Travel Responsibly

How many times, have you thought of quitting your job and going to the hills- just because an instagram post said that. Yours faithfully has been guilty of such thoughts.  But travel, involves money, involves having enough leaves and important of all- it needs you to have a job to return to when the travel fever has faded out.

I have worked for the last eight years, and started travelling just two years back. You guessed it right; I started two years back, because I used the first six years to save money.

Travel can be a way of life, only for those who have inherited a huge fortune or are incredibly talented to make a living out of blogs, photography and youtube videos. For those who belong to the incredibly talented category, the privilege of earning out of travel has also come after years of hardship and struggle.

So there is no easy way out, unless of course you plan to splurge your parent’s savings. Stamps on your passports aint cheap, but man, they are worth it. All good things never come easy. So, love your job, be realistic, save up, make travel goals, work towards them, start with small weekend trips and then take a the long jump for an international travel. Have a plan. Make sure you have savings when you pack your bags, make doubly sure you return to a bank balance and a job when you return with those bags.

 The universe favours those with a plan and determination. Travel responsibly.

Amritsar- Eat, Shop and Pray (May be not)

If it is your first time in Amritsar, and if you happen to be there around noon time, beware. Beware, every person around you will seem to want to send you the border, they may tell you it is already late to go the border, you need to leave now. They will repeat lets go to the border. But, don’t worry, you ain’t being sent to war to aid our soldiers who fight, when we crib standing at ATM lines. The humble tourist guide or the auto driver just wants to show you the Wagah border.

If you aint overhelmed with patriotism and choose to ditch the border, here is what more you can do in this colorful city.

First, here is how you move around. The city has a transport vehicle for every family size- small family- rickshaw puller, big family auto, bigger family electric auto, more big family more big auto. You get the drift. Here is a glimpse of them.

Once you have chosen your favorite mode of transport, let the eating begin.

Eat

I am not very fond of city or city tourism, but Amritsar, well, the way to anyone’s heart (not just a man’s) is indeed through the tummy. The non-foodie in me fell in love with this city for the food.  

My friend’s single motive to visit Amritsar may be was to eat chole Kulche. After a few hours of inquiring we understood what we would have liked to have as lunch or dinner, was indeed strictly breakfast material.  So on our second day we head to Gulwant ke kulche shop close to the Golden temple.  

This place is buzzing with customers during breakfast time, with most tables occupied at any given point of time. The staff has no time to entertain any small talks- there are kulchas and then there is aloo, mixed sabzi or paneer- you quickly decide, place your order and eat it up.

This humble looking kulcha can keep an average appetite person like me full for ours. In fact, we skipped lunch that particular day.  But if you still have scope for lunch, please head to Kesar da Dhabba, my mouth waters even as I write this. 

                                          Here is where the yummy food gets prepared.

Of the many things we tried there, their baigan ka bharta is my favourite. The city surely has a lot more to offer as street food-including pani puri, road side paratha, lassi, milk and other savories, Bhel and the list goes on.

Shop

Lets burn those calories now. If you take a rickshaw from golden temple to Kesar Dhabba, chances are you will cross small bylanes selling dupattas, suits and all types of textiles in colorful patterns. Take my advice and get down there itself, because once you miss these lanes they are difficult to find. Tip two is to carry empty bags when in Amritsar- colorful, good cotton dupattas, phulkari sets and all of this at highly reasonable pricing. A word of caution, most auto drivers will offer to drop you to the kapda market for Rs10, do not fall for it. They just take you to the shops, not the lanes where the real fabric magic is.

If you do not believe me, here is what yours faithfully bought from Amritsar all in a day’s time.

Pray

Wonder why I added (May be) to the pray part. Well, because in the golden city we missed a chance to pray. The temple was very crowded the evening we decided to go there (Not sure if it is always the case). 

The temple premise is beautiful, but the way leading to the main temple was crowded and we could not muster the courage to enter the common line (there was no separate Ladies line) when we had already experienced multiple instances of being brushed the wrong way by the men around. May be next time, the men in Amritsar makes us feel more welcome, may be next time we get to see the divine. Until then, Amritsar is still a nice place to be.

fireflies!

Fireflies.

This time for fireflies.

You probably ended up on this page because you are a friend and I forced you to read this or you are one of the rare species who fed firefly in the Google search engine and I got lucky . Nevertheless,  read on.

