Rafting on the Ganga

On my way back from zip lining across the Ganga, I chance to see groups of people wearing life vests and helmets, with paddles in their hands, and rafts being inflated. As I ride along, I pass vehicles ferrying rafts and along with their occupants.

Could this possibly be what I was thinking? Would the Gods have been so kind on me? Was rafting started before the date they were supposed to start?

I race to the market before I loose my chance to tick off one thing off my list! But not too fast so as to avoid skidding on the road that had gravel on it, thanks to the all the landslides. And yes I already skidded in the most funniest of ways!

After riding for a while in the market I was able to zero in on an operator and manage to book myself with them. I pay the charges and wait for them to prepare the raft. I also take a brief trip into market.

When I come back, I have to wait a while as the raft is still not completely ready, and yes more importantly they are waiting for other occupants. 

Once again the Gods were kind on me and I don’t have to wait too long, when a group of five gentlemen come to enquire, and finally sign up.

Once the raft is ready it is loaded atop our transportation, as we pile in into our transportation to the start point.

All through our ride I get to know that these gentlemen come from various part of the country, with one of them being a Mumbaikar from Borivali who frequents my beloved BNP.

At first I try to keep to myself, but then this is not a good time to be shy, after all this was supposed to be solo trip, my solo adventure, to put myself out there and make new acquaintances and friends.

As we reach our destination, we help each other to put on and tighten our life jackets. We put on our helmets and head down to the river below, while our instructors prepares the raft. But not before some selfies are taken.

As we make our way down, along with other rafters, we dodge rafts that’s heading to the river.

We indulge in some more selfies and pics as we wait for our raft to reach. Once our raft is in the water, one of the instructors shows us how to hold our paddle, the different ways to paddle and instructions for the same, (dang I could make an eLearning module with all these instructions), but most importantly how to sit and balance our weight without falling overboard because of the current of the water.

After putting our mobiles and purses in a dry bag, we pile into the raft, taking our position l and locking our legs. Our raft slowly drifts to the centre of the river, following others who were ahead us. We wait patiently for our instructor give us our instructions.

We paddle towards our first rapid, and then stop, bracing ourselves to encounter the first thrill. Well it was thrilling, not as thrilling as I would have wanted to be. 

But then to our horror, the raft ahead capsizes, throwing its occupants into the river. It’s a moment of panic, but thanks to their life vests and the calmness of the instructor, they manage to hold to the raft. Some even hold on to another raft that’s nearby.

Once we know they are safe, we continue our ride downstream, more aware of the importance of paddling in unison and listening to our instructor.

We almost miss the next, gentler rapid, missing out on the thrill factor. To our dismay our instructor signals to us to row towards the bank signalling the end of our rafting experience, and the vehicle will come and take us back.

We dejectedly get off the raft, but decide to take a dip in the river. But then luck favours us as the cops do not let them take the raft up as doing so would damage the road.

So we get into the raft once again and we are back on the river. Well there may not be much of a rapid but we get ride the current.

Our instructor lets us take a plunge into the river, one at a time, but we need to hold on to the rope at the side. 

So one by one we jump into the river and then we haul ourselves up by pushing down on the rope while your fellow rafters pull you back on board by your jacket.

As always I am the last person to go into the river, and although I am wearing my life vest, there’s still this tiny bit of panic that grips me, leaving you feeling like you are going under, making you want to immediately get back into the raft. 

So you try to haul yourself up, of course with the help of your raft mates (raft mates has a better ring to it). Now all that’s left is follow instructions of your instructor and reach the end of your rafting journey. But not before you can get some quick clicks, and a round samosas and bidding farewell to my raft mates.

Well, with this I can proudly say that I managed to do rafting at Rishikesh, even though I not ready to strike this off my list so fast. But all said and done, even though it was not as exciting as I thought it would be, I am happy I did it and thanks to  the Luck Gods for favouring that day and giving an opportunity to do something even before it was officially rafting season!!!

