Ayutthaya in Thailand
Armed with support, notebooks, watercolors, brushes, markers, pencils, pens, inks and a container of water, ** Alicia and her boyfriend, the journalist and photographer Sergio Alonso **, packed their lives in backpacks a few months ago and left to see the world
The adventure began middle of May , when the leave of absence from their jobs became effective. “Two weeks later we were boarding the first flight to Tehran” Alicia explains to Traveler.es. On their way to the Iranian capital they left behind two good jobs and months of preparations, nerves and last-minute reservations.
“We have always had that concern and we did not want it to remain a dream.” And she didn't. For now, concern has led them to land in Iran, Russia and its Trans-Siberian route, Mongolia and the Gobi desert, all the way to China.
Alicia and Sergio at the Sukhothai Historical Park in Thailand
“After a month in the Asian giant, we made the leap to Thailand . Now we plan to cross the border with Malaysia and catch another flight to Japan . We still have to know the rest of Southeast Asia, India and some other unknowns to be specified”.
Alicia's watercolors leave evidence of all this. “I usually spend about 45 minutes on each of the drawings, so that there is also time to visit the place. Watercolor is the fastest technique and allows you to capture the moment in a few brushstrokes” she explains.
And it is that painting is part of the trip, not something accessory. On the ground, on a terrace, on the train or on a plane. Any place is good if what it is about is finding inspiration for update her notebook twice a day.
Alicia in a moment of the trip
“I am looking for an attractive composition that is part of the essence of the country. I believe that light plays an essential role in that search. In addition, when painting 'in situ' I have to take into account external factors such as the weather or the people who pass through the place".
Her favorite creation to date was born in Fenghuang, on the banks of the Tuó River . “It was pouring rain, but I found a perfect place to sit and reflect that moment. The combination between the mist of the mountains, a gray sky and the ocher of the river water due to the flood gave a very authentic result”.
Now, she counts down the days to draw India, its color and its contrasts . “I am sure that it can surprise me and that it will be different from what I have painted before.”
Alice's favorite illustration
What was painted above is three months of travel in which highlighting a single experience would be complicated, although the kindness they found in the people of Iran gain positions in their particular rankings. “It is something that is difficult to explain and that we had not lived in life , despite the fact that we have always traveled a lot. From being escorted to the bus stop and paying your fare to being invited to tea at a carpet shop, spend an hour there and they don't try to sell you anything."
also remember two of the most magical moments of your trip . Both in northern Thailand. The first of them when they were walking aimlessly around Chiang Mai and it started to rain. “We sheltered from the rain in an awning that had been placed next to a Buddhist temple. We were alone and at nightfall all the monks began to enter the building, chanting their prayers”.
The second came when he found a Muay Thai ring in the courtyard of a house. “We ended up seeing the training of a 14-year-old girl there that she was preparing to compete in Bangkok, accompanied by her father and her brothers”.
One of the most magical moments of your trip
The same thing happens with anecdotes. Many and very good. “We had to catch an overnight train in China and there were no berths left, so we steeled ourselves and decided to sit for 14 hours, which ended up being 24 hours due to a delay caused by heavy rain. Ten hours locked up on a train with hundreds of Chinese people filling their noodle pots **and secretly taking pictures of us (although they forgot to turn off the flash and we always found out)**. Now we laugh, but what an odyssey”, remembers Alicia.
What then lies ahead? The real trip, that moment when the summer holidays are over and “you come across more travelers than tourists”, of those who prefer to get lost to follow what is marked on the papers.
Thai food by Alicia Aradillo
You can follow all her adventures through her Home Sapiens website and her social networks. To whet your appetite, you can always take a look at some of the illustrations that Alicia posts on her Instagram account.
Follow @mariasanzv