'll be taking melon, then. 

サルティ・ドッグ メロン１個しかないのにズルいよ！ 後でひとくちだけちょうだい！ Salty Dog No fair, there's only one of melon flavour! And it's something you eat in one bit

マティーニ  お前にひとくちゃったら全部なくなるだろうか Martini I think it's just you who eats everything in one bite...

Aoi じゃあ私はモモにしようかな～ Then, I wonder if I should have the peach one～

コシコシ (step,step)

ピンク・レディ みんなして集まってどうしたの？ Pink Lady Why's everyone gathered together?

カイピロスカ キスインザダークさんがフルーツゼリーを 持って来てくださったんですよ Caipiroska Kiss In The Dark-san bought everyone some fruit jelly.

ピンク・レディ さすがキスインザダーク！キラキラしててカワイイ！ ぷいったー映えしそう～ Pink Lady  As expected of Kiss In The Dark! The way they sparkle is so pretty!**

Aoi ほら、アドニスもそんな隅っこにいないでこっち来なよ マスカット味でいいかな？ You too, Adonis. Don't just stand in the corner, come here. Is grape flavour okay for you?

アドニス 。。。！ ありがとう、アオイ。。。！ きみの手からもらえるのなら 道端に生えた野草でも喜んでたべるよ Adonis  ...! Thank you, Aoi...! If it was given by you, I'd gladly even take wild grass from the roadside.

コシコシ (step,step) ドサッ (thump)

ギムレット ただいまー 日が傾いてきたけどやっぱり暑いね。 やっぱり屋敷は冷房効いてて気持ちいいな Gimlet We're back. The sun is setting, but it's still so hot... the mansion's air-conditioning sure feels nice.

ジャック・ロース おかえり。 夕飯の買い出し行ってくれて、ありがとう Jack Rose Welcome back. Thanks for getting the meal ingredients.

サルティ・ドッグ おかえり―！ ゼリーあるよ！はやくはやく～！ Salty Dog Welcome back! We've got jelly, so hurry up～!

カミカゼ その前に食材を冷蔵庫に入れてくれ。 ギムレット、そっちの袋も貸しせ Kamikaze Before that, we need to put the ingredients away. Gimlet, give me your bag too.

ギムレット ありがとう。 アイスも入ってるから、先に冷蔵庫入れてもらえるかな Gimlet Thank you. The ice cream's there too, so put it away first. 

カサッ (rustle)

Aoi ん？何か落ちたみたいだよ Hm? Something fell. 

ギムレット もらったチラシが落ちちゃったみたいだね。 スーパーで買い物した時、大通りで配ってたんだ Gimlet Looks like the leaflet we got. They were handing those out on the main street. 

カイピリーニャ 花火大会。。。？ すぐそこの神社で屋台とかいろいろ出るみたいだね Caipirinha  A fireworks festival...? Looks like there will be lots of carts and stalls at the shrine nearby. 

サルティ・ドッグ いいじゃん花火大会！みんなで行こうよ～！ Salty Dog  Oh, a fireworks festival sounds good! Let's go, everyone!

Translator’s Notes *This part where Salty Dog talks about cold water... I have no idea what ザバーン means. I can get the rest of the sentence, but I had no luck looking up this particular word. However, since it’s not something very important and didn’t hinder the rest of the translation, I decided to just make something up in the place of that word. If anyone can teach me what it means, I’d be really grateful.

**This part where Pink Lady says ぷいったー映えしそう～ I, again, have no freaking idea what to do with it, mainly because I don’t know what  ぷいったー means. But, again, it wasn’t something crucial to the translation as a whole, so I left it untranslated - if there’s someone out there that can help me, feel free to message me or something, I would like to fix it if possible. 

Aside from those two, there shouldn’t hopefully be any errors here - I tried to convey everything as smoothly as possible. 

Two things that popped up for me during this story: Martini is SO RUDE. He says ‘ore-sama’ of himself, and generally talks like he’s on top of the world. In contrast, Caipiroska is so cute! He speaks very politely, always calls everyone -san (and while not in this story, he usually calls Aoi onee-san) and just generally speaks very mildly. I just wanna pat his head. Kiss In The Dark also sounds like a gentleman, and Kamikaze is so nice~ And, as usual, Adonis has to be really freaking extra, even if he only has one line... boy, I love you, but please.

[ruthandliamgoplaces]

Is this a wilderness adventure or not?!

Since leaving our workaway host in Switzerland, we’ve cycled across the French Alps into Italy. A question we’ve been reflecting on a lot apres-cycle, is whether or not our tour can be considered truly adventurous as we are cycling across the more developed parts of Europe. Many other cycle tourists move quickly through Europe to get to the “adventurous” countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, India or even Slovenia, Hungary, Turkey. So, can what we are doing really be counted up there with that sort of adventure!?? What defines an adventure?

It certainly feels like a wilderness adventure to us! Whilst being surrounded by luxurious ski chalets, mostly well paved roads, and being never too far away from a hotel, restaurant or bar, we have existed for the last two weeks in a self imposed wilderness, our minds, goals and wallets being the only true barrier to accessing all the comforts the world could possibly have to offer. It’s an interesting situation to place yourself in; we theoretically could sleep in a campsite, or even hotel, and we could eat at restaurants, but instead we choose to bivvy every single night and cook all our own meals. Even if we had enough money to have luxury every day (which we don’t, most people spend more than we have on a weeks holiday!), we would still choose to travel in this way, because this is where the adventure happens for us. Surviving in the wilderness, even if that wilderness exists only through the parameters we have chosen to live by.

We also certainly could have avoided cycling through the Alps themselves, sticking to well trodden (mostly) trusty Eurovelo routes which carve cycle friendly routes through countries avoiding unforgiving gradients. There was definitely no need for us two choose to cycle two Tour de France Mountain passes, including one which has been used four times for the ‘King of the Mountain’ part of the competition and includes 9% gradients that are utterly brutal for our heavy touring bikes.

We could also have travelled lighter, like the four other cycle tourers we have seen in these enormous mountains. There really (we are discovering) was no need to bring a slackline, a laptop, two 38 litre rucksacks, walking boots and loads of different clothes for doing workaways! The frame creaking weight of our bikes multiplies the difficulty, and adventurousness, of ascending 2087m mountain passes.

Our musings have led us also to recognise the ways in which the adventurousness of our cycle trip is more limited! Whilst braving the elements on a rainy evening, we *know* we could just book into a hotel. Whilst fearing dehydration in the baking sun, we realise we could just stick out a thumb and ask for help from a passing car. But we don’t. However, it provides a buffer of comfort knowing that we could immediately escape our situation from the simple act of sticking out our thumbs, or waving down a passer by, or reaching for a credit card... or phoning our parents. And yet... even in less developed countries the same is true! Sometimes more luxury is possible outside Europe as it is more affordable. Credit cards, or cash, work everywhere to bail you out. To some extent.

My thoughts are that whether our trip can be counted as adventurous or not, will remain an unresolved and interesting debate. Adventure is relative, and deeply personal. I will let the reader decide!

