Luxury travelers, nature lovers, adrenaline junkies, road trippers, honeymooners, backpackers…whatever your reasons or style of travel, you won’t go wrong with New Zealand.

Personally, there were many firsts on this trip marking the beginnings of a dream of traveling full time.

Queenstown

We commenced our journey with the picture perfect city of Queenstown built around Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by The Remarkables mountain range, that are umm…..Remarkable!

Numerous dense bush walking trails, the quite lake surrounded by trees with various options to boat, kayak or sail, houses designed using wood and stone, streets filled with cheerful tourists seem to give this city a relaxed character.

Quite aptly known as ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, it brings out the adventuress in me. Read my tryst with flying at – A birds’ eye view of Queenstown – Hang Gliding!

Milford Sound

A scenic and windy drive leads us to Milford Sound, my first experience of ‘fjord’, a narrow glacier-carved valley that is more than 100,000 years’ in making.

In just a few moments, our world seemed to have dramatically reduced in size. The small ship we boarded cruised through blue waters in narrow pathways enclosed on all sides by mountains. As dolphins raced, we stood out and admired the closeup view of mountains straining our necks to look at their high peaks, feeling the mist of waterfall on our faces.

And once again in a few moments, our world suddenly expanded with no boundaries as we boarded the heli and flew over the spectacular ice capped peaks watching in awe the crystal clear deep blue lakes nestled high in the mountains.

Wanaka

Wanaka seems to be defined by a lone tree that stands apart over Lake Wanaka, surrounded by South Island’s Southern Alps. Beautiful houses surrounded by clear streams, blooming gardens, roads’ that lead to mountains and poplar trees standing tall, the town is a very definition of charm.

On route from Wanaka to Fox Glacier, our bus stopped at The Bushman’s Centre at Pukekura, popular for its’ Possum Pies. True to its’ name, the place is designed mostly using animal skin, fur and animal artifacts. While it was apt décor, I couldn’t get myself to sit on the fur lined benches, and my hopes of finding something to eat vanished as I saw the sign ‘vegetarian’s an old Indian word for piss poor hunter.’

But the café’s humor made up for an empty stomach. New Zealand’s back country humor I discovered was wry and no-nonsense, and we couldn’t stop laughing as we read each one of them: “Unattended children will be sold as slaves” “If you don’t like our service, buy us out, and demand your own service.”

Fox Glacier

Excessively indulged in New Zealand’s natural beauty, we didn’t realise that the ‘bestest’ (unfortunately English doesn’t have enough words!), was still ahead of us.

When we picked Fox Glacier over Franz Josef, our reasons’ were to visit a place that was a little less commercial. We would soon find that there were plenty of reasons to visit Fox Glacier.

Read an account of our surprises at Fox Glacier at A small town filled with Surprises – Fox Glacier, New Zealand

Christchurch

We boarded the much heard of Tranz Alpine Train from Greymouth to Christchurch. While the initial greenery is what we had come to expect in New Zealand, soon, the train winds through various bridges and tunnels over the southern alps and high over deep gorges. Hundreds of feet below us, we watch in awe the beautiful emerald green and rich copper sulfate blue waters of Waimakakiri River.

The city’s resilience is what amazes us as we reach Christchurch, recovering again from a recent earthquake. Its’ botanical gardens are filled with a variety of flowers in all shades of colors. A sense of serenity descends on us watching various species of birds and the shikara boat gliding smoothly on a quiet stream.

Auckland

Finally it was time to leave, but, not before a party welcoming the New Year with the first fireworks of the world. While they were not as spectacular as the ones in Sydney, we left New Zealand in high spirits.

Practical Tips

• The best way to experience New Zealand is hiring a caravan and going on a road trip.
• If you are short of time, choose only one or two locations and relax soaking in its’ beauty.
• Summers are really long, and hence ideal, but December to March is also the peak season and hence everything quite expensive. If you plan to travel in these months, book as early as possible.
• Some places like Wanaka are quite beautiful during Autumn rather than summer.
• And if you are a vegetarian, always carry something to eat, especially if you are driving through remote areas.

This post was originally published on 'Thatoneframe'.

What will you do to survive on the road less taken? One wrong turn made my way more exciting than it can ever be. Before even setting on this journey, I wasn’t sure about it because there were no buses on the same day as I was late to pre-book my ticket. Goddamn, the internet.

In the end, my friend and I decided embarked this journey to the hills of the Himalayas in the car. Well, I agreed eagerly because I’ve never driven over at that point myself and trust me, at first, you feel it’s a pain in the ass as it will divide you from going places but it turned out to be a blessing.

The fuel tank full, the music playing loud and our adrenaline bursting with the excitement of adventure. After running smoothly for hours, we crossed Haryana and entered Punjab and there the wrong turn happened; to being fully equipped with data to use google maps only find that the signal wasn’t there. Fuck Vodafone.

While we were driving on that lonely road with no street lights, filled with creepy shaped trees, I could see ghosts as my brain started projecting related imagery of horror and the supernatural.
I said to myself, it’s merely my imagination. My friend got scared to death and started talking horseshit; he stopped after I told him to go ahead without thinking of the consequences. A ray of light from google maps came out as they started working again, signals were full for the first time on this boogie trip. When we came out of that narrow space, we saw that we have already passed over the toll of Himachal Pradesh. Didn’t save much, but found a new way and a learned about myself on that 20 km stretch.

Finally reached Kasol, the paradise, filled with stories, energy and positivism. I won’t blab about the beauty it has on the surroundings. Find yourself in the pictures; I’ve uploaded.

We stayed in Diamond hotel; it’s cheaper in the peak time of year also. Feel free to enjoy their food, serves delicious dal-makhni.

We were lucky as there was a party going on the hilltop and we had found our way in too. I saw witches, aghoris and a bear dancing on the same beat as I was doing. What’s the difference b/w us and them? And I wondered again what am I on?

After the party had got over, I don’t know how I reached my room, but yeah, my whole body was aching from the pain-my whole body; I didn’t have time to relieve the pain even,we have to move ahead towards Malana. Stopped at a Dhaba, drank tea for a sore throat and took an omelet for my hungry stomach. Then entered two Babas, the moment they entered I thought to myself that I should pay for their meals and then after turning two rounds of Chillums from his stuff he said it “Take care of my bill please”. I didn’t know that telepathy also exists in this valley. (J.K) I always think of these baba as con men, but I was quite humored from the fact that one guy has conned these two babas for 20k, and they have come here to search that fucker. But the BaBa’s were nice as all capitalist are, he offered his services of Chillum and in return, he taxed me for the services. Sounds pretty similar, right?

Malana, the place where magical- realistic effects are seen most, the place where I saw that a foreigner tourist is untouchable for the people living there. I felt special for not being an outsider. Anyway, after climbing the steep, I met cigarette hunters at the entry of the village. My friend only took out a cigarette, and the pack vanished in thin air with around 10-12 children fuming themselves on him for a cigarette. It was truly astonishing to see the popular demand of cigarettes on the hill among the children aged between 8-10 years.

Other then that I found some really cool people over there with asset of experiences. An author who wanted to finish his book on “Life in Malana”. The girl who keeps a graphical travel diary; getting stoned together, we bonded on art and visual modalities. There’s also one law that you might be not aware of, nobody can take your stuff, even if it’s a cop if you’re in Malana smoking and not shipping.

Impromptu trips are the best ones I’ve always had. If you have to plan your trip just keep 8k with you and the rest will come after. I made this whole trip in 6 days in merely 8k and it was nothing with the lush valley, serene ambiance and crazy experiences I had which I could never have in an urban setting, as my master always say ‘Get out of your comfort zone’.

This trip was originally published on travelojection

Ever been compelled to watch a horror movie in the dead of night even though you know it would lead to countless sleepless nights? Ever been infatuated with the idea of exploring a haunted house? No? Yes? I was.

So were four of my friends. The big question was – where? Residing in Delhi which has seen its share of cold-blooded assassinations, bloody battles and betrayals, we thought it would be easy to spot restless, revengeful souls here. After making trips to the Khooni Darwaza, the Malcha Mahal, Agrasen ki Baoli and even a neighbouring house in the residential area of Lajpat Nagar, and not meeting any ‘other worldly’ (just because it is an accepted term, if they are in this world, how are they other-worldly? Anyway more on that later) creatures, we couldn’t decide where would our efforts find fruition. We finally zeroed down upon Bhangarh. What better place to get the thrills than a ruined city which is famed to be India’s most haunted place?

On the D-day, we rose early and started preparing ourselves according to the lengthy to-do list put together by our friend. She insisted that the place was infested with djinns who cling to open hair – which made all of us pull our hair into tight buns. Applying perfume or fragrant shampoo was a definite invitation for ghosts – hence, avoided. We had breakfast with an uneasy sense of foreboding and then drove away. Throughout the 60-odd km drive to the destination form Jaipur, we were excited and discussing details with our jolly driver – Param bhaiya (In India men are ‘bhaiya’ until they become ‘uncle’ at about the age of fifty or so. It is the polite way of addressing them).