Road Trippin’

The best part of a road trip is what you see outside your window… yes there’s the endless concrete and the endless line of cars…but then there’s the fields and the trees  and the blue skies and at times the river below (which may have run dry at the moment).

And if you aren’t dosing off to sleep (like I normally do), or pouring over your book, you would get to take in the sights of little quaint villages that drive through, the life away from the hustle bustle of the city, making you feel like there’s a whole new world out there.

And these sights become a part of your journey, a part of the memory that you take with you.

So put down that book and wipe that sleep from your eyes. There’s a whole world waiting for you out there to take in, to experience, to enjoy. So don’t loose that opportunity and live life to the fullest!

Life is short… and the World is Large

“Life is short, and the world is large, so let’s go out and make some memory”

And as my heart races with a mixture of excitement and nervousness and hesitation, I know this is something I need to do. Something that I have put off for too long. Something that I was hesitant to do as I was not sure I was capable of!

But I have just one life and one heart. And if don’t live it now, I may never get the chance to make many memories (I can assume that I have lived more than half my share of a lifetime without much of travel). 

So the trip means so many things to me, as I need to find myself, to heal, to be at peace with myself. So even though I have never ever done anything like this, this journey is something I need to take, this is an adventure I need to go on! 

There’s no telling what’s in store, what’s out there, what adventures are awaiting me, what experiences will I have. The uncertainty scares, makes me nervous, but the same tine excites me. That what makes life exciting, that what make life worth living. 

So here’s to travels!

Here’s to memories!

Here’s to adventures!

Here’s to peace and healing!

Here’s to me!

A Desert Full of Fun

If Jesus could spend 40 days and night in the desert and survived on locus and honey (if I got that right), then spending few hours in the desert is no great feet.

You seen it on big screen, and small screen, for that matter on every screen. You’ve seen it in print ADs and pictures, but when you see it person it leaves you spellbound.

The endless sand dunes creating a mirage of shapes, the breeze creating a patterns in the sand, likes waves cascading down. The mixture of the  sun, sand and the sky creating a magnificent painting.

And then you have Dune Bashing. If you thought riding a shared ric from Vikrohli to Ghatkopar was exhilarating and often leaving you breathless (thanks to the drivers    being direct descendants of the Ferraris drivers, or at least that’s what they think of themselves as), add to that riding roller coaster, and you will have Dune Bashing. Your stomach does a flip flop as the vehicle swerves and turns, slides up and down, with your heart almost making it way to your mouth. Nothing can really prepare you for what you experience but experience it you must. It combines the thrills of riding a roller coaster and off-road riding.

Stepping out, on reaching your destination, your legs feel like jelly, but you still run up the dunes to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. Running up dunes meant 10 times the effort than what you put running up Kanheri. And though you would prefer running up Kanheri any day, the adrenaline carries you on.

And once you are done with staring at the setting sun you click pictures with the majestic falcon. Ok not majestic but quite a beauty in its own right. 

Finally you sit back and you enjoy the show which includes captivating belly dancing and performance with fire, not to forget some sumptuous food. All in all a enjoyable Desert Safari.

A Bird’s Eye View and an Evening Walk

The best way to se the city is to either have a bird’s eye view, or on foot. Or when you are me, you do bot.

The Ain Dubai gives you a bird’s eye view of JBL or Jumeirah Beach and the Palm. 

Everything in Dubai is large and big, and so is the Ain Dubai, as we learned that it is even bigger than the London Eye. 

So as you ride the capsule, you run from one part of the capsule to another taking in the endless blue sea, the palm, the blue skies, the yachts in the bay. 

You try not let what anyone say spoil your excitement and enthusiasm, trying to wipe off the memories of the last visit. But somehow you can’t let some words affect you.

But you try hard and not show it, not throw a damp blanket on your vacation. So you click pics of family and all that round. And trust me it’s a gorgeous site that takes you breath away. So you just enjoy being a tourist and much needed vacation time and time with family.