First things first.  Clear your head of all the Google images you have seen of fireflies. They do not look like that. It is just a photographer's awesome job mostly executed at the post shoot edit desk. But hey,  do not let this dishearten you. Fireflies are a darling and like most good things in life, they are memorable when one seeks them with no expectations. 

Now that I have set the stage right, go ahead and enjoy this Little poem on the awesome tiny things that fireflies are.

Fireflies. 

This time for fireflies.

Flies with fire in their belly.

Hey, I got some left in mine too.

This time for fireflies.

I tread the pitch dark lanes.

To see them flock that one fortunate tree, all for love.

This time for fireflies. 

To see them shine like Christmas lights, but hey its just May.

No they ain't Christmas lights, they are a grand musical light night. 

But where is the music you ask again.

It is in the heart. In your heart and in mine.

I dont hear it, you say.

the city lights drowned it I exclaim. 

This time for fireflies. 

For only love as natural as fireflies can play back your own song in rhythm.

This time for fireflies.

To see lights raining.

This time for fireflies.

To see stars descend on trees on a new moon night.

This time for fireflies.

To sit at the lake and see them shine shy and then bright and then shy again.

This time for fireflies. 

To fall asleep not counting stars, but wondering. 

Wondering where did they get their fire from.

Wondering what I lost my fire to.

From within. To within.

Go find your fire once again, this time for fireflies. 

You are right. That is what they are. Imagine a naturally power string of tiny lights on a tree on a  new moon night switching on and off in total rhythm. That is fireflies for you. I bet if you spent more than few seconds gazing at them, they would trick you  to believe it is that moment when the universe conspires to grant anything you wish for. There is a  Japanese word 'Ruyi' which loosely translates to 'as you wish for'. this was my 'ruyi' moment and yes I did go ahead and wished. 

You too may find your 'Ruyi' moment, give fireflies a chance.

This time for fireflies.  :)

Varkala Tales: Humans of Varkala

Varkala Tales is my new travel series based on my latest travel to Varkala in Kerala. This series will cover sunsets, teas, people, solo travelling and ofcourse places. Brace up for some poetry too. This is part three of Varkala Tales, Feedback welcome and highly appreciated.

I have said this earlier, I will say it again. One of the best things about travelling is the people you meet- some give you life goals, some lend a fresh perspective, some just make you smile and few more humble you down, the nice way. Here is my share of experiences from the humans I met in Varkala, may be also the humans who make Varkala what it is.

Meet Stephen.  Actually Stephen has a personality interesting enough that it will find you, even if you may not necessarily go looking for. In the last couple of days of my stay in Varkala, it almost became customary to halt by this small shop selling small artifacts carved out of marble and say hello to Stephen.  From London, Stephen is in Varkala to train as a yoga instructor. I first met Stephen at the marble artifacts shop, where he has been spending a couple of hours each day to learn how to shape marble pieces perfectly. Here he poses with his yoga instructor; the picture below is the shop is where he sharpens his artifacts skills.

At Varkala’s famous Coffee Temple I met Lovely, I approach her curious to know if she owns the place. Lovely does not own the coffee shop, but helps manage it and has been there for close to ten years. In a small chat we have, Lovely tells me before joining the tourism industry she worked as a software professional in one of the big cities. It is amazing what people do for the love of travel and tourism- from a big city to a beach destination with a creek- Lovely surely does not seem unhappy about the decision.

                                  I forgot to get a picture of Lovely, so here is  Coffee Temple for you instead.

I call him boat uncle, because my memory is of no aid as I try to recollect his name. I dare not name misname him. So yes, he is boat uncle. He was the boat man for my twenty minute ride to and fro Golden Island in Varkala. Though I do not remember his name, trust me I am a fan. What does one do if you are the only one in a boat and the only other person is the boatman-strike a conversation. I ask him about his family. “ Kids?” “One, adopted,” he says with a smile. I hope that is reason enough for you too to like him. If you still don’t, I don’t like you my reader.  Boat uncle talks very warmly about his school going son, where he adopted him from and about his wife who works as a nurse. “ We both earn enough to have a decent living,” says. Boat uncle understands and also speaks hindi. “ How come?” I ask. I have worked as a plumber in Dubai, fell three floors down in an accident, gave up the job and returned to Kerala,” he says. When in Kerala, be sure to meet a Middle-east return.

