Fly far away, dissolve and quite forget…

These words from John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale means more to me now than it did when I was studying literature in college. As summer approaches, its time to plan my holidays yet again. I am wondering if I should go to the forests or the hills . Maybe its a good time to plan another trip to Europe. Last year, I was happy to have toured quite a few cities but I had to leave Prague out unfortunately. I would love to go back to the UK again. As for India, the Himalayas beckons.

I love trains but domestic fares have indeed come down and I am going to start booking flights early this time around . I would prefer destinations in India as fares are now as cheap as Rs 2000/- one way to certain destinations. I am for instance flying Trivandrum – Bangalore this Sunday on a similar fare .Ever since Jet lowered their prices a while ago, other airlines like Go Air, Indian Airlines have already joined in the bandwagon. But seriously, it does not matter which airlines as long as they do take off and land on time. 

What do you say ? So where are you planning this summer ? Meanwhile am off to Nagercoil and Kanyakumari today. See you guys in a bit.

Travels in 2013 - A bucketlist

Every December I make a bucket list - the destinations I would like to visit, the festivals I would like to attend, the stories I would like to write...But most of them remain inside the bucket :) In 2012, I was plagued with an ill health phase since March and hence all my plans went awry. But the interesting part is that a lot of new travels fell into my lap like my journeys to Poland and Spain.

I have kept my slate blank for 2013 ; however, I have been glancing through online ticket booking sites when it comes to looking for cheap deals. I am not too much of a package person, but I keep looking for airlines offering discounts . Srilanka is on my agenda ; the airfares are rather inexpensive ; I saw return fares ex Chennai for less than Rs 10,000/. Thailand is another destination that is on my radar. I have briefly been to Bangkok and that is about it. In India, Rajasthan , West Bengal, Kutch and the North East have been luring me. I would have visited all these destinations this year, if my health had not failed me.

Well, I have decided not to make any plans for 2013 as of now . Am sure some new trips will fall into my lap. What about you guys ? Any new plans ?

December–a quick travel update

The blog has been silent for the last ten days as I have been travelling in and around Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. I was in Ramesvaram and Chettinadu over an extended weekend last week and then we went for a wedding to Jamakhandi and decided to take off to Bijapur, Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal from there. Been a rather exciting phase but now, am a bit travel weary and nursing my tired feet. Refreshing myself by looking at this gorgeous blue in Ramesvaram .

Travel smart with discounts

A lot of us refer to summer as the travel season, with holidays galore. But for most travellers,  winter is the season. Almost every state is celebrating in India. The December season in Chennai followed by the Mahabalipuram music and dance festival, there are festivals in Kutch and Orissa . I am personally not a great fan of winters, but I enjoy travelling in this phase as it is the birding season as well.

There is a mad rush to get anywhere and everywhere and it helps to plan early. There are sites today that offer discounts like Cuponation and they do it via a few retailers like online travel sites. So,if you are looking for great online hotel deals or discounts on flight tickets do check it out, as there is an exclusive discount code only for you, which is then used to reduce the price when buying from them . Plan your holiday now !

Flashback 2012 – Destinations

Thank God it is December. I am so waiting for 2012 to get over as it has been a terrible year for me from the word “ Go” . All that I am hoping is that December will change that perspective. Although the year has been rather bad, from a personal point of view – I would not say the same from travel’s perspective. I got to travel less in India, but travelled extensively abroad starting with Cambodia, France, Spain, Poland, Netherlands,Austria, Germany. My only regret is that I could not travel in Turkey although we had a brief stopover at Istanbul – at the airport.

My first trip this year was very special. I went to my village , Kallidaikurichi after almost two decades and spent a lot of time by the river Tambiraparani and took off to see snatches of Kalakad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve. There were no tigers to sight but the drive was well worth it, as we saw dams like Manimuthar, Papanasam and drove around Manjolai and went up to Kudrevatti. I went on a heritage trip tois  Naanjil Naadu as well. All this was followed by brief trips to Chattisgarh, Ganeshgudi, Masinagudi, Coorg , Pondicherry and then there was a long break until I resumed travelling again to Mysore, Coonoor and Kanatal with Club Mahindra for Conclay. The last trip in November was also very special as we did a road trip with Ford and went to Bekal, courtesy The Taj.We drove through Malenad via Saklespur, to Mangalore, Kasargod and returned via Agumbe, Belur and Hassan . And it was our 10th anniversary as well..