It was a bright December morning. As the majestic ruins loomed towards our eyes, the Sun warmed our souls and we walked on towards the fort from our car. And I thought, would it be just as beautiful had it not been chaotic? If this is its state in abandonment, how did it look at the peak of prosperity?

Immersed in thoughts, we came upon a notice by the Archaeological Survey of India, prohibiting anyone from staying inside before sunrise and after sunset. After reading this proclamation of the dangers inside, we ventured onwards into the realm of ghosts.

I started recounting to myself all that I had read. There were stories about the Princess who was cursed by a black magician for spurning his advances. Legend has it that she was well-versed in the art of dark magic herself and hence saw through the plans of the evil magician who tried to woo her with hair oil laced with a love potion. She stripped the magician of his powers making him curse her and her city. Then there was the infamous saint who cursed the King for failing to keep his promise. He had demanded that the structure of the city be short enough to prevent its shadow from falling upon him while he meditated. The day the city grew up to be seven stories tall, the shadow touched the saint and the city fell to its ruin.

All these stories culminated in the untimely ruin of the city and prepared my wandering mind to feel the shudder of running into a ghost and get chilled to the core. Nothing of the sort happened. The Sun kept shining bright and I found myself to be spellbound by the architectural marvels which surrounded me.

There was the Jauhari Bazaar where the citizens would have come to shop and the Nritaki Haveli which would have been the center of amorous pleasures for the men. The crumbling stone structures still boasted of beautiful arches and domes. More than one person was perched precariously atop one of them trying to get that one ‘candid’ shot which would become their Facebook profile picture.

In this Kingdom of ghosts, there are more than a dozen temples. These beautifully built samples of intricate stonemanship and masonry can steal your breath away (not to mention the steep stairs which can induce instant breathlessness).Though not as magnanimous as Chittor or as lustrous as Amber Palace, the Royal Palace had its own charm. The lighting was ideal for heart-chilling monochrome shots (meaning I could barely move an inch without clicking a photo).

After a lengthy perusal we decided to turn back. Not because we had had enough but because we had been forbidden from carrying food to avoid luring ghosts (as if they were monkeys!) And so we returned, happy and hungry souls, enchanted by the beauty of the fort.

While walking back, we spotted him. He merely glanced and walked towards the fort. Two of us started chasing him. His companion seemed to have vanished. The other three realised what had happened and frantically called us back. However, we seemed to have gone too far to listen.

When the three of them finally caught up at the Ganesh temple, we told them that the men were hiding there. The three of them asked us aghast, “What would make ghosts hide from us?” That made me crack up really bad. We told them that we saw no ghost but were chasing a man who had clicked our photos without our permission. Our friends stared at us, their faces agape. Then we all started laughing.

However, in no mood to let the creep get off, we took the help of a local policeman who was there on a family picnic. He confiscated the phone from the miscreants and invited us for tea. We accepted thinking we might get an opportunity to stay and explore the area by night.

Over tea, we asked him about ghosts. He answered with laughter. He told us, “The men you met right now? They are the ghosts. No other kind of soul, living or dead would haunt harmless people.” The real danger according to him, were the wild animals and smugglers who frequented the place. These elements made the complex unsafe to stay by night.

We listened. Our objective had been to be thrilled. We had succeeded. Though not by the means we had expected. And maybe, someday, who knows we just might run into adventures which we had gone to seek.

This post was originally published on 'Slowrover'.

“I stand where the road ends…
with feet frozen on the ground
the last home is far left behind…
into the unknown wild, I am bound

Spirit of the river hums a song…
that was long forgotten in the land
I hear the lyric, faintly in the wind…
as in ghostly mountain solitude, I stand.”

Travelers put down their tales on paper for varied reasons.Some to inspire others and some to inform, some to boast of their escapades and many just to keep a tangible record of nostalgic moments.But I suppose there’s a deeper reason beyond all this; we write about our experiences because it allows us to go back to them, once again. As we reflect back on the time spent on the road, we live them again.Writing gives the wing we never thought we had.

And so as I begin to write about it, I can clearly hear the lyrical flow of Baspa river down in Sangla valley.The sound of the flowing water echoes through the green woods, white peaks and the blue sky in this pristine part of Dev Bhoomi Himachal.The home of mythical gods and demons alike.

NH-22 from Shimla to Peo takes a diversion near Karcham bridge, around 24 km from Peo, to climb the steep and narrow roads of Sangla Valley, a stunningly beautiful stretch of sixty kilometers that ends at the border with Tibet/China.The turquoise waters of Baspa flows from the Tibetan plateau and enters India through this wide valley at Chitkul- the last Indian settlement before the Chinese border and apparently it’s the most charming place to be in the entire valley.There are many other small hamlets along the valley road out of which Sangla is the largest and well developed. It’s the rendezvous point for all and sundry who bounce around discovering this stretch of Himachal Pradesh. Trekkers, Bikers, eco-tent campers, families and lonely drifters like me who arrive here have one thing in common, the valley overwhelms us equally.

As I went through the narrow road in the valley, I knew we were circulating the Kinnaur-Kailash range. It was early June, and the sun was melting the gathered snows off highest peaks…making them run off in small trinklets down the hill face.The smaller ones would eventually join to form larger streams rolling down the valley slopes and finally many such streams would feed the ever swelling Baspa river down below, a river still young and naïve.
“This is how rivers are made son!”

Most of our knowledge and wisdom coming down from the ancients have their origins in man’s intricate and spiritual relationship with the natural world.And while wandering around, we feel elevated because being nomadic appeals to our prehistoric instincts. The hunter-gatherer inside us still feels happy and safe when he sits around a campfire, warming his mind and body in the cold mountains.

As the roads extend from Sangla to Chitkul, which lies some 24 km ahead, the valley was beginning to widen up, and the terrain is dominated by large boulders shaped by running water and melting snow.The roads crisscross numerous iron bridges over sparkling streams before it ends at the last hamlet in the valley.

And then Chitkul happens to appear where the valley seems to be the widest. It’s still early morning when I arrive at this quaint and peaceful village at the border between India and Tibet.The river flows deep down below me, and momentous mountains stand facing me as I watch an eagle spans its wings high towards the other side of the border. I stand with depressing humility, as much as a wingless human can afford in a land divided by man-made borders.

There are people in fields and a woman facing the morning sun on the old temple courtyard when I start walking around the village with blue-tinned roofs.I walk past the last of the houses towards the iron bridge down in the valley.The sound of the flowing river rises by each step I take towards it.As I write this, I can still feel the mountain air numbing my ear lobes and the ever so serene sound of prayer flags flapping on the bridge.
I sit by the river for what seemed like an eternity.

Sitting all by yourself by the river and looking high at the mountains that gave birth to it may not make you wiser, but it certainly makes you think.You don't have to do anything, just let the mountain air weave it’s magic.It makes you see things clearly, without the pretensions and trivialities that surround us back in our daily lives.The veil of civilization parts a little to show you the true nature of yourself.
Loneliness is a curse; solitude is a blessing.

The ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police) stroll the area where a signboard reads as-The Last Indian Restaurant, but the eatery is nowhere to be seen around.Chitkul has marginal facilities for travelers which you’ll find plenty in Sangla.On my way back, I was drawn towards the wooden temple in the center of the village which seemed locked and forgotten.As I tried to peep through the locked door, I was admonished curtly by the old lady sitting in the courtyard.I tried to smile in vain and vanished embarrassingly.A stray drifter was trying to peek into old secrets of the temple.

The best thing to do in Sangla valley is to take a walk along the course of the Baspa river from Sangla to Chitkul or vice-versa.There are eco-huts and camps all along the valley to cater to your needs and comforts if you try and stay put for a few days.When I sit back in Peo and look back at Chitkul, I suppose I strayed into another dimension, something that must vanish once I step out of it.Metaphysically this stands true for all places we wander around because we experience each landscape in our uniquely personal way.The landscape is the mind and the mind is the landscape. Inseparable.

P.S-
Sangla Valley/Chitkul is around sixty kilometers from the town of Reckong Peo, the district headquarters of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.And no they haven’t vanished, they wait for many drifters like me to be seen and remembered in a different way though it’s enchanting in any way you look at it.

This trip was originally published on THE LOST HERMIT

A discovery of the past...

Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests, and is never shaken…

For no rhyme or reason, for the first time in my life these words from Sonnet 116, which had been relegated to my rote memory since the graduation days, seemed to make perfect sense. I was doubly sure, tantamount to mine; this would have been the most probable thought to cross the Bard’s mind had he seen the towering sandstone wonders of Khajuraho.