Now when you have an iWatch you always look at closing all your rings. So you decide to go out for a walk. 

After checking with your sis you set out for a walk down Sheikh Zayed road. You pass cafés and  shops that are all decked up for the season, patrons enjoying a meal or a snack or two. 

The air has a coolness about It, the cityscape is all lit up, and although you all caught up in your thoughts, you can’t help be all cheery and happy, a far cry from the low and lost that you felt last time you were here. You are ready for a run the next day.

So, so far it’s all good, your vacation is off to a promising start.

Far from the Maddening Crowd

Sometimes you just need to leave the life as you know, behind, and get as far as you can get from the maddening crowd. Walk down the road less traveled, walk through the mist, loose yourself to find to find yourself. 

There’s something about being wrapped in nature and all it beholds. Let it envelope you, let it leave you in awe, let it leave your spellbound. Let the cold mist send a shiver down your spine, let it breathe a cold air on your face, that’s fresh and clean. Walk through the greenery, the pristine environment, sliver of silver threads of streams and waterfalls, as they flow down the face of the hills, glistening in whatever light they can catch.

There’s something relaxing in the greenery all around you. The pristineness all around you relaxes all your senses, and in turn relaxes you, leaving you in peace, leaving you one with all that’s around you. For in these moments the cares that bothered you, the things that vexed you, seem to evaporate into the mist. The woods may be cool and dark, and the mist only adds to the mystery, but you don’t mind it all, cause you found a way to loose yourself and forget your cares. And in those moment you find yourself.

Then there are morons with their Bluetooth speakers, blaring their music, who you just wished should stay back where they had come, or just leave behind  their noisy devices, shattering the quietness and stillness, their stupidity. Why come to a peaceful place if your only objective was to make some noise. You’re willing to overlook their transgressions and their in explicable need to click selfies and pics in strange poses, in places where should be marvelling the show that nature has put for them, the pretty picture that’s painted for them, cause the place leaves you in a good mood, leaving you relaxed and elated, and nothing’s going to take that away from you, nothing is going to

spoil it for you.

So as you dodge the horses and the weights they bear, trying to tread carefully to avoid stepping into the dung they leave behind, though you know it will be your birthday soon, but this isn’t the cake you want to cut. So you avoid stepping into the muck, left behind by the rains, as you try to keep yourself dry wearing the ponchos (a plastic sack converted to a raincoat). So you continue to dodge horses, and the little hand drawn carriages, and the crowds of people who have come for a good time. So you make your way through the rains, aware of the naughty monkeys who may steal from your hand, creatures you need to be aware of.

But the places and the weather have left you in a  good mood and the company you  keep has got you feeling good. So you fall in love with the place, the weather, the air and all it could behold. But then you need to return back, back to the hustle bustle of city life, the life you know, the life you live. And though you need to return back to the life you knew, you carry with you the  memories, in a photographs you have taken, literally and figuratively, to be hung on the walls of your mind, a remembrance of the time spent away, far from the maddening crowd.

To go or not to go... the Zostel Experience

To go or not to go was always a big question. There were so many permutations and combinations whether should I go and do I have budget for it. But finally made up my mind, when I was promised a good time and new friends. The day may have not gotten off to the best start, what with the Novocaine wearing off, the effects of the previous evenings root canal could now be felt, and with your friend cancelling his plans to join, after he got caught in an unseasonal rain. So almost thought of going back and just go ahead with a normal weekend. However, since I was already down decided to go ahead and spend time with friends.

Well spending your weekend in a shipping containers and sleeping on bunk beds, sharing your container with strangers who would soon be friends, ladies too ( of their own choosing), then Zostel is for you. Well the journey was pretty eventful, through trains and buses and trek to zostel, and to making new friend. 

