Our corona diary.

[Text and photo by Laure Huberty]

I close my eyes in self-isolation from corona… and I see a long-forgotten travel scene. I sit at a derelict pool in an old empty government hotel in Ouidah, meters from the Atlantic and the arch of no return which reminds of the departures into slavery. I sip a Nescafé, my reward after a bumpy ride along the coast on a rented motorbike. My hair feels like seaweed in the humid wind and my face glows. I am the only guest, surrounded by long coconut trees whirring in the cloudy sky, and my eyes water. Is it the hot light or the pictures of boats leaving with people canned inside? That’s why I travel. Acute and sudden moments of a peculiar happiness that sometimes come with a sense of anxiety – when past and future come together. We’ll have to reduce travels for Earth’s sake, even after the virus will be gone. I still regard them as essential if we want to better understand each other… and I hope we’ll want.

“We the Isolationists” series urges folks from any part of the world to share a brief diary starting with “I close my eyes in my self-isolation from Corona… and I see…” Not more than 100 words. With a horizontal-sized selfie, along with your city name… please mail to me at mayankaustensoofi@gmail.com.