The backgrounder

What would you get for having successfully borne with your impish partner for half a decade? Well, the plausible answer could be different for the ones still in the first leg of their conjugal bliss. But for my boyfriend, who enjoyed ‘Still Dating’ tad more than ‘Just Married’, celebration also zeroed in to either falling sick and ‘meri seva kardo, meri tabiyat karab hai’ sessions, or a booze party with his friends. The fact that we were in two different cities this time seemed to work and after several bouts of coaxing, planning and brain wracking session, Khajuraho looked like the most convenient tick off destination from the bucket list.

I took the Tamil Nadu Express from NDLS that would reach Jhansi at 4 in the morning while he boarded the Shridhaam Express from Habibganj, Bhopal, which would bring him to Jhansi by 2:30AM. With sleepless eyes and childlike excitement I deboarded the train hoping to see my Amitabh Bachchan waiting to get a glimpse of me even amidst a maddening crowd. (Being outright dramatic, I had already conjured a Baghban-esque meet, only to my dismay.) Having failed to spot him in the vicinity and get connected over the phone, I started marching towards the ladies waiting room braving a downpour, only to find him enjoying a laugh from his latest Agatha Christie (I am sure he is still at it)!!

Following a small argument, (that’s our way of showing love. Remember the way Khadak Singh and Shyam  exchanged pleasantries in Hera Pheri? It’s quite the same) and his exchange of a ready-to-make Wai Wai as an anniversary gift we headed towards our destination by 7am. There are two ways of making it to Khajuraho; either board intermittent trains from Jhansi or hop into a bus. We opted the second. The bus journey demands a change from Chattarpur bus stand. While the journey upto Chattarpur seemed a relaxed one, the state transport vehicle dawdling through the desolate streets of the heart of the country, the one from Chhatarpur bus-stand to Khajuraho was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. In the close-to-an-hour journey  the driver could have given any Formula 1 racer a run for money!

In the thick of relentless hope of making it alive to revel in the grandeur of the centuries old structures; courtesy the one-hour of racing, we finally descended at the Khajuraho bus-stand at close to 11 and trust my word, it was quite a feat!

Hopping into the first cycle-rickshaw we reached our hotel with a Francosized name called Casa Di Williams. The peculiar thing about this town is the residents’ obsession with the West that is overtly reflected in their lifestyle. Blame it to Khajuraho’s immense popularity abroad or the deluge of tourists visiting every year, there is something oddly archetypal about this place that bears testimony to a high influence of the West.

At last…

“’Khajur’ means date palm and ‘raho’ stands for road. Circa 950 CE this place was strewn with date palm trees and thereby derived the name Khajuraho ”, said Shatrughan Namdeo. His short frame stood in total contrast to the universe of knowledge he carried about the ‘Land of love, the Land of KAMA SUTRA’.  Following a trifling bargain, our erudite and hyper-articulate guide finally settled upon a decent amount to take us on a verbal voyage down the era of the valiant Chandel Rajput kings who wanted to bequeath Khajuraho as a religious destination and thereby constructed a slew of temples.  All who want to relish the exalting history of the temple town and understand its architectural significance, wandering through the town without able guidance would mean hunting for stars in broad daylight.

Khajuraho, according to Mr Namdev, is meant to be enjoyed at different levels:

History: A discourse on success, devastation and revival

The quaint temple town parked in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh is more than an embodiment of love, or relics of a prosperous past.  Khajuraho is a monumental testament to how craftsmanship can breathe life into sculptures and make their expressions do the speaking.

 Each Chandel king who returned triumphant in a war would raise a temple to celebrate his success. This led to the construction of 85 splendid pieces of art that saw the gradual evanescence of the Chandel dynasty. Following the subsequent destruction in the hands of the invading Mughals emperors Mohammed Ghazni, Aurangzeb and Sikander Lodhi, only 22 temples remained. Centuries after bearing the trials of time and standing as pantheon of ruins among the densely forested region of Panna, the forsaken tetris-like structures were rediscover by British explorer TS Burt. Only as late as 1982 the Group of Monuments (monuments because as per Hindu believe, a ruined structure ceases to be a temple) were given the belated status of World Heritage Site by UNICEF.

Mythology has it that the Moon God was badly smitten by chance upon seeing Hemvati, the daughter of Hemraj, taking a shower. Unable to control his desire for her, he descended upon earth and seduced her. As a result of their union Chandravarman, the founder of the Chandel dynasty, was born.

The place also houses some of the oldest Jain temples, which, akin to the other temples like Western Group and Eastern Group of monuments are also divided into several parts.

Architecture: A tale of consummate craftsmanship

The speciality of the set of monuments lies in their appearance. Interestingly they look like being carved out of several small mountains. The non-functional temples were built of sandstone and granite heaps of which were found on the banks of Karnawati River (now known as Ken) that lies between Khajuraho and Panna.  Block by block and column by column these stones were chiselled and the carvings engraved on them. The blocs were marked with numbers and assembled after being carried to Khajuraho on elephant backs. It could only be credited to the brilliance of craftsmanship of the era that after almost an epoch the cement-less temples that were built on the interlocking system of stones still stand tall and eloquent.

In the heavy baritone of Amitabh Bachchan a light and sound show at the Western Group of monuments take people on a hallucinating journey to the past.

The Epithet of ‘Kama’ or Carnal emotions

My plans of visiting Khajuraho raised several eyebrows among friends and family. And why not? Incidentally, just a week before I would leave for Khajuraho my mother started narrating how she had read about the temples there. Given its reputation for being the Land of Kamasutra, of course she could not talk much about it and I decided not to divulge my plans to her anytime soon. (She is still oblivious!)

In complete contradiction to being a subject of prurient curiosity, the temples do not worship sex. The erotic sculptures have different explanations.

The ‘kama’ or sexual desires have different connotation, said Mr Namdev and one has the discretion to decipher meaning according to one’s whim and fancy. One account says since youngsters were sent to Gurukul at a tender age, by the time they grew up and returned home, they would nearly renounce all hedonistic pleasures and the sculptures were crafted as reminders to arouse the youngsters’ interest in erotica.

The next argument vouches by how erotic art was used by great saints of the time to achieve nirvana and the sculptures stood as testimony to their accomplishment with such form of art.

Food trail in the temple town

As a devout connoisseur of food, the first thing to draw my attention anywhere I go is the kind of food the place has to offer. Spotting a pastry shop by The Leela’s while entering the town had soared my gastronomical hopes rather high. However, the restaurants and food aptly defined ‘Naam bade aur darshan chote’. The suave and fancy names could do little to tantalize my palate. So, after a reckless food hunt, we discovered this lesser known Bundelkhandi dhaba a little away from the main market. A highly budget-friendly thaali of Rs 150 offered a sumptuous spread of rice, dal, kadhi, baingan ka bharta, chutney and a type of puri typical to the region. Needless to mention, the place was a food haven for our brief stay of 2 days. Of course, The Leela’s was a saving grace. Not a lavish menu, but the confectionaries served tasted just out of the oven.

A piece of advice- The high-sounding restaurants in the town does not provide much more than burning a hole in the pocket. So, when in the Bundelkhandi land, do as the Bundelis do.  Ditch the bland pizzas and pastas The Maharaja or Restaurant on the Bamboo Tree provides and rather settle for shuddh desi romance with authentic mouth-watering Bundelkhandi delicacies.

Take a pick!

When I asked a senior who had gone for coverage to Khajuraho Dance Festival conducted in February every year, about the kind of keepsakes Khajuraho has on display, he quipped impromptu, “A lot of kinky toys!” Period.

The desire to lay eyes on the ‘kinky toys’ and also to hunt for a more modest gift for the boss and friends took us to the adjoining shops in the Western Group of temples. The intrinsic craftsmanship of the place can be gauged from the neatly designed knick and knacks that take their inspiration from the erotic sculptures. From fridge magnets to post cards, a piece of jewellery to key rings, erotic art is ubiquitous. Interestingly, it is this art that fetches livelihood for most in this town.

I was also more than ecstatic to find a sari made of bamboo fibre for Rs 500. Apart from the erotic souvenirs, Khajuraho also takes pride is producing apparels made of bamboo fibre and bed sheets that act as mosquito repellent.  Yes, you heard it right. A typical kind of bed sheet found in the shops next to the temple claim to keep mosquitoes away and also comes with a guarantee!

The great canyon of central India

That Khajuraho is nestled in the lap of nature with beauty in all directions work befittingly in its favour. It not only shares a proximity to Panna national park and Ghariyal Sanctuary, the two falls enveloping the town- Pandav and Raneh are a feast for all nature lovers. With time just enough to visit either, we went ahead with Raneh Falls, not only because the photographs looked exotic, but also because I largely wanted to drop by the place in which parts of Mira Nair’s controversial Kamasutra- A Tale of Love were shot in. 