Lets see where December takes me..No concrete plans as yet, but am raring to go..

Travel–Some of my best lessons have come from the road

In my journey called life, I have had several teachers holding my hand, shaping my beliefs, strengthening my resolve, inspiring me to push my boundaries and helping me to learn from my mistakes. From spiritual gurus, to family , to tutors at educational institutions, to some friends and mentors, I have had many teachers. And yet, some of my best lessons in life have come from my journeys on the road. And I would like to share some of them with you.

1.Travel has helped me to shape my attitude to a large extent in the recent years. It has taught me a wee bit of patience, tolerance and an ability to take things as they come. It has made me self reliant and independent and has helped me develop a quick presence of mind and grasping power.

2. Many a time, when things go beyond me, travel has helped me to realize to accept the situation as is. It has given me confidence, a bit of resilience despite the many anxieties and the panic attacks that I have faced in life or while travelling. I am still learning to live and deal with all my fears and insecurities, but travel is helping me to shed some inhibitions along the way.

3. It has humbled me. When you walk into a large square full of people or visit an ancient monument or gaze at a mountain from the valley, you realize you are a speck in the universe. A dot whose worries and joys melt with the elements. It helps you to realize that your big ego lives and dies with you.

4.Travel has given me a strong sense of grounding rather than a fake sense of achievement or pride. It has helped me realize what I can do, what I cannot and has helped me to live and accept it. It prepares you for the best and worst in life. It helps you realize that even if you fly business class, you have to deal with turbulence.

5. Of course , travel has helped me to merge with the milieu ; I try to blend in , but I still retain my individuality. Travel has taught me to experience ; it is also adding a little layer called “experience” to me.

6. It has opened doors, widened my vistas and has given me a sense of both reality and fantasy. It has made me empathetic, rational at times and has woken the dormant “me “.

7.Travel has given me a strong sense of balance. It has taught me to be on my guard and not to try foolhardy things in the name of adventure. I push my limits, only when  I understand my body and mind completely. I have also tried to understand the atmosphere and the sensibilities around me, before attempting anything new.Travel however has also made me learn something new at every step. It has made me try new things, explore new vistas and push me beyond some boundaries.

8.Travel has taught me to accept and understand change. It has taught me to live with it. It has helped me realize that everything in life is transient, even this moment as I explore something new. It has taught me to be a bit flexible and adjust, which is a bit trying at times. It has also helped me realize that plans can always change at the last minute and I should go with the flow.

9.Travel has helped me to break some prejudices. I am still trying to accept things unconditionally but I have learnt to drop baggage and let go of some unwanted weight along the way. On a different note, I have to learnt to pack light and travel with whatever I have with me , keeping functionality as the thumb rule 

10. Most importantly travel has made me discover a new facet of me. I am my best companion when I travel. It has helped me to understand me as a person and live with my frailties and foibles.

I hope to be healthy always and be on the road all the time and keep learning, discovering..May this journey never end ..

Come September

Come September and the seasons change in most parts of the world. And loads of destinations come into the “season “ phase as well. The monsoons will soon get over in most parts of India but it has left behind a lush green country. Readers of this blog are in for a lot of stories this month . We will visit Valparai again and I will publish stories from Naanjil Naadu. In the international scenario, we will visit Asia and Europe . Local festivals and memes like Skywatch and India through my eyes series will continue as well.
The furore around Ganesha festival has already hit the streets of Bangalore and I see large idols of the deity all over the place. While I do soak in the energy here, I feel the idols should not be dumped anywhere and everywhere on the streets and pavements . We should ideally have a designated place – maybe a playground in each area where stalls can be set up . The streets have become a mess with garbage and Ganeshas both sharing the same space unfortunately.
Meanwhile , August was a great month on Backpacker and I thank you readers for visiting my blog. Stories on Madras did extremely well as the city celebrated its birthday. Its been three years since my last visit to Singapore, but many of you are still interested in my post on the country. Dussera may be a couple of months away, but a lot of you search for golu bommai and land on my post on Navratri. In fact I just picked up a few kondapalli bommais (dolls)for the coming festival. And finally, I always see Chola trail being very popular. I wonder which of these posts will continue to be on the top of the charts in September . So look forward to more of your visits this month. Happy reading, sharing and commenting ! Would love to hear from you.

