Eradication of hunger was of course, not the message that I was trying to convey. However, it would be simpler if one draws a parallel between hunger and suffering. Regardless on how far I could travel, how high I could climb or how deep I could swim, I was still not able to get out from the limitations of hunger (or in the broader sense, the circle of suffering).
For all these years, I crave for a really long trip in hope of finding a small corner in this world where I could truly be myself. And because of this desire, I was often unhappy and nothing seems to be right. I complained when I was in the university (and graduated with 2nd upper honours), I grumbled about how shitty my work was (while I was working with the world's greatest airport), I was finding fault with my current job (now I am working with the greatest airline in the world). My desires were definitely unbounded; my happiness was not though.
But it seems that an answer does exist for my problem. And the best thing was, despite wandering around in the wilderness, the solution was just lying right in front of me. The only way to find myself was to let go of that desire. When there are no desires, there would be no disappointment. If there were no disappointment, there would be no sadness. When there is no sadness, only happiness would exist right? Since I had to find a living somehow to ensure survival, why do not I love what I am doing now instead of craving for utopian worlds that would only exist in dreams?
I still feel excited whenever I recalled about that experience. Was secretly hoping that this would happen at the end of the world (or Ushuaia) so that it would really be dramatic. Anyway, this sudden realisation of truth had made me felt more at ease with myself. I still try my best in whatever I do but would (at least try to) accept whatever that was given to me. I was therefore offloaded of the mental baggage that I had been struggling to carry so that I would enjoy whatever that is leftover of this trip. What is next? Bring the 3-day bus trip (to Ushuaia) on!
p.s.: In case if you were still wondering on the answer of the 3rd question, please do not bother. I do not think you would ever find such a place.
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I was taking photographs of the boy in the middle and he got his siblings out.
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Thought that this was a nice photograph taken on the village west of Cachi.
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It seems that time had stopped when I was walking back to Cachi. With all the free-flow tranquillity, I was back to myself once more.
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The evening sun casts a nice shadow on the adobe house that I walked across in my evening stroll back to my guesthouse.
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I walked across Rio Cachi (or the Cachi river but it was actually more of a stream) and simply had to stop and shoot this lovely image.
p.s.: The stream was leading
towards the cemetery, north of Cachi. |
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The evening view of Cachi; note that I did not meddle the colours with Photoshop (i.e. an As-is image). |
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The entrance of the cemetery in Cachi. It was on a small hill north of town. There was not alot of people apart from the occasional backpacker (like me) wandering around. |
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Paper flowers on a cross. I thought this was a fairly nice photograph as well. |
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A shop (in Salta) selling Coca (leaves that are used to produce cocaine!) and Bica (or bicarbonate of soda). When chewed together, it releases a mild stimulant and known to combat fatigue and hunger.
Although drug usage is technically illegal, the local authorities generally tolerate small amount of usage for the locals. This is not to be confused with Blanco (the powdered derivative) where the police are really looking for during long bus searches.
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Taken at the Salta bus station, I was all ready (i.e. winter gear, water & snacks) for the 3-day (or 5,000kms) bus journey to Ushuaia. Never ever did I expect more excitement to happen during the journey...
Anyway, this was all I had with me when I did the one-month backpacking trip in Argentina.
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