About 20kms away from Khajuraho, a distance that can be easily decided with any local driver for as much as Rs 500, both ways, stands the majestic and breathtaking Raneh Falls. Watching the water of Ken gushing down in the form of 30metres and 60metres high water falls makes you reinstate the presence of an intangible power that is holding the universe together. The puddles of still water engulfed with red stone structures give an impression of the Canyons and is thus aptly called the Grand Canyon of India. It is impossible for anyone having a functional heart or the gland that generates emotion to not get laconic at the sight of the falls. They are beautiful, and splendidly so!

Going to Khajuraho but skipping the water falls is like eating only half the food in the platter.

The dramatic end

The adage goes, ‘All’’s well that ends well. It was a helluva journey. Crazy because only after reaching Jhansi did I realize I could board a direct train from Khajuraho to Delhi! Perhaps, it was destiny’s call to bestow some more moments with my ‘his-head-has-swapped-places-with-his-heart’ boyfriend that soon after we arriving at the Jhansi station we were informed that my train was delayed by 5 hours and his had been called off. Having spent some more quality ‘we’ time discovering the street food on Sadar Bazar of Jhansi, I finally bid adieu and watched him hopelessly standing at the door as the train chugged along the station to move towards its destination, a place where I would live the two-day memory for many months to come…

Photo Courtesy- My modest HTC 816

We all have seen the TV campaigns, “Come breath in a bit of Gujarat” done by Amitabh Bachchan for Gujarat Tourism. Although it has drawn many tourists, I always thought of it as little exaggerated until I along with my friends took a visit this month.

Dwarka

We started off the trip from Dwarka, where we reached on 3 January at 7 in the evening. We stayed at a guesthouse, and after taking a shower and some meal, we strolled around the city streets. We also took a visit to the Gomti Ghat before returning to the guest house. The next morning was when the actual trip had started. We woke up around 5 in the morning, and after around an hour we left for Dwarkadhish Temple. On the way, we started feeling the soothing ambiance of the old Kingdom as the temple was visible from everywhere with all its grandeur. It is not allowed to take any electronic inside the temple, so we couldn’t capture the temple’s beauty.We stayed at Gomti Ghat for sometime, after which we took a bus to cover rest of the places. The bus took us to Rukmani Mandir, Nageshwar Temple, Bhet Dwarka, and some other places. The most important were Nageshwar Temple, which is amongst the twelve Jyotirlingas and Bet Dwarka, an island near Okha where Lord Krishna used to stay with his wife. The ferry ride to reach Bet Dwarka from Okha was also enjoyable.

/* A Few Tips */

• Take this way for Somnath from Dwarka via Porbandar and enjoy the sea, if you're travelling in a car 

Porbandar

We left Dwarka around 2 PM and headed towards Porbandar in a Bus which also stops at Harsiddhi Temple and Mul Dwarka Temple. We reached Porbandar at 5.30 in the evening and made a visit to Gandhi’s Birthplace, a museum now, Sudama Temple and Chowpatty near Beach. All of these were at walking distance from each other and the bus stand is near the beach. The beach was very dirty and overall Porbandar was very disappointing.

Somnath

From Porbandar, we took a bus at 8 PM to Somnath where we reached at 11 in the night. The next morning, we left our room early to the beautiful sunrise near Somnath Temple. The temple is first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and it is said that the temple has a history of destruction and restoration, the most recent in 1950, which was initiated by Sardar Patel. Near the new temple is the old Somnath Temple which was built by Rani Ahilya Bai (Queen of Indore). There are some other important temples also, which can be covered in at most two hours. The way to the beach passes through a small market. The beach has a very clean shoreline of the Arabian Sea. After taking lunch at a local dhaba-like restaurant and asking people how to reach Diu (since there was no bus until next morning), we took a “Chota Hathi” (Tata Magic) for Una from the square which has the main gate to the city. After reaching Una we took an auto to Diu and reached the Diu bus stand at 7 in the evening.

Diu

After finding a place to stay, we took a bath and then left to stroll around the quiet and calm streets of Diu. The clean streets of Diu were very helpful to relieve the fatigue of traveling for almost 3 hours. Just in a matter of minutes, we discovered why Diu Tourism brands this secluded island as “Ilha de Calma” (Island of calm). The island is great to hop on a bicycle and just roam around. Everything is in the vicinity and easily reachable, no matter where you are. Diu has some pretty good restaurants offering Portuguese Food as well as some sea food. But as we all were vegetarians, we just ate some curry and chapati before going back to our hotel. The following morning we left our hotel before 6 AM so that we can reach Nagoa Beach before the sun rises, the beach was 8 KM from the bus stand. The road to the beach is awesome and has a world class cycle track along the sea. Being the most happening beach of Diu, as it hosts the festival ground, it is clean and maintained, although gets little crowded than other Diu beaches. But luckily as we got there even before the sun, so there was hardly anyone and we were able to lay down there for a few hours. We then visited the massive Diu Fort, which is surrounded by the Arabian sea, offering a great view. The fort had a couple of weapons and a lighthouse but unfortunately, we were short of time. We then quickly visited the very Portuguese St. Paul’s Church, Diu Museum and some other places before leaving for Delvada Railway Station by a charkha.

/* A Few tips */

• If you've got time, don't waste money on auto rides instead take a bicycle or bike hire. The most distant place from the main square is Nagoa Beach which also is only 8Kms for which autos have fixed rate of 100rs.

Junagarh and Girnar

We took a very vintage train running on a meter gauge (Passenger MG 52951) to Junagadh which took only 6 hours and some 40 minutes to reach Junagadh Junction, the same time a bus may have taken. The journey by this train was an enjoyable one, firstly since the ticket was only 35 Rs, secondly it crosses many interesting places. Throughout the journey we passed through some beautiful views as it the train runs through the forests nearing Gir, thus we got to see some peacocks and deer(s) through the train window. After reaching Junagadh we took an Auto Rickshaw to Girnar and found a place to stay that night, and slept early as we had to get up early so that we can start climbing Girnar Mountain early to avoid the sun and take advantage of morning temperature as much as possible. Next Morning we started climbing at around 4:40 AM, a little late from what we had planned. The first stop was at about 4000 steps, here there is a group of beautiful Jain temples which were built around 1128 AD. One of these temples is the Neminath Temple since Tirthankar Neminath achieved enlightenment here. After Jain Temple, after 200 steps further there is Gomukhi Ganga Temple, and by Ambaji Temple at around 5000 steps followed by Guru Gorakhnath Temple.We reached the topmost temple i.e. Dattatreya Temple, after climbing around 10,900 stairs at 9 AM and returned to the ground at 12:30 PM. After taking rest for a while, we visited Bhawnath Temple and left for Junagadh to find some place to eat. Quickly after reaching Kalva Square, we started looking for Patel Paratha House (A very famous restaurant about which a guy we met in the train to Junagadh told us). After asking directions multiple times we finally reached the restaurant and found that it only serves Gujarati thali on most days, at first we thought of leaving as we all have heard that Gujarati dishes are very sweet since they add some sugar or jaggery, and doesn’t matches the taste of a typical Marvadi spicy food eater, but we still ordered as we thought we won’t be having much choice. The food was very very tasty and changed all the myths about Gujarati food. The food was so good that we all eat to our full capacity, after which we eat some cassata ice-cream from a thela, which again was very tasty and surprisingly very cheap (Rs 10 Only) considering the amount and number of flavors and dry fruits it had mixed. The next day, we visited Gangotri Kund, Ashok Shilalekh, Radha Krishna Temple, Shiva Temple, Gayatri Shakti Peeth Temple, Vageshwari temple, Junagadh Fort, Buddhist Caves,  Junagadh Wildlife Museum, Junagadh Museum and Mahabat Makbara. Best among these were Junagarh Fort, Junagarh Museum and Mahabat Makbara. We left for Ahmedabad at night.

/* A few tips */

• Although finding an auto rickshaw for Junagadh from any place in Girnar is very easy, it is better to walk to the main square of Girnar first and then take a rickshaw, to save some money. From the square, the fare to Kalva Square is only Rs. 20 per person (even 10 sometimes if you are lucky) or 60 total, but you need to bargain for that.
• The Kalva square is kind of important as it connects Junagadh and the way to Girnar, and everything is reachable from here.