And yes, I may be travelling too if all goes well..Fingers crossed !

The 500th post - Travel Writing is simple hard work

It is the 500th post on Backpacker and  I would like to start by thanking you all for reading, appreciating, criticizing and commenting on the blog. Backpacker started more than seven years ago as a platform where I could keep my passion for travel writing alive. I have been a freelancer since I was 18 years old and I have been working with the media since then. As the demands of the profession grew, writing took a backseat. And since it was easier to write travelogues than feature stories, I decided to start a travel blog. Ironically, I eventually quit my media job , that too a high paying one to travel and write . But then I realized travel writing does not pay . Not even a 10 % of a good corporate salary. But it meant a whole new world out there - one of opportunities and discoveries.

In the last several years, I have been asked several questions on how to be a travel writer, what are the opportunities out there, how does one begin and whether it will pay . Let me start answering some of these questions, starting with the last 

1. Does travel writing pay ?

The answer is no. If you are looking at a fat salary at the end of the month or for the travels to be sponsored, believe me travel writing is not for you. But if you have the passion to travel and you have a flair for writing, then you must give it a shot. Most magazines and newspapers have a standard rate for a freelancer and as you keep writing, you can slowly start paying off your bills. Even today, almost 90 % of my trips are self funded, but for a few . The invites are very few and there are many contenders out there, so if you do not get freebies , do not bother. Invest in your trips wisely and it may eventually pay off.

2. How do I become a travel writer ?

Now there is no magic formula out here. Editors do not look for me, I look for them. I search for emails on the net, find contacts from magazines and keep sending briefs. Many a time there is no response. The silence may be discouraging, but there are so many magazines out there.

I would suggest that everyone starts with a travel blog first. Then write for other blogs and magazines, who may not have the resources to pay , but will promote you. Build your confidence and your portfolio. Share your stories openly. Do not get cowed down by lack of responses from editors .

Secondly, read the magazine and see the kind of briefs that they want. Some are very keen on an angle or a style. If it does not work for you, do not send briefs to such magazines. For example, I am not a luxury traveller - so if I have to write for a luxury magazine, I will not be able to do a great job of it.

Finally, do not expect friends and well wishers to share every contact off their list with you. Some do, others are uncomfortable doing it as they would have probably struggled for years getting those contacts. I personally do not have a problem sharing, but some of the editors that I work with do . So, many a time, I ask them first before sharing their contacts with you. The best way is to read the magazines or surf the net and find the submissions guidelines or the contact details. Sometimes pick up the phone and call the editorial team and ask them for their email.

3.Opportunities out there for a travel writer
A good travel writer needs to have a personalised style, a niche area of expertise, a passion for travel and writing and a sense of observation. If you can take great photographs then it is an added advantage. Online is a great place to look for opportunities. Blogs, websites, newsletters - everyone has a travel section. Guide books - both online and offline are available. Start somewhere and slowly build your repertoire.

4. What kind of travel stories should I write ?
Well, this largely depends on the publication and your personal interests, but here are some tips to remember. Personalised narratives are always interesting, but people do not want to hear every bit of your trip. Show more and tell less. Let your experiences take your reader along with you on the journey, to the destination .

 I personally like to add local flavour in my stories- conversations with people, sights and sounds, a peek into the culture, food if that interests you - these are always a welcome break than just sightseeing spots. Trivia and history are nice, but I prefer stories - they give a nice feel to the piece.. The mood and tone of the story is important too   -if you can write in a humourous style, then no editor can refuse your story. Position yourself in the story - are you a narrator, a guide, a road tripper, an adventurer ? What would you like to share with your reader ?  Add a sense of discovery in your journeys or let the reader know that you are a lazy traveller, lounging in the chair watching the sun set .