The “adventure”

We left our amazing Swiss workaway hosts, who dropped us just outside of Lausanne in the midst of another 35 degree heatwave. After three weeks off the bikes, including one week at a festival drinking way more than we should have, we did not feel at our fittest. Oh, and Liam had a horrible cold. Our mission: cycle across the Alps to Italy, via a stop in Morillon to meet some workaway hosts for a potential job opportunity. Climb two Tour de France passes and wild camp the whole way.

The first days cycling was extremely hot, but despite setting off at 2pm, we managed about 50km as it was mostly flat. High point was having a lovely swim in Lake Geneva just past Lausanne. We found a quiet place over a stone wall so I felt comfy to swim wearing my amazing pants bought in Nepal. Unfortunately they are flesh coloured and completely see-through. Doubly unfortunate then that we were joined by a couple of guys smoking an afternoon spliff, an older couple having a swim and a young guy sunbathing. Oh well, I lost my dignity where nudity was concerned somewhere back in week one.

Low point was having to push our bikes through a seemingly never ending snake of street stalls set up for an enormous festival. Battling a tsunami of pedestrians not looking at all where they were going is not fun with a fully loaded bike.

That evening we found ourselves accidentally back on the Via Rhôna cycle track Eurovelo 17, the track we had followed for 500km to Geneva! We found a seemingly amazing camp spot tucked beneath the cycle track next to the river. All was going so well until the plague of mosquitos began. We were hit by hundreds of the things and bailed to set up a mosquito net and peg it down. Hot dinner plans cancelled, we sat gloomily in the mosquito net eating peanuts and cold chorizo, and watched the sun go down. We were treated to spectacular stars that evening, and we got by with minimal bites, even if our bellies were left wanting for more.

This was the first of nine bivvies - all perfectly adequate. Our worst one was the next night, sleeping in a lay by half way up Col de Forclaz. Liam was feeling really poorly and after ascending nearly 850m in a day with our dwindled level of fitness, we were both worn out. I had not so cleverly (as it turned out) treated us to some pricey marinated meat to cook, but unfortunately Liam in his exhausted delirious state couldn’t get the stove to work consistently with a new fuel we were foolishly experimenting with. In the dark, we couldn’t tell whether the meat disguised by sauce was cooked or not. I sat there, alone with a man down, in a dark layby 800m up a mountain, holding a bag of expensive, query cooked, Swiss meat in a zip locked bag, ready to throw in a bin lest it attract unwanted animal visitations in the night, ravenously hungry and seriously questioning my life choices. The tale has a happy ending. Motivated by both hunger and the repulsion boiling within at throwing away perfectly good and expensive meat, I managed to work with Liam to get the stove to work for just long enough to cook the meat to a crisp. Cremated- definitely. Going to give us food poisoning? Absolutely no chance. Winning.

The next day, after a restless night peppered with passing high beams of cars racing up the mountain, we slogged over two Cols at 1500 and 1400 metres, in a blistering heatwave. At the top of the first one, I pretty much climbed into the drinking water fountain to cool down! It took us an eternity to cycle up, pausing every 25-50m of ascent to dive into any shade, lay-by or non switch back we could find, catch our breath, rest our jelly legs and attempt to cool down. I prevented Liam from pushing the last 12metres of ascent, sniffing through his cold, and we got there and could claim some sort of victory. We had laid siege to the mountain. We had got there. After an expensive Swiss ice cream and beer to celebrate (both the ascent and leaving pricey Switzerland), we used our last Swiss Francs and cycled down to Chamomix to bivvy at the foot of Mont Blanc (highest mountain in Europe) in a spot recommended to us by a warm showers host that I had messaged to ask for advice about where to sleep for free in the bustling and pricey ski resort. Along the way, we whizzed through Argentiere, stopping to fill our panniers full of delicious French supermarket wares, to the sound of an outdoor Orchestra playing part of a Star Wars score!

As we pulled into the recommended wooded area on the outskirts of Chamonix, we passed loads of vans parked up for the night, and saw a woman doing yoga underneath a tall canopy of gorgeous pines twinkling in the evening sun. We tiptoed past her as quietly as we could manage with the unruly bikes, and later, after she finished her practice, she joined us for an hour to share her incredible story of cycling around the world with her two year old son! Now working as a mountain guide in Chamonix, she left us rich with some useful tips about local hikes, her phone number in case of any problems, and an invitation to stay in her flat down the road over the weekend as she was away!

The following day we left Chamonix and cycled through the valley drinking up the glacial scenery before sleeping next to a beautiful fishing lake, hidden from the public and the rain (but not the ducks) by yet more beautiful pine trees. We were kept awake some of the night by an incredible thunder and lightening storm projected over the snow capped mountains, and winds that kept changing direction blowing excitedly through our tarp.

By now, it was my turn to be poorly. Dosed up on cold and flu medication, we had another hard day slogging up hill again to Morillon, a skiing resort, to meet a workaway host and take some rest in their chalet. The heat wave was markedly over, replaced by unceasing torrential rain only the product of towering mountains. Our unfit and abused legs groaned and complained as we cycled on, and on, devouring an entire rotisserie chicken with mayonnaise on the roadside, navigating endless switchbacks and drinking litres of water. As we approached the chalet, we got lost in the middle of an exceptional part of deluge when google tried to direct us to cycle up a gravel walking track with a no entry sign on an impossible gradient. No thanks Google! Instead, we had to push our bikes briefly up a road with an impossible gradient. We became a spectator sport for people having a spot of luncheon on their covered chalet balconies.

At one point, white fork lightening struck the road very close in front of us, causing us to flee to shelter desperately under someone’s car port. Thunder boomed menacing around the valley crackling like artillery fire as we waited for the storm to roll over. The car port owners peered curiously out their window at us, and a very damp Liam and I mused at the unlikeliness of them venturing out to ask us what on earth we were doing cycling touring bikes up a massive hill in a dangerous storm. We barely knew ourselves.

Finally, we reached the chalet as the storm echoed in the distance, and soaking wet through we met Jean and John the workaway hosts. God knows what they thought of the two bedraggled red in the face creatures asking where they could store their life’s possessions in filthy panniers. Bless them for not complaining at us dripping mud and water in puddles through their lovely chalet. At least we knew how to use a mop!

We passed a restful couple of days recovering and waiting for the bad weather to pass before embarking on the epic journey to Italy.

The morning we set off for Italy was a glorious descent with beautiful weather- not too hot and not raining! We cycled down hill until we re-entered the foothills of the Alps and the gradients started gently changing. We wanted to find somewhere to sleep before doing any climbs, but everywhere was decorated with the friendly Private No Entry signs and electric fences typical in agricultural areas. Fortunately we found a walking track marked on google maps, and after pushing our bikes along a gravel track, managed to find a slice of quiet scrubland tucked innocuously behind a row of trees on the trail. Liam cooked up a feast as always, and we slept extremely well and remained dry under a tarp despite the evening rain.