The experience of staying in Zostel is something else. Staying in bunk beds and containers that overlook the mountain range (well not quite in the way of Leh) can always be a unique experience. Yes you had share your containers with people you didn’t know but if you are able to adjust and make new friends then it can be one fun experience. So once you’ve settled in (even if it’s just for the night) then it time to soak in the Zostel experience. 

So we headed to common room to join the other residents (if that’s the right word to use here) and if possible to mix and mingle. But not before we clicked pics (yes those DPs and cover pages needed to be updated), and yes there was a birthday to be celebrated, and cake to be eaten and wine to be drunk. Once that was out of the way it was time to be social.

Reaching the common room we first sipped on some tea and played a game that was of a drinking game but played by sober people. Once done then was time for some Fossball, quite the FRIENDS style. By now people started to streaming into the common room. So if you kept to yourself it could one very boring experience (like I kind of thought I would experience being my normal unsociable self). But if you were able to make friends then you were in for a quite a fun night. So we went from foosball to Zenga to darts and caromboard, culminating to full on dancing session. So you played foosball and zenga with strangers who would become friends and then you would dance with friends both old and new.

So here you have strangers coming together, introducing themselves, dancing with each other whether they knew the steps or if they knew to dance at all, enjoying each other’s company, not actually socialising, but just having fun. So as the music played, people danced and sang and drank and got sloshed but always having a good time. So you didn’t really care if you knew the person dancing with you, you sang and danced and jumped and even did a garba (seems like I have been doing quite a bit of it lately). The music played and you danced, forgetting what afflicted you, a perfect melting pot of people from varied backgrounds, culture, gender, preferences. The common room changed to a dance floor cause you were not allowed to just sit around and watch, you needed to dance, and how hard was it to just move your limbs to the beat, it didn’t matter whether you knew or not how to dance, you just let the music take over you and just dance like mata chad gayi. So it didn’t matter if you were sober or totally sloshed, the night was meant to enjoy yourself, the moment was yours to make the most of.

So the night ended with the ushering birthdays of the friends who celebrated it, eating cake and singing the birthday song(rather melodiously cause by then most were too drunk to care if they sang in tune or out of it). So once these were out the way it was time to head to your bunker. But then there were those who continued to eat out in the dark, engaging in animated conversations till the night away. And then some who sat with sloshed friends to hear them out, keep them company, not wanting to leave them alone, and then tuck them to bed.

Now next morning I had planned to go out for a run (yes no Sunday can ever be complete with out it). However, the exertion of the previous night had me sleep a little longer. But once up decided to go on short run no matter the time ( which was around eight, so pretty late by runners time). As I made my way up I could see new friend that I made the previous night, greeted them, and headed off for my run. So after a quick warm up it was off down the the winding road with the deep valley on one side and the the road the mountainside on the other. So vie was breathtaking, and since the it was downhill was easy. But on the way back, the sun shone brightly, making me pull my cap a little lower to shield the eyes from the sun. 

Reaching back it was time to pack and get ready to check out or at least get your baggage’s out. A bit of panic did set in when I couldn’t find my lock and my house keys. Luckily it was found and kept aside in the common room. So once the bags was packed and the breakfast was eaten it was time to capture more pics and make more memories. So we posed and we clicked and teased and had fun. So after having a quick lunch, even admiring and then participating in a choreographed routine it was time to head back home, rush to catch that bus which we would have missed by a whisker and then train, metro, and back home.

So the weekend was sure a wonderful experience, a well spent and fun one, filled with moments that would become a beautiful memory that would stay with me forever. So here’s to new friends and new experience and memories for all time.

Hey do give Zostel a look up, not just in Panchgani but in other places around India. Wonderful place, beautiful ambiance, great food and an awesome concept. If you like staying at youth hostels, you will surely enjoy it. Note this is a youth hostel so you may not enjoy it if you huger your entire family, but you can always spice it up with your spouse, age no bar.