Do not bombard the reader with too many adjectives..there are better ways to describe a place . You can also be a guide and show your expertise and tell the reader where he must go or what he or she must not do. Lists are a great way of showing off your understanding of the destination.And always ask yourself the most important question - Does the reader need to know every detail of my trip ? Maybe some of them are plain irrelevant. The destination can never be shadowed by you .

5.So where do I now begin ?
The first step is to travel. Have a journal and keep notes..it may be something you saw or heard. If you are not into photography, have a digital camera to quickly take pictures and write down short notes on the same. Get your facts right - names,places, distances, routes, whatever you want to share. Write down whatever you feel, what you liked and even what you do not like. And make your observations as well.

Once you are back home, create a small brief on your trip. Make a pitch to a few publications and wait for their responses. Then do some research and ensure your facts are right. If you do not hear from a publication, fret not. Become your own editor and start posting your experiences. Share photographs and promote your posts .Once you are done, restart the process all over again. Your journey as a travel writer begins now..

So, there you are..ready to look at the world with new eyes and to share your experiences. All the best and if you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me .

OK..here are some giveaways for this post as well. I will be giving away five postcards and will be happy to post them to you if you can send me your addresses in the comments section. Here is a catch though..You need to guess where I am headed next. And the five who get it right get a postcard from me from that destination . A clue - I am flying overseas.

Its been four months or more since I travelled anywhere, especially after I was hospitalised . I am not yet out of the woods though. It is a painful condition that needs treatment for a while and this probably maybe my last trip of the year, as I will be focussing on getting completely well by the end of the year .But then, that's a long way to go and I have a holiday in between..so get guessing and I will see you around..

And its Skywatch already ..There is no way like the highway

Rooted at home for the last few months , my wander lust is satisfied by just taking a good look at some of my old photographs. And I believe there is no way like the highway

To see more beautiful skies around the world, visit Skywatch

My first trip in 2012

In a couple of days I will be on the train again. This time , to my native state, city and village. The first and statutory port of halt will be to Chennai aka Madras and then am off on a heritage trail called the Naanjil Naadu tour, to some of the temples and towns in down South in Tamil Nadu bordering Kerala. thereafter I am heading to Thirunelveli and to my dad's village, Kalladaikurichi . It has been more than 20 years since I went to my village and am hoping to make the most of it. The area is rich in eco and wildlife tourism, heritage and culture and am not sure how much time I will have to explore around. However, I am sure to make more trips down South this year.

Journeys 2012 - Less is more

Exactly a year ago, I had written this post on Travel Plans for 2011. Knowing very well that travel + planning isnt really my forte I safely put forth a vague idea of where I would like to be in 2011.I have no intentions of analysing the post, but I would guess 2012 would be fairly similar. I am cutting down random trips and would like to focus more on people and their stories. Culture and heritage will continue to be my focus and the trips are also likely to be short and simple rather than elaborate itineraries.

1.Destinations International .I would like to go somewhere in Asia or Australia this year. Or even Europe and Middle East...let me see where the roads take me . One trip is planned already in January and I will update you on this in a couple of weeks.

2. Cultural and touristy festivals ..I have often stayed away from these as I am not really a crowd person, but I would like to visit them just for the festivity this time

3. Cities and metros - This is something new - I have always shunned big cities , but I am craving to go to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, especially the latter.

4. My roots  - This was planned last year, but I am finally going this year. And hopefully I will make a couple of more trips to my village

5. Destinations India - I had travelled extensively in the South last year, but this year, I would like to head west and north. I would like to go to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and North East this year. 

And then of course, I am waiting for those weekend getaways and day trips which I thoroughly cherish ..So join me on my travels and follow me on Facebook as I update on the move.

Simple pleasures of an unplanned trip

There is always a comfort level in planning a trip - its like a bank security.You know where you are headed and some research always helps in understanding the destination better. But there is a thrill in the unknown - in not knowing where you are headed, in making decisions on the spur of the moment and landing in a place and making plans on the go.