The following days cycling to the base of Mont Cenis were a mixture of cycling up and down, but mostly up. We passed through some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip, through gorgeous Alpine villages and amazing panoramic views of valleys below. We swam in Lake Annecy, slept next to a river, cycled through gorges and over hills and through alpine meadows. We visited a market and tried some local goats cheese, being sure to choose the fresh stuff and not the mature variety! We both agreed it was the best scenery of the trip so far.

A low point was caused by road works. We were loving life, cruising along amazing quiet roads to our next destination, when suddenly it turned out that our road was blocked and we had to take a diversion. We ended up climbing a big ascent on a baking hot dual carriage way with very fast traffic zipping past us. Morale was sinking as there was no shade for refuge, and seemingly no places to sleep. However, that evening, we found a turn in the road that led to a slag heap, and a hydropower river section. The place was hidden from view from the main road, and whilst not being very attractive, it was actually a perfect place to spend the night. As I sat on the gravel facing a slag heap and a railway line, ants crawling all over me, to the sound of the motorway in the distance, I reflected that this was not what I came cycle touring for. However, it is the nature of cycle tour life- sometimes you have to take the horrible road to get to the good road. Some days you have to sleep in the lay by on the way to the beautiful spot.

On the day of Mont Cenis pass itself, we woke up only a tiny bit daunted about what awaited us. Yet another Tour de France Col, with sections of a gradient average of 9%. We’d cycled for 6 days in a row over some mountainous roads, and our legs were exhausted. As we crawled up the hill, painstakingly slow, 25m-50m sections at a time, there were times both of us didn’t think we would make it. However, as with most things with cycle tour life, you just have to do it! Pretty soon we were at the top, with incredible 360 degree panoramic mountain views all around us, and an exhilarating steep switch back descent to look forward to. We sat at the top with a beer and an ice cream, feeling thoroughly satisfied with ourselves, taking great amusement at watching people passing by stare in bewilderment at our bikes. Their faces said: how did those get up here?! Which nutters would cycle a loaded touring bike up Mont Cenis?!

That evening we passed into Italy and after one more painful ascent, we found a spot to sleep which makes you really appreciate cycle touring. It’s much easier to wild camp when you are hiking as you can wander into woods, get away from roads, and reach places far away from human activity! On the bikes, especially with cumbersome loaded bikes, we have to always stay near a road. Consequently, we don’t often get wilderness spots. So, the spot we ended up in was a real treat. On a very quiet road to a small village, we found a small turn around spot for cars, which led to a maze of mountain oak trees and rocky platforms with a spectacular view over Italy. It was warm, there were no mosquitos, barely any cars, no people and we really felt in the wilderness as we could push our bikes away from the road. That evening we sat out late, enjoying the sunset and the stars coming out, and felt we had really achieved something! We were in Italy, and over two mountain passes!

The only problems we had now were, we hadn’t bathed in several days, we had dirty clothes, no food and limited water. But they were tomorrow’s problems!

[withabackpackandcamera]

April 13th, 2019

Day 9: Driving In Zig Zags To See It All In The Netherlands

Our first stop today was Gouda, a town that my dad really wanted to visit and the namesake for Gouda cheese. We got in around 10AM or so and the town was still quiet and cold. As we walked around, Gouda slowly started to warm up with energy.

We first walked around the moat surrounding downtown and eventually turned into the center of the town to take a look. In the middle of town was actually a weekend market! Always a fun thing to experience and see wherever you go somewhere. By the time we were in the town center, the town was awake and buzzing, with people strolling the morning streets for goods and food. The Markt had all sorts of stalls that were selling all sorts of things, most notably a ton of cheese, meats, fish, pastries, and stroopwaffels. We walked around, tried and sampled a ton of different yummy Gouda cheeses, and made a quick stop at the Gouda Cheese Market, which was really just a building in the square also selling cheeses.

After some visits here and there, the family gathered to figure out lunch. We ended up stopping by a fish stall called Vishandel Henk de Graaf, where we bought what was selling the best: deep fried battered fish (without the chips). And it was really warm and yummy. During the process of buying the fish, however, we hit a little bit of an embarrassing snag… our credit cards didn’t work there and we didn’t have enough cash to buy what we had originally ordered. Oops. So we embarrassingly had to take one instead of two trays of fish. Sadness. In the end, it ended up working out fine and the fish definitely hit the spot.

As we ate, we watched the little chime show (with little statues coming from a little door opening on the church situated in the middle of the plaza) at the top of the hour. Then we strolled through town a bit more, stopped by a cheese shop called Gouds Kassmuis, where we tried a TON more different flavors of Gouda cheese. So delicious! My favorite Gouda flavor was probably the one that was No.1 rated at the cheese shop, their specialty Gouda Trots. Another one that was delicious and the one which we ended up buying for home was the Chili Gouda. Yum. I also tried the Hemp Gouda, Heineken Gouda, Wasabi Gouda, as well as some other really colorful Gouda varieties.

After taking a short walk outside of town center to look around, we strolled into the plaza one last time to buy spend some money before leaving. We bought some cookies called luxe koeken (that ended up being OK), some bread to eat with a specialty mayo dip, and also bought a ton of stroopwaffel packets to bring home as gifts for people. And then, we were out of there and back on the road.

When we left, there was still some time left before we needed to make it to Kinderdijk, the famous windmill area, for sunset. So, we decided to take a slight detour and drive back toward Lisse to see if we could catch a glimpse of some more tulip fields before leaving the country. The drive took a bit longer than expected and the weather turned for the worse as we were driving there. Dark clouds began to bring rain that then became sleet. Yay. But we kept on going, hoping it would clear up by the time we reached Lisse. But it didn’t really. Once we were near the tulip fields, we hit a roadblock. An actual one. They had blocked the road leading into Lisse for some festival and we couldn’t drive through. So Minh and I left parents and the car and walked/ran down the closed road hoping to see some tulip fields. But, as we were doing that, the sleet started to come down harder. Man oh man. And as the weather started worsening, we looked back behind us as we noticed cars driving by us… and to our dismay, they had JUST opened the road through. WTF. Why didn’t they tell us before we had to run down the closed-but-now-open road?? We ran back to the car in the sleet and drove into town, stopping by a couple of tulip fields (and seeing some more awesome ones that we didn’t end up stopping at) before turning back to head toward The Hague.

At this point, the weather was still less than ideal but we ended up making it to The Hague in all the sleet and rain and spent around two hours in the city checking it out. We walked through a huge chunk of the city and saw the Peace Palace, Noordeinde Palace, Old City Hall, and much of downtown. It was a surprisingly nice pitstop city to see since I didn’t expect anything of this city that is otherwise known for very government/law-related things.

Before leaving The Hague, we needed to get dinner and ended up stopping at a Chinese fast food-type restaurant called Full Moon Express, where we ordered Panda Express-styled foods (honey peppered chicken, chicken fried rice, shrimp fried noodles, and some veggie dish) that were pretty yummy! By the time we had satiated our appetites (with a ton of leftovers to bring home), it was time to hit the road again. And in order to hit the road, we had to walk across much of the town again to get back to our car. And it wasn’t close. But we saw some neat places along the way that made the walk more bearable, like the Hokvijver Pond. Once we were back at the car, we zoomed off to Kinderdjik, the land of windmills, as the sun started its descent.

