Notes From A Travel Memoir

by Yashodhara Roy (India)

Making a local connection Bhutan

I have a little notebook. I have a lot of notebooks, it’s one of those things I collect. As a wannabe writer, these notebooks make me feel better but then I realize that most of them are filled with ramblings. I should be more polished, but I write as I think, but I feel that whoever reads what I write will get to know me the way I am that way. Coming back to the point I was trying to make. I have a notebook, wherein I jot down some of the quotes, phrases, lyrics that I come across and that I feel a connection towards. For this travel story consisting of 5 different travel stories, I wanted to write down one of those quotes, one that I feel reflects the theme well. “Is it so awful to travel through time with no greater ambition than to find the next lovely meal?” – Elisabeth Gilbert Is it? I live in a big city alone, and more often than not, I feel lost (no matter where I am) but that is when I try to find solace in small things that I feel would make me happy. More often than not, I find this solace in planning future trips, other times I eat. So, it seems only natural that when I travel, I would find food. Travel is liberating but when you find good food on your journey, there is this weird feeling inside me. I call it ‘glee’. I feel excited and happy to find a special dish, I love asking around about what makes that dish special or reading a few travel blogs about it. I love finding that story that makes me feel like I have a story of my own. A girl, traveling, trying to find something in life and on this journey she finds food that makes a difference. So here I am, attempting to write this story that tells you how I found comfort through food in a place I wasn't expecting it to. Bhutan was my last big trip and when I say that ‘food’ wasn’t supposed to a big part of my trip, I am being honest. Of course, I had read about the local cuisine and I wanted to eat simple food, from small eateries and be on a budget. But the very first day, this simplicity is what I fell in love with. A dish that stood out for me was Shakam Paa (dried beef) or Sikam Paa (the pork version) made with dried chilies and a whole lot of yumminess. The beef in the dish though dry is almost pickled thanks to the brilliance of those chilies and that is what stands out in this dish, or rather a Bhutanese cuisine. I had this almost every day in my 15-day visit to this beautiful Himalayan kingdom and I wasn’t bored. Every eating joint had its own way of making it, and they each had a different story. I never thought I would enjoy mealtime so much. Bhutan might be famous of it’s Ema Datshi (Chillies again, only this time with cheese) but I miss eating this Shakam Paa with a bowl of warm rice and enjoy it while I sit on a small table in a local eatery, and talk to the kid next to me who if not talking to me was enjoying TV. That is why Bhutan was so special to me. It wasn't just because of the breathtaking views, the clean air, and the perfect chill in the weather. It was every smile I encountered. It was every laugh I had with a local over a humble but delicious meal. I think I fell in love with the food and these meals. I felt comfortable wherever I went because the people I met were just as warm as the food that was served to me. I have another notebook, one that writes down such memories. That is the one that I will be the most special.