The wanderer in me is drawn to travel writing and we have so many wonderful writers in our times – Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson, Bruce Chatwin, William Dalrymple and more. All are legends, well-deserving of the recognition they receive. (I knew Bruce personally because he stayed with us in our Himalayan home a few years before his untimely end; and recognised him as eccentric, reclusive, and tortured.)
Each of these writers has transported me, in their works and oftentimes literally. I think Bryson is special – his style is like no other, his humor unique and his spirits always high! Several years ago, I read A Walk in the Woods – the movie doesn’t begin to do it justice – and knew I had to experience the Appalachian trail, even if I did not walk its length. A few short years later, I stood breathless beneath a woody sign that read ‘Appalachian Trail’ and had my friend capture the moment. (We had set up base in Gatlinburg, as we walked the Smokies for four days. So it has felt personal to see the tragic images of recent Tenessee wildfires, the loss of life and property and the evacuation of downtown Gatlinburg.)
As I pack my bag for yet another jaunt, I include The Lost Continent, described as Bryson’s ‘travels in small-town America’ and known for his unforgettable line, ‘I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to!’ I first read this book when moving from India to America’s mid-West, a decade ago (laughed out loud while landing in Des Moines just a few months later!). My son gifted me this book at that time. Today I opened its gently yellowing pages to see this neat inscription in a precise handwriting:
06/01/06
Dear Mom,
Just the book for you.
Think of it as an
extended tour of your
new neighbourhood.
Bon voyage!Love,
Kartik
I can’t wait to continue the voyage and discover more of America…