The drive to Kinderdijk was a little longer than expected, and because I missed a couple of turns here and there, more time was added to the already slightly long ride out. As this was all happening, the sun continued to set. But luckily for us, we made it to Kinderdijk just as the nice part of sunset was happening. Maybe a tad late for great photos though since the colorful clouds were starting to lose its spectacular colors and the reflections were starting to dull… But regardless, I stayed a bit and took photos until it got dark and all the colors had disappeared. And a bit after Minh and dad left to return to the car. After a while, all the photos started looking the same and at that point, I knew it was time to get out of there and drive to our AirBnB for the evening (which actually ended up being really nice but very far from Kinderdijk and in the middle of nowhere). The plan for tomorrow is to wake up super early and make it out to Kinderdijk for sunrise. We’ll see...

5 Things I Learned Today:

1. There are a million different varieties and flavors of Gouda cheese! This is what the town of Gouda taught me. And with a ton of variety comes a ton of colors too! And they’re all so delicious and uniquely yummy! From the Chili Gouda to the Wasabi Gouda to all the other cheeses.

2. There are a lot more flower fields from Lisse to Leiden than from Haarlem to Lisse. At least that’s what I noticed from a quick drive through. Additionally, there seemed to be more walk-in-able flower fields driving south from Lisse. So if you want to get those Instagrammable shots, start from Lisse and drive down!

3. The Hague serves a prominent role in and is at the center of the world’s fight against human rights issues.

4. Not only is it cold in the Netherlands in April, it can also sleet! WTH? And even with this weather, tulips grow and thrive. Tulips are no weaklings.

5. Kinderdijk is definitely the place to be for windmill shots. Though Zaanse Schans is neat with all the green and old-styled houses and buildings, the windmills there are just not as picturesque as the ones in Kinderdijk. Plus, the ones in Kinderdijk are way more real and natural.

[wheresmyvisa]

Kathmandu, 19-22 August 2017

We enjoyed 3 weeks of low humidity and temps in the 60s and 70s. Uganda had some moisture, but the winter temperatures kept it nice and comfortable. That was over in Nepal. The heat and humidity hit us like a soaking wet heating pad before we even stepped out of the Kathmandu Airport.

With prepay in cash the only way to get a taxi, we were stuck since none of the ATMs in the airport worked. We found a gypsy taxi driver to take us to an ATM and then our hotel, so we all smushed into the tiny car and rolled the windows down in a lame attempt to get a breeze going. We didn’t get but 5 minutes outside of the airport, when he pulled over in a quiet neighborhood, parked the car, and said he’d be back in a minute before taking off down an alley. We waited and waited in the hot car with dust and pollution hovering all around us. There was nowhere to go, no alternatives but to wait. And wait. And wait. Just as I was about to think we’d live the rest of our lives in this hot, cramped car, (or, in a few psychotic moments, that we were going to be kidnapped) he came out tucking his shirt in. When he got back into the car her said, “Toilet,” turned the car back on, and continued onto the hotel.

The dust and pollution tossed around by the vehicles in the streets were suffocating in the car. I could hardly breath, but if I closed the window I would have exploded from overheating. Anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely sensitive to heat, and especially humidity. Just about every third person in Kathmandu wears a surgical mask to filter the polluted air before breathing it in. How I wished I had one stashed in my bag.

We finally turned into an alley and through a gate, where our hotel fortunately was hiding away from the repercussions of the vehicle emissions and dirt roads. After refueling with the lunch buffet, we realized that we were in walking distance of a great shopping area and UNESCO World Heritage Site, so we decided to brave the outside world once again.

When we left the hotel on foot, it seemed like we entered a different city than the one we explored in our rogue taxi. The air was more breathable, it felt calm and walkable, and the shops and people were welcoming. After just a few blocks, Bryna and I looked at each other and agreed that we were enjoying the sites and sounds of Kathmandu and weren’t sure how it was so different from the ride in.

We couldn’t resist the luxury, texture, and bargain of the cashmere and beaded jewelry. Full sections of the markets were devoted to proud families shopping for wedding beads and other accoutrements. Stall after stall in these nuptial pockets looked the same to us, but discerning mothers inspected every last inch to find the perfect jewelry to adorn their prized brides.

We immediately bought some billowy, cotton pants, that screamed Nepal, for $3.50 each to deal with the heat. Although it’s really hot, no one wears shorts. Many even donned jeans and jackets. I did not understand.

We found Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and passed through the gates to explore the many temples. Although many people entered with us and proceeded into the square, we were stopped by a guard and told to pay $10 each. No one else was stopped. Why us? Being the suspicious tourists, we left and watched from the perimeter to see if anyone else would be stopped. Sure enough, the next western-looking people were stopped, and we finally saw the sign that indicated only foreigners had to pay. So we anted up and got our passes.

It didn’t take long for a tour guide to attach himself to us, whether we wanted him or not, and take us around to all of the Hindu temples honoring Shiva, the Kama Sutra (which our tour guide told us was established in Nepal during a time of decreased birth rate), and more. We visited a palace where the Kamari of Kathmandu lives. Kamari is a pre-pubescent girl selected from a certain caste, who is worshipped by Hindus and Nepal’s Buddhists. She lives like a princess (Kumari is Sanskrit for princess) apart from her family until puberty.

Our tour guide’s pal ended up joining us to help out. We found out later it was because he drinks too much and is only allowed to guide along with another licensed tour guide.

The next morning, our host in Nepal, Matrika, picked us up for a further tour of the city. We visited several temples, with my favorite being the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. Hindus cremate their deceased at the closest river. A dead body may not cross a river; however, it seems that families do carry their dead across rivers to have the honor of the Bagmati’s holy waters

We went to an elevated area across from the cremation site to view the practice somewhat discreetly. There was a steady stream of families waiting to honor their deceased family members. One fire was already going. The family was long gone, and all that remained other than the fire was an attendant to continue adding wood until the process was done. Several hundred yards away, wood was being stacked in a crisis-cross pattern for another body awaiting its next step toward reincarnation. Just a little further upriver, the body was lain on the river bank, covered in a bright orange blanket with head and feet left exposed, and feet dipped in the water. The family, dressed in casual clothing, hovered around snapping photos on their iPhones and placing their hands on their loved one’s head to express their good-byes.

In the afternoon we visited a school and a nearby orphanage for boys with physical and mental disabilities. Most of them are not able to go to school. Nepal does not have any way to provide education or therapy for them. The orphanage is run by minimal government funds supplemented by private donations that help them get more nutritious food.

We arrived at Matrika’s home early evening in a more outerlying neighborhood of Kathmandu with family homes and more breathable air. His wife made us a delicious Nepali meal of dal baht (lentils and rice) and an assortment of vegetables and cheese curds. Matrika and his wife served us each a plate, with all of the dishes dotted around the perimeter equidistant from each other, and a spoon. We waited for them to join us at the table so we could all eat together, as our American custom dictates. Matrika told us to eat, and that he and his wife would not eat until we are finished. When we looked at him confused, he explained that it is Nepali custom for the hosts to keep full attention on their guests so they can fill up our plates again the moment we are finished. We had to cover our plate to block incoming food to signify that we could not eat any more. Matrika said that his brother-in-law, who was also at the dinner table with us, was “ruined” because he too joined the American guests in using a spoon. When we assured our hosts that we were full, they sat down to eat the meal in the traditional way, with their hands.