Ladakh Diaries: Of highs and lows

Whenever you visit any place you have a couple of location that have been recommended to you, which you have read about and which you know you need to visit otherwise you would have wasted a trip. So for the next few days it would be all about being a tourist, rather than a runner.

The first stop was Khardung La, the highest motorable road in the world, at over 18000 feet. The road leading to the top, twisted and turned up the mountain slope, like a snake hugging on to its prey. The journey and the sights, left us in awe, a bit speechless and frightful, thanks to the narrowness of the road, the steepness of the climb, the drop next to the road, the oncoming vehicles and military trucks, a bit shaken, due to the condition of the road, and of course breathless with majestic view it showed us and also because of the thinness of the air.

So 18380 feet later we were literally on top of the world. Air cold against skin, sent shivers down the spine, made you even more respect the soldier manning the post at such a high altitude. Though the air was cold but the view was breathtaking (I told you I would be using these words once too often). So you clicked pictures, admired the view, and all this needs to be done in under 10 minutes, otherwise you would be fighting breathlessness and headaches, brought on by it. My concern was mum, but again the lady was gung-ho and surprised me with the way she took to the weather condition. So that left me and my crazy self, which in the end got the better of me and I climbed even more higher to see where those stairs which I saw led. The view on top was beyond words, stunning majestic and simply awesome. Felt a little worried that I was pushing myself, but hey the adventurous spirit got the better of me.

From the highest of high it was time to go to the lowest of low (at least lower than Leh, lower than Ladakhi standards), to Nubra Valley we went. Not before stopping on the way to click pictures with mountain goats, sheeps and even yaks, taking pictures by rivers passing through mountains and enjoying a sumptuous breakfast of aloo parathas. 

Reaching Nubra Valley (or at least the start of it) we once again visited another monastery. Though there were well over 50 stairs to climb, mumma surprised us all by climbing all those stairs without much uttering a single complaint. She climbed up slowly and steadily, with Prerna and me for company, for support. Words deserts me to say how proud I feel of how much she made me proud. Ah yes, in between, we indulged ourselves riding ATB (though not me and mum) and yet again photo shoot. We even stopped to clicked pictures near a statute of giant deity.

Reaching Nubra, we searched for a place to stay, finally settling down for camping place called Apple Cottage. Now the tents here were spacious, they even had a bed, a charging point, and attached toilet and bathroom. The place was filled with beautiful flowers that were all in bloom and wonderful vegetable garden. So got yet another camping experience in just under a month, even if it was just an overnight stay.

After dropping our stuff we went to a place where they had two humps camel, which you could ride. Mumma was first hesitant, but in the end gave in too everyone’s persuasion. She seemed to enjoy every moment of the ride. I was a little worried of her loosing her balance but all my fears were for naught, she took in every experience.

Now the place felt like a congregation of runners, people who we knew and a few who we befriended. We once again enjoyed ourselves wetting our feet in the cold stream, clicking pic and laughing and enjoying and chatting.

In the end it was time to retire to our camp and bring an end to an adventurous day, not before experiencing the joys of camping, albeit a bit comfortable one, wondering what adventures and sights the next day had in store for us.

Ladakh Diaries: Stepathon

So finally got my running feet today. Running on what can only be described as breathtaking (I think that’s going to be an overused word for me on the trip) road, surrounded by mountains, in the chill of the morning. Seeing runners out for their run, all covered up, made me feel underdressed, if not naked. But managed to run with, correction, jog with what I wore, though chill didn’t really seem to get to me. The road was picturesque and stunning, rolling up and down, going on and on, with military trucks and ambassadors speeding. You even had the officers in the trucks saluting you, or were they waving at you. You just didn’t want to stop cause the road fascinated you, the sights left you in awe. And the cherry on the cake was that you got to see a rainbow (which can easily be said as the highlight of the run).

