Seek. Then you will find me.

 

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

- Gustave Flaubert

Being able to travel opened my eyes ever so widely and made me realize that we are nothing and insignificant in this tiny universe we live in. So much so that I pause and wonder why such cruelties among other livings are still rampant. The world is a beautiful place and it offers a majestic view to each of us. 

My journey to Ireland was truly an eye opener. Despite challenging weather (well, typical Asian I am!), I was in full gear and anxiously ready to go out. The trip to Cliffs of Moher was a highlight and the first sight of it made me scream quietly in admiration of the Almighty's creation. The 3 hours drive through one of the most picturesque landscape was all worth it. The nasi lemak and fiery sambal ikan bilis was heavenly delicious against the cold weather of Galway.

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

- Henry David Thoreau

We venture into the unknown not to prove that we are adventurous or that we are different or even a thrill seeker. We delve into uncharted territories in pursue of self discovery and discover ourselves. The treacherous road to Mount Merapi was quite scary but it did not match the solemn atmosphere of the shelter camp that killed the villagers when Mount Merapi erupted. It was eerie and you could almost felt the fear and sadness of the deceased. Afar, we saw this huge mass of desolation, a testament of Merapi's wrath. In silence, we wept.    

"Twenty year from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail.Explore. Dream. Discover."

- Mark Twain

Travel is dubbed as escapism and means to free oneself from the torturous life one's lead. But, travel is also a way for us try something new and see the world in different perspectives. Instead of going to densely populated tourist spot, let yourself loose in the midst of locality for that is when the hard truth lies in. There has been far too many cosmetic outlet which offer a glimpse of culture which has not been a true representation of what it should be. Mixing with the locals would make you realize that the real gems are woven at the heart and soul of its people; not the exhibit shown at the tourist center. 

I had the opportunities to dine with the local in Omdurman. We drove into a housing area, not your typical brick house, but aisle of houses made of mud. We stopped at a makeshift tent near the white Nile. There were few ladies busy prepping the food for our lunch. The weather was hot but not humid. In Sudan, you don't sweat but the heat was quite unbearable (imagine the heat of bonfire hitting your face. Yup, that's how hot it was). Well, after 20 odd minutes, the lunch was prepared. No table, no chair and no fancy China. What was served was a grilled lamb in basin, a chilled drinks in plastic cannister and a bowl of jarjil (rocket salad). That was it. BUT IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS THAT I COULD STILL TASTE IT. So tasty that so far, no Arabs restaurant could match it. And, I've tried so many Arab cuisine.