And that is when you realize that the journey is the destination - the essence of the trip lies in those million chai stops, in those smiles of the kids who wave good byes,in those cuddled pups who lie in the middle of the road and refuse to move, in a sudden downpour that hits your window pane that your visibility is so low, in watching birds and butterflies fluttering around, in watching the sun light up the moss on the trees ,in gazing at a dense canopy of deciduous and evergreen forests, in washing your face and feet at a small gushing stream, in watching the outline of a 1000 year old temple from the distance, gracing the banks of a lake, infollowing the speed of a water snake in the lake and sometimes, in just doing and thinking nothing at all ...

We attempted a bit of this over the weekend and it was entirely unplanned

The travel itch had hit the husband early last week as the noise levels  reached an all time high during Deepavali.He suggested a trip to Sringeri/Agumbe over the weekend and I was too bogged down with work to make any plans.He checked the buses and they were running full. And then on late Friday evening,we thought of Masinagudi but accomodation wasnt available. So, we just crashed that night and decided to take a call on Saturday morning .

We woke up early and decided on a random impulse to hit the road. And I tweeted -"Ok so we have got into our car with no idea where we are headed - destination, direction,duration unknown-this is wanderlust.
"I had my purse, my mobile ,my sunscreen and my BP tablet with me in my camera bag and my husband, his purse and mobile .Over breakfast at the Malleswaram Maiyyas, we decided on an impulse to head to Chitradurga as I have been keen on seeing the fort . and so,we took the road towards Tumkur road, but almost veered of course at the Mysore Road deviation, planning Srirangapatna , Bandipur, Gopalswamy betta instead. We deliberated for a while on the road, but our reflexes were too slow and the car moved ahead.

We crossed Nelamangala and then bypassed Tumkur, but a call from a friend changed the course of our journey.  They agreed to join but were not keen on Chitradurga..so with no destination in our mind, we returned to Nelamangala and agreed to meet them at Sollur , near Kunigal,where he got permission to park his car at a petrol pump for a night.

And then we discussed options - Hassan, Chikmagalur, Hanbal-Saklespur, Belur, Coorg or even a detour to Mysore. A quick lunch in  Hassan and I was off to buy clothes and some toiletries and we continued exploring- Shettihalli , a deserted village to see the ruins of a Gothic Church floating in the waters -it was my third visit there and then finally the night sky brought our journey to a halt. Saklespur it was and with some help from uncle, managed a cheap and cheerful room in the Cosmopolitan Club and then we embarked on our journey the next day - Kukke Subramanya , Tipu's Mansirabad Fort and a last minute addition Doddagaddavalli - to see a 1000 year old Hoysala temple in a humble little village . It was my nth visit to Doddagaddavalli and yet everytime I see something new there - this time, it was a water snake speeding up under water in a lake,rearing its head now and then.

The most hilarious part of the trip was at lunch in Saklepur yesterday. The eatery was crowded and we were waiting for a table to be cleared when a woman was grinning at me and so did a friend. I turned back to see another lady wearing exactly the same kurta I had picked up at Hassan the previous afternoon. It so happened that she had landed in town late night at 11 and had urgently picked up a kurta in the morning too..talking about coincidences, I say ... 

This diary is just a record of the places we stopped by as the trip was about the journey and the unplanned part of it. A lack of agenda gave me a sense of liberation, an excitement for the unknown and the flexibility to take things as they come and an ability to adapt and accept whatever comes your way.  Next time, we plan to do away with the car and take a bus .My experiment would be to go to the busstand and decide on the destination on the spur of the moment or take the first bus that comes my way...And yes, the journey will be my destination


And if you like to travel and would like to follow me on my travels, do  join me virtually by signing on to my  Facebook page 

My affair with The Big Cities

There was a time when I hated big cities and all that I associated with  them was noise, the clutter, the pageantry and hype . I would often get lost there.Given a chance, I preferred wilds or the offbeat , rustic, charming towns or heritage sites in ruins. But of late , I seem to be lured by these big cities..