It is a tie between whom I like the most- the boatman uncle or this European couple. Both gave me life goals of different kind. Meet Ayesgul and her partner- Lorris. Ayesgul is Turkish and Lorris is Italian. Lorris met Aysegul in Turkey and they both later decided to go on a trip to Sri Lanka. Post the trip, Ayesgul returned to her office job and Lorris went ahead to explore India. At his last destination in India- Varkala, Lorris decided to start a new life in this beautiful beach destination.  “ Lorris told me I have found our future,” says Ayesgul as she narrates her story with a big smile. “ We did the maths and saw how much we have and decided we had enough to start a business in Varkala,” she says. I ask them how long they have known each other, “We celebrated our fourth anniversary on 7^th October, it is my lucky day,” says Ayesgul. You need to see that sweet smile to know how lucky. God bless the couple. You can know them personally by staying at keeratheram when you plan to travel to Varkala.

Give solo travel a try!

“What will you do alone,” was a frequent question when I first told anyone I am planning to travel solo. Once I returned, the question merely changed its tense to “What did you do alone.”

Good question. Honestly, I did not know what I will do alone and I still don’t know what one should do on a solo trip. To each his (read her) own may be. But here is why I wanted to give solo a try and I ain’t complaining.

               For solo travel either be good with selfies or you might click random pics like the above

First. I am on a life mission to be ferociously independent in this ever changing world. How sad it would be to not be able to travel to some nice place, for the simple reason of not having the right company. Rule one of solo travelling- your company is the best company.

Second. “Your parents aint accompanying you?” asked the boatman who rowed to Golden Island in Varkala. I wonder if he would have cared to ask a guy travelling alone the same question. So go travel to prove to the world and more to yourself that a girl/woman/young lady/old lady/lady in her thirties/ lady who does not care/ single lady/married lady/ divorced lady…I guess you got the point now, can and is normal to travel alone.

Third. Hey, its fun. Okay, it aint the kind of fun you would have with a group of crazy friends doing crazy stuff, but it is still fun. For starters, you are more inclined to make new friends and more aware of people and experiences around you. On this trip, I had a lovely dinner with a young medical professional who was also travelling solo. It is always nice to meet people of a different age, different work profile, different city and different thoughts.

Fourth. Just like you don’t learn to swim until pushed into the pool, same is the law with the intuition to know whom to trust and whom not to.  Solo travelling will help you be more confident about your sixth sense of danger and its absence.  

Fifth. I like strolling the beach for hours and then returning to my room and falling asleep instantly happy-tired of all the beach-walking. I am not sure how many of my friends really like that idea. Solo travelling is a good trip to do what exactly makes you feel nice-no one to judge and no one to compromise for. Choose a destination you like and you can also drop it last minute just because the sun isn’t shinning bright enough today. No one to answer and no one care.

If these are reasons enough for you to go solo or if you have found a sixth reason, go ahead. Here are some tips which might come handy- carry books, lets admit it – self company may get boring sometimes. Load your smart phone with a long playlist for the same reason.  If you have a pet project in mind which you wish to execute in solitude, stay back in one place for a longer period. In the instance of lack of a pet project, avoid longer stays at one location, keep moving, cover more locations in one trip, it will keep you entertained with new people, new sights and new experiences each day. Finally, be prepared for an emotional turmoil, whether you intend or not, soul-searching will come searching for you on a solo trip and then there is no escape. But there is always a brighter side- clarity at the end of the tunnel.

“Give solo a try” – is part of my new travel series from my first solo trip to Varkala in Kerala. Reach out with your solo travel experiences, queries and for any safety tips.

Varkala Tales: Sunset chornicles

Varkala Tales is my new travel series based on my latest travel to Varkala in Kerala. This series will cover sunsets, teas, people, solo travelling and ofcourse places. Brace up for some poetry too. This is part one of  Varkala Tales, Feedback welcome and highly appreciated.

                                             Image location: Paapnasham Beach, Varkala

I sat by the shore of its beauty,

And then it was time to leave to find new wonders

It was then she pleaded to stay back a little longer

Each time I rose, each time she smiled with a more intense hue.