Ahmedabad

We reached Ahmedabad at 4.30 in the morning and visited Hathee Singh Jain Temple. We had our hotel booked at Navrangpura near Sardar Patel Stadium. On our way to hotel we saw the most popular and undoubtedly amazing icon of the city, The Sabarmati Riverfront, and since it was morning the view was absolutely amazing. On the first day, we started off by visiting Riverfront Park, Kankaria Lake, Gandhi Ashram and then all the way to Akshardham in Gandhinagar and getting back to enjoy street food at Manek Chowk Night Market. Traveling within the city was not a tough task, thanks to the city’s very efficient bus system consisting of more than 90 KMs of dedicated bus lanes. On BRT routes buses were punctual and frequent and had very good information systems, but on the other routes we had to take a lot of help from Google and Panwalas. The routes where the streets were very narrow and full of traffic, we took auto-rickshaws from near-by bus stops. To reach Gandhinagar we took a van from Ashram Road for a good 40rs. After visiting Akshardham, we took another van to get back to Ahmedabad. We then quickly took a rickshaw to Manek Chowk Market, since we were quite tired to get in a Bus and then walk up to the main market. Manek Chowk Market is kind of important one for the city, and any visit to Ahmedabad is certainly incomplete without visiting here. While it is famous for street shopping, in the morning it becomes a vegetable market, while in the afternoon India’s second largest Jewellery Market and during night, it turns into a huge, super crowded food paradise offering variety of foods at very cheap prices, the best being Pav Bhaji, Sandwiches, Pizza, Dosas, Shakes and Kulfi-Faluda. Although, you need to know the right shops to get the right experience. The shops are open till late night. It also has some of the important historic places nearby - Teen Darwaja, Ahmed Shah’s Tomb, Queen’s Tomb, Stock Exchange Heritage building - oldest after BSE, Jama Majid, Bhadra Fort, Swaminarayan Temple, Maneknath Temple. After filling our stomach, we left for Law Garden Night Market in a auto rikshaw.  This market was in a relatively better area of the city, and thus had a number of fancy restaurants and food outlets. The main attraction of the market are however hundreds of shops which surrounds a garden selling Chaniya-Cholis. For the next day we had planned to start with the  Amdavad Ni Gufa which is a cave structured art cafe built by M.F. Hussain but unfortunately, we found out that it opens in the evening. We then visited ISKON Temple, ISKON Mall, The Alpha One Mall and then all the way to Sarkhej Roja and Utensils Museum. Sarkhej Roja was worth visit, the Utensils Museum is very famous since many celebrities including Indian Cricket Team, Pranab Mukherjee - President of India, Bollywood Actors have tasted their food. If you’re not looking for an expensive lunch I won’t recommend you to visit this place. Instead If you have time, I would recommend you visit the Vintage car Museum, which we missed due to lack of time. Before checking out of hotel we visited the riverfront park again since the very grand Annual International Kite Festival was happening that day.

Pack your bags, my girl. 

I choose you for another adventure. Not a lover, not a boyfriend, not a wooer, not a date, not a fling, but you. How about we romance the road instead. 

I want to hit the road with you, without that pressure of making every moment perfect that comes with a lover. I choose you because our playlists together alone create perfection, our conversations make for a Woody Allen movie and our books together are a hug on a bookshelf. 

A boy by my side, brimming with expectations, is probably the last thing I need this time. I don't want to travel the next 2,000 kms on a rickety bus just to "get to know you better". I choose you, my girl, because I know you, exactly like I know myself. And on the road, we always have a plan that's more about than just about you and me.

I want to carry all my bags myself, pay all the bills, open all the doors and yes, get tired doing it. Then stop, and start again. I don't want a person obsessed with watching me all the time. I choose you, because we take care of each other in the simplest, the most human of ways.

I don't want to travel with someone to "take it to the next level". I choose you, because with you I share the happiest, most satiated bond that's beyond any level of examination and proving points.

We're beyond that stupid impending threat of blocking one another on Facebook every time we argue (if that counts). I choose you, my friend, because when we travel, we fight, we argue and it doesn't end in an apocalypse. 

I choose you because with you climbing a mountain seems like a walk in the park. I don't want to go on a hike that ends up being an endurance test (read: mental trauma). 'Bae' can go and seek cheap thrills of fitness at the gym with his crossfit trainer, maybe.

You stop by with a smile when I spend an hour photographing birds. With you I have learnt the deeper joy of stargazing. Girlfriend, I choose you over anyone else because you know the importance of doing nothing and having faith in the world to gift you a good memory on a journey.

Together we come up with the most perfect, ice-breaking conversations with strangers. On the road, the journey is not at all about you and me. It's about the people we haven't met before, the perspectives we know nothing about, the experiences that sweep us off our feet and the willingness to forget ourselves. 

Get ready girl. I don't know what we're in for on this journey but I have a ticket for you and it promises a smile.

Roads in India are home to a myriad experiences and emotions. They are colourful, dynamic, invariably bustling and almost always leave you with an interesting story to tell. Road signs all over the country have, more often than not, embellished all of our crazy anecdotes in ways like no other. While they are all helpful and extremely so, some simply leave you in splits. Some are deliberately funny while the others have the word 'unintentional' written all over them and make for brilliant photo ops. Here are some you absolutely need to see and laugh to your heart's content.

1. Sample this gem from Vidyasagar Setu in Kolkata. Could one possibly be any more explicit?

Image Credit : Shoaib

2. Because shit happens.

Image Credit : NextLap Social

3. This timely advice.

Image Credit : Loupiote

4. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has perpetually been adding cheap thrills to our Ladakh trips.

Image Credit : Into Dust

5. And they believe in sarcasm, the kind Indian parents love.

Image Credit : Arjun Bhogal

6. They are merely being honest here.

Image Credit : Stephen Reid

7. Because the Bangalore Traffic Police has their priorities in the right place.

Image Credit : Adrianna Tan

8. And they know exactly how we feel.

Image Credit : Sammy D

9. The Kolkata Traffic Police is judging you so bad right now.

Image Credit : firstpost

10. Your ignorance is alarming. Shotti.

Image Credit : sumedha157

11. This affectionate request.

Image Credit : dailymail/Ajay Jain

12. In believe we pot. Pass the joint please?

Source

Make sure you watch out for these when you're on the road!

Quite some time back, when my friend invited me for his wedding in Dehra Dun, I accepted the invitation right then as it would also give me a chance to explore around Dehra Dun. 

When the wedding day came, we three friends left from Delhi for Dehra Dun. March 2016 has brought with itself really wonderful weather. (well, sadly, not so wonderful for the farmers).  We took a morning innova from Delhi and reached Dehra Dun by afternoon. The city welcomed us with the heavy rain. We retired in our hotel room for siesta and attended the wedding in the night. The rain has ruined the original plans and the wedding had to be done indoors. 

The thing with city of Dehra Dun is, it still looks like a small town. As far as infrastructure is considered like wide roads, well lit street lights, cleanliness, Dehra Dun is missing it. May be, most of the government funds go to Haridwar, Rishikesh or other Uttarakhand cities. 

Next morning, I took a bike in rent and along with my friend Rose, went to Sahastradhara. It was partially raining, the winds were chilly and the climate was awesome. It is 14 kms from the city and the roads are nice. 

Sahastradhara is a vertical water wall and has got it name from the thousands such vertical water streams. There are restaurants near it which also offers bathing clothes as it is believed that the sulphur in water cures skin diseases. Sahastradhara has also got a rope-way which takes to the Hindu temple. We returned to Dehra Dun as Rose had a train to catch and I solo tripped to Paonta Sahib. 

I had many options for the further trip like Mussoorie, Dhanaulti, Chakrata but I chose Paonta Sahib, mainly because I didn't want to travel on mountains on a bike in rains and also Paonta Sahib is located at the banks of Yamuna River and so I had the inclination towards it. Paonta Saheb is located on the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh Border. It is a beautiful town and the main attraction is the Gurudwara. The Gurudwara itself offers a majestic view of River Yamuna. 

The last 10 kms stretch from Herbertpur to Paonta Saheb offers beautiful view of forest and the canal. There are small roadside shops selling fresh fruits like strawberry and juices. There are lot of Mango trees too. 

While coming back from Paonta Sahib, I visited the beautiful campus of Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehra Dun. The campus is lush green and the building is exceptionally beautiful. I wanted to enter Dehra Dun city before sunset so that I can have meal. (Jain thing !). I found a small restaurant near Railway station. Finding Jain Food in Dehra Dun is so easy unlike Delhi. I went to couple of Jain temples too. 

After my capacity to roam around the town was over, I returned the bike and went to the Bus stand, ISBT, for an overnight volvo which directly drops at Gurgaon. 

Overall, the short trip gave me an opportunity to attend a wedding as well as visiting new places. It also gave me shoulder pain for few days as I was not habitual of riding Apache. 

On the top of the Velky Rozsutec peak

The peak – Veľký Rozsutec is considered to be the one of the most beautiful peaks in Slovakia and the hike to the Velky Rozsutec belongs to the most challenging hikes in the National park Mala Fatra. The summit is more than 1 600 m high and cumulative elevation gain is approximately 1 100 m. The hike involves steep inclines, going up through gorges, steep ladders and scrambling. It is a difficult hike in the summer and in the winter, even more. That´s why, this hike is suitable for experienced hikers.

In the beginning we walked through well-known Jánošíkové diery. Jánošíkové diery is a system of gorges carved by steadily flowing water. It is a popular hiking route. If you are looking for an easier hike in Mala Fatra National park, you can walk only through the gorge and back to where you start.