Maybe its the energy, the sights and sounds or just the romantic past tucked away in them, but certainly my fascination for these sprawling metropolises seems to grow. I've always loved Bombay and yes, Delhi too. And Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

 People in NYC watching a street performance

In the international scene, New York and London  fascinates me . And Rome, SFO, Zurich, Dublin, Munich. I enjoy Singapore and Hong Kong and my memories of Melbourne and Sydney, though very old now, still linger. Yes, there are museums , palaces, castles and several sightseeing spots ; but that's not all. Although all these cities are different from each other as chalk and cheese, there seems to be certain reasons why they lure me .

The energy - It  radiates in your mind as you walk down the roads, absorbing the sights and sounds. Whether its India or abroad, there is so much life everywhere . The trains or the tubes - the city virtually moves to their rhythm.And I am not just referring to the nightlife. Walk on the streets, go to a cafe, go shopping or sightseeing, the energy seeps into you and how !

 Times Square in Hong Kong

The streets - They are the living spaces and they are so vibrant. There is so much colour everywhere. You just have to walk down the streets of a city to discover it. Little unknown cafes to bookshops to mega malls and up scale restaurants, to curious signboards and billboards to street performances .. the streets symbolise the city. I hate coach tours for the simple reason you can never feel the pulse of the city. Your feet may get swollen, but you never know what you discover. All those days in NYC, I would just sit in a cafe at Manhattan and see life unfold around me.

 NYC - Times Square

Events - Watch out for the live shows or the musicals or the plays . Some of them maybe free or you may get a discount somewhere. And its worth every penny as you bring back an experience that is unique to the place.

 The Lion King Show in Lycium, London

Nightlife - Why would anyone visit any of the big cities and not capture an essence of its nightlife ? So,while you are looking for a " happenning " place, you may also find some taverns and pubs which have either a lot of history or are quaint and yet full of life. Seek them out. I love Clarke Quay for instance in Singapore and we went to some real old pubs in London which was so lively and fun and the pubs in Dublin which absolutely rocked with some great Irish music

 In a bar in Dublin

The city within the city - So, you come to every city with a list of sightseeing attractions and monuments that you must see and do .But here is a city often hidden beyond the city we now . I went on the London walks last week, where we saw the London of Dickens and Shakespeare ; we also did  see the old London wall. There are many Delhis within Delhi today and Chennai will take you to the fishing hamlet that was once Madras, the settlement formed by the British East India Company. Everything is not just about history - there is art, architecture, literature that forms the cultural ethos of the city. Soak into it !

 Outside Westminister tube station in  London

I can think of many more reasons , but these are the five that comes to my mind. What about you guys ? Do you like big cities and why ?Would love to hear from you

By the way, if you would like to follow me on my journeys and travel with me virtually, I would like to invite you to join me on Facebook and on Twitter where I update on the go..

Travel update

A lot of travel has happenned over the last few weeks - Valparai on a rain forest photography expedition, Madras(Chennai) for the Madras week celebrations, Nagavalli, a village near Tumkur to meet a school master who protects slender lorises in the wild, a sudden assignment to travel down the Coromandel route, from Madras to Tranquebar and now am off to the UK . Tourism Ireland had invited me to visit both Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland and then am off to London, Scotland for a week. So catch you guys towards the end of the month. And yes, happy travels

A tea estate in Valparai

Where would you like to be this Monday ?

I would like to be on a train journey somewhere..what about you ?

Shatabdi musings - from jolarpettai - part 1

Sitting in an ac coach of a train and looking out thro the window , I feel like I'm living in an ivory tower watchg the world go by - yet the world outside seems to be headed nowhere - two lone people bicycling their way in opposite directions in a vast open green field ; a railway crossing where an assortment of cycles and bikes are waiting for us to pass so that they can get on with their lives : two drongos surveying the scene from the wire and some bikes and cycles parked below an old mandapa . After a montage of picket fences, old and new towns, vast open spaces, fields, dusty buildings, some huts and encroachments, lakes and trees , the train pulls up at jolarpettai for an unscheduled stop . The smell of cold vadai and upma comes in as breakfast is served .

The old and the young, the sleepy and the silent, the restless and the curious, the bored and the bores , all wake up suddenlty to attack the cold food, not necessarily out of hunger , but just to fulfil the need to do some activity .