Day 2, we visited Women for Human Rights (whr.org.np), which empowers single women (mainly widows) economically, politically, socially and culturally in order to live dignified lives and enjoy the value of human rights. WHR runs successful support programming for widows in 73 of Nepal’s 74 districts. The only district in which they are not active has a matriarchal society, so the women are more respected and their services are not required there.

Before WHR was founded over 15 years ago, widowed women in Nepal were at the lower rungs of society. They had very limited property rights, were forced to mourn for the rest of their lives by wearing only white and remaining faithful to their deceased husbands, often became slaves to their in-laws, and were ostracized by their communities. WHR now has support groups in 73 districts, and has been instrumental in the passage of several important laws that are supportive of women and widows, such as rights to property and obtaining a passport without the consent of a male family member.

We then headed out to the mountains a little outside of Kathmandu to get some fresh air. The dirt road to the mountain resort was dotted by tiny villages with cows grazing along the roadside and stubborn goats grazing in the road. We had to stop and lay on the horn before any goat would start to even think about moving for us. Our driver went back and forth between 1st and 2nd gear to go in and out of the ruts.

A cold that I had coming on for several days was in full force with aches, pains, fatigue, and runny nose. I slept for about 15 hours straight while Nick, Bryna and Becca explored the mountain and shopped for souvenirs. They brought back a singing bowl to help me meditate my illness away.

After our mountain getaway, we caught our flight for Delhi, a layover on the way to Hong Kong. But when we landed in Delhi, we found out our flight was delayed by at least 12 hours due to a typhoon in Hong Kong. Since we were only going to be in Hong Kong for 12 hours to begin with, we spent the next 3 hours scrambling to book a flight to our next destination, Sydney. Success came in the nick of time to board, and we were on our way. See you next time Hong Kong.

[optimatravels]

Hire Optima Travels to Book Pushkar Fair Tour 2019

Pushkar is one of the most colourful towns of India! It is colourful in the terms of culture, heritage, life, traditions, old streets, and a lot of things full of life. The city is a part of Rajasthan and that makes it a city fuller of heritage. It is called as a city of temples as it has some amazing temples in the city. There are about 400 temples in the city. All the temples of the city are beautiful in architecture. Pushkar is a small town but there are enough things to explore there. It is a small town on the borders of the That desert and the glimpse of the desert from the city makes everything beautiful. It is a religious place in India where a lot of pilgrims visit to take a dip in the Pushkar Lake to wash away their sins and also to visit the famous temples of the city. The lake is crowded during the Kartik Purnima time where the pilgrims come to take a bath and pay their regards to Lord Brahma. In fact, Pushkar is the only place in India where the temple is dedicated to Lord Brahma (Brahma Temple). There are various ghats on the banks of this lake. The city attracts a lot of tourists from across the globe throughout the year. But, the most amazing time to visit Pushkar is during the Pushkar Fair that happens annually. It is one of the most looked forward events of the country for which people wait to be a part of. This is hands down the best time to explore the city of temples. More than half a million tourists come to enjoy the fair. Tourists from all across the globe flock here during Pushkar Fair. Keeping in view tourists’ inflow, various customizable tour packages like Pushkar Fair Tour, Golden Triangle with Pushkar Tour. 

Pushkar Fair Group Tour are provided by Optima Travels, a premier India-based travel company. 

Pushkar Fair is one of the important fairs of Rajasthan known for numerous fairs round the year. It is a fun-filled and colourful fair that happens along the Thar desert. The fair begins on the Kartik Shukla Ekadashi. and continues till the Kartik Purnima. The fair is for 8 days. It is the topmost 8 colourful days of the town. It is the bright half of the moon time when the time of the fair coincides. The fair happens during the winter months of October-November. People also believe that the gods visit earth during the Pushkar Fair Festival and bless the people on the earth with their presence. Pushkar tour packages on this occasion become helpful in showing the tourists the religious rituals and customs of the Hindus. 

One amazing sight at the Pushkar Fair is of the local men who wear colourful turbans and women wear colourful skirts and veils. They are the ones who bring alive the arid desert landscape. The Pushkar Lake is mostly tranquil but during the festival, it is filled with people. During the fair, a lot of people take a dip in the lake. The stadium is filled with the animals like camels, horses, and cows, set for the parade here. The race of the animals is also conducted here. This is one of the largest cattle fairs of the country. Camels and other animals are decorated and taken care of during the fair. These camels are decorated to make them look glam but it is also made sure that no harm or discomfort is caused to them. The camels are adorned with silver jewelery and beads. Bangles and silver bells are tied around their ankles because this would create the sound of jingles when they would walk. Piercing the nose of the camel is also a tradition that is followed here. Camel race, camel beauty contest, and camel decoration competition are held which are also the main attractions of the fair. This is what people visit the place for. A short duration or overnight tour of Pushkar during Pushkar Fair is suggested for only those who wish to have a cursory look. Golden Triangle with Pushkar Fair Tour is more appropriate for you then. But for those who really wish to enjoy it, 5 Days Pushkar Fair Tour will be the best option. 

It is a very important fair for the villagers and the town dwellers from commercial point of view because it is their high time to earn. A lot of camels are bought and sold in the Pushkar Fair and this make for a trade purpose. Around 50,000 cattle are traded by the villagers. On the roadside of the fair, there are a lot of sellers who put up stalls to sell some itsy bitsy things and are very popular. 

The dates of the Pushkar fair are determined according to the Hindu Lunar calendar. The Pushkar Fair 2019 is from 4th November 2019 to 12th November 2019. Other things apart from the cattle fair and religious rituals that can be done at the Pushkar fair are glamping, hot air ballooning, harmony half marathon etc. 

We at Optima Travels will make necessary arrangements for you in 2019 Pushkar Fair. We have luxurious cars for your journey. Our drivers are highly experienced and they have good knowledge about pushkar fair. This is the main reason why people follow us to book their tour. Our price is always reasonable and there are multiple payment options for you. For new users, there is a coupon for the discount about their tour. To know more call us at +00-91-9810222172 or email at tours@optimatravels.com, optimatravels@gmail.com.

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Carl Eisen was at the height of his career in the fall of 2007. An Airbus A300 captain in his mid-forties, he was confident and assured, with more than 10,000 hours of experience in the cockpit. His profession required calm, unflappable, singular focus, and Eisen was proud of his ability to perform complicated maneuvers under extreme stress.

Then he bought his wife a new horse trailer.

“I was towing it with my truck to have electric brakes installed,” he remembers, “and as I was driving down the road, I thought, it has no brakes, maybe I’m going a little fast—” and as if on cue another vehicle pulled out in front of him, cutting him off. Eisen managed to get his truck and trailer under control and safely off the road, but as he sat there in the immediate aftermath of a near wreck, adrenaline pumping, he had a terrible realization. “I didn’t really feel any different than I did any of my other waking hours.” Eisen had been living in a constant state of heightened alert, unable to turn it off.

