The call that echoes around any street I choose to walk down. “Where you go?” ask taxi drivers, travel agents and generally keen local citizens, before hounding you with options regardless of whether or not you answered. Each call begins with a joyous “Yes”, as if it is me who has instigated the conversation and they who helpfully answer my query.
But touts are nothing new. My art of ignoring all bids for attention is now well honed. The disturbance, then, doesn’t provide any problem.
What gets me is that, generally, I have no answer to their question.
“Where you go?”
“I genuinely have no idea.”
I’m more a wanderer. Not exactly nomadadic, but not particularly systematic either.
I prefer this style for a few good reasons. Firstly, having failed to reach intended destinations on a number of occasions (by getting lost, confused, caught out by problems etc) I have concluded that it is better not to have a destination in the first place. If you don’t set a destination, you’ll never fail to reach it.
Secondly, I have a fair amount of time on my hands. Do I need to make a speedy bee-line for Wat U-Thong in case I miss it before nightfall? No, I may as well wander about to see whether or not I get there, and if I don’t then perhaps I’ll see Wat Wangop instead.
On a larger scale, keeping an open mind about major destinations proves fruitful. I am, for example, currently riding a train East. If I like the look of Pak Chong in a few minutes time I will stay there, if not I will continue to Surin or elsewhere on the next train.
So, in short, “No I don’t know where I go”, but I’m happy with that.