A curious kid is still at it - the questions keep coming - idhu traina busa , namba eppo madras povam, nee enna sapre ( is this a train or a bus, when we reach madras - ok the kid said chennai , what are you eating ?)

Some phones ring and loud voices fill the air . A man switches effortlessly between kannada and tamil giving some instructions , another is talking about blackberry phones, the girl next to me is singing besura with her headphones on , aunty close by is reading her favourite magazine .

I shut my mind and look out , but the sun is shining right through . I draw the curtains, close my eyes, put the phone on silent and try to sleep or at least day dream . Another three hours to go to reach Madras .

PS - This is my first ever live post from a train and its the first time I have used my phone  - Blackberry to blog . Thankfully, the network is very good . As I travel between Bangalore - Madras (Chennai) every month , I hope to make Shatabdi Musings a monthly feature  - hopefully you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy posting them 

Five good reasons to chill on a holiday

I don many roles when I travel - A backpacker sometime, a budget traveller next, a birder/wildlifer sometime , a heritage enthusiast  , a culture monger and sometimes an explorer . I am also a lazy bum and that  is a confession. My moods change along with the destinations and of late, I am addicted to the form of travel which has CHILL written all over it .And I am going to enjoy it while it lasts .

So why is chilling a good thing on a holiday ? Here are my reasons

1. Its good for your nerves. Even better, its good for the nerves of the person who is with you. And believe me , it helps digestion too. For someone like me who has a delicate stomach, a chilled out holiday keeps  acidity at bay !

2. On a more serious note,  travelling without an agenda helps you to discover more about a place or the people or even the culture .Many a time,  I have met interesting people who have shared far more interesting stories. If you want to travel with a purpose - say , you have come to see a tiger and then you end up seeing a jungle cat, you are bound to be disappointed . But if you travel with just the intention of just travelling , then any discovery is good - even if its five days old elephant dung

3. It keeps the surprise going. Sometimes you may just find the beautiful bird singing next to your window and that makes you jump in joy. You would have probably spent the last few birding trips, waking up at unearthly hours, plucking leeches from your feet , while looking for the bird all over the place.  Everything about the chilled out trip is a delight factor and it keeps the romance of travel going

4. Your itinerary is flexible . If the weather is bad, you can read a book or soak in  the mist around you. You can walk into a local eatery or a coffee shop and enjoy some warm conversations . Do whatever pleases you and spoil yourself in the freedom ..

5. It makes you savour your holidays more . Sometimes when you are running from one destination to another  and from one must see spot to another, you may just wonder where the holiday disappeared . Here you live every moment and eventually its those moments that count

So, there you are - would you like to chill on your next trip ?

Here comes the tourist season..

When I was young and naive and believed everything the books told me , I learnt that there were just  two seasons - summer and winter or coming from Madras, it used to be the hot summer and the cool summer as elders in the family used to joke. Those were the days when life was in black and white . It was either Rajinikanth or Kamalahassan ,  thumps up or goldspot, idli or dosa..

I learnt about the third season a bit later in the day and that, believe me was an experience . When I stepped out of a tiny room after an entire night of editing and saw an office flooded with knee deep water , with old food floating around , I knew there was a third season called the monsoons.  It was Bombay that made me experience the fury of the Arabian Sea, the lethargy of the local government as I shivered with malaria , while the roads got flooded year after year . It used to rain heavily in Madras too, but that usually coincided with the winters,sorry cool summer .

But then, seasons to me have always meant weather conditions  - hot,dry, humid,wet, stormy, cold..but  later it came to be festive and fashionable too. And finally it seeped into the world of travel . The holiday season, the tourist season, the honeymoon season soon gave way to the Kerala season, Goa season, Rajasthan season . Every tourist worth his salt had to put his stamp in these places. You need to have those photographs against the Taj in the background, else you haven't travelled at all. 

When I started travelling, I was asked if I was going to Goa for new years eve and I would say no.( I still havent, but thats a different story ) They asked me if I had been to Jaisalmer and again the answer was negative. Thankfully I had been to the Kerala backwaters and I eventually redeemed myself by heading to Agra and got a glimpse of The Taj -whew ! that was a sign of relief.