Like the moon and the wave, one trying to pull the other trying to push away

She and I were in a tug of war and that is how the evening went.

And then the sun set, and I wondered now where to go.

                                         Image location: Black Beach, Varkala

                                                       Image location: Black Beach

There is no greater illusion than the sunset.

Who did what?

The sun gave up on the sky and chose the sea?

Or the hungry sea gobbled the sun for its beloved moon to show.

But never did it occur on any rotational day to the human eye.

The sun stayed,

The sea stayed,

It is the cheater earth doing a round-about.

                                                    Image location: From Varkala Cliff

And then when the sun bid adieu, the sea started singing to me.

How impolite to not listen in and walk away.

I now sat on those rocks listening to the endless melody,

Sometimes singing a duet with the sea

Sometimes being its audience.

That is how the night fell.

Himachal Diaries: Tiny tales

No doubt places you see and people you meet and the time you spend make up for most of your travel memories. But most times, there is a little more, which remains longer in your memory.  Tiny beliefs, tiny serendipities, tiny instances and tiny lessons- all of these make for a beautiful travel tale.

Green Peas

A good number of villages in Himachal’s Spiti valley make a living out of the cultivation of peas. The cold weather in the valley do not allow for many options of vegetable cultivation.  While driving by Himachal’s difficult Spiti roads, our driver hopped out of the car at one such green peas field. He insisted we should taste the green peas grown there.  While we expected him to return with a couple of them, he came back with two hands full of green peas, something the Mumbai vegetable seller would have sold for a good price.  To us, on this beautiful Spiti trip, these peas were given free of cost, fresh, sweet and served with a big smile. In the later part of the trip, our driver also treated us to peaches and other such fruits. May those fields and their farmers prosper.

Warmth

Do we find the warmest people at the coldest places possible? May be yes you find them in Himachal, definitely yes you find them in Spiti. This incident will be always close to my heart and will always manage to put a smile on my face. We were roaming around aimlessly climbing some uphill pathways in Kibber. While, I was climbing one such uphill pathway, my photographer friend was walking behind me and asked me to turn around and smile for her camera. As I do that, the next moment someone warmly puts her arm around my waist. I turn to see a lovely sweet looking middle aged village woman smiling at me. We both once again flashed a bigger smile as we hugged tighter and posed for the camera. 

Serendipity

Halfway through our trip, it was one of my friend’s suggestion we should offer a lift to anyone who asks for it. This required some of us to adjust a little, but then her suggestion sounded a good one. Once the suggestion was accepted, we in total offered lifts to three human beings- a villager who forgot his wallet and missed his bus, a foreigner who was hitch hiking and the third one. Well, the third one I will name serendipity. We met this young boy waiting at one of the cross roads on our way to the Gue Monastery. The gue Monastery is famous for it being home to a ‘Mummy’ which has been naturally preserved. The young boy was on a vacation from his merchant navy training in Chennai and was going back home which is in gue village. We offered him a lift and when we reached the village, he got down and asked us to wait for him. “I will help you with the keys to the monastery,” he said. Five minutes later he returned with another young man, who got into the car with us, took us to the monastery, opened the doors and showed us the Mummy.  In all our research, nowhere did we know the monastery is locked and the villagers need to be asked for its keys. Had we not met this young man, our more than an hour long drive to this place would have been fruitless and  we would have returned not seeing the famous ‘Mummy.’

First kind, then cash

For places which thrive on tourists, to ensure tourists buy their goods is essential. However, on our trip we did find some kind hearted souls, who put kindness first and cash later. We had decided on purchasing silver jewelry of about more Rs.2000 in Kaza's market, but realized if we paid all of it we may run out of cash. While we were still contemplating, buying the stuff and thinking about finding an ATM later, the shopkeeper advised otherwise. Concerned we may or may not find cash at the nearest ATM, he first asked us to go check if the ATM had cash withdraw it and then come pay him. He was not worried about the ATM not having cash and he losing out on a customers. Kindness first.  To reward his kindness, the ATM did have cash and I am glad we could buy the silver jewelry.

Himachal Diaries is a series of some short and some long blogs from my recent 10-day trip to Himachal with four of my friends. These blogs will cover places we saw, people we met, funny experiences and some instances which amuse us at a personal level. This is the fifth part of the Himachal Diaries series, Hope you enjoy, feedback is welcome!