There are No Gods in Korea by author Anjaly Thomas is an eye opener in more ways than one. It is a collection of travel stories that make you want to pick up your passport, pack that haversack and apply for a visa to Mongolia, Turkey, China, Kenya or wherever you want to go with her in the book. Her travails and encounters in North Korea are, of course, a curious study in tolerance and courage and you admire the gutsy Anjaly for attempting it at all.
What is so tempting about her book is how the places and people jump out of the pages of her stories! You actually meet Miss Deer, Kabaka’s wife, Stella, Safak Deniz and so many more of her fellow travellers. I loved Anjaly’s personal touches like her obsession with the coat…it was such a natural feminine lust! The charm of her stories is that they are so sensual…the tactile tickles you feel, the panoramic views opening up in front of your eyes, hearing people speak and comprehending only a couple of words, tasting the flavours and smelling the cuisine. They are exactly the first impressions that anybody venturing beyond the Indian soil would relish. All of it creates a veritable feast our senses partake sitting still in our chairs.
And lurking between all the sensuality are anecdotes that bring you life’s truths. You careen with Anjaly across countries and then pause with her to reflect on a sudden reality realized. Her language flows easily with pristine vocabulary and clarity of expressions. Her use of the phrase ‘…like that’ is so evocative. It can make you laugh, empathize or bring up your tears depending on the situation she is using it in.
In my view, There are No Gods…is a true travelogue in letter and spirit. Its personal reminiscences incite you to try out Anjaly’s experiences for yourself. And isn’t that the ultimate purpose of a travelogue? As for me, it has already provoked me to track her Kenya avenues looking for the adventures she had found.
Anjaly, I am going with your story to Kenya in the very near future and next in line is a sojourn to magical Mongolia. Thank you for opening up these fascinating spaces for us physically, emotionally and even spiritually.
All rights reserved. @Sutapa Basu 2017