I dare not tell them that I havent seen a single tiger or leopard in the forest, nor have I been to Corbett or Kanha. My last visit to Kanyakumari was probably when I was 15 to see the sunrise .. And yet, the eyebrows are raised..am I really a traveller ? " Maybe shes just a pretender , not really been anywhere." came the voices..

So who are these people , you may ask..People who believe that their holidays should be a list of only must see places as they keep ticking them off their bucket list. I see nothing wrong with it really as I have my own bucket list too and I will probably visit all the places mentioned above "whenever I feel like .." And that to me , makes me a nomad.  

I choose my destinations - I travel where I want to, when I want to - not because its the season to go there. I travel within my own city, around the outskirts of the city and sometimes to a getaway outside the city . And when I feel like its time to have a date with a destination , I check out my bucket list and go..

Meanwhile I realize I am a bit outdated still. Seasons have changed again -  you now have a tiger season, an angling season and a migratory season too and I will soon be hibernating to run away from all of this 

Since when did travel become so stressful, I wonder ! 

The journey so far - a quick update

I promised myself in the beginning of the year that I would blog more regularly and also do some trip reports as well , but unfortunately I have had little time to do the same. The blog has unfortunately taken a beating with facebook growing a little more prominent and the rest of my time is taken between travelling, articles and my media - content work. So, I told myself that i would at least post  a quick update on what has been happenning in the last couple of months

A lot of travelling happenned in January - I was in Thattekadu and Munnar on New Years' Eve and had a great birding experience. A couple of my stories were published in my column , Inside Story in Metro Plus  and I am writing one on Thattekadu as I write this post. The birding experience in Gods own country was followed by a wonderful wild experience in South Goa and I had my column published in The Hindu , Metro Plus and articles in Rediff and now the March issue of Terrascape, which has my picture on the cover as well 

February saw a couple of day trips - one off Bangalore towards Sibi - a temple dedicated to Narasimha , Sira , a town which was once a province of the Mughals, a village called Kaggaladu where painted storks nest in hordes and are protected by the villagers. Articles again have been published in my column in The Hindu, Metro Plus and in Spectrum , Deccan herald. Unfortunately editors do not like blog posts appearing earlier than the stories, so I am forced to keep my readers waiting. 

My last trip was to Madras last week and i had another wonderful day trip to Pulicat lake to do some birding and experience a bit of colonial era , as it was an erstwhile Dutch colony. Sadly the fort built by the dutch is no more and in its place are a dense undergrowth of thorny shrubs and marshes. The surprise element  however was the spotting of flamingoes which we were told had not yet arrived, but we were overwhelmed to see the sky painted in orange and black. 

I am not sure where March will take me, but there might be a few day trips or short holidays coming up. ..In the meanwhile, you can follow my travel page on Facebook or follow me on twitter. 

So Travel Plans for 2011

Outside Pier 39 in SanFrancisco

Travel planning and me...Nah ? Somehow, that combination doesnt work together..2010 was an ample proof to that..Trips just happenned..I had no idea that I would be going to US, Singapore, Bali and Hongkong on the international front and Sikkim and Shimoga on the domestic front..I went to these places without a plan as well..experiencing the places as they are or going with the flow..In a way, I enjoyed the phase of travel . However 2010 had a lot of misses as well- case in point being December when almost 4 destinations were planned and none fell into place..It strengthens my belief that travel planning is not made for me..But having said that, destinations have been floating around in my head and I think 2011 will be on these lines

1. An international trip
2.A festival that I would like to attend
3. A cultural / heritage destination
5.A wildlife trip
6.A birding destination
6.A trip to my roots
7.Weekend getaways - ex Chennai/Bangalore - many :)

Having said that, this does not include  last minute plans..so travel buddies, please call me when you are planning a trip ..And by the way, any sponsors out there listening ? I am also open to resort and destination reviews and am happy to blog/tweet/write and share on FB and other social media sites..

And a promise  - I will update the blog as and when I finish a trip ..so while destinations 2010 can wait for a while, I will soon be posting on my latest birding trip in Thattekadu and Munnar  ..