He made an appointment with his doctor, hoping he had “a heart condition or brain tumor,” he says, knowing that a prescription of antidepressants and therapy would jeopardize the job he loved. “Pilots are expected to be superhuman, to suppress feelings of anxiety.”

“Pilots are expected to be superhuman, to suppress feelings of anxiety.”

A pilot who is diagnosed with depression or anxiety and doesn’t disclose it to their airline is at risk of prosecution from the Federal Aviation Administration. A pilot who’s diagnosed and does disclose it faces immediate grounding.

Eisen was grounded for a year. He took antidepressants and explored cognitive therapy, and when he still felt anxious after nine months, he found his way to insight meditation. “I understood immediately that that’s what had been missing.” He meditated for twenty minutes a day and after a month his “anxiety level was almost to zero.”

Carl Eisen

Staying Cool When Instruments Freeze

Eisen soon had ample opportunities to practice his new mindfulness techniques on the job, and one of the most dramatic came on a hot summer afternoon in 2014, when he piloted his Airbus A330 through a line of thunderstorms as he departed Dallas for Newark. “Almost immediately, the needles on two of my airspeed indicators started fluctuating, then slowly dropped to zero.” Eisen, like all Airbus pilots, is well-trained for this. There’s a procedure pilots are required to commit to memory. “The first item on that checklist is Disregard All Airspeed Indications, because you don’t know which ones are correct.”

Eisen followed the procedure and took the engine power to 84 percent. “Then, to my surprise, the other two remaining airspeed indicators showed that we were slowing down. But were we actually slowing down or are they icing up too?” Mindful of the checklist that says Disregard All Airspeed Indications, Eisen waited and watched, but the situation didn’t stabilize as the procedure indicated it would, and his intuition told him the plane was indeed slowing down. He bucked the procedure and bumped the engine power up to 87 percent. “At that point I became a test pilot, abandoning a mandatory recovery procedure. I had no way of knowing exactly HOW fast we were going. If I put in too much power I risk overspeeding, losing control and/or breaking the plane apart in mid-air. But If the two remaining airspeed indicators are correct, I really AM slowing down to the point of a stall, which means the plane stops flying and starts falling out of the sky.” With autopilot off and turbulence tossing the plane in all directions, Eisen tuned in to the feeling of the plane. “I could feel the air flow burbling over the wing. That’s a sure sign—we’re on the verge of stalling!”

So Eisen free-styled—and called on his mindfulness training. “Rather than get wrapped up in figuring out the details, I remembered one simple fact about the 160 tons of aluminum I was piloting: If you cut the power to zero and pitch the nose down 2 degrees, you can hand-fly without any airspeed indicators at all and stay in the normal speed range making the jet one very expensive glider.”

Eisen knew from experience that would allow him to get control of the plane. Sure enough, the iced-up systems started working again in the warmer air, and Eisen and his co-pilot were able to emergency-land without further problems.

A subsequent investigation revealed that it would have taken 90 percent engine power to stabilize the aircraft. “If I had fixated and followed the procedure to the letter, we would have stalled and lost control.” When the unexpected happens, and the prescribed procedure fails, Eisen says, “you need to be present for what IS and not stuck in stories about how things SHOULD be. Non-reactivity and non-fixation (open and inclusive awareness) really help me exercise discernment. Meanwhile, improved concentration and focus free up working memory so I can think more clearly, in a less distracted way.”

Coming Out of the Meditation Closet

Despite the transformational effect of his meditation practice in his own life, personal and professional, Eisen kept it to himself. And he might have continued as a “closet meditator” if Andreas Lubitz had not crashed a Germanwings airplane into the Alps in March 2015.

“I thought if I can’t talk about this openly, we are not going to make any progress for pilots’ mental health. If I have to become the poster child, I will.”

But Eisen discovered no one wanted to talk about it. “The letters I wrote about my own experience” —letters he sent to his airline and union— “they wouldn’t even respond to me.”

So he continued his own studies with Diana Winston, Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA Semel Institute’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC), and became certified as a mindfulness teacher. He started mindfulaviator.com, an online resource that demystifies meditation and makes it accessible to airline pilots. He connected with Matt McNeil, a commercial pilot and mental health professional who started an organization called Lift Affect to offer mental health services to pilots. And he noted that although pilots and other crew were using mindfulness apps on their phones, and were receptive to his message, the real resistance came from airlines, the unions, and the Federal Aviation Administration. “My experience with trying to introduce mindfulness to the airline industry is the sound of doors slamming all the way down the hallway.”

The skills and abilities that make pilots able to fly a 300,000-pound aircraft through inclement weather with ease can also be their downfall.

Eisen says those doors need to open. A recent study indicates that 13.5 percent of the 130,000 pilots surveyed meet the threshold for depression. “That study should have been a wake-up call, the Germanwings flight should have been a wake-up call. The approach the airlines are taking is very old fashioned.”

Meanwhile, Eisen says, the grassroots effort made by him and a few others is taking off, and not a moment too soon.

“When we deal with pilots, when they finally do come forward, they wait until their ass is on fire. They wait until they’re on the roadside bleeding out before they come for help. I was one of those guys, too.”

Eisen says the effects of mindfulness meditation are particularly acute for pilots, who tend to be goal-oriented. “Attachment to outcome is one thing pilots are into, we create certainty in our minds. It’s essential if you’re going to become a pilot, but you don’t know how to disentangle yourself from that in the rest of your life.” The skills and abilities that make pilots able to fly a 300,000-pound aircraft through inclement weather with ease can also be their downfall.

“The first time you check out an airplane it’s massive and intimidating, but like anything else, you become accustomed to it. But there’s a level at which we’re fooling ourselves. We should be in awe all the time. After all, one mistake and it can kill you and everyone on board,” Eisen points out. “But with mindfulness practice, I find that the experience of fear regarding a future task is optional. Some people use fear to motivate themselves, to give themselves an edge or to remain hypervigilant. I used to do this myself. Now I choose curiosity and wonder. I’m in awe of the machine and grateful for the people who make it all work so reliably and safely. Gratitude and awe, without fear, give me lots of motivation and comes with a more open and inclusive awareness.”

Eisen hopes talking openly about mental health will someday be as common among pilots as any other topic. “With the drug and alcohol program, they introduce it at training. But we do not have conversations about mental health in training. We just need to have the conversation for real, out in the open.”

The post How A Grounded Pilot Used Meditation to Fly Again appeared first on Mindful.

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Africa Cycle Tour – Botswana Part 2: Maun to Kazangula

Day 19 – Meeting Roma and sleeping at the police station

I had heard last night from a guy name Roma, a member of the Cairo to Cape Town cycle WhatsApp group, that he was in Maun and leaving in the morning to head towards Nata. Unfortunately, I woke up a bit late and he was already on his way but told me to try to meet up with him in a small village called Motopi.

