Treading Water

Today was one of those days that feel as though we have spent too long in one place. On a year's tour it is important to have rest days, as relentlessly seeing and experiencing new things each day, as wonderful and enriching as that is, can get tiring. That said, we have made our home more easily in some cities, towns and villages than others.

We made the decision early not to move on every few days in the pursuit of covering more ground, but instead to let ourselves sink into the culture and pace of daily life in one area of a country. In some places this has been easier than others, and even over Christmas we soon found ourselves very at home in a small fishing village on a Thai island.

So, size of the place has little do with how comfortable we feel there. San Pedro is tiny. Certain things I do not tire of, such as the view over the Andean range, and our hostel offers a constantly rotating selection of friendly faces. Still, today I found myself twiddling my thumbs and eager to move on to Bolivia. However, with our trip across the salt flats to Uyuni booked for a few days' time, and budget not allowing for any exciting excursions, I found myself at a loose end.

Happily, preparing and cooking food rarely fails to lift my spirits, and stops me falling into a pit of middle-class ennui. So, I whipped up a lunch to nourish our world-weary souls.

Too much time on my hands

Much to the surprise of many of the other guests, I monopolised the kitchen for over an hour in preparing the food. Partly this is due to the inefficiencies inherent in using an unfamiliar or poorly equipped kitchen, but mostly it is a desire to elongate the process that I find so enjoyable. Eventually I emerged bearing mushroom quinoa, topped with a chunky slice of grilled courgette with cheese, salsa and guacamole. It was a welcome distraction in the middle of one of those days that Alain de Botton tells us will eventually fall victim to the inevitable attenuation of memory.