Though running at a pace, which I could term as jogging, there was a voice at the back of the head telling you that you need to take it easy as it was not more than 24 hours back that you landed at Leh. But still managed to cover 10km, though was not breathless, did a lot of run and walk on the return, with walking the last couple of kilometres.

The next part of the day is what I could term as a stepathon, cause we climbed so many steps. I had climbed up the steps to Raigad fort, plus had done the skyscraper dash, but this was something else, a different experience altogether. Every stairway led us to something beautiful. My only concern was mumma and how she was able to handle. But her enthusiasm never dimmed, nor did it diminish, she made it up every stair, slow and steady and taking rest when she needed. She was pretty sporty to make the trip and I am so proud and happy for her.

So we visited monasteries, we visited museums, which made it feel like an extension of my Thailand trip. Reading each and every description of the artefacts left me in awe, and the atmosphere just added to the serenity. My thoughts immediately went to my friends Doma and Raj, from whom I have got to learn so much about Buddhism and beauty associated with it and their meaning. We visited a palace and dipped our legs in an icy cold stream. Yes we even visited a school made famous by a movie (any guesses) and played dress up with traditional Ladakhi outfits. And yes we even had butter tea, tea made of butter and salt, which was an experience in trying something different.

All in all it was a memorable day, a tiring day, after climbing all those stair, but was grateful for the opportunity and chance to see the beauty, to capture it, if not in pictures but as memories etched in my mind. Now looking forward to what the tomorrow has in store. 

Ladakh Diaries: Flight through the mountains and acclimatisation

One word for Leh... “Breathtaking”...  literally and figuratively. At 11500 feet above sea level, the oxygen is thin and requires acclimatisation. But on the other end the view is so breathtaking that it literally takes your breath away.

The flight was mostly uneventful till the mountain range appeared. Majestic, powerful, magnificent, few adjectives I can think for them. They were so fascinating that people could stare at those snow capped ranges forever. And they looked even more beautiful when the sunlight fell on them. The only thing being we were on the opposite side of the sunrise.

Landing at Leh airport didn’t feel like any other airport, cause this wasn’t like any other airport, this was a military base. Though you were instructed to not to click any pic, you clicked pictures with your, mind, pictures etched on the walls of your memories. The cold breeze, the bare mountains that felt like dunes in the dessert, the skies filled with cloud with the sunlight trying to burst through them. 

It was strange and amusing to see your name on a placard of a person waiting to pick you up. On the way to the guesthouse you saw groups of runners getting their running feet, resulting in a growing temptation to go out and run. 

The guesthouse Santo Green is beautiful and quaint, full of flowers in blooms, and apple trees laden with apples, dang had never seen one before, a beautiful vegetable patch filled with cabbages and tomatoes and spring onions and cauliflowers (huge ones) and potatoes. Apricot tree too were there, but were unburdened off their fruits. Flowers were in full bloom, and full of colour and beauty. You could easily view the snow capped mountains from the porch.

Mum took in everything with a childlike glee, totally in awe with the place, fascinated by its beauty, thankful for the opportunity, feeling blessed to see the beauty that lay before her. She was grateful to see Jaj and Pooja and Prerna and meet Prerna’s hubby and Sanjay and Sameer (on the flight).

So yes we needed to rest and acclimatise ourselves, and we did sleep, wrapped in our blankets, but then sleep doesn’t always come when you want. So we sat on porch, clicked pics, took deep breath and let the cold air flow through every part of our being. Plucked apricots and devoured them, plucked some really ripe tomatoes and spent time in the garden enjoying nature, the mountains and the cold evening hair, with the sounds of the wind rustling through the trees providing a melodious background score with the trees , while mountains and trees glistening in the sunlight providing a beautiful backdrop.

So although the day may not yet been over, it has been fascinating, it has been breathtaking, not exactly eventful but memorable. Now it’s left to see what evening has in store, especially since Pooja is cooking. So here’s to the beginning of a brand new adventure.