I did a final bit of work and after breakfast said goodbye to my cousins whom I’d been staying with in Maun for a week. It was 100km to Motopi and it was already 10am when I got going so I knew I would have to cycle pretty fast to make it before evening. The first 50kms were fairly uneventful, I just cycled at a steady 20km/h along the long, flat road out of Maun. There was a bit of a headwind but nothing I couldn’t handle.

At about 50km I reached a Veterinary checkpoint where they control the spread of foot and mouth disease. Any vehicle with tyres needs to drive through a small puddle of disinfectant chemicals, including bicycles. Everybody also has to wipe their shoes on a square of carpet that is also soaked in the disinfectant. I went through the process and then stopped by the nearby stall and had something to eat and drink. These little roadside stalls are very expensive and I spent $5 on some biscuits, chips, a can of beans and a cool drink. The stall owner told me had seen another cyclist who had told him to tell me to meet him in Motopi, so that must have been Romain.

At around 1pm I headed off and again had nothing but a straight flat road for the next few hours. I stopped at one point to test out the tripod invention I had made in Maun. Using the phone clip from a selfie-stick and an old traditional camera tripod that my cousin-in-law had kindly given me, I created a small phone tripod. I balanced it precariously on a road meter marker and then started filming and did two cycles by. The footage came out okay but I need to find more interesting backdrops to film on.

Eventually, just before 4pm I arrived at the turnoff to Motopi and after a few kilometers down a nice side road towards Orapa I arrived in the tiny village. Romain hadn’t replied to the WhatsApp message I sent him (turns out he didn’t have a simcard) so I just headed towards the Kgotla, which is like the town hall of any small village which also acts as a police station and sometimes the chiefs home. Fortunately, Romain was there waiting for me. We made our introductions and I met with the police who man the station and explained I would also be camping there with Romain. As usual, they were very welcoming and told me where I can get water.

Romain and I went to buy a coke and chatted for a bit about our trips so far. I decided we needed a beer so after setting up my tent I went and sourced us two. There wasn’t much else to do in town so made dinner quite early and then after getting constantly harassed by kids asking for sweets, we headed to bed.

Day 20 – Elephants and Baobabs

I awoke around 6am having not slept too well. It had rained a bit in the night so Romain and I hung up our tent covers and then I made some coffee for us. For breakfast, we shared some bread and boiled eggs Raomin had left over. We faffed around a bit getting packed up and only got on the road by 8am which usually wouldn’t be a problem but we had 138kms to cover if we wanted to make it to my proposed destination that night – Planet Baobab. It’s quite a famous stopping point for overlander trucks and other travellers and had been recommended to me by a few people.

We started off quite well, maintaining a solid 20km/h pace before the heat started setting in. By 11am we reached a small village and pulled off to go look for cold drinks. We found a small shop and had two ice cold cokes each – a life saver in this heat. We also decided we better eat some beans since we hadn’t had much breakfast. Food is really hard to come by in Botswana outside of the large cities and often small shops only have huge bags of corn meal, rice, beans, macaroni, tinned fish and if you’re really lucky, tomatoes and onions. Even bread is very rare and fresh fruit is non-existent. Local villagers seem to survive on mielie meal, beans and presumably the occasional unlucky goat. Romain, being a chef, was quite well prepared though with herbs and spices and managed to make some pretty decent meals out of the limited supplies. I, on the other hand, had been eating a lot of plain pasta and tomato sauce.

Back on the road, we bumped into some elephants at around 2pm. They were just crossing the road so we waited but one big one spotted us as we started cycling past and starting flapping its ears at us. As a precaution, we started cycling back the other way and eventually it moved on. The rest of the trip was uneventful but very hot so we couldn’t move to fast. We stopped again briefly for some juice and biscuits under the shade a tree and then eventually by around 6pm we made it to Gweta where Planet Baobab is. We had a much-deserved cold beer outside a small petrol station and then finished the final 3km to Planet Baobab. Tragically their wifi wasn’t working but I was too tired and bothered to try to find somewhere else in Gweta so I accepted I’ll have to miss a day of work and make up for it tomorrow.

They kindly phoned another lodge in town, Gweta Lodge, to check if their wifi was working and it was so we decided we would take a chill day there tomorrow and I’d catch up on work. We set up camp and then jumped in their awesome swimming pool. An overlander truck had stopped the night so there were a few other young British people swimming too but they went off for dinner soon after we arrived. Although it was a bit expenisve we decided to have a proper meal for one night at their restaurant. Before turning in we had a couple of beers at the bar and spoke to some of the overlander people about our trip.

Day 21 – The awesome Gweta Lodge

In the morning we grabbed some of the over-priced restaurant coffee which was admittedly very good and then packed up and cycled the few kilometres into town to find Gweta Lodge. On arrival, the receptionist offered to give us a room at discount ($25 for the room) so we decided to take it as Romain hadn’t slept in a real bed for a while. Then we chilled by the pool while I worked. Romain went and bought some food from the small shop nearby and made us an awesome pasta for a kind of late breakfast. I finished up work and we had a few beers and swam and had some late lunch.

Around about 5pm the owner came by the bar and offered us each a beer which we gladly accepted. We got chatting and had a few more beers and then he whipped out a bottle of brandy and coke and we got stuck in on that. After a few drinks, he offered to let us join the meerkat safari in the morning at a huge discount. Although the original plan was to leave early for Nata, we couldn’t say no. He said it would be back by 11am so possibly we could still make it to Nata if we wanted. After a few more brandy’s he took us to see all his 4×4 vehicles in his workshop and we chatted about the lodge and the tours he does. Eventually, by 11pm we stumbled drunkenly into bed and spent the night trying to ward off mosquitos.

Day 22 – Meerkat safari and sundowners

We groggily awoke at 6am and had a few cups of free coffee before crawling onto the safari vehicle and heading out into the Makgadikgadi salt pans to find some meerkats. The drive took an hour during which time we stopped to admire a huge baobab tree and I tried not to fall asleep. We picked up a local villager who was the guide said would help us find the meerkats. He came through and a few minutes later we stopped in the open plains and spent an hour or so watching a small family of meerkats popping in and out of their burrows.

We continued on to see the salt pans and the other guests attempted to do those forced perspective photos that everybody loves doing on saltpans. Romain and I were maybe a bit too hungover to join in. Although we got back to the lodge even earlier than 11am we decided to chill another night, much to James the owners delight. He told us he would take us out to the pans later for some beers because he needs to find a camping spot for an upcoming safari.

I spent the rest of the day getting work done, making lunch and swimming until around 3pm James came round and gave me a gin and tonic but said he was a bit busy to make it out to the salt pans today. Instead, he decided we would go to a nearby watering hole and watch the sunset with another bottle of brandy and coke, obviously. We chilled a bit longer, had a few more drinks and then headed off.

The sunset was amazing over the watering hole and although no elephants came there were a lot of cows and donkeys. James also introduced us to his favorite snack – corned beef on salty cracks with onion, tomato, Aromat and sweet chili sauce. Considering the limited supplies you get out here it was quite an inventive snack.