After we walked out of the gorges, the suffering began. The snow wasn´t too deep, but it required a lot more energy to walk through the snow, and furthermore, the steepest part was just ahead of us. And that part of the ascent was strenuous. Honestly, I couldn´t wait to be at the top. I was unusually exhausted. During the ascent I was hating the mountains, hiking, nature, cursing the moment I decided to go there. :) But when we finally got to the top and got rewarded with the spectacular views, I wasn´t thinking about the terrible ascent anymore and forgot it all.

At first we walked through Jánošíkové diery gorges

Walking along the waterfalls - that´s what hiking in Jánošíkové diery is about

After going through the gorges we stepped into different world

First checkpoint

After we enjoyed this view, we walked further

This was the worst part of the day

And here we come. We are almost there

The view at the West Tatras

This is the top - Veľký Rozsutec

The view at the whole mountain ridge of Mala Fatra

When going down, you have to hold the chains to stay safe, that you can see on the left side

Time to take off the crampons and Veľký Rozsutec in the background

A bit about where I have been as Nostalgia caves in!

Glanced through the memories!

It all started one day in the Bangalore office of Bosch Business Solutions when the interview was scheduled and the step seemed closer. Coming to Deutschland is always a pleasure. I consider it my third home now. Not second because that is where Kris belongs, wherever in the world. Gloomy and bored with the day´s duties I was wondering about my next trip and wanted something magical to happen the very moment to realize my dreams. Never wanted to settle down anywhere except India but this meant a big deal to me. Travelling the world lay ahead, learning ahead, fresher challenges lay ahead, being independent was destined and above all, standing headstrong was going to be defined.I gave the interview with grit and zeal. I wanted this at any cost because Mom said, opportunities come running to you when you wanted them the most. I concentrated and remained calm. I knew this would bring in the best time of my life and it did.

2015 was the year of drastic change and travel. A good change stepping into the next shoes, where life turns your path and yes you know that is becoming what it is always supposed to be, unpredictable. I had the same hopes for 2016. I worked with a normal pace and expected things to happen in a very gentle way yet aggressively. Ambition was something that you have to be born with and deal with it silently. Have fun they say in a way that you become jealous of yourself and work towards your goals so silently that when they are achieved, you will celebrate it with grandeur and craziness. I will quote Paulo Coelho, my favourite quote which works in every difficult scenario “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Hundred percent it does.

And so it all happened with a reason and here I am today in my dreamland again, waiting to discover the wonders of the world. Stuttgart, the name says it all, Bosch, Mercedes and Porsche is the definition and a rich culture withholds the city with an international touch. You are missing the best part if you do not drink the Stuttgarter Hofbrau, and the Pilsner Beer. It is in the blood of the Germans I would say. It has been two weeks now and I miss only two things Mom and Kris, otherwise life is great out here. When I came to this city I literally thought “We are travellers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.” The exact thoughts running in my mind, this is not my permanent destination but I stopped here to say hello, to make friends, to make a better me and help anyone that would need me for their well being. It is these encounters that built empathy that makes me know that the humanity within me will live everywhere in the world. My life partner has played an important role in influencing these thoughts and shaping up a totally new personality out of me. The best one can do in Stuttgart is the fest, when you have any. They are so much fun, the food is great, the entertainment is great, the beer is great. Biergartens are the best way to spend your Sunday afternoon. Also not to forget on Sunday everything is closed. I know I just said I loved this, but sometimes, when you have not planned well you end up buying stuff higher than the original price at the Bahnhof or the railway station.

Travel and Wanderlust are not just words in Germany, they are implemented at any cost. Living in South Germany is a boon you get from God to travel Europe really reasonably even if you could plan around 45 days in advance since Germany is situated in the heart of Europe. There are cities like Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne  at a one day distance to cover, France, Austria, Switzerland and Czech are also at  a weekend´s cry. Even within the borders Heidelberg, Black Forest, Baden Baden and so many other old places have a rich culture and tradition that will take days to discover. If you really love exploring you are in the best place, with so many castles on the hill tops boasting of magnificent views, untouched traces of forests calling to experience the wanderlust, cycling and trekking through these virgin ways is a treat to yourself and your health. The Autobahn is the greatest gift in Germany. It makes life faster, quicker and cheaper. That is one of the reasons all the places are so well connected apart from the trains. Almost 80% of the Germans have their own cars, a road trip is fun ANYTIME. But truly speaking the trains out here function flawlessly and meticulously. Each one on time. You could actually plan your day with the train timetables and be rest assured everything will be fine. This helps Germany economically too, saving huge transportation costs and making day to day life easier and smoother. One striking feature that I also found with the Mumbai local trains when I was living in Mumbai. Sadly Pune and Bangalore do not have such a thriving public transport and it burns my heart out to say this.

So much has happened in such a few days. Celebrating Easter with my friend Marco´s family, getting an Easter gift, getting a sneak peek into the Easter Service at the Church, the midnight Easter celebration with the Germans at Kuppenheim, a quiet town in Baden, going up the hill to the old and giant castles, seeing the palaces in Rastatt and Baden, driving through the Schwarzwald at lightning speed according to Indian standards of course at 170kmph in a Merc and then touching France which made me go on top of the world, strolling through the streets of Germany, liking and familiarizing myself with a new city, working in an organized environment, maintaining time lines, cooperating with seniors, learning the ways of time management, and the best of all having a  work life balance which is existing in reality and not just  a management term. Shopping along even in the supermarkets was a treat. Each and every little thing seemed exciting. Playing with a kid at the Bahnhof took me back to my childhood. I saw here that people live, they give time to their hobbies and well being and that makes life meaningful for me. Even though I am doing nothing extra curricular, I am living and breathing, I literally feel my breath now every moment, with less pollution and cleaner air around. It is all because people make it a point to follow rules. I also miss the Indian touch of hospitality and friendliness over here. Everything is so automatic that at times you never need to take the help of anyone, and I find that odd, since it is a passion in India, to interact and have relations even with your neighbours. Nonetheless and enough said, life is not bad at all, the weather is unpredictable which bothers me, but I like the way I am getting organised and understanding the value of my family and above all Kris. Long distance relationship became a routine too, and trust me it did not reduce the longing but created enlightened sparks each day.

For now that is the moment and I want to live it the most, next on the cards seems to be Amsterdam and fingers crossed.

Signing off.