Mumma’s First

It’s not like she didn’t go anywhere. Mumma did go out but it was always a family affair going with tour packages (that were found in the The Examiner), which meant staying at lodges and guest houses and traveling by trains and buses. Financial constraints, taking care of a sick family members had tied her down. Dadda never was able to take her or any of us abroad with him, like others who worked in the Gulf. Maybe it was the nature of his work, where he was never on land for too long, or maybe it was that he didn’t have a place of his own.

All this changed in the past year. With the passing of my aunt there was no one to care for, leaving her relatively free. Got her passport done knowing she could travel abroad to be with her daughters and visit family abroad. But before that she had her first plane ride, albeit in not too happy situation. Nonetheless she traveled abroad not once but twice with each stay better than the last one. 

Last weekend she took a trip to a place where she hadn’t been in over two decades. The last time she was here  Baba auntie, papa, Gerty nana, Tatu and dada were alive, we were not out of school and cheryl had just celebrated her 21st birthday. The last time she had been here she took an overnight train journey, with the family, and stayed at uncle Kenny’s place. This time she flew down, a journey that took just over an hour, and stayed at hotel, which she would consider as a great luxury. 

Whether she was eating a buffet meal, or relaxing in her bed, she took in all the luxuries. There was a joyous light that shown on her face as we drove from Hyderabad to Secunderabad to Sainikpuri, all the way to Kenny Uncle’s place. She took in the sights, she took in the experience, as Yash and Vipin drove her across town. She savoured the food that was prepared for us and that Yash and his sous chef Vipin prepared for her. And when I asked her how she was doing she just smiled and beamed and gave a sweet head nod.

She took in all the experiences and treasured every little moment in her heart. Somewhere I can hear my aunty’s voice telling her, in her slightly nagging tone “See what your husband couldn’t give you see my children are doing that for you” (as you see, she always considered us as her own children as she was a spinster). No matter what she would have said mumma took in every moment, her first of many first, making us proud to be enablers of this experience, this happiness.

Vacation Diaries - Part VI: The Tourist

Be a tourist, and that will be the best way you will see the city. Since coming to Thailand I have run on the beach of Patong and the promenade of Jomtein, did snorkelled in the waters of Phi Phi, island hopped, rode tuk-tuks, shopped at Weekend markets, stayed in a Hostel, but never truly became a tourist and seen the sights the city has to offer. 

All that changed on the last day at Bangkok. Though I still managed to get in a run (actually done one run in each of the cities which we stayed), and on a whim joined my friend in taking in the sights of the city. And to think of it, I am glad I decided to that, cause what we saw took out breath away, left us awed and made use marvel.

We visited the Wat Arun temple, or the Temple of Dawn, rode the ferry on the Chao Phraya river, visited the Grand Palace, saw the sleeping Buddha at Wat Pho, again took a ferry all the way to Asiatique (thanks to the suggestion of my Parag and Ajit), had pizza and beer (my first in almost a decade), and rode the Ferris wheel.

Each location, each place, each sight, was so beautiful that words wouldn’t do justice to what the eyes saw. The architectures, the colours, the paintings, the statues, the sights, were so beautiful, so gorgeous, left you marvelling at the details that went into making them, putting it together, left you wondering how was this possible. Also full credit goes to the people who maintain it, the golds, the reds, the greens, the marble, shone radiantly even after all these years in the sun. Inspite of all this you have the feeling of peace especially in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, at the Grand Palace, it was so beautiful and serene, surrounded by walls and ceilings of paintings. We even got blessed at Wat Pho from a monk who clearing enjoying blessing people with a wet broom, as much as the people who were getting blessed.

On a fun part, although I wore acceptable jeans, for the heck of it picked up, what I call harem pants, and changed in public and wore it. So although it clashed with my shirt, it was awesome and airy.

Riding the river was an experience in itself.  Seeing the other boats speed by and the architecture on either banks of the river, and then getting to see the beautiful setting sun, was something I am going to take with me for the rest of my life.

