Unexpected Paths to Garagous

There are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths.

Mark Nepo, American poet and philosopher, in The Book of Awakening

There are times when it becomes all too clear that I need to be more explicit with instructions. Today's return visit to the potters at Garagous didn't follow the same path carefully outlined in my Travel Tuesday post because . . . well, come to think of, I'm not sure why. Some people might get frustrated but I just shake my head and enjoy the journey along dusty roads, passing sugar cane trucks and three-wheeled tuk-tuks, alongside ochre-coloured houses with azure blue windows and domed sheiks tombs.

And somehow Adel the driver manages to arrive in the town of our objective, its main street bustling with life with the arrival of a lorry full of butagas (natural gas) tanks that will keep the town's kitchens cooking for another week or so. Fuel shortages strike regularly nowadays, keeping people slightly on edge wondering, Will there be gas for the car today? Will there be gas to cook lunch today? The butagas truck is a sight to be thankful for.

And in the midst of the bustle is the quiet sanctuary of the Garagous potters, where we found Girgus at his wheel. Ilhumdulila. Business is slow so our unexpected arrival made for a warm welcome. And the unexpected paths taken to get there just made our day all the more interesting.