Rucha S Khot

As Mark Twain rightly said, ""Varanasi" is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”. Call it Varanasi, Banaras or Kashi, this place has a charm like no other. One of the oldest living city of India, Banaras has been a cultural and religious centre for several years.
For as long as I had been planning my first solo trip, Varanasi was stuck in my head like a love song. The magnestism was such that I couldn't resist from packing my bags and heading towards this city. The strange thing was most people couldn't really make peace with the fact that I chose this place for a solo trip. "Why Banaras?", they asked. Though I had no answer to this question, I listened to my head. And I am glad that I did.
As soon as you reach the city, you are welcomed with open arms by an air of dust and the honking of vehicles stuck in jam. But being from Delhi, that didn't really surprise me.
TIP: While roaming around the city or to reach from one place to another, always choose either walking on foot or cycle rickshaws. You wouldn't want to miss any sight of the city.
Being a solo traveller, it takes a lot of courage initially to takes steps ahead. What to do next, where to start with and so on. I say, take baby steps. Interact with the hostel/hotel staff first. Gather good, useful information from the local people. And act confident all the time.
TIP: If you too are travelling solo, prefer a cool hippie hostel over any other place to stay. You meet a lot of like-minded people and the environment really pumps you up.
It was already evening by the time I checked into my hostel. The very first place that I wanted to visit were the Ghats. Since my hostel wasn't very far from the most popular of all ghats, Dashashwamedh Ghat, I decided to go there by foot. Kept interacting with the shop vendors, local people to make sure that I was on the right track. Though it was january, the sun was heating the place up like a furnace. But when you finally get the majestic view of the ghat, you forget everything! You want to keep gazing this view for a while,trying to absorb all that you can.
When I was finally back to my senses, I decided to take a boat for myself to enjoy the picturesque beauty of that place. If you are on a budget travel, you can go for a boat in groups of people but even then, a single boat all for yourself won't cost you much.
I decided to cover the ghats on the southern part, all the way to Assi Ghat and back. Throughout the boat ride, the boatman kept me engaged with the stories about each and every ghat that we came across. The story behind the name of the ghats, the kind of activities it is famous for, so on and so forth. At some ocassions, the boatman would start humming the tunes of a regional song that made the entire boat ride all the more serene. It was a wonderland for me! The most striking thing about a boat ride is that as soon as you step into it, the usual fastrack pace of life goes into a slow motion mode and the whole setup is sure to sweep you off your feet!
By the time I reached back to the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the famous evening aarti had already been started. The lights, the smoke from the deepams and incense sticks, the collective chants by thousands of pilgrims and priests adds to the energy of the place. It is repeated every single day for the average pilgrim coming to Varanasi from every part of India. The sight is something to be cherished for a long time.
Tip: Try and reach the ghat early to reserve a good spot to spectate the entire aarti. It starts around 6.30 in the evening. So it is advisable to reach the spot by 6.
Spell-bounded by the the exhalted and splendid beauty of the ghats, I decided to start all my days by visiting them. One cannot think of missing the magnificient view of the sunrise every morning. When the first rays of the sun fall on the ghats, there is already a humdrum of activities along the banks. With a multitude of devotees performing rituals, taking dips in the ice-cold water of the Ganges which supposedly washes all your sins away.
Step into the embankements of the ghats to feel the pulse of this holy city. If you love walking aimlessly like me, then you are in for a treat. Keep walking through the steps and let the ghats surprise you in their own way.
TIP: If you are near Raja Ghat, don't miss out on the famous Lotus Lounge for a cup of hot tea. It gives you a breathtaking view of the river from its terrace.
If you are able to take out time from exploring the ghat area, you can visit Sarnath, which is famous for a lot temples. And when the rusty and crude city roads take a toll on you, the blissful evenings at the ghats will always be there, waiting for you.( As you can very well see, I have deeply fallen in love with the ghats.)
My last and final day in this city was spent exploring the famous temples of the city. A visit to the Tulsi Temple situated in the Tulsi Ghat is a must. You receive a lot of positive vibes while visiting this temple, as you listen to the chants and the sound of the temple bells.
Each day while returning back from the ghats, I never missed out on strolling through the narrow lanes of Banaras. Every lane offers a plethora of local shops including pan stalls, silk shops, tiny food joints, artificial jewellery and a lot more.
Tip: Look out for Brown Bread Bakery in one of the lanes. It offers some really delicious bakery stuff!
And while you enjoy being lost in these lanes, hog onto the local street food of Varanasi. Ridiculously cheap and unmatched taste! Be it the gol gappas, baati chokha or the flavored milk malaiyyu. It makes sure that it pleases your tastebuds to the core!
My trip to Varanasi was finally heading towards the end and it left me overwhelmed. I was not able to bid a final goodbye to all the amazing people I met during my hostel stay. The solo traveller who made sure that I wasn't alone on my birthday, the dormmates from New Zealand who kept me awed with their amusing travel stories. The group of college students in the city for a video shoot, who sang with me at midnight, giving me the confidence to sing to my heart's content.
And while I headed towards the railway station to catch my train back to Delhi, I grabbed some paans from a nearby paan bhandar! Because as they say' "Bhaiya Banaras aakar agar paan nahi khaya toh kuch nahi khaya!"

So in recent times one of my mate asked me how to cover most of the rajasthan in a single stretch?? c'mon rajasthan is a vast state infact the biggest in India and it's pretty obvious that you can't cover all of rajasthan unless you have a 15 days holiday. But wait!! here's a glitch by which you can travel and cover most part of rajasthan in a single stretch. obviously it will be a tiring one but trust me you are going to have your best gala time while travelling the state of rajputana.

Route 1- Mount abu ->Udaipur ->Ajmer ->Pushkar ->Jaipur

So here's the route one which one can follow if they are running short of time and want to see the most out of rajasthan (except the desert). One should board train for mount abu THE ONLY HILL STATION OF RAJASTHAN. yes!! you heard me right,  a hill station in desert  it's like oasis to the MARU(desert). There are various tourist attractions including the famous dilwara temple(jain temple), nakki lake and the serene beauty of nature.

From abu the next destination should be UDAIPUR(a.k.a. venice of west) the lake city is the most beautiful and one of the most romantic cities of rajasthan from palaces to the grand hotels to the lakes it has got all of it that one die to see at one place. The city you all have seen in the movie "ye jawani hai deewani" yes this is the city and got the maximum tourist attractions like the city palace, lake pichola, lake fatehsagar, sajjangarh, saheliyo ki baadi, shilpagram, gangaur ghat, jagdish temple, ambrai ghat and many more.

KUMBHALGARH is situated approx 80 km from udaipur and have the second largest wall after the great wall of china and it marks the birth place of the great Maharana Pratap. Udaipur is the perfect place for having a long walk or to sip coffee while sitting near fatehsagar paal. 

From Udaipur you can board a bus or train to Ajmer- Khwaja ki nagri (home of Khawaja). Ajmer marks as one of the oldest city in rajasthan and one of the biggest pilgrimage place for muslims as Dargaah of hazrat khwaja moinuddin chishti lie in the heart of ajmer (a must visit place). Apart from dargah it holds an important place in the history of India as once ajmer was the capital of india and ruled by Prithviraj chauhan that you can see at taragarh fort another tourist place. An artificial lake anasagar adds beauty and on the banks of anasagar it has got baradari built by the great mughal emperor shah jahan. Apart from this akbari quila (akbar fort) which is now turned into museum is also a must visit place.

Coming on Pushkar which is hardly 15KM from ajmer is the biggest pilgrimage place for hindus and marks it's great importance in the mythology and hindu chants. It is the home of brahma temple (one in the entire world) and of sacred pushkar lake surrounded by 52 ghats. A must must visit place if you are foodie and love to explore an international market.

After ajmer and pushkar board a bus or train to jaipur (the pink city) and also the capital of rajasthan. Recently jaipur is being included in THE WORLD MOST ROMANTIC PLACES list and yes indeed it has got a romantic vibe. Apart form this jaipur has got all royalty, culture (rajasthani+modern), local bazaars, forts, lakes, metro everything you crave for in a city. The main attractions are amer fort, night view from nahargarh fort, bapu bazaar, nehru bazaar, hawa mahal, city place, jantar mantar, alber hall museum and many more. There are lot of places to travel in jaipur that you will be enthralled to see.

 So, if you are planning to visit rajasthan and worrying about how to cover most of the places then this might help you as a real traveller does everything with mind and pre planning is better to ensure a proper and joyous stay.

Route 2 will b updated shortly till then keep exploring and keep clicking!!!

We (me and two of my friends) needed a break and so we planned for a trip to Manali. We are terrible at planning so we took off leaving everything else on our spontaneity. I am a keen kind of person who believe in exploring places to its finest freckle and so you can get an idea of some very practical things that we experienced.

We left from Delhi in a bus and reached Manali at 10 in the morning. As soon as you get out of your bus, the hotel agents would bang in. If you are with friends and wish to spend less on comfortable beds and more on boozing around, just avoid them. You could even stop by the Mall road and look for hotels, but I would suggest you to head directly to Old Manali and you can find cottages, hotels, home-stays and what not just to fit into your budget. Another perk of staying in Old Manali is that, you get to explore the city in depths. 

So this was our first day and we reached the hotel at 11. We didn't want to waste time resting and thus thought of exploring the local sites during the half of the day we were left with. We took a taxi to Hadimba temple. Its a beautiful place to sit and feel the wind breezing through the cones of trees. Despite of the religious value the place holds, you can have enough fun out there trolling in and out of the forest around. As it was the month of march, we weren't expecting much rain and snow, but we were lucky enough to get it throughout our trip. I would suggest take extra pair of clothes and a jacket, just in case you drench yourself. We took on foot while returning from Hadimba temple and lost our ways into the hilly markets of old manali and that was the time when I enjoyed the most. Trolling down the narrow streets, stopping by to eat momos and siddu (local dishes), and enjoying the drizzle.

The next day we took a cab to Solan Valley. You will see the little stalls with snow dresses hanging around, do not stop by those at the bottom of the road, you will get good ones up there. Ask the driver to take you further and stop by the second last or the last stall to rent one. Also take the socks and boots, they can prove to be saviors. If you are with friends and can bear the suffocation, get down at the last point where the vehicles are allowed and just keep walking forward. Some of you might have nausea like feeling but trust me it's short lived. Because once the snow takes over, you can just feel nothing but enchantment. Eat well before you leave for Solan Valley, because the maggi and momos out there can empty your pockets :-p. Walk towards the snow point and even beyond if you can. Because we did. We reached at a point where we had our legs going down in snow till the knees as we walked. Here we could only see 3-4 people around. We took rest, build a snow man, and played a little. It was snowing heavily and we looked at each other. Comprehended something and started walking again. We came high enough to not see or hear anything else than just the snow falling down with the wind. We wanted to capture the moment, and thus I took the risk of taking out my camera, build a tripod with 3 stones and a shade and recorded a video. Don't ask me what it contains, because its just we three, throwing snow at each other, hugging, crying, laughing and screaming. We spent around half an hour sitting quietly, realising what we miss out of our lives when we don't travel. The snow fall was growing heavier and so we decided to go down. We held hands to help each other in walking through the deep snow, where my friends tried intimidating me in there to bury me if I irritated them with my stories anymore :-). A day spent in snow is a day well spent. 

