Day 08 A Quiet Moment at the Dock

Late this afternoon, as the sun was slipping behind the hills, I wandered down to the dock where the Rinda was tied up and found two older gentlemen already deep into their day—rods out, lines in the water, completely unbothered by the flow of passengers coming and going. They stood there like fixtures of the riverbank, bundled against the chill, balanced on the crumbling concrete edge as if they’d been fishing this exact spot for decades.

One of the men suddenly leaned back, rod arched high, giving the full performance of someone landing a legendary catch. The suspense was perfect—this silhouetted figure against the soft glow of the setting sun, absolutely convinced he had a beast on the line. I stopped to watch, couldn’t help myself. And when he finally reeled it in? His “big one” turned out to be… well… modest. We all laughed—him, his friend, and me. No translation needed for that kind of shared humor.

With the Rinda reflected in the quiet water behind them and the sky fading to that soft evening silver, the whole scene felt beautifully unscripted. These are the moments that make travel feel real—little gifts that appear when you’re simply paying attention.

Travel is good. These moments are even better.Read more