We finished off the evening with a few more drinks until it was dark and then headed back to the lodge and checked out an old 1918 Dodge that belonged to James’ grandfather. In my drunken state, I promised him I would return so we could work on rebuilding it and getting it running – a promise I hope to live up to, despite knowing nothing about car mechanics!

Day 23 – Sketchy elephants and Ruperts campsite

Up at 6am, Romain and I packed and had some coffee and breakfast before settling our bill and hitting the road by 7:30. We didn’t have a big day ahead of us but it was still 100kms and the heat would start setting in soon. The usual headwind that we had become accustomed to set in fairly early but we did a good job of fighting against it. We stopped in a small village for some lunch and spent a while relaxing and avoiding the heat before realising we would need to get moving if we wanted to make it to Nata before dark.

Since we were past the main part of the Mkagikagi game reserve I wasn’t expecting any elephants on the road but around 4pm we noticed three elephants hanging around on the right side. We stopped and waited for them to move but they didn’t look like they were going anywhere and after about 20 minutes I started to stress about the time. It was only about 20kms to Nata by now but the sun would be setting soon. Eventually, a truck passed going in the other direction and stopped to ask if we okay. We explained we were afraid of the elephants so they kindly offered to drive back with us in that direction and create a barrier to protect us. Fortunately, we got past safely and waved goodbye to our helpers as they turned to go back in their original direction.

We arrived in Nata just after 5pm and quickly grabbed some food from the Choppies supermarket before heading to Eselbe camp where we spend the night. The camp was deserted when we arrived but eventually, the owner, Rupert, showed up and welcomed us. He didn’t have a bar but kindly drove me back to the bottle store so we could grab a few beers and then we all had dinner together. The camp was fairly basic and we were the only guests, but it was nice and quiet and I slept well. At 100 pula a night though, its a bit overpriced and I was surprised when he asked us to pay for the wine too but I happily obliged as he clearly needed the business.

Day 24 – Sleeping in a cell phone tower

We had an early breakfast of coffee and biscuits, thanked Rupert for his hospitality and headed off north onto the Elephant Highway – a 300km route through Chobe National Park that’s famous for its many elephants.

Other than two giraffes we didn’t encounter anything dangerous the initial part of the route. By lunchtime, we reached the veterinary checkpoint that controls the spread of disease into Chobe park and marks the entrance to the more densely populated part of it. We had planned to camp at some secure cell phone towers we had read about on various blogs that offered cyclists on the road protection from animals at night. Since parks in Botswana are entirely unfenced, it’s too dangerous to wild camp just anywhere but these cell phone towers are famous for offering protection to cyclists on the route.

However, when asking the police about the existence of the towers, they pretended to not know anything about them. We were a bit confused and wondering what to do when a group of three cyclists came towards us from the other direction. It was great to see some other cyclists and we all took some time to chat about our respective journeys so far. They confirmed the existence of the cell phone towers and assured us we would be able to camp there safely so after having some lunch we set off more confidently.

After only about 20kms we reached the first tower and decided to see what the situation was. We found some workers there who were busy fixing an issue with one of the solar panels that had been damaged by an elephant which had breached the enclosure. They seemed happy to let us camp there the night but suggested we camp up on the roof of a building in case an elephant breaks in again. It seemed like a logical and safe plan, although a bit scary, so we decided to stay the night. Before heading off around 4pm, they kindly gave us some cold cokes and a few bottles of water which was a lifesaver since we were seriously running low.

We chilled the rest of the afternoon, climbed the cell phone tower to take photos and then around 6pm made a fire to cook some dinner. We had our usual tomato, onion and tuna pasta with a slightly unique twist being cooked on an open fire rather than the gas stove. After eating and watching a beautiful sunset we had a coffee and lay on the roof staring at the incredible star-filled sky and listening to the distant crack of elephants walking around. After heading to bed I heard an elephant walk very close to the compound but it moved on fairly quickly.

Day 25 – Long stretch to Pandamatenga

We awoke just as the sun was rising and I made some coffee and then we made instant noodles for breakfast. Just as we finished we heard loud cracking behind and turned to find an elephant right up against the gate surrounding the compound. The large, steel gate suddenly didn’t look very big or strong anymore. The elephant flapped its ears, trumpeted quite loudly and for a tense moment, I thought it might try break into the compound but eventually, it calmed down and moved off.

We packed up soon afterward, cleaned up the areas of the compound we had used and then head off to complete the rather long 112km cycle to Pandamatenga. After 40kms we stopped at the next cell phone tower where the occupants kindly gave us some water and let us relax in the shade for a while. After that cell tower, we had been told there would be nothing for the next 70kms to Pandamatenga and it was true. We cycled through fairly brutal heat, saw a few cars and stopped once for a quick and rather scary snack on the roadside but saw little else.

A short while after our break I noticed an elephant hidden in the shadows right by the roadside. Roma was ahead of me but hadn’t noticed the elephant and had headphones in so didn’t hear me when I called to warn him. The elephant seemed to head towards him but after I shouted it turned its attention on me. I quickly turned around and started cycling the other way, which was when Roma looked and got the fright of his life when he saw a huge elephant charging into the road. Luckily it was just a mock charge and after a few steps the elephant turned back and headed into the bushes but we both left a little shaken. Roma decided headphones in the Chobe park weren’t the best plan after all.

Eventually by around 5pm, after a long and hard final push, we reached an army base just before Pandamatenga and stopped for a beer with some of the local soldiers. After a brief chat, we completed the last few kilometers, stopped to pick up some supplied and then arrived at our campsite for the night – Touch of Africa.

It’s a fairly nice lodge and campsite run by an Austrian guy who had lived in the area for decades. He informed us there had been lions in the camp the night before and then showed us where we can camp, telling us to use a torch and be careful of the lions. Seems safe.

We met another cyclist who was also heading north and had come all the way from Cairo over the past year or so. I got some work done while he and Romain cooked boerewors spaghetti for dinner and then we had a few beers and headed to bed. During the night we could hear the lions roaring not too far off in the bush.

Day 26 – Last stretch to the border

After coffee and some farewells to our new friend, we headed off for the final stretch towards the Zambia border. We were hoping to get there early enough to cross into Zambia, clear immigration and still find somewhere to camp so I cycled pretty hard. Luckily it was flat and lacking the usual headwind so we managed to get into a good pace maintaining around 30km an hour for the most part. Other than a brief break around midday we pretty much cycled straight through and made it Kazangula by about 3pm. We grabbed some fried chicken and Pepsi for lunch from Choppies and then headed to the border. After checking out of Botswana quickly and easily we bordered the small ferry that crosses into Zambia. The crossing is at the only point in the world where four countries meet at one point and as such is the only place in the world where you can be on a ferry in four countries at once.

On the other side, we disembarked and had the usual guys trying to help us organize everything in the hope for a tip. They did promise some very cheap accommodation so I agreed and went along with it. Immigration for me was fairly quick although Romain had to draw money to pay for his visa. Then we stopped on the way to get sim cards and arrived a really rundown looking motel which was pretty crappy but they gave us a room for $10 so we took it.

We grabbed a few beers from the nearby bar, cheers our achievements so far and got ready for new adventures in Zambia.

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