It was the third day of our trip and we craved to explore the city, people, culture and food. So we took cycles on rent. You can get them in Old Manali and believe me if you get them, you will also get the attention of all the tourists and locals out there. Because cycling in the mountains need balls (just phrasing) and its not for people with weaker limbs and passion:-p. We took off on cycles to see the local markets, villages, went down to few monasteries, to a local family who make the best Lugdi (Local booze), and to watch a Yalk show. We paddled for about 40 km in a day. That is how I quenched the thirst of exploring Manali. Paddling, walking, talking and questioning people all around. We were invited by a family who cooked the best local dishes in the town. This was the best day we chose over trekking in Manikaran. 

This was our forth day and we had our departure scheduled at 4 in the evening. We again had a half day left. We packed our bags and took off to Van Vihar at the mall Road wondering if we could rejuvenate ourselves before we leave. We were trolling down the forest and suddenly heard water flowing. On looking around, we found a wall and a fence over it. My taller friend looked over and said, "this is paradise". He lifted the wires to make space and jumped the other side. I was lifted up and taken down, and there I saw, the Beas river, flowing with all its force through the polished stones shining bright in the sun. And thank goodness, I had two muscled men who could lift me up anywhere beneath the fences. So we broke a rule, and there we were, with the most beautiful site of our whole trip. We sat down on the stones, with the freezing water flowing on our feet and played our favorite songs on the guitar. I looked at my watch, it was 3 and we had to leave and my friends were singing the closing lines of one of our favorite songs "I hope you had the time of your life".. 

I read somewhere – “Holidays are a perfect time to reflect on our blessings and seek out ways to make life better”. & with a lo-oo-ng weekend in hand (24th – 27th Mar) we set out for a quick getaway to Haridwar & Rishikesh.

I am dividing this blog into 2 parts – Day 1 at Haridwar & Day 2 at Rishikesh … for these 2 cities are so close yet so apart!

Day 1

We packed our bags & set off for Haridwar on Thursday, 24th Mar, from Delhi. Amazingly, we covered the distance of ~221 KM’s in less than 4 hours! All thanks to the awesome Western U.P Toll Road! We managed a speed of 100-110 KM/H for most of our way. The highway is super smooth & thanks to Thursday being Holi there was hardly any traffic.

On our way, we stopped for special tea & ‘paneer-pakora’ at the very famous ‘Jain Bhojnalay'.

The ancient city of Haridwar, also the gateway to four pilgrimages of Uttarkhand – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri, is located on the banks of River Ganges. It is the place where The Holy Ganges descends to the plains.

We reached the city mid-day & checked into a hotel, on Upper Road, which was only about a KM from Har-Ki-Pauri, the holiest place in Haridwar. It is believed by Hindus that salvation of the ancestors can be reached by taking a dip into the holy waters at Har-Ki-Pauri.

Tip: One can easily get a decent hotel within INR 600-700, but be ready to haggle. Beware of the ‘agents’ roaming around in the streets promising to get a cheap yet ‘best-in-class’ hotel. If you reach a hotel through one of these agents, you will sure be charged exorbitantly for a very ordinary room. The entire Upper Road is full of economical hotels & “Dharamshalas”. So, it is suggested to walk around & self-find a place to stay.

Walking on the streets of Haridwar was like playing dodgeball … we had to move between pedal- rickshaws, tuk-tuk’s (battery rickshaws), tanga’s (horse carts), ever honking bikes & pedestrians. But the old city had the charm of its own.

It was amazing to see the simplicity with which the Haridwar streets were attempting to sell its goodies! :)

As we walked towards the ‘ghats’, we saw a glimpse of Haridwar’s Holi.

We ate to our heart’s content at Frontier Vaishno Hotel.

I noticed something really distinctive in all the restaurants, big or small, in the city - we were served water in gigantic pitchers with no handle!! Check out the “Jagga-dada” below ;)

After peit (stomach)-puja ;) we headed towards the ghat for the actual puja, the evening “Ganga-aarti”.

The aarti started at about 6.45 PM and lasted for 30 minutes. It was a sight to behold! Devotees had gathered in large numbers to express gratitude for their lives & blessings! While I am not a religious person, it was appeasing to feel so much of positivity around.

The Ganges glowed & glittered like gold as the sun started to set. The holy water was dancing to the tune of the sun & the wind and I remember uttering a silent “Thank You” in that moment. I think this is when I connected with God.

After the Ganga-aarti, we headed for a dip into the Ganges. It was already late evening & the water was freezing.

I think I left behind a part of me there, hopefully adding a little more sparkle! <3

We had dinner @ Frontier Vaishno Hotel (again!), we loved the food so much! & also the hotel was right next to the ghat.

While walking back we saw The “Mansa Devi Temple”, glittering like a star! It’s an hour trek on foot or can also be reached through a rope-way, lovingly called the “Udan Khatola” :D

A spectacular day came to an end, with our first objective surely being met – “reflecting on our blessings”! J <3

Next day, we grabbed a wholesome breakfast at the very authentic & historical “MohanJi Poori Wale”. We were served aloo-poori on leaves, each plate costing 60 bucks. We had to wait for almost half hour to get a place to sit but the wait was worth it! Lassi is a must try too here.

Finally, It was time to head towards "Rishikesh"! (Blog coming shortly!)

“It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”

And it is also always more rewarding than you can imagine. 

India is the home to Himalayas, and there are many non-technical peaks that you can climb to conquer your fears.

1. Kedarkanth

A great snow trek for first-timers, Kedarkantha is a peak in the Garhwal Himalayas which many beginner treks attempt and summit every season. It is best experienced during winters, given its popularization as a snow trek. 

No prior experience required.

Highest Altitude: 12,500 ft

2. Chandrashila

What better way to visit the highest Shiva temple than a trek. Deodiatal is a beautiful tranquil lake that you will find enroute. Followed by a visit to the Tungnath temple of Lord Shiva. Chandrashila again is a perfect way to start your trekking enthusiasm.

No prior experience required.

Highest Altitude: 12,000 ft

3. Shrikhand Mahadev Peak

Shrikhand Mahadev is probably the toughest pilgrimage in India. Kedarnath and Amarnath provide options of horses, but Shrikhand Mahadev is a peak you have to conquer by feet only. The summit provides a panoramic view to Kinnar Kailash and neighboring stunning peaks.

Source: Kailash Parikrama

Prior experience might be useful.

Highest Altitude: 16,400 ft

4. Mt Kanamo

When your starting point is the highest village in the world, then acclimatization is the key. Make sure that your stay in Kibber is sufficient before setting out on the trek. The climb may not be very steep, but because of high altitude and no vegetation in area, it can be tough.

Source: Spiti Valley Tours

Prior experience might be useful.

Highest Altitude: 19,500 ft

5. Stok Kangri

The extreme of adventure trekking, Stok Kangri is only slightly short of being a technical peak. But it does have some of the most dangerous terrains in non-technical peaks in India. Situated in Ladakh, one can only imagine the 'heights' it is capable of taking us.

Source: Camptocamp.org

Prior experience is a must.

Highest Altitude: 20,080 ft

6. Patalsu Peak

Situated in the Kullu Valley, Patalsu Peak is a trek through lush green meadows decorated with delicious apple orchards. Though summing the peak is indeed your motive, but the beautiful scenery is what will stay with you the most.

Source: Adventurenation.com

No prior experience required.

Highest Altitude: 14,000 ft

7. Anamudi 

The highest point of Western Ghats (also known as the Sahyadhri ranges), Anamudi mountain is location in the midst of Western Ghats the Cardamom Hills, the Anaimalai Hills and the Palani Hills. And is a great option if you want a break from the Himalayas.

No prior experience required.

Highest Altitude: 8,842 ft

8. Nag Tibba

If long committed treks seem too intimidating to you, then probably this hike is a great way to start. The Serpent's Peak is easily completed in a day, but it also makes for a great camping spot for the night.

No prior experience required.

Highest Altitude: 9, 915 ft

9. Mount Shitidhar

Situated in the enormous Pir Panjal range in Kullu district, Mount Shitidhar is a challenging non-technical peak. The trek involves passing the Beas Kund and several other scenic meadows. The trek is around a week long.

Credits: Hemant Soreng

Prior experience is a must.

Highest Altitude: 17,220 ft

10. Mount Bhanoti

Located in the Kumaon HImalayas, Bhanoti is truly the best of nature packed in one route. From meadows to snow to sand and rocks, this route has everything a true adventure enthusiast in love with nature desires.

Prior experience is a must.

Highest Altitude: 18,450 ft

Do you have a life-changing trekking experience of your own? Tell us all about it by sharing your trip here.

Much awaited trip to Mathura & Vrindavan but cut short to just 2 days. Witnessed some of the most phenomenal scenes full of color, enthusiasm & tradition.