The Dharma Bums walk on their feet.
Its 5:30 in the morning and I can feel the thunder of the city as it has been awake for hours. Tuk tuks are busy delivering bundles of fresh produce as well as truck loads of fresh slaughtered hogs, cattle and chickens and every kind of seafood you can ever imagine, all to be cut up, chopped in pieces, fresh and very appealing to the eye or the stomach. This activity is all for the purpose of feeding a society that is hungry all the time.
Thais eat all the time and when they’re hungry. There is not set time for feeding the body and soul. You can see this mind set as you walk along any street or boulevard in Thailand. If there is a crowd of Thais eating, this is a good place to stop and eat. The Dharma bums leaned this from S. on our trip to Cambodia last year. He taught the Dharma Bums the art of finding food in a foreign land and when you think about it, it’s not much different than picking up some roasted chestnuts in Paris. In any country of the world, the street is where the good food is.
The other lesson the Dharma Bums have leaned from their travels, food is the only thing we’ve got going. Old Dharma Bums are not attractive to women and so food or gay guys are our only recourse. And the Dharma bums are not gay, so that’s out.
So food is where the fun and joy is. Exploring the nooks, crannies and secert avenues of a city to find a “home cook” restrauant with a real “salt-of-the-earth” mom in charge, its where the search begins. It’s the place where you can feel that “your mom” is doing the cooking and she will take care of you. Cuddle and support your thrist and hunger. She won’t let you leave until she is satisifed that you can continue your journey full of warmth and energy. She does this automatically. She is all our mothers everyday.
The Dharma Bums travel looking for food to feed the soul. Each day the recipe for life must be baked to be completely fresh. This continuing motion is the wheel of life and soul of the Dharma Bums. Our travels have taken us to Cambodia and Thailand. Each place has provided the substance to continue.
Tags: Travel
Dharma Don
My mouth is watering. We long for the return of Nomano our “salt of the earth chef,” creative provider of sustenance for our bodies & souls. We impatiently await the return of Dharma Bernie with wry and sage observations of their Sojourn. And finally, we hope Dharma Don hasn’t broken any bones skiing. We pray for your safe travels. Amen.