Gratitude - Music Sweet Music, I Wish I Could Caress It

Dear Friends,

I want to extend my thanks to all of you for helping bring music back into my life.

My sister Karla presented me with a Baby guitar just a few weeks ago, and ever since, I have not been able to put it down. It has since accompanied me on my sojourn into Nicaragua and the island paradise of Ometepe, Volcan Maderas, and all throughout Central Costa Rica.

After spending 6 months of traveling - from Los Angeles, CA to San José, Costa Rica - without a musical instrument, I was beginning to feel a cavernous longing for expression. I bought a harmonica in Baja California, which helped ease the long sections of journey through flat straight roads when I could it up and sing myself ballads. It also helped in entertaining local kids during rest stops. Still, it wasn´t quite the same.

Yesterday, a friend here in Costa Rica taught me how to devise a simple system of making a harmonica holder with a coat-hanger, which now allows me to play the guitar and the harmonica at the same time -- Bob Dylan style! What a beautiful world it is, indeed!

Needless to say, the past few days of waiting for my stolen bank cards have been spent mostly harping away on the Baby and writing a new selection of songs that have been swimming in my head for the past few months.

Perhaps, some time or distance aside, we shall all be able to get together over a warm campfire and celebrate in the joy of singing once again. With the new guitar, for some reason, I don´t quite feel so far away from every one of you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

A few days ago, I reluctantly bid farewell to my sister and gave her a care package to deliver to all of you with a small note for each one of you. Over the coming days, I hope this all reaches you safely.

I hope to travel with the new guitar all the way down to Patagonia, 'the end of the world,' regardless of the added weight. My friend Damián, a fellow long-haul cyclist poked fun at the monstrous load I seem to be carrying now in my beloved Yak trailer; what I´ve grown to learn about myself recently, however, is that music now is probably just as important in my life as a spare tire, or a collection of photos, or a wistful revery of magic moments of the past.

After all, aren´t we all carrying a heavy heavy load?

See you in the next bend along the river!

Namaste,

Japhy Dhungana

San José, Costa Rica