They say you come to Bangkok to party, to get laid, but then these are things you can do in Mumbai itself (although I admit that I am not comfortable and never like parties), but taking the sights and experiences that the city has to offer is different thing altogether.

So as I wind up my Thailand trip, and return to my mundane life, I will take with me an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Vacation Diaries - Part I

A journey of a thousand mile starts with a single, a vacation of a thousand miles begins with a single flight.

After almost six years finally managed a vacation, an international vacation. Strangely itself it is once again South-East Asia (not that I am complaining or cribbing about it).

Day 1 has gone in travelling and at airports and being up in the air. Not to forget the immigration lines and security checks., with the immigration check at Mumbai almost costing us our flight.

Travelling can be tiresome, running from one gate to another, one checkin counter to another, and long waits for your flights to be scheduled and rescheduled. But the sights you see, whether up in the air or at the airport, can be breathtaking and beautiful. So sometimes you need look beyond the long lines and soak in the experience.

So from Mumbai to Bangkok, Bangkok to Phuket, vacation has officially begun. Though was bit pensive about the trip, slowly and steadily getting into the flow.. so let see what this vacation has in store...   so it’s time to rest and relax and take in the sight of what Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya has to offer.

An Adventure in the Dark: Riding without Headlights

What do you do when you discover that your Activa’s headlight doesn’t come on, it’s past 9 and you have to make your way home through Aarey, a forest area (which our beloved government is disputing) that is not well lit, has loads of craters (read potholes), known for panther sightings and robbers.

Well firstly you take a deep breath. It’s not safe and against the rules to ride without headlights. But then what do you do when you discover the fuse and there’s no where to rectify it. You have another option but it can be painfully jammed and hard in your butt, not to forget your other parts.

So decide to risk it all, saying to yourself you can make through, just be bloody calm. The headlights that blinded you and left you fuming, is now a welcome cause thy light up the road, shinning on those pesky potholes. The air smells fresh, but then there’s a heavy feeling of fear in your heart to enjoy it.

And then comes a point where you need to take a diversion cause the bridge has weakened and traffic is being redirected. The road is not totally unfamiliar, but you just want company, to tailgate, to shine light on the way.  Few vehicles realise the situation, so there are just few taking it. 

So you have a bunch of kids riding triple seat who take a left when your instinct tells you that you need to take a right. Now you’re riding in the dark, all tensed and alert to any sound, trying to focus on the road ahead. You are familiar with the route, cause it’s your favourite running route. But then with this familiarity comes the awareness that this is the very area where panthers have been sighted.

So you have it, no headlights, in a dark forest, no much of street lights, not too good roads, inclines and declines, and panther area, total darkness, in short, balls in the mouth situation.

You try not to panic or go what the beep am I doing here, why the beep did I choose this route, why couldn’t I just come by train this morning. Today is just not your day but today is not the day I become dinner. 

Any sighting of headlights are a welcome sight, but any glowing eyes a sense of fear and dread. You keep wondering when would you see New Zealand Hostel. Familiarity of the area fills you with a sense of hyper panic. So you have to keep pep talking to yourself.

Finally when you come to New Zealand Hostel you breathe a sigh a relief, but then you realise now you have a decline to go through with very little. So once agin, breathe in and breathe out, drive slowly, you’ve got this, you’ve run on this road, so hey take it easy and you’ll make it through. 

So you go steadily down the slope, often letting gravity do it thing, trying not to panic or overshoot the road. You get that oh so familiar smell of the tabelas, which is so welcome.

Finally you make it to where there are other cars streaming from other diversions. It’s a sense of relief. You may have hated jams but not this time. You know you survived a silly risk you’ve taken. So finally you’ll be home for dinner and not as someone else’s dinner.

So there you have it, an adventure in the dark, a silly risk and panicky moments, but something you will remember for the rest of your riding life.