September 22, 2007

A friend gave me a copy of Rory Stewart’s, The Places In Between. The title refers to a particular recitation of names and places Rory was visiting in the most remote regions of Afghanistan as he walked across the country. Here is what struck me about the book, how much time he spent on survival. Rory talked about the history of the areas he visited and the people, though in short anecdotal ways. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was about the book that I found difficult to connect to until I realized that I recognized the way he felt, it was about getting from one place to the next. That is what I remember about India the first time. As a woman traveling alone, I spent a lot of time on safety, logistics and building relationships with trustworthy friends sometimes missing the people and nuance around me. It’s funny, but for this trip, I’m really looking forward to having the hotel reservations taken care of and agenda preplanned.